Volkswagen Golf 2001 News

British supercar maker McLaren is riding a wave of big models, with the 12C and 12C Spider already out, the P1 just being launched -- and reportedly already sold out -- and the 3.8-litre V8-powered P13 sportscar in the works to face off against the Porsche 911.But now McLaren's design boss has suggested a hot hatch could be on the cards for the Woking line-up. Speaking with Dutch magazine Autovisie, head designer Frank Stephenson said he can invision something similar to the Volkswagen Golf."I see a car like the VW Golf for 30 to 40,000 EUR ($43,000-$58,000, however the Golf GTI sells here from $41,490), but for McLaren with a carbon fiber monocoque, to happen in the future," is reported as telling the magazine.And while he's designed the 12C and P1 for his current house -- and the F430 for Ferrari -- Stephenson's experience certainly doesn't stop at supercars. He also penned the BMW X5, Mini Cooper, Fiat 500 and Alfa Romeo Mi-To so a hot hatch could be a familiar drawing board snack for him.Stephenson also reportedly sledged Audi in the Autovise story, saying the German brand's design broth was spoilt by having too many chefs. "Groups are like a large oil tankers, it takes a lot of time to change the course. Too many people with different ideas that you have to convince, and designs that are toned too far," he said.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Volkswagen's next generation Golf will run on engines as small as one litre through a 10 speed automatic transmission and could use electric assistance technology to move them off the mark. Though Volkswagen's Mark 7 Golf is not yet a year old, work has begun on the 2020 model and the rest of range which that share its platform. Speaking to Carsguide on the eve of the  Frankfurt motor show, board member and powertrain chief  Dr Heinz-Jakob Neusser confirmed the VW's that are on the way will reflect that old sore that less can be more. That is they will use smaller engines to carry a bantam weight of less than 1200kg in return for bettering VW Group targeted fuel consumption of five litres per 100km - in diesel and petrol versions. "From Mark 6 Golf to Mark 7 there is at least 60kg in average and up to 100kg less weight per version," Neusser says. "There will be at least that reduction again for Golf 8. "That is absolutely important. How shall we do this? Possibly carbon fibre like the XL1 (VW's futuristic study car). We do a lot of steel improvement, warm manufactured steel. The net step for weight reduction is the use of aluminium inside the car but we don't need to have aluminium space frame." While carmakers appear to be engaged in a game of one up gearmanship - eight forward speeds is the benchmark with Mercedes-Benz and Lexus about to implement nine gear boxes - Neusser speaks of 10 coming in from mid-decade. But with a difference. "This is not a six speed transmission with additional gears. They are intermediate. The idea is to shift the gears into different ways of moving. We have very short ratios for the low gears, a broad spread for the six driving gears and two gears that are very long to bring the revs down as low as possible. Six driving gears is enough." And while doomsayers predict the end of diesel, Neusser says economy improvements will continue to see turbo diesels run leaner than petrol/electric hybrids such as the Prius. "We have the capability to achieve fuel economy improvements in both of around 15 per cent," he says. "We do a lot to bring  spark ignited (petrol) engines to this economy level. But you have 12 per cent more energy in diesel in any given amount. That's physics. "I would say that for a short term driver, five to 10 km, it is more enjoyable to drive spark ignition. But for long distance, motor ways, you can drive 1000km with a tank full of diesel." The mainstream Golf model uses 1.4 turbo petrol engines. It's 2004 equivalent used a 2.0-litre unit. Neusser says there is a "strong strategy to increase this downsizing effect in the next generation". "But you come to very significant barriers. Looks at, say, a Passat and take the 1.4 litre turbo charged petrol engine which has no significant turbo lag. And say you replace this with a 1.2 litre engine or a 1.0-litre engine with three cylinders which has the same torque at a lower level. You  will have the point if you decrease displacement behaviour gets worse and you will feel turbo lag. So we are working special charging supporting systems to close down this lag." An electric motor? "Well, you'll need to give us a few months to work out how we are doing it, but I want to announce this is well under way. The next generation cars in the middle of this decade, you  will see the first of them."  

