Volkswagen Jettas vanish from South Africa...

30 years after first going on sale the Volkswagen Jetta is officially no longer available in South Africa. As VW focus on their crossover vehicles the Jetta is one of the most noticeable victims - the face-lifted Passat will also be absent from VW showrooms in SA too..

Golf GTI shines at opening round of TCR season in Dubai

Liqui Moly Team Engstler made a perfect start to the season with the Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR. Drivers Luca Engstler, Florian Thoma, Benjamin Leuchter and Jean-Karl Vernay claimed a TCR class victory in the 24-hour race in Dubai which was also the victory in the TCE touring cars category. As at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, the 350-bhp-strong Golf GTI finished ahead of all the GT4 cars in Dubai, underlining its reputation as something of a surprise package on the sports car scene.

The Golf GTI TCR, which was prepared perfectly on site and entered by Liqui Moly Team Engstler, overcame the extreme demands of a 24-hour race and ran like clockwork. Starting from third place in the TCR class, the team produced a consistently strong performance and refused to be put off by the large field, with a total of 89 cars. The number 130 Golf GTI TCR had moved up to second place in its class by the halfway point of the race. Franz Engstler’s team had the ideal strategy for the closing stages of the race, pulling clear of the chasing pack and refusing to relinquish the lead.

Engstler and his fellow drivers – reigning TCR International Series champion, Jean-Karl Vernay, the 2017 champion in the TCR class of the VLN Endurance Championship, Benjamin Leuchter, and touring car newcomer Florian Thoma – appear to have formed a successful team right from the word go in 2018

Volkswagen Van Centre Brian Currie in Milton Keynes has donated a brand new Caddy van to the South Central Ambulance Charity. The converted Volkswagen Caddy van will be used by the charity’s team of volunteers to deliver lifesaving first response care to residents of Newport Pagnell and the surrounding area.

2017 WRC

Now if someone could tie up (well pay for) this car, Andreas Mikkelsen and (a soon to be unemployed) Jost Capito they'd have a winning team!!!

Tiguan Allspace

Volkswagen will launch an exciting addition to the Tiguan range next year: the new

Tiguan Allspace. The lengthened version of the best-seller will celebrate its world premiere at the beginning of January at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS, 8– 22 January 2017). Beginning in the early part of summer, the Tiguan – with up to seven seats – will be launched successively in North America, China and Europe.

The European version of the lengthened Tiguan will begiven the added designation “Allspace”, while the models for North America and China will simply be called "Tiguan". As the name suggests, the new long version ofthe Tiguan boasts more room inside, and a longer wheelbase (+ 11 cm). Bothaspects ensure greater flexibility in the interior. In addition, the Tiguan Allspace comes with an attractive range of equipment features.

Volkswagen Motorsport, Marklund Motorsport and the FIA World Rallycross Championship

Swedish Rallycross team Marklund Motorsport have agreed an exclusive three-year partnership with Volkswagen Motorsport (current World Rally Championship champions) for the FIA World Rallycross Championship. Marklund Motorsport recently unveiled 2013 GRC Champion Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen as their lead driver for next two seasons and Topi along with teammate Anton Marklund will line-up in their new Marklund Motorsport Volkswagen Polo RX Supercars at round one of the FIA World Rallycross in Montalegre, Portugal on May 3rd.

Jan Marklund, Marklund Motorsport team owner, believes Volkswagen's involvement gives the team the perfect platform to back-up its ambitions for title success. He said "Volkswagen’s pedigree in motorsport is there for everyone to see, there is no better manufacturer for us to be partnered with than the current WRC champions. Volkswagen is looking to make an immediate global impact in the world of Rallycross and I’m happy that Marklund Motorsport is their chosen partner for the FIA World Rallycross Championship."

The announcement comes just days after the officially supported Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team announced it was contesting the Global Rallycross Championship with a pair of Polos before switching to new GRC specific Beetles later in the season. With support from Volkswagen America the team will be pushing for the championship title with drivers Tanner Foust and Scott Speed.

Rally Sweden - Volkswagen 1, 2 & 6

Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila claimed victory on Rally Sweden today, having been in the top 4 from the start Latvala was able to master the ever changing conditions and was also able to fend off his teammates Andreas Mikkelsen / Mikko Markkula. Mikkelsen took second overall and his first ever WRC podium having challenge for outright victory throughout the whole event.

Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia recovered from the mistake of yesterday to take 6th overall, setting a string of fastest stage times along the way. Whilst Rally Sweden is disappointing for the French duo they have been able to keep their championship challenge on track.

Sweden marked Volkswagen Motorsport's the first victory of a dominant season last year, this year they looked even more impressive!

Day 3 Rally Sweden

At the end of the third days rallying in Sweden Volkswagen Motorsport drivers remain first and second overall, although during a dramatic day of rallying excitement and problems changed the look of the leaderboard dramatically.

Overnight leaders Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia plummeted down the leaderboard on the first stage of the day having spent over 4 minutes stuck in a snow bank. Ogier accepted full responsibility for the driver error blaming a lack of concentration. Having clipped a snow bank and got sucked into the duo then needed help to dig the car out before they could continue.

Andreas Mikkelsen / Mikko Markkula took the rally lead on the first stage and then became embroiled in a tight battle with teammates Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila for the top podium spot. Latvala really seemed to revel in the battle overtaking Mikkelsen and very gradually extending his slender lead.

With road conditions varying from snow and ice to gravel and standing water the drivers had to balance outright pace with tyre and car preservation. Despite this Ogier began a charge back up the leader board, finishing the day with 6 fastest stage times having recovered from 20th overall to 9th by the end of the final stage of day 3.

Day 4 sees the longest stages of the rally and there remains plenty of excitement left in the 2014 Rally Sweden.


Rally Sweden leader board after day 3

1.		J. Latvala
2.		A. Mikkelsen
3.		M. Østberg
4.		M. Hirvonen
5.		O. Tanak
6.		K. Meeke
7.		H. Solberg
8.		P. Tidemand
9.		S. Ogier
10.		E. Evans

Day 2 Rally Sweden

At the end of the second day of competition on the Rally Sweden Volkswagen Motorsport drivers hold the top three overall positions, capping a perfect day of rallying for the German team.

Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia finished day two and start day three in first overall, having snatched the lead back from Andreas Mikkelsen / Mikko Markkula on the final stage of the day. Ogeir and Mikkelsen had been locked in a battle for first throughout the day, with Ogier dropping behind the young Norwegian towards the end of the day before clawing back the lost time. Mikkelsen (one of the stars of the rally so far) opted to use worn tyres on the last stage and was prepared to sacrifice his outright pace in order to have a brand new set of tyres (and studs) for tomorrow's first stage.

Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila kept a watching brief in third overall for the whole day, trading seconds with Ogier and Mikkelsen and keeping in contention despite small gear selection concerns. The duo are expected to challenge both team mates on tomorrow's faster and more flowing stages.

Whilst the German team's drivers currently have the podium sewn up, Swedish stages are particularly unforgiving and there are a lot of stage miles to be covered before the event finishes.....

Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team

A tie up between Volkswagen of America and Andretti Sports Marketing has created tremendous interest in the 2014 Global Rallycross series. The new Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team will start the season in Volkswagen Polos (based on the all conquering VW Polo R WRC car) before switching to GRC specific Beetles later in the season. The Beetles should be ready for competition in time for the X Games in June, they will be 4 wheel drive with around 600BHP.

The Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team entry will be driven by former GRC Champion, rally driver and Top Gear host Tanner Foust. Tanner has plenty of experience behind the wheel of rallycross cars, not only in the GRC but also in Europe as well - having proven to be a match for the finest in Europe every time he competed.

Scott Speed will drive the 7UP Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team car in the 2014 season. Speed was one of the most impressive drivers during the 2013 season, winning two races in and going on to finish a very impressive fifth overall. Scott Speed brings a huge amount of driving experience (and an amazing driving talent too) having competed in Formula 1 (in the Scuderia Toro Rosso team) as well as NASCAR too.

The Global Rallycross series starts in Barbados in May and concludes in Las Vegas on the 5th of November.

Day 1 Rally Sweden

Andreas Mikkelsen / Mikko Markkula lead the Swedish rally after the first day of rallying. The Volkswagen Motorsport pair lead teammates (and current world champions) Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia with the third Volkswagen Motorsport Polo R WRC of Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila sitting in fourth overall after today's Super Special stage in Karstad.

Tomorrow sees the teams head off into the Swedish forests before a quick trip across the border into Norway for a set of four stages (2 stages run twice) before heading back into Sweden for the final stage of the day.

With temperatures expected to be hovering around freezing snow, ice, gravel, studs and the lack of all or any of these are expected to be the main talking points. Gravel in the stages and the resultant stud loss from the tyres is causing concern tonight for the drivers - the quickest driver may turn out to be the one who can nurse their tyres the best.


