Volkswagen

Since the Geneva Motor Show was canceled for 2020, Volkswagen was forced to do a virtual debut for the 2020 Mk.8 Golf. During that stream, we learned about the Golf GTI, GTD, and GTE, but a lot of necessary information for the GTI was left shrouded in mystery. Now, despite the fact that the Mk.8 Golf GTI is still a year or so away from landing Stateside, VW company execs have spilled the beans and given us a little something to be excited about.

The Mk. 8 Golf GTI TCR will build on top of an already amazing package to take things to the next level. As a model that’s more oriented toward the driver, it’ll feature a whopping 300 horsepower, all of which will be shunted through an eight-speed DCT. There’s no definite on-sale date as of yet, but it should launch in late 2020 as a 2021 model.

Update 5/12/2020: The Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR was spotted in the wild with almost no camo. Check it out in our special “Spy Shots” section below!

The Volkswagen Golf may have started life as a small hatchback in the 1970s, but it evolved into a multi-model nameplate that included several variants over time. Many of them are no longer available, but the Golf spawned a wagon, minivan, convertible, and even raised crossover-like versions in the past. The first raised Golf was launched in 1989 as the Country and wasn’t successful because crossovers weren’t exactly popular back then. But the Russian folks at Kolesa think that the Golf Country would be popular in the modern era, so they put together a version based on the latest Golf Mk8.

While many automakers are still hooked on offering electric versions of their existing combustion cars, Volkswagen thinks that stand-alone EV models are the best option for the future. Volkswagen design chief Klauf Bischoff says that the brand’s upcoming line of ID models is a better solution than to simply roll out electric variants of models like the Golf, Passat, and Tiguan. He argues that electric car can’t reach their full potential "in the traditional space" offered by a vehicle designed for internal combustion engines.

A new report claims Volkswagen is hard at work to produce a Golf R hot hatch based on the Mk8 Golf. The 2023 Golf R will supposedly have to do battle against the likes of Mercedes-AMG A45, Honda Civic Type R, and Hyundai i30 N with underpinnings from the newly-launched Mk8 Golf GTI.

The Volkswagen Arteon came to our attention back in 2017, during its unveil at the Geneva Motor Show. Three years into the fastback-shaped sedan’s career, Volkswagen is planning to give the Arteon a well-deserved nip and tuck which would keep customer interest fresh and address the areas that needed further improvements.

With the refreshed Arteon, however, we’re expecting Volkswagen to introduce a spicier, more performance oriented version under its notorious R badge. Our suspicions are backed up by a recent set of spy shots that show a virtually undisguised test mule that wears a lot of R-specific features. Allow us to detail, then.

Update 4/29/2020: The Volkswagen Arteon R was spotted once again, this time sporting a look that represents the upcoming facelift and what we can expect from the new Arteon R. Check it out in our special Spy Shots section below!

Here it is, ladies and gentlemen! It’s been a long road to get to this point, but now we’re finally getting our first look at the next-generation Volkswagen Golf R. A test mule of the big daddy Golf R was recently spotted doing some test runs in the snow, and yes, this particular prototype is wearing nothing but fresh paint.

There’s no camouflage in sight, allowing us to see the next-generation Golf R in all its glory. Specific details in the prototype present clear markings of the Golf R’s DNA so unless Volkswagen has a surprise for us with a different Golf-based hot hatch, what we’re looking at here is the next-generation Golf R.

There’s no set timetable on when the Golf R is expected to arrive, but with the just-as-new Golf GTI expected to debut at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen could hold off the Golf R’s debut for later in the year. Or it could join the Golf GTI in Geneva. Either way, the all-new Golf R is here.

Update 4/29/2020: The 2021 Volkswagen Golf R was recently spotted doing some on-track testing with no camouflage. Check out the special Spy Shots section below to check them out and learn more about it.

