Road & Travel Magazine (RTM) has named the Eos Convertible as one of the top 10 Sexiest Cars of 2007 in its 11th annual Sexy Car Buyer’s Guide. RTM cited the Eos’ trademark coupe-sunroof-convertible and selling price of below $30,000 as “the best of both worlds. A road-runner with simple, elegant lines (and) just the right trim in the right places.”

The Eos’ impressive four-cylinder 3.6-liter hp V6 engine combined with its powerful 2.0T, 200 horsepower, dual-clutch, (DSG(R) and six-speed transmission makes the Eos such an exciting vehicle and very fun to drive around with.

“The July ‘Romance Issue’ (of RTM) provides a full review of the top ten vehicles and what makes each specific automobile sizzle and satisfy,” said Courtney Caldwell, editor-in-chief of the RTM Magazine in an interview. “Test-driven by RTM editors, these revved-up roadsters are sure to leave drivers (and readers) reeling and writing for more.”

ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine was established in 1989. It is a comprehensive online, in-market lifestyle magazine specializing in a wide variety of automotive and travel topics. Primarily geared towards women, RTM was the first publication to specifically address women’s automotive needs and concerns, providing a resource from which they could make informed decisions regarding purchases and personal safety. Their informative home page can be accessed through www.roadandtravel.com

Volkswagen of Canada Inc., the proud bearer of this news, was founded in 1952, and is currently headquartered at Ajax, Ontario. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s biggest car makers of passenger cars and high quality car parts. They became widely known for cars such as the Volkswagen Beetle, the New Beetle, the Golf, the Jetta, Rabbit, Passat, Touareg and Eos. They have more than 130 independent Canadian dealers, and they can be accessed online through vw.ca

Volkswagen, Europe’s biggest car maker, is advocating for the widespread use of carbon dioxide-neutral energy sources and biomass in particular. Biomass is biological material that can be used alongside oil and natural gas in the production of liquid fuels. Apparently, Volkswagen does not stand alone. Volkswagen’s Fuel and Powertrain Strategy report reveals that the Federal Republic of Germany has created a fuel strategy that also consists of biomass. Its goal is to reach 5.75 percent of the fuel market by 2010.

Volkswagen’s fuel strategy brought on more advantages than the declining use of petroleum. These enhanced fuels will increase engine technologies such as the direct-injection petrol engine and the direct-injection diesel engine.

Many materials can be derived from biomass, such as synthetic fuel or “SunFuel” for short. The SunFuel is a nontraditional low-sulfur fuel that can be derived from plants, waste products, and other raw materials. Since this fuel is made from biomass, it enables the CO2 cycle to be closed almost completely, which is environmentally less damaging.

Using biomass material for fuel production opens up many opportunities for farmers. According to a study conducted by the Institute for Energy and Environment in Leipzig, Germany, farmers will be able to produce 70 million metric tons of SunFuel a year without cutting back on food crops. This amount of SunFuel would meet a large portion of the total demand for vehicle fuel.

For example, this fuel can be used in current engines and it can be distributed at existing gas stations. Volkswagen believes that synthetic fuels have the potential to reduce the negative impact of road traffic on the environment in the long run. The cost of this SunFuel is currently 70 Euro cents per liter and will possibly decrease to 50 Euro cents per liter in the near future according to Volkswagen’s Fuel and Powertrain strategy.

The era of biofuels is still a fresh concept for the future as there are many technical and organizational obstacles to overcome before large quantities can be distributed. In order for this SunFuel strategy to be fulfilled, many contributions need to be made to science. Volkswagen fully supports this research. The company contributed one million Euro in September 2006 to the Technical University Braunschweig in Germany.

“We consider the framework conditions for a transfer from academic research on alternative fuels to practical industrial application to be good,” said Prof. Leohold in an interview, the president of the University at the signing ceremony in Braunschweig.

