In the annals of modern hot-rod design there is no question that Chip Foose is amongst the best in the business. His cars have been featured on television, in magazines, online and at some of the greatest car shows around the world. However, before Foose got into hot-rods he was, get this, a Volkswagen guy. That’s right, he drove a 1985 MkII Golf GTI, a car which he says, was one of his favorites and the car that provided him with much of his early inspiration. I suppose it should come as no surprise as the VW Golf, like the Porsche 911, is one of those rare automobiles that has simply evolved over time. Through the years it’s gotten better and better, and like Chip Foose himself, it’s never lost any of the emotion that the original one set forth all those years ago.

Source: RalfBecker.com

Plunking down a bunch of cash for a car is one thing, but digging one out of the dirt and rebuilding it… well, that’s another story entirely. You see there’s an inherent value in resurrecting something that was left for dead. It takes time, effort, ingenuity and know-how; things that most people today simply don’t have enough of. First off you need to look past the rust, dirt and failed mechanics and envision what could be, not what was. You’ve got to be willing to sacrifice on both a personal and financial level and in the end, see your vision through. What you are about to see is step 1 in the process of rebirth for an old Volkswagen single cab pickup that was left to Mother Nature some 45 years ago. Sure it’s going to take time, but in the end I have a feeling that this is one old VW that will get a second lease on life.

Source: Youtube.com

The Mark VI Volkswagen GTI was released in 2010, and the car upped the ante for Volkswagen’s entry into the hot hatchback class. Sure, cars like the Subaru WRX and the Mazdaspeed 3 were “faster,” but the GTI brought a level of sophistication with it that the others lacked. If going fast is your only concern, then either the Subie or the Mazda are better choices; if you live in the real world, where occasional track days are punctuated with daily commuting, then the GTI really starts to shine.

Sure, I’m biased because I now own one, but it was the car’s refinement that really made me pay attention. The interior, even on base models, feels more Audi than VW, and even bone stock the car’s performance is better than what you may expect. Sure, there are weak points, like the craptastic all-season tires or heavier-than-the-center-of-the-earth stock Detroit wheels, but there are plenty of aftermarket suppliers who can solve those problems.

With an APR Stage 1 tune, my car now puts out around 254 horsepower and just over 300 lb-ft of torque. The biggest problem I have is traction, especially in first and second gear. On wet roads, you’ll get wheelspin in third gear, too, but better tires will solve that issue. I could be more relaxed on the throttle, too, but that’s just crazy talk.

Matt was impressed with the GTI, and you will be, too, if you drive one. As for that “Mazdaspeed3 is faster” argument, Matt turned a slightly better lap time (2/10 of a second) in the GTI than in the Mazdaspeed. I wouldn’t call the GTI faster, but I would say it’s more of a horse race than specs on paper would lead you to believe.

Source: You Tube

I’ll warn you in advance that the video below may be the strangest car commercial I’ve ever seen. Exactly what a middle-aged exhibitionist has to do with selling the new VW Passat, I have no idea, but VW seems to think it’s a good idea. While I’ll cop to being naked (or partially naked, at least) in a car, I can’t say that I’ve ever been inclined to run errands with nowhere practical to keep my wallet.

Enjoy the video below if that’s your thing, and I’ll tell you this in advance: no, you can’t borrow my car.

Source: YouTube

VW's 2010 TDI Cup Street Edition Jetta. Image: Volkswagen

Volkswagen and Audi are recalling certain models equipped with the 2.0-liter TDI turbodiesel engine to repair a potentially leaking high pressure fuel line. Affected by the recall are some 168,275 models, including:

- 2009-12 VW Jetta TDI sedans, built between May 2008 and September 2011
- 2009-12 VW Jetta TDI SportWagens, built between May 2008 and September 2011
- 2010-12 VW Golf TDI hatchbacks, built between May 2009 and September 2011
- 2010-12 Audi A3 TDI wagons, built between September 2009 and September 2011

Vibration in a high pressure fuel line leading to the number two fuel injector can cause cracking, leading to a potential fuel leak. In the presence of an ignition source, a fire can result, although Volkswagen reports that no fires, accidents or injuries have occurred as a result of this defect.

The recall is expected to begin in November, once dealers build up stock of replacement parts. VW and Audi dealers will install an improved fuel injector line to the number two injector and will add vibration dampers on all injector lines. Owners with questions or concerns can contact Volkswagen’s customer service hotline at (800) 822-8987, or the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.

Source: NHTSA

APR's 34,000 square foot headquarters in Opelika, AL. Image: APR

When it comes to cities with ties to world-class tuners, what comes to mind? If Mercedes is your thing, you’d probably say Affalterbach, Germany, home to AMG. Perhaps you’d say Asaka, Saitama, Japan, home to Mugen, if fast Honda’s are your passion. Closer to home, Livonia, Michigan, home of Roush Performance, may come to mind if you’ve got a penchant for fast Mustangs.

