New VW Beetle gets a 39mpg Diesel Variant in the States

At the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, Volkswagen will reveal the most fuel-efficient version of the new Beetle in the States, the TDI, which is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine producing 140 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of peak torque. The same powerplant is offered on the North American Jetta and Passat TDI models.

The diesel engine can be mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or VW’s dual-clutch DSG six-speed automatic, with the German automaker predicting a fuel economy of 29 mpg city and 39 mpg highway.

That's a significant improvement over the base 170HP 2.5-liter gasoline engine that returns an estimated 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway with a five-speed manual, and 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway with the optional six-speed auto.

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Volkswagen's New Super Bowl Ad will Make You Miss Little Darth Vader

Admittedly, Volkswagen's advertising agency had some pretty big shoes to fill with its 2012 Super Bowl ad after last year's game day commercial "The Force", which has since garnered some 50 million views on the company's own YouTube channel alone, but we're not so sure it has succeeded with the "The Dog Strikes Back".

The German company aired today the extended 75-second long spot online with the 60-second version of the ad running in the second quarter of the Big Game on February 5.

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VW E-Bugster Study Zooms into the Detroit Auto Show

If you liked Volkswagen's approach with the new Beetle then chances are you're going to give a thumbs up to the E-Bugster study that made its world premiere at the Detroit Auto Show this week.

Wider, lower and sportier looking that the regular Beetle, the concept's name blends the words "E" (for electric), "Bug" and "speedster". It's closest relative is the similarly styled Ragster study back from 2005.

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Volkswagen's E-Bugster Concept is an All-Electric Beetle Hot Rod

At the 2005 North American International Show, Volkswagen introduced the New Beetle Ragster concept. It was a second-generation Beetle convertible with a much lower roofline and its name was conjured by crossing the words “ragtop” and “speedster”.

Fast-forward six years, and the “People’s Car” company (for that’s what Volkswagen literally means in German) is launching a similar concept at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show .

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Volkswagen to Debut Beetle-Based Electric Hot Rod at the Detroit Motor Show

We just learned that Volkswagen's surprise debut at next week's 2012 North American International Motor Show in Detroit will be a pure-electric concept model based on the new generation of the Beetle – despite previous reports saying otherwise.

The conceptual EV version of the recently launched 2012 Beetle will sport a heavily modified body with a lowered roof and wider fenders with its looks slightly resembling the Volkswagen Ragster Concept (pictured above) that was displayed at the 2005 Detroit Motor Show.

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VW to Return to Super Bowl with New 60-Second Ad on the 2012 Beetle

There's no doubt that this year's Super Bowl XLV played host to some original commercials but the one ad that stood out more than the rest was "The Force" from Volkswagen, the official YouTube version of which has garnered over 45 million views since it aired on February 2.

Volkswagen actually aired one more commercial during the game, the “Black Beetle”, which has been seen by more than 5 million viewers on the German firm's channel.

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Euro NCAP: Two Chinese Models get 4 Stars for Safety, Malibu and Beetle Awarded with 5 Stars

The results are in for Euro NCAP’s fifth and last launch of 2011. A total of 14 cars were tested including two Chinese newcomers, the MG6 and the Geely Emgrand EC7, both of which achieved a four star rating, proving that at least some Chinese brands are starting to take safety seriously.

Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP Secretary General commented: "These results mark a milestone for the Chinese automotive industry. It is a clear sign that Chinese car makers are building on recent experiences and rapidly investing in better vehicle safety. Even with the upcoming increased demands, five stars are expected to be within reach soon."

Four more vehicles that are new were given a four-star rating, including the Fiat Panda, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jaguar XF and the EV Renault Fluence ZE.

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Rumors: VW's 2.5L Inline-Five to be Replaced with New 1.8-liter Turbo in the U.S.

With such a large arsenal of turbocharged gasoline engines in all sorts of sizes and states of tune, one could only wonder why Volkswagen is still holding on to the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-five in the States – especially since even GM and Ford have gone ahead and introduced smaller displacement force-fed fours.

It appears that VW also believes it's time to replace the old-school five-pot with a more modern turbocharged four. Citing two sources from within the German company, Car&Driver reports that the 2.5L unit will soon be dropped from Volkswagen's U.S. range with a new 1.8-liter TSI four-cylinder engine taking its place.

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Spicy VW Beetle R Concept Makes its U.S. Debut at the 2011 LA Auto Show [Updated Gallery +Video]

Officially, it’s just a concept, but the wording on VW’s press release hints at a production version of the Beetle R that was first shown at the 64th IAA in Frankfurt before it made its North American debut today at the LA Auto Show.

Developed by Volkswagen R GmbH - that is, the same people responsible for the Scirocco R and Golf R models, the Beetle R is said to show “the potential for an ever sportier version of the Beetle”.

The company also claims that the 200HP turbocharged 2.0-liter of the Beetle Turbo “could offer even more performance, similar to that of the Golf R and Scirocco R”.

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VW Releases New Beetle Apple App that Interacts with Billboards

Mobile apps are becoming increasingly popular these days as tools to market products and services. This has not escaped the attention of automakers and their respective advertising and marketing divisions, which try to create apps to draw the attention of consumers.

Following the recently launched FT-86 app by Toyota, Volkswagen of Canada has also released its own interactive app to promote the new 2012 Beetle named "VWJuicedUp".

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New Volkswagen Scale Models Hit Official Store

More often than not, when a new Volkswagen model is presented to the public, the German automaker commissions a matching scale replica, and this week, we have not one, but four new miniature vehicles that go on sale through the company's official store.

These include the production versions of the new up! city car and the Beetle along with the two-seater XL1 diesel-electric hybrid study and the Race Touareg 3 competition vehicle.

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Sleepers, Creepers: VW Beetle GTO - Yes, it's Another Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 Engine Swap

While looking for information on the Russian Fiat Coupe with the Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 drivetrain the other day, we found this customized Volkswagen Beetle sporting the same 6g72 twin turbocharged V6 engine.

However, this time, the Japanese powerplant was mounted behind the front seats of the classic Beetle with power being directed to the rear wheels only through a modified version of the Mitsubishi coupe's gearbox.

The VW 1302 GTO was built in Norway and it appears to be an ongoing project. You can get a taste of what it looks and sounds like in the videos below.

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VW Releases Pricing and Opens Order Book for New Beetle in the UK

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.

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Two New Volkswagen Production Models to Debut at the LA Auto Show

Next up on our international motorshow calendar is the Los Angeles Auto Show that will be open to the public from November 18 to 27. The event organizers say that at least 17 world premieres have already been confirmed, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Among the new cars to debut in LA will be two Volkswagen models. According to a report from Kicking Tires, Volkswagen made the announcement on Wednesday but didn't name the new vehicles simply stating that both will be production cars.

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Video: Sleeper 1978 VW Beetle Packs a 5.7-liter V8 Super Punch

A 'sleeper' car is defined as a super-fast vehicle with deceptive, run-of-the-mill looks. They can come in many forms and shapes, but the basic idea remains the same.

One of the more popular options for those looking to build a sleeper is the original Volkswagen Beetle, which is factory form is a total buzz killer. 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.

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