Volkswagen is not only funding this strategy, but they are seeking public support in many ways and are making progress to get the word out about the enhanced fuel. In fact, in Volkswagen Autostadt, a theme park promoting the Volkswagen’s brand located in Wolfsburg, Germany has a “SunFuel lab” to inform visitors about the alternative fuel. This lab is a station that lets the visitor navigate a robot that then plants watercress seed in a container. Through a computer system, the robot tracks the growth of the watercress, and visitors can even access pictures of the growth on the Internet. A picture is taken everyday over a period of nine days until it is harvested and turned into SunFuel. Through this SunFuel lab, the awareness of SunFuel is increasing with every visitor of the Autostadt.(newsnetnebraska.com)

The 2007 Beetle Africa Marathon took-off last July 7 with its 12 teams on the go across the rough roads of Africa. Inspired by the famous intercontinental London to Sydney Marathon of 1968, the Africa Beetle Marathon was first run in 1999. This year’s trek will be the first since 2003.

Traveling through mountains, deserts, canyons and national parks, Beetle Marathon participants must complete the journey in 18 days to be considered finishers.

The 12-team drive was not meant to be a competition, though some of the African teams was said to be intent on finishing first. At the marathon’s completion trophies have been awarded, but the camaraderie and adventure are the main objectives of the event.

Dave Lewis is a Volkswagen guy also happens to like a good adventure. Hence, this University of Massachusetts Lowell professor hopped in a 1960s-era Volkswagen Beetle with a teammate Saturday and began the 3,728-mile race across southern Africa.

“Hopefully I won’t hog the wheel,” Lewis said in an interview. “I expect to have a lot of fun with people from all over the world.”

As a participant in the 18-day Africa Beetle Marathon, Lewis will venture through South Africa, Namibia and Botswana—complete with camping supplies and a team of mechanics traveling close behind him.

“It’s not as adventurous as it might seem,” said Lewis, who during the summer months can be seen driving around town in a VW bus. “I definitely have faith in the old Beetles. I just like their simplicity. I’ve owned Volkswagens all my life.”

As the only American tandem driving in the marathon, Lewis and a fellow professor will be spending plenty of time together—both in their Beetle and in Africa’s wilds. Lewis anticipates he and his teammate will be camping out for most of the trip.

“You can actually drive your own vehicle into the national parks,” Lewis said. “You can be as close to the wildlife as you want to be.”

Lewis is familiar with Africa. His experience on the continent dates back to 1977, when he and his wife hitchhiked across the Sahara Desert for their “pre-honeymoon.” The couple returned to Africa about five years ago with their two daughters on a vacation to Namibia. Since then, Lewis has also visited Rwanda and Uganda.

Being experienced adventurers themselves, members of the Lewis family aren’t too worried about the marathon not going smoothly. Lewis’ wife said she’d come along for the ride, too, if the event didn’t take so long to complete.

“They’re very nonchalant about it,” said Lewis of his family. “They’ve had a few adventures themselves. I don’t think they’re nervous.”

By driving in the marathon, Lewis gets the chance to combine his appreciation for Volkswagens with a passion for third-world travel, which started decades ago when he was a member of the Peace Corps.

During the marathon, Lewis plans to donate 200 sets of eyeglasses to a Botswana nonprofit organization that will give the glasses to Africans.

“It’s reassuring to see people that live simply and are enjoying life to the fullest,” he said. (reference: eagle tribune.com)

Volkswagen has promoted Reinhard Jung, former production head, as the new chief executive of the Skoda Auto unit. Jung was said to replace Detlef Wittig, who is bound to retire on October, but will remain as a consultant with Europe’s biggest automaker.

The Volkswagen group includes the Skoda, Audi, Seat, Bentley and Lamborghini brands. Skoda is the Czech Republic’s largest and most profitable exporter. It sold a record 549,667 cars in more than 90 countries last year and plans to produce 580,000 cars this year.

