Tag Archives: vw

March282013
1 Comment
automotive, business, cars, design, iedei, vintage

Audi and Alfa Romeo in “negotiations”.

audi-tt-alfa-romeo-brera

Has Sergio Marchionne finally buckled?  Is Audi buying Alfa Romeo?  Let’s hope so!

Ward reports:

“Alfa Romeo is at the core of top-level negotiations between Audi and Fiat and might be near to a sale, reliable sources here and in Ingolstadt, Germany, say.  Sources close to both Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne and Audi CEO Rupert Stadler confirm the two are in talks over a major deal.

The top subject reportedly involves the sale of Alfa, but this time not only the brand but Fiat’s Pomigliano assembly plant also is on the table. If the discussions bear fruit, the facility would return to building Alfas under Audi. Pomigliano was built in the late 1960s specifically for Alfa production, but currently makes the Fiat Panda.”

src:  Wards

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April102012
6 Comments
business, cars, design, iedei, men, vintage

VW EA41 and the Porsche 555.


It’s 1952, and Volkswagen is doing all sorts of projects trying to figure out a replacement for the VW Beetle. Mysteriously they had a design study done by Pininfarina, entitled the “EA41”. It sure looks a helluva lot like the Lancia Aurelia B20 Coupe from the rear end, but there is a Beetle hiding under there somewhere. I’m not sure if this car was from scratch or not, but i’m guessing this was merely a design study for which Pininfarina was hired to propose.

Lancia Aurelia B20 Coupe, also designed by Pininfarina around that time:

So as VW was searching for a viable alternative, they also happened to do a bunch of different design studies of a rear-engined new alternative……what did Porsche come up with? the Porsche 555!!

and this! the only photo i’ve been able to find of an actual Porsche 555 that was made….looks fantastic and I must admit I am very intrigued. I am also, however, bothered by the lack of information about the car—-but obviously as this was only a design/concept study it likely disappeared like most ideas did back then!

Porsche 555

eventually influencing the Porsche 356 “notchback” Coupe:

srcs: Rastall (excellent page), curbsideclassic, smcars

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March202012
12 Comments
automotive, cars, design, iedei, men, vintage

EA 276: 1969 VW Golf (MK1) prototype.

I remember seeing a photo of this ages ago…but just saw it again after a long time.  I find it interesting how the rear side view seems to have inspired the Peugeot 205 in many ways.  I also find it interesting that the front end design presented here in 1969 seems way ahead of its time!  As a whole though, I think it’s safe to say that the proper MK1 Golf which presented itself a few years later is a much more cohesive, proportional design than this one is.  This 1969 prototype is also FWD, front-engined as the production MK1 would be…

This car is currently stored at the VW Museum in Wolfsburg, Germany

src: historyOfCars

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March122012
2 Comments
automotive, business, cars, design, iedei, men, racing

Audi buying Ducati! (?…!…?)

As an Audiphile, i’m super excited this morning after reading this.  It’s not April 1st….wow. Piech on the attack! You’re next Alfa Romeo!

from Fourtitude:

“Apparently Ferdinand Piech has been interested in Ducati for some time and is on the record for stating his regret for not snapping up the motorcycle marque when it went up on the market years ago.  Apparently Piech also looked into revival of the Horex brand, but it was determined that there wasn’t enough brand recognition to make it worthwhile. Ducati, on the other hand, sells 40,000 motorcycles a year and has great brand recognition worldwide.”

and

“Out of nowhere CAR Magazine today has broken a story this morning that Audi entered an exclusive deal to buy motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. After re-checking our calendar to make sure it wasn’t April 1, we took a closer look at the story. Penned by Georg Kacher, we don’t question its accuracy in any way and as such it’s worth considering the details.

Apparently Ducati is on the market and it’s being suited by no less than Audi, Daimler (with whom there’s a marketing deal with AMG), Mahindra and even Audi’s parent company Volkswagen. All are interested in the Italian motorcycle manufacturer but Kacher is revealing via CAR that Audi has an exclusivity deal that gives it first refusal – one that could very well see Ducati under Audi ownership by April.”

Original article at Car Magazine

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February282012
8 Comments
automotive, business, cars, design, iedei, men

Need. More. Hot. Hatches.