The Top Gun: Maverick premiere might have been pushed back all the way to December due to COVID-19 but thanks to this video, you can still get a taste of that jet fighter engine flavour.

Sure, Tom Cruise has nothing to do with what you’re about to watch as the main character here is a Volkswagen Bus that now uses a jet engine to destroy every moving vehicle on the drag strip.

The COVID-19 pandemic is in full blast and many countries have closed borders and asked citizens to stay home to help contain the spread. All sorts of companies around the world are joining these efforts with new logos that promote social distancing. Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Volkswagen are among them, having launched redesigned logos on social media platforms.

Launched in 1974 as a replacement for the dated Beetle, the Volkswagen Golf became a big hit and quickly transformed into a legendary nameplate that has soldiered on over eight generations.

Although the first-gen Golf was developed as a humble daily driver, Volkswagen also launched a beefed-up GTI model. In addition, the boxy hatchback was converted to race spec as early as 1975. The first Golf race car ever built just showed up for auction at RM Sotheby’s, which will attempt to sell it during an event in Essen, Germany, on June 24.

As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, several automakers have made updates to their logos to promote social distancing, regarded by doctors and health experts as one of the key ways in preventing the spread of the virus.

Volkswagen, Audi, and most recently, Mercedes-Benz, have taken to social media to promote social distancing. To slam the point home, all three German brands unveiled modifications to their logos to reflect the social adjustments we all have to make as a society to stop the virus in its tracks. Across the board, the message is clear: if you don’t want to spread the virus, keep your distance from everyone else.

With EVs and Hybrids slowly starting to take over, the manual transmission that once widely served as the standard for entry-level models has now become an expensive option and sought-after commodity for sports cars and hot hatches. We’ve explained why the manual transmission is living on borrowed time and even gone into depth on how BMW is slowly moving away from the manual transmission too. Meanwhile, other automakers like Porsche are trying to remain true to their manual roots. The continuity of the manual transmission is a mixed bag, no doubt, but as it turns out, Volkswagen is going to go the route of Porsche, which is now even offering certain trims of the 911 with a manual, by keeping the manual transmission on the cars as long as there is a demand for it.

The Volkswagen ID.4 comes into VW’s lineup as the second new electric vehicle to the lineup and is based on the previous ID Crozz show cars. It is the brand’s first electric SUV, and it resides in the compact segment, which allows it to return decent range and power for its size. This is what we know about it.

The 2020 Volkswagen Touareg R is a high-performance version of the familiar midsize SUV. Unveiled in February 2020, ahead of the Geneva Motor Show, the 2020 Touareg R is the first of its kind to boast an "R" badge. It’s also the first R model with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain and the first range-topping variant of any Volkswagen nameplate to feature electrification.

The 2020 Touareg R also makes the Touareg the third VW nameplate to offer a hybrid model after the Golf and the Passat. Because Volkswagen no longer offers the Touareg in the United States, where it has been replaced by the Atlas, the Touareg R won’t cross the pond to North America. Let’s find out more about this SUV in the review below.

Volkswagen took the time to reveal the new Volkswagen Golf GTI, GTD, and GTE before their official debut at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show. Surely, customers have no reason to complain should they want to get a more performance-focused Golf, because VW is offering a hybrid, a gasoline, and a diesel model as alternatives to various preferences or needs.

If the recent rumors hold any truth, the audacious VW ID.R all-electric racer did serve a higher purpose than it was initially thought. It will lend a hand in developing the next-generation all-electric sports cars that VW plans to deliver by 2025.

Mind you, the said sports cars will only inherit a fraction of the ID.R’s mad performance potential - most likely in the form of e-motor technology and perhaps battery know-how, but that should make them less capable on the road.

The McLaren 720S has been instilling fear into every out-and-out supercar, muscle car, and sports car you can think of. It has more drag race wins under its belt than we can count and it’s arguably one of the most quick-accelerating cars on sale today. But it is no match for the audacious Volkswagen ID.R.