Volkswagen is busy on reducing emissions and fuel consumption in its models as well as in pioneering the “recyclability” process, and was said to have plans in releasing a hybrid to the market by the year 2008. with the growing efforts of every car maker in driving towards greener pastures and people opting to go along with the choice of better fuel economy, Volkswagen has made its move in joining the revolution as well.

With the creation of vehicles like the Polo BlueMotion—the most fuel-efficient five-seater in the world, a universally fuel-efficient fleet of TDI engines, highly efficient and unique TSI engines (twin chargers) in the Golf and Touran, successful natural gas vehicles (EcoFuel) and a range of other models—there is still plenty of room for Volkswagen to fulfill its automotive dreams.

In China, Volkswagen plans to spend 600 million US Dollars over the next four years to develop environment-friendly engines. The German Automaker recently announced its plans for a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption and emissions of vehicles produced in China with the help of modern engines, weight reduction, automatic gearboxes and other measures.

The current priority, because it is more effective, is to offer large numbers of TDI and TSI engines at economical prices to realize their immediate benefits with regard to oil consumption and emissions. However, Volkswagen will continue to research and further develop all potential engine types and introduce them as soon as it makes sense and is technically feasible. These include hybrid powertrain systems, such as the one Volkswagen presented in the form of a Touran prototype with its highly efficient combination of a gasoline engine derived from the TSI engine, electric drive and dual clutch transmission (DSG). Meanwhile, the first hybrids are already being tested as the deadline for the market is on 2008.

“Initially, there will be an eco version of each of Volkswagen’s models. We call it BlueMotion. We started with the Passat and Polo and we plan to continue with the Golf. These models feature highly efficient engines, low-resistance tires and a different type of transmission. They will be designed to be the leading vehicles in their class when it comes to reducing fuel consumption,” Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen CEO said in an interview with Business Week.

The next important step for the company would be to obtain fuels from renewable raw materials. SunFuel that is produced from biomass and cellulose-ethanol is a second generation biofuel. The focus here has shifted specifically to the use of CO2-neutral biomass feed stocks that can be used to generate these synthetic fuels. Because SunFuel is produced from renewable raw materials such as biomass, when it is burned the amount of carbon dioxide released is equivalent to the amount originally removed from the atmosphere by the plants supplying the energy. When used as a fuel in conventional diesel engines, the extremely high-grade and clean SunFuel reduces particulate emissions by 30 percent and can also be used in older vehicles without technical modifications. Moreover, simple adjustments to the engine controller are sufficient to also reduce Nox emissions by up to 30 percent.

Growing shortage of fossil fuels and an environment that needs protecting more than ever have set new challenges for automobile manufacturers. The first stage is learning of the importance of utilizing fossil fuels as efficiently and economically as possible while offering full measure of dynamics and comfort at the same time. (reference: ameinfo.com)

Volkswagen has its sights in China’s market to sell more than 800,000 vehicles for 2007. The German car maker is encouraged by its strong sales during the first half with a projection up from 711,298 units, making it move in the world’s fastest-growing major auto market in 2006. Its January-to-June sales in the mainland and Hong Kong rose 24.6 percent year-on-year to record 431,369 units, including 379,705 Volkswagen-brand cars, 49,267 Audi vehicles and Skoda 2,274 units.

“This (record sales) indicates that our ‘Olympic Program’ has been yielding good results in China,” Vahland said in a recent interview in Beijing.

Volkswagen, the sole automotive partner of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, flagged off the program in 2005 to launch 12 to 14 new models by 2009 in China. The automaker also intends to cut costs by 40 percent by 2008 and to improve sales and service networks.

The German company’s record sales figure is also likely to help it remain as the top-seller in China’s passenger car segment though its rivals, such as the General Motors Corp. and the Toyota Motor Corp., have yet to disclose their first-half results in the territory. Vahland predicted that China’s entire passenger car market would reach five million units this year, up from the company’s previous forecast of 4.6 million units. In 2006, 4.2 million passenger cars were sold in the country.

“However, we will not slacken our efforts to cut costs and improve customer satisfaction, although we performed well in the first half,” he said. He warned that interest rate rises and soaring oil prices in China are likely to have a negative impact on the car market.

