volkswagen

The New York International Auto Show is back!

The New York International Auto Show strikes again! With approximately 1,000 vehicles on display contained under 950,000 sq. ft., the show is one of the world’s biggest and greatest automotive shows for over one million car enthusiasts to check out the newest cars, trucks and SUV’s.

A few dozen, new for 2016, cars made their big debuts at the show. Some of these were the all-new Audi A4 with a power boost up to 252hp, the sixth generation BMW 7 series, the 365hp BMW M2, an all-wheel-drive Ford Fusion V6 Sport and Hyundai’s new flagship brand, Genesis, showed us the new G90. Other debuts include the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Fiat 124 Spider, Cadillac CT6, the 5.0-liter V8 Lexus LX500, Lincoln Continental, Mercedes E-Class with a new 2.0-liter, 241hp four cylinder and the Volvo S90 luxury sedan.

New concept vehicles were also revealed at the show, including the Buick Avista coupe grand tourer, Volkswagen BUDD-e, the Kia A1A Optima and the Kia Telluride.

Stay tuned for more coverage of the New York International Auto Show over the next few days.

No Porsche for You!

It’s no secret Jerry Seinfeld is a car guy – but did you know that he’s a major Porsche fan? According to Complex Magazine, Seinfeld owns over 45 of the brand’s most sought after models. Car collectors seized the opportunity of a lifetime, taking up the chance to own some of the comedy legend’s beloved Porsches that he recently unloaded — for over $22,000,000.

Considering the “cheapest” vehicle that sold was a 1964 Volkswagen Bus for $99,000 (and the most expensive car from his collection sold for over $5 million!), you know these vehicles came from a very well maintained and well-cared-for collection from someone who truly loves his Porsches (and Volkswagen’s).

Check out some of the cars that hit the auction block – the only one that didn’t sell was his 2000 Porsche Carrera GT prototype. We can only imagine what else he has in his garage.

  • 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder — $5,335,000
  • 1957 Porsche 356A Speedster — $682,000
  • 1958 Porsche 356A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster — $1,540,000
  • 1958 Porsche 597 Jagdwagen — $330,000
  • 1959 Porsche 718RSK — $2,860,000
  • 1963 Porsche 356B 2000 GS Carrera 2 Coupe — $825,000
  • 1966 Porsche 911 — $275,000
  • 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder — $3,000,000
  • 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 IROC RSR — $2,310,000
  • 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster — $363,000
  • 1990 Porsche 962C — $1,650,000
  • 1994 Porsche 964 Turbo 3.6 Turbo S Flachbau — $1,017,500
  • 1997 Porsche 993 3.8 Cup RSR — $935,000
  • 2011 Porsche 997 Speedster — $440,000
  • 2012 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 4.0 “Brumos Commemorative Edition” — $462,000
  • 1960 Volkswagen Beetle — $121,000
  • 1964 Volkswagen Camper — $99,000

Photos from Gooding & Company Auction House.

Not your average Passat…

You may know Tanner Foust from his show, Top Gear America, or you might know him from from his racing history. Well, now there’s a new reason to know him — his new Formula Drift car is a 900 horsepower Volkswagen Passat.

Speaking from the Horse Thief Mile at Willow Springs, Foust goes into his race history, what brought him to the sport, and the technology that makes the car. “When drifiting came around, I just fit with the sport – I owe a lot to the sport of drifting”, says Foust.

He races for Volkswagen and Rockstar Energy, and this marks his return to Formula D events for the first time since 2010. Foust continues, “I think the sport has changed a lot in 5 years” and it’s true — steering angles are greater, horsepower ranges from 40-60% more and drivers are taking different lines.

Speaking of car technology, Foust’s Passat features a 7.4L V8 pushing 700hp (900hp on nitrous) to the rear wheels. Exhaust headers utilize an eight-into-one sequential collector designed by AEM which, according to Foust, “give the car such a wild scream”. 3D printing is utilized via the handbrake and other car components.

Whether or not he has concerns about his entry back into Formula D after 5 years, he says he’s “going to have a blast doing whatever it is frankly”.

Photos: Rockstar Energy

REVIEW: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid SE

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Hybrids. Usually not the favored vehicles of gearheads, but favored by those who want to do good for the environment. Recently, we had the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid SE — a car you should be seeing a lot more of. Combining German engineering and a hybrid engine, the Jetta Hybrid wowed us. Standalone hybrid vehicles are obvious on the roads — but the Jetta blends in and with the exception of some LED taillights (and optional LED headlights), some Hybrid badging and a different grille, it’s not an obvious hybrid. With an estimated annual fuel cost of only $1,250 and fuel economy of 42/48mpg city/hwy, you’re driving a stylish car that doubles as a great addition to the already environmentally-friendly Jetta model line.

