The magnificent R GTI is easily the nimblest and most fun-to-drive Volkswagen ever built. Volkswagen’s Design Center California and APR of Auburn, Alabama, lightened it up and added huge twists of horsepower and torque. The weight loss came from a carbon fiber hood, front fenders, rear hatch and everything else except the roof, doors and rear quarter-panels. Lighter forged wheels and lighter suspension components combine with the carbon fiber to shave 150 pounds off the curb weight. Continue reading Volkswagen R GTI
Categories:Volkswagen
We know God loves us. How else can one explain the existence of GeigerCars? Whether it’s a 700-horsepower police H2, an audacious Gulf-liveried HUMMER GT, or any number of the various customer cars the company has prepared, no one knows how to hook up a HUMMER like Geiger. Modders who think they’ve accomplished something by throwing on donks, a killer stereo and calling it a day are simply not in the same ballpark. 
It means Australia’s own has won the only truly national newspaper Car of the Year contest. Motoring editors and key writers from News Limited newspapers throughout Australia have extensively researched, tested and judged all cars released this year to determine the proud winner. The extensive list was culled to 10 finalists. These were recently tested on all manner of road conditions, including Goulburn’s Wakefield Park raceway, to determine their final finishing order. 
While everyone was lining up in orderly rows to watch the official unveiling of the Sentra SE-R and Altima coupe at Nissan’s LA press conference, we snapped a few pics of a pre-production model of the 2007 350Z. Although the exterior has gotten a few subtle tweaks that only those of us in the Z-car enthusiast camp would notice, they deserve a brief mention. While the headlamps and taillights have been revised with new housings, the most striking change was the addition of a power dome that eschews the two creases that formerly flanked both sides hood. 
Car companies and electronic manufacturers are always conspiring to come up with new high-tech gimmicks for our cars. Almost invariably, they either distract the driver from driving or else help him keep his eyes on the road. Champions of road safety (and cool flashing lights) that we are, of course we prefer the latter. With more cars on the road each passing day – and average driver skill not improving one bit – staying on the road is enough of a challenge without toying with an unintelligible driver interface (iDrive, we’re looking at you), being distracted by in-dash DVD players or looking for directions from a sat-nav screen. 
The Accord is Honda’s best-selling vehicle. Last month it outsold the Civic (22,488 vs. 20,143 units) and to date this year 324,555 units have been sold. The Accord and Accord Coupe are Honda’s bread-and-butter cars, so it is with great interest that we view the sketch above, which is the Honda Accord Coupe Concept that will be unveiled at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in early January. 
Volkswagen’s “Cross” lineup continues to expand. First, there was the CrossPolo. Next came the CrossGolf. In Mexico, you can even snag yourself a CrossFox. Now, European families can get in on the action with the similarly butched-up CrossTouran. Based on the newly redesigned Touran, the CrossTouran adopts the soft-roader looks of its siblings, but remains a regular MPV underneath it all.