Mad Hatch

2012 VW Golf GTI Reifnitz Concept

If you thought the Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro was the craziest thing to ever come out of VW AG, well, think again. In honor of the German way, VW cooked up this very hot GTI at GTI-Wörthersee. Named after Reifnitz, the lakeside town in which the festival was held, this special concept tuner features a Stage III Turbo Kit and intercooler from APR Performance. Mix that with sport-tuned exhaust from RSC Performance, and you've got the most powerful front-wheel drive Golf GTI ever devised with 370 brake horsepower, 160 more than what the standard GTI puts down. To make this car even cooler, VW added a wide-body aero kit with a twin-vented hood, some Herbie-like Blue and Red racing stripes with some white backdrop in the middle, a race-inspired interior with some Alcantara racing buckets mixed with some blue and red stripes, a racing roll-cage for the race driver's edge, and some iconic 20-inch Alpine White Mesh rims just for the looks. This is by far the coolest Golf GTI I've ever come across. Why didn't EA put this in NFS World along with the A1 Clubsport? 

Drop Top Golf (Part II)

2012 VW Golf R Cabriolet Concept

The Golf madness at Wörthersee continues. First there was the 500 horsepower Compact craze that was the Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro. Now, VW have brought out two new droptop concept cars, both of which are, you guessed it, Golfs. First up, there's the Golf R Cabriolet Concept that, if it gets the green light, will be the fastest droptop Golf of them all. Under the hood is the Golf R standard 2.0-liter turbo-4 engine producing 265 horsepower. Combine this with all-wheel drive and you'll have the car that will do 0 to 60 in less than 6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 155 MPH. I have to say that as a hatchback, the Golf R looked good, but as a convertible, it looks even better. No word on if this will reach the U.S. but there's a strong chance that it won't.

2012 VW Golf GTI Cabriolet Concept

Next up is the less powerful Golf GTI Cabriolet Concept that might make production as well. It gets the standard Golf GTI 2.0-liter turbo-4 engine producing 200+ horsepower. It will do 0 to 60 in about 6 seconds and hit a top speed of about 150 MPH. This one just looks like a straight brawler. Cabriolets beware! A new Golf is in town. Both these cars are on display at GTI-Wörthersee, so if you're there right now, go ahead and check them out.

Happy 35!

2012 VW Golf GTI Edition 35

It was on this day, 35 years ago, that the best compact car ever created was born: the Golf GTI. Today is its 35th birthday, and VW has decided to celebrate it by giving the current GTI a 35th anniversary overhaul. What's included? How about some restyled leather seats with the number 35 on them. Included in this exclusive package is a new front bumper, a new interior trim, some exclusive rims, and, finally, a much more powerful 232 horsepower 2.0-liter turbo-4 engine. Pre-orders start this Thursday at €30,425 in Germany. So far, there's no word on this car coming to the U.S., but I hope it does. I think we could go far a much more powerful GTI. But in the mean time, happy birthday Golf GTI!

Look out Hatchbacks!

2012 Opel Astra GTC

Saturn may be gone, but Opel and Vauxhall still live, and they're cooking up something interesting to compete with some top notch hatchbacks. Say hello to the all new Astra GTC, due for official unveiling in Frankfurt, Germany at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Opel and Vauxhall say that this new hatchback will make room for their new 300 horsepower hot hatch due to take on the VW Golf R and Audi's turbo-boosting RS3. It's a shame Saturn shut down, though. Not that they produced really good cars, but if they were still alive and brought this here, people would be buying it. This might just be a rendering, but Opel and Vauxhall say that the final product will look almost exactly like it. It looks good. This could take GM somewhere. The car is scheduled for internet debut on June 7 when the pre-order books open. Check back here to see the hot hatch's greatest threat.

Beetle Mania!

2012 VW Beetle (New York)

It seems the new Bug has already made its way to the Big Apple. Today, VW officially revealed the all-new VW Beetle today in New York. A lot of Beetle fans turned up to look at the new Bug as it was presented by Klaus Bischoff, VW's head of design.

"We took the current Beetle and threw everything about it out the window and had the original Beetle in the studio when we started redesign in 2007" - Klaus Bischoff, VW's head of Design

It turns out a lot of people like the new Beetle. There were some people who said, "it doesn't look like a Beetle anymore." Yeah, that's what they said about the last one. But anyway, VW showed off two models of the Beetle, the standard model and the Turbo. It looks like the Turbo will carry VW's 2.0-liter 200 horsepower turbo-4 engine. And since it's a small car, expect it to be quite quick. VW's Global Marketing Director, Luca de Meo, says that thanks to the Beetle's new XDS electric front differential, it's more nimble and agile, it's like driving Herbie or a mosquito.