The Citroen DS4 Racing is scheduled to be shown at the Geneva Auto Show.   There isn’t a week that goes by where I am NOT envious of my european friends and how they have such fantastic ‘hot’ hatchbacks to choose from and buy!!!  Americans simply do not understand hatchbacks; which is why we have 5 on the market here or something like that.   What choices do we have in the US for ‘hot hatches’? VW GTI, Audi A3, Ford Focus, Mini Cooper, and some weird 3-door Hyundai Velociraptor Roster Foster Pentacoster….

For the love of god, SOMEBODY buy PSA (Peugeot/Citroen/etc) and bring us these french hot hatches!  Ford maybe?  Buy PSA! Nissan, stop diddling around with the miserable current lineup you have in the US and bring us some Renault Meganes and Clios! VW, hurry up and buy Alfa Romeo so you can bring us theirs as well as the Audi A1, S3, RS3!  Suzuki, bring us the Swift!

oh and the Citroen DS4 looks pretty damn wicked from where i’m seeing it. 1.6 liter 256hp mini-rocket (256hp out of 1.6L? wow).

src: Top Gear

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June272011
4 Comments
automotive, business, cars, F1, iedei, racing, sports

F1 4-cylinder Turbo vs. V6 Turbo…and how Audi influenced the FIA.

 

(rendering below, via Speed Arena–not actual car!)

By now i’m sure you have heard the debates about Formula One switching to a V6  Turbos OR  4-cylinder Turbos by 2013/2014.  The latest news being reported by ESPN is saying that Audi was one of the primary reasons why F1 had initially agreed to switch to 4 cylinder turbos.  Apparently Audi had originally said they would join, and the FIA obliged by accepting the idea of the 4 cylinder turbo.  After the decision was made, Audi then flipped and decided the finances weren’t working out for them to join F1—and changed their mind.  Following Audi’s uncertainty about joining F1, the FIA has recently decided that it is going back to the original idea of V6 Turbos.

I, personally, am a big fan of 4 cylinder turbos and feel they would have enhanced development of road going 4 cylinder turbos in street cars—-and am dissappointed that Audi retracted their original idea of joining F1.  I think it would have been great if they had joined—possibly filling the void that BMW had left when they retreated from F1 a few years ago.  Here’s hoping they change their minds again and decide to enter!

http://en.espnf1.com/fia/motorsport/story/52832.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

(thanks to Stampchez for the tip!)

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September242010
1 Comment
automotive, business, cameras, cars, gadgets, iedei

Audi + Leica = Leica M9 Titanium Edition

Could this combination be any better?!?  my favourite carmaker and my favourite camera maker have come together, with one of my favourite auto designers Walter De Silva putting his hands on the redesign of the Leica M9 Titanium Edition. It will probably be too expensive, but it’s also too cool….what does “expensive” mean?  well considering a standard M9 costs $7000+, i’m guessing this limited edition will be at least $8000 or more?  OUCH OUCH!

As much as i love my Leica D-Lux 4, i must admit to daydreaming…..

more info: http://us.leica-camera.com/photography/special_editions/m9_titan/


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July192010
1 Comment
automotive, cars, iedei

IEDEI meets the Audi TT-RS.

Found out some info on the TT-RS:

$65-68k, 300-350 cars coming to the US market, all coupes, all manual transmission (unofficial estimates, taken from a couple sources IEDEI has spoken with)

The sound of the 2.5L turbo 5 is amazing.  I saw this car today at Waterfest (VW/Audi gathering in held in New Jersey every year).  It was brought there by the Fourtitude guys and was provided to them by Audi.  It is the only TT-RS in the USA at the moment.  I didn’t get any chance to drive it or drive in it…however the exhaust note is simply animal…love it.

some more pics (sorry about the crappy quality…forgot my camera and took cell phone pics!):

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June242010
2 Comments
automotive, cars, iedei

NSU Ro80. weird or wonderful?

I can never really decide.  The design of the NSU Ro80 always leaves me feeling weird….on one side, i find its proportions to be utterly fascinating and awkward (in a good way)…..on the other side, i find it to be very dysfunctional and awkward (in a bad way).

There is no denying, however, that the Ro80 was WAY ahead when it came to design….considering it was originally launched in 1967 (wow).  A very modern design….which surely influenced alot of cars after it….especially AUDI, the company that some of NSU warped into…

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June32010
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automotive, cars, iedei

Bugatti 16c Galibier: 2013 production

the good folks over at Bugatti Passion are reporting that the supersedan 16c Galibier has received a green light to go into production in 2013.  Supposedly the Veyron ends its production in 2012.  Whether there will be a “GT” version of the Veyron pushing 1300hp (!!!) is still a question mark….but the signs point towards it being a possibility!