Rally Sweden leader board at the end of day 1:-

1.		A. Mikkelsen
2.		S. Ogier
3.		O. Tanak
4.		J-M. Latvala
5.		M. Hirvonen
6.		H. Solberg
7.		M. Østberg
8.		J. Hänninen
9.		T. Neuville
10.		K. Meeke

Rally Sweden

 

All three Volkswagen Motorsport drivers expressed concern at the changing levels of grip (and lack of snow) on the Official Rally Sweden - all of them voising worries about how they will be able to keep the studs in their winter tyres whilst driving competitively on the gravel strewn stages.

The drivers took differing approaches to the earlier shakedown stage with both Sebastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen opting for a cautious approach (aiming to save their tyres/studs for the first stages of the rally later tonight) whilst Jari-Matti Latvala drove harder and set the second fastest time overall.

Marklund Motorsport in the FIA World Rallycross Championship

 
Swedish Rallycross outfit Marklund Motorsport is delighted to announce that 2013 GRC Champion Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen will lead the team in their bid for title success this coming season. The 22-year-old Finn signs for Marklund Motorsport on the back of a dominant season behind the wheel – taking two X Games gold medals, AKK Driver of the Year and the overall GRC title - and joins the team alongside Anton Marklund, who now heads into his second season in the Supercar Class.

Heikkinen, Marklund and the team will debut brand new Marklund Motorsport-built Volkswagen Polo RX Supercars in 2014 following a year of testing and developing the car last season, the team are aiming to be immediate title contenders in both driver and team championships.

Marklund Motorsport now continue their preparations for the 2014 season, which will see them compete in the newly formed FIA World Rallycross Championship and the summer X Games at COTA in Austin, USA.

Volkswagen Polo R WRC

To defend their Driver and Team WRC World Championship titles Volkswagen Motorsport are using an improved rather than new version of their 2013 rally car. There have been no major alterations rather the Volkswagen team have opted to concentrate on fine tuning a few vital areas. Thus the 2014 Polo R WRC boasts altered engine mapping, revised set-up for the drive train and optimised suspension.

All of these alterations are pretty much impossible to spot meaning all that the only change most rally fans and spectators will notice is the slightly different colour scheme.

WRC Monte Carlo

Volkswagen Motorsport driver (and current World Champion) Sebastien Ogier laid down a marker for the forth coming Monte Carlo rally by being fastest on the pre-event shakedown stage. Finishing an impressive 1.2 seconds faster than his nearest rival Ogier dominated each of the 4 shakedown runs.

Jari-Matti Latvala finished his 4 runs in a creditable 4^th whilst Volkswagen Motorsport II driver Andreas Mikkelsen was equal 8^th and looking forward to his second attempt at the WRC Monte Carlo round. Weather conditions were dry and with heavy rain expected tomorrow all three Volkswagen Polo R WRC driver’s know that the 2014 Monte Carlo is likely to be extremely difficult and demanding.

Monte Carlo shakedown times:-

1. S Ogier     VW Polo R WRC     2’15.3
2. K Meeke     Citroen DS3 WRC     +1.2s
= M Østberg     Citroen DS3 WRC     +1.2s
4. J-M Latvala     VW Polo R WRC     +2.9s
5. R Kubica     Ford Fiesta RS WRC     +3.0s
6. T Neuville     Hyundai i20 WRC     +3.1s
7. M Hirvonen     Ford Fiesta RS WRC     +3.5s
8. D Sordo     Hyundai i20 WRC     +5.1s
= A Mikkelsen     VW Polo R WRC     +5.1s
10. B Bouffier     Ford Fiesta RS WRC     +6.6s

Volkswagen Beetle Dune

Here are the first pictures of the Volkswagen Beetle Dune concept car. Whilst not a concrete production model Volkswagen are said to be gauging response before deciding whether or not to progress further with a Dune model.

