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Tag: Volkswagon

  • 590-hp Beetle: This Bug Has Got The Juice

    Never has the Raid can seen a bug like this. According to Motor Authority, Volkswagen announced during the February 7th Chicago Auto Show that they have teamed up with Andretti Autosport to throw their hat( tire in the ring to compete in this year’s Global RallyCross Championship.

    The season starts in May, and Volkswagen promises to have the souped-up Beetle GRC ready by June. Volkswagen divulges that the Beetle will be an all-wheel drive vehicle holding close to 600 horsepower in a turbocharged and direct-injected four-cyclinder engine.

    Those familiar with the sport were excited about the new entry, and Volkswagen announcement was met with further glee with the declaration that the 2011 and 2012 GRC champion Tanner Foust will be manning the wheel of the high-powered Beetle. Foust is a professional driver who also specializes in stunt driving, and has played important parts in television shows such as Top Gear, Battle of the SuperCars, Octane Academy and more.

    The Global RallyCross Championship is an extreme affair, and races are held across the world in large arenas packed with excited lovers of the sport. Cars compete on a rugged course of pavement and dirt in a timed series of heats that are completed with a 70-foot jump.

    Watching a Beetle burst through the course at high speeds and fly through the air will definitely serve as an interesting visual experience for anyone, and will likely knock the socks off of avid fans later this year. Stay tuned for the official release of the car upon completion in June, and be sure to catch the first segment of the races in May in Barbados.

    Image via Wiki Commons

  • Toyota Edges Past GM as World’s Largest Carmaker

    Toyota has again beat out General Motors to become the world’s largest car manufacturer. In the first quarter of 2012, Toyota sold 2.49 million cars, again pushing ahead of GM, who sold 2.28 million. Coming in at number three is Germany’s Volkswagon, with sales of 2.16 million.

    Toyota first beat out GM in 2008, but then saw setbacks after the Japanese earthquake, Thai floods and various recalls, which prompted a loss of the top spot in 2010. Though, sales of the new Camry and Prius in the U.S. have bolstered business, allowing it to again surpass GM. Roughly 4 million Toyota hybrid models have been sold worldwide since 1997, with 1.5 million of those bought in the U.S. – though it was recently reported that the majority of hybrid owners don’t go on to buy a second hybrid.

    A back and forth battle for the top spot should be expected in the coming quarters, and GM plans to relaunch the marketing of the all-electric Volt, while Volkswagon plans to sell 10 million cars by 2018. Perhaps Volkswagon will market it’s magnet-powered hovercar. This commercial for the concept car is off the chain:

    Toyota has so far sold roughly 1.2 million Prius models in the U.S., and offers the classic Prius, the larger Prius V, the compact Prius C and the plug-in model. The company also makes hybrid versions of the Camry and Highlander, as well as high-end Lexus models.

  • Volkswagon Concept Hover Car Flys Through China

    Volkswagon has been at the forefront of automotive technology for years. Most recently it was the introduction of the fastest production car of all time Bugatti Veyron. Now they have the beginnings of a flying concept car. Not in the sense that it flys through the air like an airplane/car. But that it used electro magnets placed in the road to hover through the streets of a city in China.

    The concept car has a cool feature that need to be pointed out. It has a collision detection system in place to keep people safe when they aren’t paying attention or if they are slow to respond. I imagine the technology is related to the collision system that Mercedes uses wich basically uses small cameras and sophisticated software to detect threats and help you drive safer.

    This is a very early concept and obviously not real, but what it does show is the potential of the new world that is coming quick. The attention to detail is kind of neat in the video, from the simple thing of the aluminum can being pushed out of the way. Even though aluminum isn’t magnetic I still think it is kinda cool.