The price of the next Bugatti supersedan? $1.4 milion.  I’ll wait for the CPO one on discount, thanksverymuch.

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February252010
6 Comments
automotive, cars, iedei

MTM Audi S3 for sale in Michigan!

Auto Europe in Birmingham, Michigan (a few miles from where i grew up!) has a 2009 Audi S3 MTM for sale at the moment with less than 5,000 miles.  I have inquired about the car and it comes with a full factory warranty (or remainder of), and is priced at $49,000.

After IEDEI brought you an exclusive article about Horschaus/MTM bringing european RS models into the US, it seems that this one is a US-spec Audi A3 2.0T Quattro which has been officially been converted from Germany to S3-spec.  MTM offers such an S3 conversion, which upgrades everything from suspension to wheels (MTM Bimoto wheels! sweet) to exhaust and even down to the S3 trim (door sills, badges, etc.).

What you end up with is a 270+ hp equivelant to a euro spec Audi S3.  Not bad at all!  $49k isn’t a bad price either, considering that IF the S3 did ever make it to the US officially, it would likely start in the mid-$40k range anyway.

The only issues i find with this car is (A) DSG instead of a manual, and (B) those absurd decals on the car (which i’m sure can be removed).  Otherwise, quite a car….and I have minimal experience with DSG, so maybe I can learn to love it as others have.

Check out the photos below, and if you’re interested go to the Auto Europe website linked at the bottom of the post for lots more photos and some specs:

from Auto Europe’s website:

The vehicle was bought via the Audi European Delivery Program and picked up from the factory in Ingolstadt and sent to the nearby MTM facility.  The conversion work was completed and the vehicle was shipped to America.  This particular vehicle has been featured in several magazines and is a very rare vehicle.

Audi Original S3 Bumpers and Side Skirts

Audi Original S3 345 x 30 mm Brakes

MTM 19 x 8.5 Bimoto Wheels with Pirellli P-Zero 235/35/ZR19 91Y

MTM 25mm Lower Springs

MTM Exhaust (Turbo-back, 70 mm stainless steel)

·MTM Chip Tuning (272 HP)

S- Line Trim

DSG Transmission

Panoramic Sunroof


AUTO EUROPE WEBSITE: http://auto-europe-sales.ebizautos.com/webdetail.aspx?iid=4574335

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January122010
1 Comment
automotive, cars, iedei

new Corrado? NO. new Jetta Coupe? YES.

While not as exciting as the idea of a ‘new’ Corrado, the Jetta Coupe images coming out are showing it to be a pretty damn attractive little coupe.  Definitely looks a bit like a baby Audi A5, which is definitely not a bad thing!

All in all, i think this is gonna be mad popular with Vdubbers everywhere. Nice one, VW.

more pics and info here:

http://blogs.eurotuner.com/6610166/editorials/vw-compact-coupe-debuts-in-detroit/index.html

CLICK TO GET HI-RES

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December242009
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art, automotive, cars, iedei

AUTO UNION!

the sinister glamour of AUTO UNION.

CLICK TO ENLARGE for gorgeous wallpaper.



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November282009
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automotive, business, cars, iedei

VW entering F1?

Well, at least the ENGINE portion of the game…..that’s what Autocar is saying.  I’m still waiting for the day that VW enters F1 completely and uses the name Bugatti on blue F1 cars…imagine that…or maybe even Auto Union.

“The imminent expansion of the grid and the reduced costs of the sport have caught VW’s eye, and the firm is not deterred by the pullouts of Honda, BMW and Toyota in the past 12 months.”

LINK: http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/245349/

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November212009
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automotive, business, cars, iedei

VW buys out Karmann & plans new car.

Karmann was of course made famous by the strange and interesting Karmann Ghia, which used Beetle underpinnings with a much prettier and more interesting body shell to create something interesting with.  Of course the company went on to build other cars with VW, and with other companies (Let’s try to forget that Karmann built the Chrysler Crossfire convertibles…which were truly terrible).