The well-loved “People’s Car” now runs a joint venture with First Automotive Works Corp in the northeastern city of Changchun. The venture is responsible for the production of Bora, Caddy, Jetta, Golf and Sagitar, as well as the Audi A6 and A4. Additionally, the venture will launch a 1.8-liter turbo Magotan sedan next week.

The Volkswagen Mangotan, also called the Passat, follows the latest design philosophy first introduced on the Volkswagen Phaeton luxury car. The new styling is a dramatic departure from the styling of the B5.5 Passat. Although the new design using improved Volkswagen parts is somewhat controversial, sales have improved over the old model.

The Mangotan also features Fuel Stratified Injection in nearly every petrol version. It ranges from 1.6 to 3.2 L, but the multivalve 2.0 L TDI is the most sought out version in Europe. In the United States, it features a 200 horsepower 2.0 L turbocharged I4 as the base engine, or a 280 horsepower 3.6 L VR6 engine as the upgrade and six-speed manual and automatic transmissions.

The venture will have a “minimum” profit growth of 25 percent this year from 2006, said Joachim Wedler, its vice-president in charge of finance. But Wedler did not reveal how much the firm, in which FAW holds a 60 percent stake and Volkswagen 40 percent, will earn this year. (news release by pr-gb.com)

Reviews for the 2007 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan Fahrenheit has been pleasing to the eyes of the smart car buyer. The car has standard features such as the 2.0L I4, 16 valve, 200 hp @ 5100 rpm, 6 speed manual (standard) or 6 speed automatic transmission, and 25 mpg city / 32 mpg hwy. Side Curtain Protection(TM) is also included just like the Side Head Curtain Airbags, Front Power 312-mm X 25-mm Vented Disc and Rear Power 286-mm X 12-mm Solid Disc Brakes, and premium AM/FM Radio with 10 Speakers Total, 6-Disc CD Changer, and MP3 Player.

Volkswagen AG named their former senior executive Stefan Jacoby as their new US CEO. Jacoby helped expand sales in Asia to lead North American operations as the company seeks to return to profit in the US, which is the world’s biggest automobile market.

Stefan Jacoby, Volkswagen group executive Vice President for sales and marketing, will succeed Frank Witter as of September 1, the Wolfsburg, Germany-based car maker said in a statement today. Witter, 48, took over as chief executive officer of Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Volkswagen of America less than three years ago.

“Jacoby will restructure the company’s automotive business in the USA in close cooperation with the group’s management board,” Volkswagen said in the statement. “The objective is to achieve further significant expansion of the position of Volkswagen and Audi in the US market.”

Volkswagen has replaced its top three North American executives in the last three years. The car maker last had a profit in the US in 2002 and lost 607 million Euro ($828 million) in the continent last year. Adrian Hallmark, who heads Volkswagen brand US operations, expects flat 2007 sales. Hallmark took over as the Volkswagen brand leader in 2005, while Johan de Nysschen became the Audi brand’s US chief in 2004. Volkswagen-brand US sales slipped 1 percent in the first half, while Audi sales rose 13 percent.

Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn, who took over January 1, will introduce a compact sport-utility vehicle next year, as well as a new Passat coupe and a minivan built with DaimlerChrysler AG. The car maker will also reintroduce a diesel Jetta in North America in 2008. Volkswagen pulled the diesel this year to switch to new technology. The car had accounted for 30 percent of US Jetta sales last year.

“By its own admission, Volkswagen’s problem in the US is that its products are not well suited to local tastes,” said Michael Tyndall in an interview, an analyst with Nomura Securities in London who has a “neutral” rating on the shares. “It therefore makes sense they would choose a highly regarded marketing man to head up the region.”

Jacoby, 49, started working for Volkswagen in 1985 in the industrial sales controlling department, according to his company biography. He worked for Volkswagen of America in 1988 in the controlling and marketing departments, before moving to Japan with Volkswagen where he stayed until the end of 1992.

