2012 Volkswagen Beetle will arrive in British showrooms next spring with a starting price of £16,490 OTR

The brand-new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle will arrive in British showrooms next spring with a starting price of £16,490 OTR. However, the German firm is accepting orders from today.

In the UK, the new Beetle will launch with two available petrol engines, a 1.2-litre TSI unit with 105-horses linked to a seven-speed DSG transmission and a 1.4-litre TSI delivering 160HP with a six-speed manual gearbox.

Buyers can choose from three trim levels Beetle, Design and Sport. The 1.2-litre is offered in Beetle or Design trim from £16,490 (RRP OTR) and the 1.4-litre in Design or Sport trim from £19,470.

The based Beetle comes equipped with standard air conditioning, remote central locking, an RCD 310 CD system with DAB radio and rear Isofix seat preparation.

The mid-level Design grade adds 17-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth with MDI (multi-device interface) and iPod connectivity, front fog lights, an alarm, an RCD 510 DAB CD/radio, multifunction leather-wrapped steering wheel and body-coloured door and dashboard panels.

The Sport trim brings in 18-inch alloys, tinted glass, cruise control, sports seats, parking sensors, gloss black door mirrors, dashboard and door panel and 2-Zone electronic climate control.

Volkswagen will further enhance the Beetle's range in the UK with the introduction of three more powerplants including a 1.6-litre TDI BlueMotion diesel with 105HP, a 2.0-litre TDI diesel with 140HP and a 2.0-litre TSI petrol with 200HP, along with the option of a 6sp manual gearbox for the 1.2-litre TSI model, in the second half of 2012.

New Volkswagen Polo R-Line and Passat Exclusive Edition

European customers now have new choices when it comes to Volkswagen's Polo supermini and the Passat as the German brand is expanding its customization program for the two aforementioned models.

For the Polo, Volkswagen has introduced two R-Line styling packages. The first is the R-Line Exterior package that is available as an option for the Polo Comfortline (€1,450) and the Polo Highline (€1,010).

It includes 16- or optionally 17-inch alloy wheels shod in beefy 215 tires, black gloss finish for the front grille, model-specific front and rear bumpers, a rear diffuser, chrome tail pipes, a roof spoiler, side skirts, fog lamps and LED license plate illumination.

The second option for the Polo is the R-Line Plus that styles up the interior. Priced at €855 for the Polo Comfortline and €450 for the Polo Highline, it brings a pair of sport seats up front (optionally available in Alcantara and leather), black roof lining, a sport leather steering wheel, glossy black dashboard trim, and aluminum pedals and door sills.

Moving on the Passat, Volkswagen has created the Exclusive Edition based on the Highline trim level that is available as a four-door sedan at €32,450, and as a Variant (station wagon) at €33,625.

On the outside, the Passat Exclusive Edition features bespoke 18-inch alloy wheels and a 15mm lowered ride height thanks to the sport suspension.

Most of the changes take place inside where VW's R GmbH division has equipped the Passat with Nappa leather seats in a "chocolate brown" hue with colored stitching and piping in a contrasting "Pepper White", leather door panels and steering wheel, special floor mats, and a combination of wood and metal-like trim.

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Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen Common EV Charging Protocol

ACEA, the European car manufacturers’ association, recently called for a common electric vehicle charging standard to be adopted by all automakers. This would be the ideal solution for a unified infrastructure, which in turn, would further boost EV sales.

No sooner had the association’s call been published and seven major manufacturers from Europe and the U.S. but oddly enough, not from Japan, namely Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen, announced an agreement to support “a harmonized single-port fast charging approach” for electric vehicles in Europe and North America.

The seven companies agreed to use the "HomePlug Green Phy" as the common communication protocol for charging their EVs, as it will facilitate easy integration in future “smart” grid applications.

The carmakers say that their decision was based on analysis of existing charging strategies, ergonomics of the connector and preferences of US and European customers.

This charging solution is backwards compatible both with the J1772 connector that is standard in the US and the European IEC 62196 Type 2.

1978 VW Beetle 5,7 Liter V8

The owner of this modified Bug tried to keep the looks of the car as close to stock as possible, but underneath, it's a completely different story.
This DIY project is said to combine the body shell of a 1978 Beetle with a 1993 Chevrolet S-10 front frame and a 1989 Ford Mustang rear end, while power is provided by a Chevrolet small block 350 (5.7-liters) V8 engine.
Not the kind of vehicle you'd like to take a trip in but nevertheless, an impressive ride for a quick run around the block.

