2005 Volkswagen Jetta Tdi on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Production Volkswagen Taigun crossover caught in patent filing?

Volkswagen brought an angular, bulldog-like small crossover concept called Taigun to the São Paulo motor show last year, claiming that it wanted to gauge interest in the design before making a decision about production. If a new report with alleged leaked patent images is to be believed, then, interest must have been pretty high.
China's Auto.Sohu.com has published this group of Taigun images, claiming that they have been sourced from the Chinese patent office and that the subcompact VW utility based on the Up! has been cleared for production.
If all of that is true, and if these images are representative of the final product, you'll see that designers haven't done much to alter the concept car's appearance. Comparing, shot for shot, with the images we have from Brazil, we see that even small details like roof rack-mounted lights and exhaust tips integrated in the rear fascia have been carried over. Take a closer look for yourself in the attached galleries.

VW announces reworked 6.0 W12 TSI engine

Nobody makes more engines with a dozen cylinders than the Volkswagen Group. They're W12s, of course, owing to the novel shape of their cylinder banks. Now the German industrial giant has announced a comprehensively reworked version of that engine at the same Vienna Motor Symposium where it presented its new 2.0-liter turbo four. The new W12 retains the same arrangement and the same 6.0-liter displacement, but updates it all with the latest powertrain tech. In place of Audi's FSI direct injection and Bentley's TMPI multi-point injection, the engine has adopted a new TSI system. It's also got a pair of new twin-scroll turbochargers, APS-coated cylinders, a new cooling system, active engine mounts, cylinder deactivation, and a stop/start system. And – crucially for application in the upcoming Bentayga – it has an oil circuit designed for off-road use. The revised package now produces 600 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. Considerably more than the 567 hp and 516 lb-ft offered in the Bentley Continental GT W12, but less than the GT Speed, which we suspect will get an even more powerful version of this new engine. It's also more powerful than even the top version of Audi and Bentley's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, to make the W12 a more compelling option. Of course that's just as far as the Continental GT is concerned. The W12 has also found use in the Continental GTC and Flying Spur, as well as the Volkswagen Phaeton and Audi A8, and could find further applications under the Flying B emblem and elsewhere in the future. VW says that in the right application (say, in the production version of the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept, for example), the new twelve-pot could deliver 0-62 times of under four seconds and a top speed in excess of 186 miles per hour. Volkswagen at the 36th International Vienna Motor Symposium Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neusser: "The car of the future will continue to fascinate people" - CO2 reduction, electromobility and digitalisation are the greatest challenges facing the automotive industry - The future of the internal combustion engine will be characterised by high rpm diesel and high-performance three-cylinder TSI engines - Laser roughening – innovative coating process in large-scale production - New 6.0 W12 TSI with 447 kW (608 PS) – performance and refinement - New generation of EU6 TDI engines for light-duty vehicles Dr.

Volkswagen might cut 40 models across brands to save cash

Volkswagen once set out to pass Toyota and General Motors and become the largest automaker in the world. Following months of fallout from the diesel emissions scandal, the manufacturer is rumored to be dropping around 40 models from its company-wide lineup. According to German business and finance publication Handelsblatt, the Volkswagen Group is looking to slim down and remove a number of low-volume vehicles from various lineups. The company currently sells around 340 models across brands that include Audi, Lamborghini, and Bentley. Volkswagen is refusing to comment, but Handelsblatt claims to have sources within the company. Last week, Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Muller announced a new strategy for the company that includes a major focus on electric vehicles and new technology services. During his announcement, Muller said the company would be cutting a number of models, but at the time no numbers, models, or brands were discussed. Despite comments to the contrary, rumors have persisted since late last year that Volkswagen was looking to sell commercial truck and bus manufacturer MAN. Volkswagen owns truck and bus manufacturer Scania, so even if it dropped MAN, the company would still have a foothold within the bus and truck market. There is also talk of the company selling Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, which Volkswagen acquired via Audi in 2012. The company's image has taken a huge hit in the wake of the diesel scandal. Volkswagen has set aside cash in order to pay fines and may be looking to sell these several subsidiaries and cut low-volume models in order offset the costs. Despite the scandal, the company led worldwide sales in the first quarter of 2016. The same was true in 2015, but sales tanked at the end of the year following the diesel revelations. Related Video: Rumormill Audi Bentley Volkswagen Ducati