Volkswagen Beetle Dune

As America feels the brunt of an exceptionally cold winter Volkswagen are preparing their new Volkswagen Beetle Dune concept for its debut at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit next week.
The Beetle Dune is based on the latest version of the iconic Volkswagen, adding a rugged off-road look to the popular car.  The body is raised by 50 mm compared with a standard Beetle, while 19-inch wheels with large tyres increase ground clearance and offer a more all-terrain look.  A rear-mounted ski-rack is reminiscent of those fitted to classic Beetles ensuring the Dune offers a little confusion - skiing and sand dunes?
The latest Beetle Dune concept also revisits an idea from January 2000, when Volkswagen showed the New Beetle Dune concept in Los Angeles.  Whilst that concept was far from a production possibility, the new Beetle Dune is very much based on the current production model, using the same 210 PS turbocharged petrol engine and six-speed DSG gearbox, providing power to the front wheels.
More information and images of the 2014 Beetle Dune concept will be available as soon as the car makes its debut at the NAIAS on 13 January.

Considered perfection.

Tom Newey is the very lucky owner of this red, big bumper Volkswagen Golf mark 2 16 Valve. Tom has always been around VW Golfs and when he inherited this Golf from his father he was able to tweak and alter it to become his ideal car.

The Golf first appeared in Tom’s life when his father upgraded his previous car to this ex-dealer demo car in 1990. Tom’s dad kept the car reasonably standard until around 3 years ago when the car and its bulging service folder (demonstrating a fully documented service history along with every receipt from B.R Motorsport and TSR Performance) transferred to Tom’s ownership and he set about some subtle but very important modifications.

Tom takes up the story “We had been thinking about possible engine conversions for quite a while and had been in talks with TSR Performance about which route to go down. The aim was never to go for the typical 1.8 20v turbo swap that seems to be more and more common these days; we wanted to keep the car ‘raw’ and true to its roots so we opted to have a full overall of our current engine. This consisted of TSR Performance boring the engine out to a 1.9, adding 83mm Wossner forged pistons and a set of Piper 274\276 ultimate road cams along with a new fuel metering head and fuel injectors. In addition, we also had a gas flowed cylinder head (to Pack A specification) and added a TSR Performance/Milltek 4 branch manifold with full Jetex exhaust system.”

To cope with the added power and urgency the now 1900cc engine produces Tom sent the gearbox away for a complete rebuild, whilst being rebuilt it also gained a new Quaife LSD and a Sachs clutch kit.

The chassis also benefitted from some attention, being fully poly bushed and having a complete set of adjustable Koni dampers and Eibach springs fitted. As a result the Golf now sits some 35mm lower. To tighten things up a little more on the handling from Tom has also fitted an Eibach from strut brace. The difficult task of stopping the car is now handled by rebuilt G60 280mm calipers in conjunction with Pagid discs and fast road pads.

“This really has made for a totally different car!” adds Tom “The difference is like night and day compared to how it was before, especially with its 7800 rev limit; it has made for a real screamer of a car”. When the car was last on TSR Performance rolling road it was producing a very healthy and more importantly easily useable 180bhp.

Performance was not Tom’s only requirement, the Golf needed to look the part too. “I’m not interested in the “scene”; running low with highly stretched tyres.” mentions Tom “In my opinion you can’t beat a good, well sorted OEM example…hope you agree!” To this end the Golf has recently had a full body restoration consisting of new seals, bumpers, G60 arches, a full respray (in the original Tornado Red that it left the factory in) as well as having all the original underseal carefully replaced with new underseal.

With the body fully sorted Tom then came up against a slight issue “My next problem was to find the ‘perfect’ set of wheels to give that OEM look that the car really deserved and needed” remembers Tom “This is where Chris at B-Star wheels came in! The B-Star 8x16” RA wheels are a work of art and what should have come with the car from factory, they really fill the arches well and in my opinion have made the car pretty much perfect”

Tom is very pleased with how his family’s Golf has turned out, we think it is a shining example of how an OEM+ car can offer style and speed all very, very subtly. Below is a complete spec list of Tom’s Golf:-

Engine

1.8 KR engine bored out to a 1.9

83mm Wossner pistons

Pack A gas flowed head

ARP bolt kit

Piper 274/276 ultimate cams

7800 rev limit

Modified fuel metering head - providing 10% more fuel

Transmission

Fully rebuilt gearbox with Quaife LSD and Sachs clutch kit

Suspension

Koni adjustable dampers

Eibach springs

Fully polybushed

Eibach upper strut brace

Wheels

B-Star RA 16” 4x100 ET35 front and ET25 rear

195/45/16 Uniroyal Rainsport 2 tyres

Brakes

G60 280mm Calipers rebuilt by Alcon

Pagid discs

Pagid fast road pads

Our thanks go to Tom for letting us feature his car and to Daryl for the photographs. If you want your German car featured let us know and we’ll be happy to arrange something!