Volkswagen Car Spawns Third Derivative

The world premiere of the VW Up! at last month's 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show last month was only the beginning for the German group as after the recent presentation of the Skoda Citigo, Seat is next in line to gain its version of the small city car with the Mii.

The new Mii is the Spanish firm's first offering in the segment after the termination of the Arosa mini in 2004, which was also based on a VW model, the Lupo.

As is the case with the Skoda Citigo, the only visible differences between the Seat Mii and the VW Up! are their front end styling, alloy wheel designs, tail lamp graphics and the interior trim colors and options.

The same goes for the powertrain choices as the 3.56m-long Mii, which tips the scales at just 854kg (1,883 pounds), will be offered with the VW Group's new 1.0-litre petrol engines with either 60HP (40kW) or 75HP (60kW).

The 60HP model is good for a top speed of 160km/h (99mph) and a combined fuel efficiency of 4.5lt/100km (52.3mpg US or 62.8mpg UK), while the 75HP variant reaches a top speed of 170km/h (106mph) and returns 4.7lt/100km (50mpg US or 60.1mpg UK).

Seat said it will also offer an Ecomotive variant featuring a Start/Stop system that will return a CO2 figure of just 97 g/km as well as a gasoline/CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) derivative that will emit a mere 86 grams of CO2/km making it one of the cleanest cars in the world.

The Mii will first launch as a three-door model in Spain this November, with sales to start in the rest of Europe in Spring of 2012. A five-door model will be added to the range before the end of next year.

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Skoda Citigo PHOTO GALLERY

The world premiere of the VW Up! at last month's 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show last month was only the beginning for the German group as after the recent presentation of the Skoda Citigo, Seat is next in line to gain its version of the small city car with the Mii.

The new Mii is the Spanish firm's first offering in the segment after the termination of the Arosa mini in 2004, which was also based on a VW model, the Lupo.

As is the case with the Skoda Citigo, the only visible differences between the Seat Mii and the VW Up! are their front end styling, alloy wheel designs, tail lamp graphics and the interior trim colors and options.

The same goes for the powertrain choices as the 3.56m-long Mii, which tips the scales at just 854kg (1,883 pounds), will be offered with the VW Group's new 1.0-litre petrol engines with either 60HP (40kW) or 75HP (60kW).

The 60HP model is good for a top speed of 160km/h (99mph) and a combined fuel efficiency of 4.5lt/100km (52.3mpg US or 62.8mpg UK), while the 75HP variant reaches a top speed of 170km/h (106mph) and returns 4.7lt/100km (50mpg US or 60.1mpg UK).

Seat said it will also offer an Ecomotive variant featuring a Start/Stop system that will return a CO2 figure of just 97 g/km as well as a gasoline/CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) derivative that will emit a mere 86 grams of CO2/km making it one of the cleanest cars in the world.

The Mii will first launch as a three-door model in Spain this November, with sales to start in the rest of Europe in Spring of 2012. A five-door model will be added to the range before the end of next year.

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Galibier Hyper-Saloon PHOTO GALLERY

It's been a long time since we last heard about the upcoming Bugatti Galibier – in April 2011, to be precise when it was reported that the luxurious sports saloon received the green light for production from the VW Group's management.

But while the project seems to be on course, the new head of Bugatti Automobiles, Wolfgang Duerheimer, told Autocar Magazine that the Galibier's design has been "significantly altered".

“I will suggest we continue development, but there will be some remarkable changes from the original concept,” Durheimer told the British publication.

“The design will be different, especially from the B-pillar back, the ingress and regress to the rear seats will be improved, as will the legroom and ergonomics, the car will be a little longer, and the power of the engine will be at least four figures.”

Duerheimer pointed out that the company made the changes after receiving input from Bugatti's customers.

“Half of Veyron owners have been in the car already,” he said. “You will still recognize the design from the concept, but now this is a design I can be 100% behind.”

The Galibier, which made its first public outing as a concept at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, makes use of a 16-cylinder engine that can run on biofuel as well as gasoline producing around 1,000 horsepower.

The luxurious sports saloon is estimated to cost around €1 million (US$1.34 million at the current exchange rates) when it arrives in the market in 2013 or 2014.

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