The company went bust recently, and now VW has announced that they will be buying all of the assets, and also will plan to build a ‘new’ car using their facilities.  Maybe they’ll bring back a ‘modern’ Karmann Ghia? That would be damn interesting.  Most likely suspect is the upcoming Bluesport roadster.

Full article here from Motor Authority:

http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038753_vw-announces-plan-to-buy-karmanns-assets-build-new-car

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October302009
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iedei

Entry-level ‘new” Porsche 356? probable fail.

Based on a VW?? Sounds like another 914, to me….

porsche_356

Motor Authority seems to think it’s gonna happen, and they think it’ll be 356-ish….i think it’s all false.

http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037454_entry-level-porsche-roadster-rumors-hint-at-reborn-356

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October202009
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automotive, cars, iedei

Weird and bizarre VWs in the chinese market…

Yeah, there are some oddities in the VW lineup when it comes to selling stuff in China. Most of all is the super weird MK2 Jetta, which is still a huuuuuge seller in the chinese market!  How the chinese keep buying it is beyond me.  It looks absolutely miserable.  The original MK2 was actually pretty damn good looking for the time—-the revised one, as you can see below…..is just……weird.

Jetta_China

Then comes another grand surprise! VW still sells a version of the Quantum (yes, the 1980s VW Quantum!) under the name Santana Vista. How does it look? Well, again…it looks completely terrible.  Archaic technology, only the chinese could love….

vw_quantum_santana_vista_china

Next there are two cars i have NO IDEA about.  One is called the VW Lavida….which looks almost like a Daewoo/Chevy/Kia and the other is just a bunch of chinese letters i cannot read.  These cars are probably being made in China or Korea, and selling under the guise of VW.  I can’t be arsed to really look up what they are….but it’s strange to see two VWs selling under the badge, while completely unknown outside the Chinese market.vw_lavida

chinese_VW

for more information on these, ahem, GLORIOUS chinese VWs, go to: www.vw.com/cn

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October192009
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automotive, cars, iedei

foto of the day.

1937 Auto Union Type C Streamline, driven by ROSENMEYER

1937_Auto_Union_Type_C_Streamline_Rosenmeyer

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September22009
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automotive, business, cars, iedei

VW board murders the Cayenne and Panamera…

2008_Porsche_Cayenne_ext_1 copy

porsche-panamera copy

…and simultaneously gives Porsche a big kick in the nuts.

I love Porsches, and i’ve wanted one ever since I was a kid; I guess i would be joined by MOST men in saying that Porsches are the holy grail of motoring for alot of us.  But in the last several years, the 911 has been desirable; however Porsche as a brand has become impure, commercialized, and devoid of the ‘purity’ character it used to carry.

The Cayenne has always been a royal waste of space.  It is truly a rebadged VW Touraeg, whether one wants to believe it or not.  It is also ugly as sin, driven primarily by women who don’t give a damn about driving dynamics, and was perfectly molded for a nice parking spot in front of a Starbucks to collect an afternoon latte more than actual driving…

The Panamera is a Porsche designing FAIL.  There really is no other way to look at the car.  I don’t care how fast it is, how good it is, or how much technical achievement it has…..Porsches were never made to be 4-doors (aside from special projects like the Audi-Porsche RS2 Avant)….and If Porsche recently became so keen to produce the Panamera, then they have really lost the plot.

So it seems the Cayenne and Panamera will continue until 2016, when their current run will end—-and they will both end! Discontinued!

BRAVO VW BOARD!! Maybe you will sort out Porsche by cracking them a kick in the nuts for their recent failures…..and maybe you can tell Koeniggsegg to sort out Saab while you’re at it!

SOURCE: http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-vw-board-votes-to-ax-porsche-cayenne-panamera.html

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August122009
1 Comment
automotive, business, cars, iedei

Volkswagen + Porsche = AUTO UNION?

car-logo-auto-union

Insiders are saying that the VW-Porsche merger may end up resurrecting the defunct AUTO UNION name!

I say…….BRING IT ON!

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May192009
2 Comments
iedei

1971 drifting lessions in Germany

This is a strangely captivating video! Lessons from 1971 to the german police, being shown how to ‘drift’ a car to improve their driving tactics…

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February62009
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iedei

official MTM BiMoto TT website!

After yesterday’s post with the video about this extremely special TT.  I’ve found that there is a website!  Thanks to EGRoadster from AW TT forum for the link!

lots of great photos, information, and videos at the website!

http://www.bimoto.de/

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