If you’re a Volkswagen or Audi fan, your performance mecca is Opelika, Alabama, home to APR, LLC and one town over from Auburn University. Founder (and Auburn grad) Steven Hooks simply wanted to create a shop where VW and Audi owners could go for repair and tuning services, without fear of getting ripped off. What started as a hobby has grown into a worldwide business that includes both street and track performance for Volkswagen, Skoda, Seat, Audi and Porsche vehicles.

APR's lobby, with the SEMA VW GTI - nice digs.

In the early days, APR’s specialty was remapping the Bosch Motronic ECU to get more horsepower. Unlike many other tuners, APR never went for just peak power, instead aiming for a balance of both power and real-world drivability. Even their dyno charts aren’t “padded”; instead of using a worst case run as a “stock” starting point, followed by the best run as a post-tune “after” example, APR’s dyno charts are usually an average of multiple runs. Spend some time talking to their employees, and you get the feeling that the company has nothing to hide.

APR's Dynapack chassis dyno.

While much of their business still consists of ECU tuning services for Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche clients, APR’s capabilities have increased substantially over the years. They employ a full time staff of both mechanical and electrical engineers, and have the capability to design, prototype and test parts in-house. Rapid prototyping allows the company to go from an engineering representation on a computer to a plastic resin part, perfect for test fitting, in a matter of hours. They even do their own CNC work onsite, which allows APR to maintain a high level of quality control on every part that goes through their doors.

APR's CNC system. Image: APR

APR's rapid prototyping area.

Final part (L) versus a resin test part (R).

The company has a “do it yourself” attitude common with businesses founded and staffed by engineers. To test their high pressure fuel pumps, for example, APR built their own test rig at a cost of around $60,000; that may sound expensive, but commercial units designed to do the same thing cost in the neighborhood of $500,000. APR is the only company, aside from manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers, to have such a fuel pump test rig in their facility. If you get the feeling that they’re obsessed with quality, you’d be correct.

APR's fuel pump test rig.

Testing components as part of the design process allows APR to keep tight control of quality, something that their customers have come to expect. If you drive an Audi A6 and want a bit more power, you probably won’t have a sense of humor if your upgrades continually produce a “check engine” light or regular component failures.

An Audi S6 being built for the GrandAm Continental Tire Challenge

One of APR's GTI racers from the Continental Tire series.

Although APR’s 34,000 square foot facility allows them to design and build many parts in house, work that can’t be done economically is farmed out. Their intakes and exhausts, for example, are built by third party companies, since APR doesn’t want the expense or hassle of laying carbon fiber or bending stainless pipe to form exhausts. The secret to any well managed business is knowing both your strengths and your weaknesses, in order to maximize the former and minimize the latter.

'Darth Vader', a new Jetta that APR is building for VW of America.

My visit to APR was two-fold: I wanted to see the facility, but I was also on-site to get more horsepower from my 2011 VW GTI. In the words of Mark Twain, “Those that respect the law and love sausage should watch neither being made,” and the same could be said of reflashing an ECU. Removing the actual ECU isn’t terribly difficult, although it does involve the use of a cut-off disk, which poses it’s own risks. If you’re pulling out your own CPU, be sure to cover the windshield with a fire-resistant cloth since sparks can etch the finish of the windshield.

Once the ECU is out of the vehicle, the real fun begins. The cover must be removed to allow access to the circuit board, since this is the only way to allow programming. Removing the ECU cover is best left to a professional: there’s a lot that can go wrong if you don’t know what you’re doing, and you really don’t want to write a check of your own to replace an ECU. APR has quite a bit of experience in reflashing ECUs, and the company made quick work of mine. Less than an hour later, my car was buttoned up and I was back on the road (in the middle of a tropical storm, complete with tornado warnings).

Is there a difference between stock and a Stage 1 tune? Yes, in much the same way that there’s a difference between Rosie O’Donnell and Keira Knightly. While I didn’t have a chance to dyno the car before and after, APR’s numbers claim that a stock GTI, running 93 octane gas, produces 216 horsepower and 227 ft-lb of torque. With a Stage 1 tune and no other modifications, the car makes 254 horsepower and 303 ft-lb of torque.

As you’d imagine, the difference in acceleration is substantial, but the GTI never exhibits the puckering amount of torque steer that the Mazdaspeed 3 does. In fact, the tuned car feels very much like a factory-built car; there’s no sudden buildup of explosive power at top-end only, and the car just seems to pull harder across the entire range. If you use you new-found power wisely, there’s even a slight gain in fuel economy compared to stock.

So now that my GTI goes fast and isn’t electronically limited to 130 miles per hour, it’s time to start shopping for lighter wheels and stickier tires. A highway encounter with a pair of cell-phone addled drivers has convinced me that a stiffer rear-sway bar would be a worthy upgrade, and the stock brake pads don’t exactly give the car world-record stopping distances. Look for these changes coming soon.

Image: APR

I’d like to give thanks to Keith Lucas, APR’s director of sales and marketing, and Arin Ahnell, APR’s marketing manager, for the time they spent with me during my visit. If you want to see APR products in action on the racetrack, be sure to catch the APR-tuned Volkswagen GTI’s running in GrandAm’s Continental Tire Series. To find an APR dealer near you, check out the APR website.