"the fact that the 200-horsepower turbocharged motor makes this a 'toy for a boy'; and the Fender audio that includes some first-time features such as the Panasonic technology in the tweeters." - Luca de Meo, VW Global Marketing Director

Basically what VW is trying to do is make the Beetle less feminine as it was back in Y2K. Of course, women may love it, but for men who love power, like I do, they hope that the new Beetle has enough to please them.

"We want to make a statement without making compromises, to get out of niche and into core demand in many markets, not just the States."- Luca de Meo, VW Global Marketing Director

So, all-in-all, the Beetle looks like it's one for the masses: a revolution of something that was ugly into something more streamlined. In my opinion, it looks like a bubbly Golf. There is some Golf-ness in this car that some people can't see. I'll take it for a test drive this fall. Top Gear so far says it's not half bad. The sporty styling they think is actually much better and the interior is top notch. I think Clarkson & Hammond have the deciding vote on this one. The all-new Beetle will come out this fall at a pretty decent price.

Black Betty

2012 VW Beetle

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the all-new 2012 VW Beetle. All those Oprah fans who received a key to one last year, well done. This car looks much better than the horrid trash created years ago, and even before that. What's strange is that VW say the design of this car was based on the original ugly Beetle. I do see some of that, but more of that awesome Ragster Concept a couple years back with the longer roof line and the aggressive windshield. Anyway, on to the car now. It's longer and wider than the old trash they've created. It features some Golf and Scirocco stylings so it is best believed that the car may be using a Golf chassis. There are new headlights with LED Daytime running lamps. Around the back, you'll see that this car has definitely gone through a serious makeover as it features new taillamps, a new spoiler, and an aggressive pair of exhausts, one on each side of the bumper.

Rear View

Inside, you'll find seating for four and some new amenities such as leather seats, navigation, an adaptive stereo system; they've even put in some carbon fiber on the dash for some models to make it a bit more aggressive. Not to mention, I'm delighted to say that they've removed the ugly flower that was standard on that last old trash that they had. No one needed that thing. Even men who bought one felt unmanly with that ugly flower on the steering wheel. Anyway, as far as power goes, VW has promised four engines for the Beetle, with three of them possibly coming over here. First, there's a 1.2-liter 104 horsepower inline-4 engine. Moving on up, there's the 1.4-liter 148 horsepower i-4 engine, the 1.6-liter 104 horsepower Blue Motion turbodiesel engine, and, you'll be excited to here, a 2.0-liter 200 horsepower turbo-4 engine like in the Golf GTI. All engines will be mated with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed DSG transmission. The spoiler comes only with the TSI models (147 horsepower - 200 horsepower). Prices have not been announced yet, but soon will be as this car is set arrive here this fall. But, before it does, you'll be able to see it in person at the Shanghai Motor Show and New York International Auto Show this week, so I'll have some live pictures of this car for you this weekend.

Super Golf

2012 VW Golf R

Golf fans rejoice! The Turbocharged Golf R is heading towards our shores this fall. It won't be as powerful as the Euro Spec Golf, but it is pretty powerful. The Euro Spec Golf R produces 270 horsepower with the 2.0-liter Turbo-4 engine. We'll get the same engine, but the power has been brought down to about 256. Still, since it is 250 lbs. lighter than the old V6 R32, 0 to 60 will be done in less than 5.7 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 155 MPH. And, unlike most powerhouse hot hatches, primarily the Ford Focus RS and Mazdaspeed 3, the Golf R maintains its 4Motion all-wheel drive system to keep all the power balanced. Unfortunately, if you are a Golf lover but don't know how to drive a stick shift, you're gonna have to learn to drive this car. The Golf R will only be available with a 6-speed manual transmission, while Europe gets the option of having it with a DSG. I wouldn't mind that. Unfortunately, the bright LED taillamps will not be available on our Golf R. Anyway, one thing they haven't changed are the variants. You can have the Golf R as a 3-door or a 5-door. Prices start at around $30,000, which is family saloon money. There are also many options for you to choose from including sunroof, Navigation, Smart Key, Dynamic Sound System, etc. I still like it, even with the stick shift. I might even take it out for a test drive soon.