From 1997 to 2001 he was responsible for the car maker’s Asia-Pacific area as Volkswagen managed to boost its business in the region. Jacoby left Volkswagen in 2001 to work for Mitsubishi Motors Corp.’s European operations. He returned to his German company in March 2004 and assumed his current position later that year.

Hallmark said in an interview last month that Volkswagen will return to profit in the US at the latest in 2009 and that the car maker narrowed its first-half North American loss by reducing discounts and warranty claims, and concentrating on sales of the most profitable models. His long-term goal includes the increase in US sales to 400,000 to 600,000 vehicles a year. Last year, Volkswagen sold 235,140 cars and SUVs in the country. Volkswagen’s US sales record, set in 1970, was 569,696 cars and vans. (reference: Bloomberg.com)

Bosnia and Herzegovina President Nebojsa Radmanovic toured the Volkswagen Plant in Slovakia in the hope to build a Volkswagen Plant in his country. It has been a silent campaign for different East Europe countries that auto makers are now looking for the ideal country to house their plants.

Auto makers are searching for countries with lower costs, tax breaks and political stability, who also happens to offer a chance to develop new consumer markets, according to Robert Baker, chief economist for the London-based Society of Motor Manufacturers. While most of the auto makers are based in the United States, Western Europe is struggling to control labor costs close to home, leading car production to surge in countries like Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and other former mainstays of the Soviet bloc.

Volkswagen has impressively been leading this parade. It moved into Slovakia 15 years ago, shortly after the Russians moved out, and auto giants like France’s Peugeot Citroen and South Korea’s Kia were hot on their heels. Some may even say that Slovakia has become “the new Detroit.” Volkswagen alone has reportedly spent more than $1.6 billion on its sprawling plant so far. The tens of thousands of jobs created by the industry’s growth have helped ease the rocky transition from state-run socialism to free-market capitalism.

“We came first, then others followed, and soon we will have one of the largest car production rates per capita of any country in the world,” said Bohdan Wojnar, a VW finance director in an interview. “Our problem will be finding workers. Unemployment is very low, and there are not enough workers for all of us.”

Automakers have moved into Eastern Europe for a variety of reasons. But primarily, the reasons are notably low wages compared to countries like France and Germany, where unionized assembly line workers typically enjoy generous salaries and ample health and vacation benefits.

In addition, the leaders of the new pro-Western governments in the region have courted foreign investment by offering substantial tax incentives and by making land available at bargain prices. Baker also concluded that in some cases profits are not taxed for the first five years, which makes startup investments easier.

Baker said the factors that make Eastern Europe attractive to Volkswagen and other automakers were similar to the conditions that led Volkswagen to build in Puebla, Mexico, a major plant that has been a cornerstone of the expanding Mexican car-production industry.

“VW found Mexico amenable because you had stability there and a government that was trying to develop and enhance a car production-and-supply chain in one specific part of the country,” he said in an interview. Just as the market is growing in Mexico, there is also a growing car demand from consumers in Eastern European countries, where car ownership rates were low during the communist era.

And the entry of Eastern European countries like Slovakia into the European Union means they can export cars to Western Europe with a minimum of red tape and without paying duties. All these factors are gradually shifting European car production from west to east, with countries like Britain losing out. (source: the Houston chronicle)

Volkswagen Group Australia is pleased to announce that Jon Dawe will be the new General Manager—Press and PR, replacing Matthew Wiesnes who has been promoted as the head of Skoda in Australia.

Dawe has left his position as the Regional Manager in Australia and New Zealand for Bentley Motors Ltd of the Volkswagen family. Prior to this, Dawe spent several years with Volkswagen Group Australia in roles within Sales and Corporate Business.

Jon brings extensive knowledge of the Volkswagen product and its various brands to the press and PR department at Volkswagen Group Australia and will no doubt continue to strengthen the company’s good relationship with the media, its suppliers and customers.