The vehicle we tested had a stylish Frost Silver exterior and Titan Black V-Tex leatherette interior. With a Premium VIII touchscreen radio with CD player, MDI with iPod cable in the glove compartment and SiriusXM radio, the Jetta Hybrid is perfect for long car rides, with ample music opportunities. It also had Climatronic climate control, heated exterior mirrors with turn signal indicators, rear spoiler and keyless access with push button remote start.

With a 1.4L, 150hp, gas powered engine and a 20kW electirc motor, the Jetta Hybrid produces a combined 170 horsepower and 184 lb/ft of torque. Getting from 0-60 was respectable, with an 8.6 second time. It took a little while to get used to the regenerative brakes, as when you stepped on the brake pedal, it felt like something was clamping down on the wheels, but over time, we were able to get used to it and admired the feature. It had a very comfortable ride and for a hybrid, it was pretty awesome. Definitely a recommendation on our end from the hybrid-vehicle standpoint.

Pros: For the price you pay, it was optioned out very well; would never know it was a hybrid just by the looks of it; very comfortable

Cons: Regenerative brakes were a little touchy and took some time getting used to; could use a little more low-end torque

QUICK FACTS:

Base Price: $26,990 || Price as Tested: $28,055

Vehicle Layout: Front-engine, FWD, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

Engine: 1.4L I4 & 20kW motor; 170 hp; 184 lb/ft torque || Transmission: 7-speed DSG automatic

Curb Weight:  3,311 lbs || Length/Width/Height: 182.8/70/57.2 inches

0-60:  8.6 seconds || EPA City/Highway Fuel Economy: 42/48mpg

RATING: 7.9/10

Exterior: 8

Interior: 8

Acceleration: 7 

Braking: 6

Ride: 8

Handling: 8

Gearbox: 8

Audio: 8

Tech: 9

Value: 9

We’d like to thank Maritza Acosta at East Coast Volkswagen for getting us into a the new Jetta Hybrid — we thought the car was a great example of a hybrid! For all your VW needs, go check out East Coast Volkswagen in Englewood Cliffs, NJ and online at www.eastcoastvw.com. Make sure you tell them Greg and Dave sent you!

REVIEW: 2013 Volkswagen CC

One of Volkswagen’s slogans is: “Better engineering for you.” With that said, Volkswagen has been using “better engineering” to make their cars faster, lighter, more fuel-efficient and safer. Their sole purpose is to make all these things happen at once while producing something fun to drive. We were able to take advantage of the opportunity to drive the 2013 Volkswagen CC thanks to East Coast Volkswagen in Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

Bi-Xenon headlights with LED day time running lights
Touchscreen radio with Bluetooth
6-speed DSG automatic with tiptronic and sport modes
Very spacious trunk
Similar to push button start, in the CC, the key is the button.
V-Tex Leatherette seating

We have many friends that drive Volkswagens and hardly ever hear a bad word about the car or brand name. Going into this test drive we had pretty good expectations, and having never driven a CC before, we came out of it pleasantly surprised. From the design of the car to the smooth ride, the CC was very impressive.

With a 2.0L turbocharged I4 and 200-hp, the CC made its presence known on the road. Going from 0-60 in 6.9 seconds, the 6-speed DSG automatic transmission with Tiptronic and sport mode made the shifts very easy and smooth.

The CC had very bright Bi-Xenon headlights and nicely designed LED day time running lights as well as LED tail lights. The Premium VIII sound system with HD Radio which included 8 speakers, 6-disc CD changer and an SD memory card reader had very good sound quality and was very easy to use.

Pros: Acceleration in the car was great–the turbo makes a huge difference. The trunk was very spacious and we liked the idea of pushing in the VW emblem to open the trunk lid. The touch screen radio was very modern and easy to use. The sport mode was a lot of fun to use as it shifted through gears just like a manual transmission.

Cons: Even though the base model CC comes with many options, we feel for the price it should come with just a couple more.

QUICK FACTS:

Base Price: $30,965 || Price as Tested: $32,535

Vehicle Layout: Front-engine, FWD, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

Engine: 2.0L, 200-hp, 207-lb-ft. I4 || Transmission: 6-speed DSG Automatic

Curb Weight: 3329 lbs || Length/Width/Height: 188.9/73/55.8 inches

0-60: 6.9 seconds || EPA City/Highway Fuel Economy: 21/32mpg

RATING: 8.1/10

Exterior: 9

Interior: 9

Acceleration: 9

Braking: 8

Ride: 7

Handling: 8

Gearbox: 9

Audio: 8

Tech: 7

Value: 7

We’d like to thank Maritza Acosta and Damian Coppola at East Coast Volkswagen for getting us into a CC — we thought the car was awesome! For all your VW needs, go check out Volkswagen in Englewood Cliffs, NJ and online at www.eastcoastvw.com. Make sure you tell them Greg and Dave sent you!