Sporty Cars

Posts Tagged ‘VW’

This is my first look at RACER4560′s brand new Volkswagon GTI 6 speed.

1971 Oldsmobile 442 W30 Road Test filmed in 1972 at what is believed to be Grattan race track in Michigan Of the 1304 Olds 442 convertibles built in 1971 only 110 were W30s and only 32 were 4 speeds like this one. SOMEONE SENT ME A MESSAGE THAT THE CAR IN THIS VIDEO HAS SURVIVED THE YEARS AND IS TODAY ONE OF 11 DOCUMENTED 71 W30 4SPEED CONVERTIBLES OF THE ORIGINAL 32 MADE. Car and Track narrator Gordon “Bud” Lindemann (born August 22, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois — 1983) was a pioneer in motor sports broadcasting. Lindemann graduated from high school in 1940. He joined the United States Coast Guard during World War II, and was stationed on the USS Eastwind in the North Atlantic. While in the service, Gordon met his future wife Kay and they were married on February 9, 1945. Lindemann worked briefly in radio in Boston following the war before moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1946. “Big Bud” (another nickname) then became actively involved in motor sports in the mid-1950s as an announcer at the now-defunct Grand Rapids Speedrome. He later worked at the Berlin Raceway and the Kalamazoo Speedway until the mid-1960s. In 1964, while working for the WZZM-TV broadcasting company, he developed a program called “Autoscope”. The show featured local races as well as some national events. “Autoscope” became a local success, and in 1967 Lindemann expanded by forming his own production company, “Car & Track Productions”, owned by Lindemann himself and operated by many of his own family …

Host Ross Rapoport spent a week in the all-new 2011 Volkswagen Touareg VR6 Sport, a brand new redesigned premium SUV that is as fun to drive as it is comfortable and elegant. Sharing some design cues with the far-more expensive Porsche Cayenne, the Touareg has flowing lines and a pronounced back-end, making its silhouette look eerily similar to its European cousin. Also for 2011, the Touareg has managed to drop over 400 pounds while increasing its cargo capacity and overall size, a fairly noteworthy improvement over the course of one year. The Touareg for 2011 comes in several different engine options, including a brand new hybrid option which unfortunately we didn’t get to test drive. However, our 3.6L VR6 engine, with 280 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque, was more than capable of getting us around town with its ample power and acceleration. Gas mileage is decent considering the engine and the weight, you’ll be mustering roughly 16 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. With the hybrid engine, you’ll be getting slightly better numbers: a supercharged V6 with 333 horses and 324 pound feet, with gas mileage coming in at 20/27. Do the math and that extra power and mileage might not be enough to justify the additional 00 or so it takes to upgrade to the hybrid engine. And all of the Touaregs come with VW’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system to manage all the twists and turns your commute can throw at you. Inside, the Touareg is functional and efficient, if a little …

Opel will have a busy fall this year with the introduction of three new icons: the revolutionary electric Ampera with extended range capabilities, the new generation Zafira Tourer flexibility master, and the Astra GTC three-door sports compact. The Opel Astra GTC will have its world premiere at the 64th International Motor Show in Frankfurt am Main, September 15-25, 2011. The new Opel Astra GTC stands out with sharp design and driving capabilities. On the outside, sculpted shapes with precise accents add drama to clean, sweeping coupé lines. And on the road, all Astra GTC versions benefit from a premium front axle layout with HiPerStrut – High Performance Strut – that ideally combines with the clever Opel patented Watt’s link rear axle to provide unmatched stability and the sharpest driving precision. Only very few, radical sporty cars in the segment offer such a sophisticated front axle architecture. “The Astra GTC is the sporty member of the Opel family,” says Karl-Friedrich Stracke, Chief Executive Officer of Opel/Vauxhall. “It has been designed and engineered in our facilities in Rüsselsheim to be a highly desirable sports coupé with invigorating driving performance while remaining affordable, roomy and flexible. We’re convinced that it will bring a breath of fresh air into the sports compact segment”.

Celebrated Baton Rouge sports radio talk show host, 104.5 ESPN’s Matt Moscona, test drives, jokes, & honestly reveals his shock (& pleasant surprise) at the power, handling, speed, & overall sports/muscle car-esque performance of the 2012 Beetle that is now available to test drive at Southpoint Volkswagen in Baton Rouge, LA & at her sister dealership Southwest Volkswagen in Lafayette, LA. Southpoint Volkswagen 13940 Airline Highway Baton Rouge, LA (866) 308-5680 southpointvw.com http twitter.com Southwest Volkswagen 6184 Johnston Street Lafayette, LA (866) 308-5698 southwestvw.com http twitter.com