Volkswagen Australia says technical faults with some of its diesel engines and automatic cars are “completely unrelated” to the death of a Volkswagen Golf driver in Melbourne, whose car was struck from behind by a truck in February 2011. The car involved in that incident had a petrol engine and a manual transmission. Reports at the time said the car had slowed suddenly to 20km/h while in the fast lane. The truck driver reported not seeing any brake lights. Volkswagen Australia spokesman Karl Gehling told News Limited: “We’re disappointed some media have ignored the details of the case and chosen to link completely unrelated issues. The examples are not relevant.” Volkswagen Australia has told News Limited that some early model diesel cars are being called back to dealerships across Australia to have their engine’s injectors replaced to prevent the vehicles from slowing suddenly or shifting into “limp home mode”. The self-contained safety measure is common on most new cars with engines controlled by computer software, and are designed to prompt drivers to take their car to a dealership while not leaving them stranded. Three years ago Volkswagen Australia called back about 8000 “twin-charge” petrol engines fitted to the Golf because rough idling would prevent the car from driving off. But the engine in the car at the centre of the investigation -- a high performance Golf GTI -- does not have the type of petrol engine at the centre of the earlier recall. It was also equipped with a manual transmission. Overseas, Volkswagen has recalled almost 500,000 cars equipped with its unique “DSG” automatic gearbox because of quality concerns and uneven acceleration and delayed gear changes, rather than sudden deceleration. However the issues have been brought into the spotlight following a Coroner’s inquest this week into the death the Volkswagen Golf driver in Melbourne two years ago. The coroner is investigating what caused the crash and led to her death and will release the findings in July. Another Volkswagen Australia spokesman, Kurt McGuiness, told media earlier the company currently has no plans for any new recalls. “Volkswagen conducts vehicle recalls in conjunction with the relevant federal government bodies. At this time we do not plan to announce a recall,” he said. “Rapid deceleration is not an issue widely observed or reported with any Volkswagen vehicles. However, should any of our customers have cause for concern with their Volkswagen vehicle, we urge them to contact our customer care team.” This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling  

Volkswagen's hardcore Golf GTI concept that we told you was heading for Austria’s annual Wörthersee Tour tuning event has turned out to be a striking race car concept dubbed the Design Vision GTI. The concept is based on the latest 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI, the seventh generation of the iconic hot hatch, and has been developed as a ready-to-race product. The regular VW Golf GTI drivetrain has been thoroughly overhauled for the concept, with the standard four-cylinder turbo replaced by a twin-turbocharged and direct-injected 3.0-litre V6. Peak output now registers at 375kW and 560Nm, which is more than double that of the regular Golf GTI. All this power and torque is distributed to the wheels via a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission and Haldex all-wheel-drive system. Volkswagen boasts the concept will hit 100km/h from rest in just 3.9 seconds and max out at 300km/h. In order to slow this souped-up Golf GTI, designers fitted large carbon ceramic brakes, sized 380mm up front and 355mm at the back. The 20-inch wheels, which feature the GTI’s ‘Austin’ pattern, come with special blades designed to vent hot air generated by the brakes through the wheel openings. The wheel bolts are covered to give the appearance of a centre-lock design.   The design team for the Design Vision GTI, led by Volkswagen brand design chief Klaus Bischoff, has drawn the C-pillars and sills outward, thus creating space for substantially wider front and rear tracks, as well as the specially developed wheels (with 235 tyres in the front and 275s at the rear). The concept is slightly shorter than a regular Golf GTI, however, thanks mainly to a more compact rear bumper treatment, and it sits a bit lower as well. One particularly neat element is the GTI's typical red grille divide, which on the concept also divides the headlights. The actual lighting elements are set back, giving them a deep, sunken look. Inside, designers had a ‘pure GTI’ focus, which meant concentrating on the truly essential but with a little style. This meant as few switches as necessary, so that they can be operated intuitively even while driving hard. Unique features include an electrical kill switch, a push-button for a fire extinguisher and an ESP deactivation button. The car has three drive modes: "Street," "Sport" and "Track". The shapes of the dashboard and the center console correspond to the GTI's, but are even more driver oriented, with tauter surfaces and harder edges. The race-car impression is reinforced by the use of carbon fiber, which is combined with Alcantara and Nappa leather. The rear seats have also gone; their space taken by an X-shaped cross member that further strengthens body stiffness. Volkswagen explains that the aim of the design was to provide a glance into the future of the GTI. Though we’re unlikely to see the Design Vision GTI enter production, many of the concept’s features are likely to appear on eventual race versions of the latest Golf as well as the more extreme 2015 Golf R hot hatch due out next year. The 2013 Wörthersee Tour kicks off today and concludes on May 11. www.motorauthority.com  