VW's Bulli concept. Image: Volkswagen

When Volkswagen showed their Bulli microbus concept at last spring’s Geneva Motor Show, the public loved it. It was the perfect blend of modern functionality and retro styling, sized right for the times. The old VW Microbus was significantly larger than the Beetle of the day, but the Bulli concept isn’t. In fact, the Bulli will compete more against VW’s own Golf than against it’s Routan minivan for buyers, but that assumes VW will actually build it.

If Britain’s Autocar is correct, the decision is all but done, and the Bulli will be assembled in VW’s Puebla, Mexico plant, alongside the new Beetle. In fact, both cars (or all three cars when VW launches the new Beetle Cabriolet) will be part of VW’s ‘Heritage Range’ of vehicles, meant to lure in buyers who previously owned an air-cooled Beetle or a Microbus. One thing that isn’t likely to carry over from the Bulli concept is the electric drivetrain, which will most likely be replaced by VW’s venerable 2.5-liter five-cylinder and their 2.0-liter TDI turbo diesel.

The Bulli will go head to head against other boxy-but-good rides like the Kia Soul and the Nissan cube. Unlike it’s competitors from Japan and Korea, the Bulli has a history and a worldwide legion of fans with fond memories of the old VW Microbus. Will that be enough to sell cars? My guess is “yes,” and I suspect that VW may do better with the Bulli than they’ll do with the newly restyled Beetle.

If Volkswagen has given the project a thumbs up, look for the Bulli to hit VW dealers in 2013 as a 2014 model.

Source: Autocar

Back in 1950 Volkswagen built a stripped down utilitarian vehicle that, unbeknownst to them, would turn into an icon. These vehicles maximized the use of interior space and utilized a 25 hp rear mounted flat-four engine for power that motivated them to a top speed of, get this… 65 mph. The vehicle I speak of is of course the fabled Volkswagen Bus and over the years these family haulers have turned into some of the greatest collectibles around. When released their styling was neither controversial nor ground breaking, in fact it was actually sort of mundane. However during the late 1960′s the VW Bus not only gained a following, but a resurgence in popularity. Since then they’ve become one of the most sought after vehicles with collectors snapping them up every chance they get. The following video is part of the Depth of Speed collection and showcases one owners passion for a his cherry little red wagon.

Source: RalfBecker.com

Image: Volkswagen

If you’re shopping for an affordable but entertaining hot hatch, it’s easy to overlook the current VW GTI. On paper, the car only puts out 200 horsepower and 207 foot-pounds of torque. That’s quite a bit less than the rival Mazdaspeed3, which puts down 263 horsepower and 280 ft-lb of torque, or even the Subaru Impreza WRX, which is good for 265 horsepower and 244 ft-lb of torque. Once behind the wheel, it’s easy to see that the GTI is greater than the sum of its parts, but many shoppers don’t even test drive a GTI before moving on to higher-output rivals.

The Mark VII GTI, due in 2013 as a 2014 model, may help to correct that. Sources say that the new car will come with between 220 and 230 horsepower, thanks to a new valve lift system developed by Audi. Next gen GTIs will also benefit from a new electronically controlled locking differential, which will help to get the power down at corner exit.

Don’t look for any significant styling changes to the next GTI, since VW seems to have hit on a formula that attracts buyers of all ages and demographics.

Source: Autoevolution

Now here’s a switch: the latest study from Strategic Vision, which queries owners about the overall ownership experience instead of just problems reported, shows that VW owners are the happiest, followed by Ford. That doesn’t exactly correspond with the latest J.D. Power and Associates rankings, which lists VW in 29th position, out of 32 automakers (only Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Dodge scored lower). Ford didn’t fare all that much better, landing in the 23rd spot, a victim of consumer confusion with their SYNC and MyFord Touch systems.

Why the huge difference in the two surveys? The J.D. Power study looks at problems reported per 100 vehicles, and doesn’t distinguish between “real” and “perceived” problems. One year Mini scored poorly, the victim of incorrectly-sized of placed cupholders. Ford’s SYNC and MyFord Touch systems are among the most intuitive in the industry, but consumers new to telematics systems (and in many cases, modern technology) are going to struggle. Is that indicative of a quality problem with Ford’s manufacturing?

Strategic Vision, on the other hand, has owners rate the entire vehicle, ranging from the buying process through the car’s performance versus expectations. The company looks at the overall experience of acquiring a new vehicle, with the understanding that modern cars have few serious mechanical problems at delivery. Most problems are addressed immediately by the dealership, minimizing customer inconvenience.

Ironically, the VW Jetta tied the Hyundai Sonata for the mid-sized car with the highest number of problems. In both cases, 30 percent of owners reported problems, compared to 22 percent on average for all mid-size cars. Both models enjoyed record sales, and the higher instance of problems was considered a non-issue by consumers, who reported overall satisfaction with their purchases.

Source: Automotive News