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Celebrated Baton Rouge sports radio talk show host, 104.5 ESPN’s Matt Moscona, test drives, jokes, & honestly discusses the feel, handling, & the effects of the affordable, responsive, & spaciously revamped 2012 Passat now available at Southpoint Volkswagen in Baton Rouge, LA & at her sister dealership Southwest Volkswagen in Lafayette, LA. Southpoint Volkswagen 13940 Airline Highway Baton Rouge, LA (866) 308-5680 southpointvw.com http twitter.com Southwest Volkswagen 6184 Johnston Street Lafayette, LA (866) 308-5698 southwestvw.com http twitter.com

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Graham heads to the twisty hillside roads of Wales to test this brand new hot hatch and to find out how the Polo GTI compares with its differently-badged sister cars: the Skoda Fabia vRS and SEAT Ibiza Cupra.

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The 2012 Mazda 3 made its US debut at the 2011 New York International Auto Show. Face-lifted with an even more refined exterior and interior, the 2012 Mazda 3 also is the first application in North America of Mazda’s innovative SKYACTIV fuel-saving and performance-oriented technologies, achieving 40 mpg on the highway. The Mazda 3 model is Mazda’s best-selling vehicle worldwide and accounts for nearly half of all Mazda sales in the United States, making the vehicle a prime candidate for introducing SKYACTIV to consumers looking for dynamic performance coupled with high fuel efficiency. “SKYACTIV is not just an engine; it is the next generation of advanced vehicle performance and efficiency,” said Jim O’Sullivan, President and CEO, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). “SKYACTIV embodies Mazda’s philosophy of engineering only vehicles that are fun to drive, satisfying to own and environmentally responsible; and there is no better vehicle to start with than the Mazda 3, one of the most exciting sport compact cars on the road.” Redesigned for the 2010 model year, the refreshed 2012 Mazda 3 is Mazda’s first application of SKYACTIV technologies in North America, receiving an all-new SKYACTIV-G gasoline engine as well as the all-new SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic transmission and all-new SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission. It also features improved sporty driving dynamics, responsive handling and a comfortable cabin space. The exterior design also has been refined …

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www.autoblog.gr Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 35 World debut at Wörthersee: 235 PS Golf GTI Edition 35 offers pure dynamic performance Volkswagen celebrates 35 years of the GTI with 247 km/h special edition Golf GTI Edition 35 has powerful 6 kg/PS and economical 8.1 l/100 km Wolfsburg / Reifnitz, 31 May 2011 — 35 years of the Golf GTI! Volkswagen is celebrating the anniversary of this icon with the new Golf GTI Edition 35. 173 kW / 235 PS of power (25 PS more than the normal GTI) and a fast 247 km/h top speed; 6 kg/PS power density. It will be a collector’s item from day one — arriving right on the 35th anniversary of the GTI legend. Back in the summer of 1976 — when the very first production GTI was launched — no one ever would have surmised what Volkswagen had just unleashed. No one. Not even Volkswagen itself. Some things simply cannot be planned — icons included. And so the first Golf GTI surprised everyone: buyers, competitors, the carmaker and — on the Autobahn — all those drivers of other sports cars and luxury saloons who had never heard of such a thing from Volkswagen, but were now being passed by it. Since then, the GTI advanced to become the most successful compact sports car in automotive history. 5000 GTIs were planned — yet the GTI of our day is irrepressibly approaching the production milestone of 2 million units built! 6.6 seconds for the sprint. Now, the new Golf GTI Edition 35 is proving the potential of this automobile. As always, it has front …

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(4.23.11) Taking the wraps off. I was there for the unveiling of Hyundai’s brand new Accent at the New York International Auto Show. One of four new Hyundai’s the company promises can get 40 miles to the gallon. The new Accent joins new models of the Hyundai Elantra, the Sonata Hybrid, and the Veloster concept car. With gas prices zooming more New Yorkers are deciding what car to buy based on fuel efficiency. So that’s the focus for Hyundai — along with sizzling style. Mazda the ‘zoom-zoom’ car company long known for making vehicles that are fun to drive from their minivans to their sports-cars is another auto maker making sure to tout fuel efficiency at the New York International Auto Show. And no wonder. With gas prices hovering above a gallon, an estimated 80% of Americans are choosing their cars based on fuel economy. For Mazda that means rolling out something called ‘Skyactiv Technology’. Mazda’s figured out a way to make regular engines deliver better gas mileage than ever before. This is the first car to get the Skyactiv Technology. The fuel sipping Mazda M2. When you burn a gallon of gas it’s very inefficient. You’re only getting 30% of the energy that’s in the gas, the other 70% is wasted, lost as heat. Mazda’s latest tech tweaks let you get more bang for your buck from a gallon of gas. Skyactiv Technology is at the heart of Mazda’s new models on display right now at the New York International Auto Show. When it comes to innovative advertising. Heavy on hip …

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