The Biggest Loser has proven that weight-loss shows can draw serious attention. Volkswagen must be watching because the German automaker is looking for lower numbers on the scales with the Golf. According to Edmunds, VW is nearly ready to offer up an optional extra that will help the popular hatchback ditch a few pounds. A carbon fibre roof will be offered up on the performance variants of the hot hatch, which could net weight savings of around 8-9kg. The Mark VII Golf GTI is appearing on the not-too distant horizon, so it's no surprise that we might see some of the weight-saving tech from the newest Golf. There's been a Carbon GTI rumoured to make an appearance that will make more extensive use of the lightweight material. We're happy that VW is also offering up the good stuff to those vehicles sitting a bit lower on the vehicular totem pole. Normally, carbon fibre is a very expensive material with which to work. Carmakers are learning new tricks, however, to reduce the cost and utilise the strength and lightness benefits in more applications. By bonding a bit of carbon fibre to a thin layer of steel, which acts as the core of the roof. The carbon fibre adds in the required strength for safety without requiring additional steel or aluminium. Thus a customer is left with a lightweight solution that also happens to look pretty good as well. www.motorauthority.com

In past years, the annual Volkswagen and Audi tuner fest in Wörthersee, Austria has seen the reveal of a number of exciting performance concepts that have led to production. Notable concepts included the Scirocco GT24, Audi A1 clubsport quattro and Golf R Cabriolet, which eventually spawned the respective Scicorro R, Audi A1 quattro and Golf R Cabriolet production cars.  It turns out this year’s event, which takes place from May 8-11, will be no different. We’ve already been treated to a preview of the Audi TT ultra quattro concept, which is said to preview a new lightweight version of the next-generation TT sports car, and now there are reports that a similar hardcore Volkswagen Golf GTI variant will also be previewed at this year’s Wörthersee Tour. Speaking with CAR, Volkswagen R&D boss Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg confirmed that a concept car previewing a future Golf GTI variant would be revealed at the event. He went on to reveal that it won’t be over the top like the Golf GTI W12, a previous Wörthersee concept, but instead will be “more realistic.” Volkswagen is reported to be planning a more hardcore version of its latest 2015 Golf GTI, one that’s said to focus on lightweight design, so it’s possible this is the model the automaker will preview. If this is the case, look for carbon fibre construction and an upgraded electronic differential. Another possibility is the Edition 40 GTI, a 40th anniversary Golf GTI special edition due on the market in 2016, though it’s unlikely this is the car Hackenberg is referring to, given how far its release date is. www.motorauthority.com  

Active safety technology in the upcoming Volkswagen Golf has it retaining five-star crash-test rank, but not all of it will be standard. The seventh generation of the Volkswagen model goes on sale late this month and will have a number of active safety systems above the class norm. The Golf will have an active cruise control system and the city safe automatic emergency braking system and multi-collision braking, which automatically applies the brakes after an impact to prevent any further incidents. Volkswagen Australia spokesman Karl Gehling says the multi-collision braking system would be standard range-wide on the new Golf but the other features would be part of an option pack. "Adaptive cruise control and city emergency brake are part of the driver assistance package, multi-collision brake is a standard feature across all Golfs," he says. Mr Gehling says the cheaper Up has city emergency brake as standard but it will be optional on the more expensive Golf. "Obviously we'd love to put standard features on all of our cars, but obviously from a consumer price-point we wanted a competitive vehicle and it's by no means a standard for the class," he says. Mr Gehling says the Golf has a lot of other standard features that are not on the Up that will be in the Golf. "It's very good for our customers - you can look at it as a negative or a positive for the customer, we have to achieve a market-competitive product and we're looking to have a well-specified but also an affordable car ... you have to find the right balance," he says. The crash test results, sourced from the European New Car Assessment Program's tests of a left-hand-drive petrol model - the European results apply to Australasian petrol variants, says ANCAP, but VW says there is no difference between the petrol and diesel variants. ANCAP chairman Lauchlan McIntosh says the car's structure and features rated highly under the testing regime. “In addition to performing very well in each of the physical crash tests conducted on the Golf, this next-generation model carries Golf forward with advanced safety technologies including radar-based adaptive cruise control, city emergency braking, as well as a multi-collision braking system,” he says. A five-star car since 2005, the Golf's safety features list has seven airbags - a driver's knee, dual front, front-side and curtain airbags - anti-lock brakes and stability control. The EOS is the only model in the Volkswagen passenger car range not to rank five stars under the ANCAP testing regime. Recently awarded World Car of The Year, the new Golf offers “acceptable” driver leg protection and “good” on frontal and side-impact tests, scoring full marks for the latter. The crash test results stated the passenger compartment held its shape well in the frontal offset test, all doors remained closed during the test and all doors could be opened with normal effort after impact. Pedestrian impact protection was less impressive - the front bumper scored maximum points for pedestrian leg protection, but the front edge of the bonnet scored “marginal” protection levels - scoring 23.5 from a maximum 36 points. “Protection was good in most areas of the bonnet likely to be struck by the head of a child but the protection offered to the head of an adult was predominantly poor or marginal,” the test results say.  

We've seen the leaked patent images, the spy shots, and even the almost-ready-for-prime-time concept, but today, we get our first official look at the Volkswagen Golf R Cabriolet--the drop-top version of Volkswagen's hottest hatch. With 201kW of power and 350Nm of torque on tap from a turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, 4Motion all-wheel drive, and classically understated Golf looks, the Cabriolet is sure to be one quick little convertible. But does it make sense for the enthusiast? Perhaps. The Golf R in America is crippled by an always-on traction control system that has annoyed owners since its launch. The Golf R's European owners don't have to deal with this lawyerly bit of intrusion into the driving experience. Fortunately, some enthusiasts have found ways to circumvent the system by hacking the ABS code--though VW of America still hasn't come forward with an official resolution. With that in mind, Golf Rs of any flavor are likely to see little in the way of serious track duty, so why not cut the top off and make one fast and furious little cabrio? It will still be blisteringly quick, likely hitting 100km/h in well under six seconds. And as our experience with MX-5s and R8s has shown, taking the top off almost always results in more fun, even if it's not the quickest way to do things. Look for more official information and details soon. www.motorauthority.com

The hot new hatch doesn't look at all menacing on the Volkswagen stand at the Paris show, where it only wears a 'concept' label, but a big change is coming. There will be two models of GTI for the first time in 2013. Even the cooking Golf has been upgraded to the level of the outgoing Golf R, with 350 Newton-metres of torque and a 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.6 seconds. It also has a handy 162 kiloWatts of power to feed to the front wheels through its six-speed manual and DSG gearboxes. But wait, there's more. Volkswagen has developed a Performance Pack that lifts output from the 2.-litre petrol engine, with turbocharging and direct fuel injection, to 169 kiloWatts. The 0-100km/h time comes down just fractionally to 6.5 seconds. But the big changes are in the driveline, where the PP GTI gets bigger disc brakes and a mechanical limited-slip differential. “We're looking at both models,” the spokesman for Volkswagen Group Australia, Karl Gehling, confirms to Carsguide. He hints that both are likely to make the trip, although not until the back end of 2013. “It will be late next year. It's not launched in Europe until the middle of next year.” There is no hint yet on GTI pricing, although the current model is priced from $38,990 as a three-door hatch and $49,490 with five doors. Despite the performance push, Volkswagen says the new GTI will also be the greenest car to wear the tag. Both GTI versions come with a stop-start system and satisfy the upcoming Euro 6 emissions standard, with fuel economy but by 18 per cent to as good as 9.65 litres/100km and CO2 emissions of 140 grams/kilometres. Both cars also come with variable-ratio steering and a flat-bottomed wheel for the driver. The package for the new car is slotted into the seventh-generation Golf body, which means reduced weight, anti-collision system and a high-end infotainment system. But it also gets predictable GTI tweaks including red-painted brake callipers, chromed 80-millimetre exhaust tips and smoked LED tail lamps. The Paris show car also has cloth tartan seats and a golf ball gear knob, although these are not likely to be standard in the production model.  As well as causing double trouble for shoppers forced to make a choice, the new GTI has the potential for mayhem in showrooms. The waiting time in Australia for the previous-generation GTI blew out to more than 18 months when the car first arrived and Gehling cannot promise any better in 2013. “We'll have to wait and see. With any new model there is likely to be a waiting list if demand exceeds supply,” he says.  

A couple of years back while attending the international launch of the Volkswagen Amarok pickup in South Africa I managed to score a test drive of an almost new, very old Volkswagen Golf.That seemingly contradictory drive was due to the fact that a model called the Volkswagen Golf Citi – a mildly upgraded Golf Mark 1 – was still being built in South Africa as a low cost option to the current generation Golfs it coincided with over many years.The VW Citi was sold for some 25 years after the first Golf was discontinued everywhere else and with upgrades to the mechanical systems to keep it up to date on driving and emissions regulations. In the meantime Volkswagen has sold about 25 million Golfs, making it by far the most successful model ever produced. Just over 15 million Volkswagen ‘Beetles’ were sold in total but, as with the Golf, there’s virtually nothing interchangeable from the first to the latest models.Volkswagen apparently spotted my report on the new / old Golf so came up with a more formal arrangement for a number of Aussie journalists. We were in Germany to carry out the first road test reviews of the seventh generation Volkswagen Golf. Having arrived in the country of the car’s birth a few days ahead of the global launch Volkswagen brought several examples of previous generation Golfs from the company’s museum for us to look over in detail.The original Golf is significantly smaller than any of the other models. Though each new one, seemingly inevitably, is larger than the one it superseded the size differences aren’t all that great. Some of the extra size in the newer Golfs is taken up to provide occupant, and later pedestrian, safety so the interior of the older models isn’t as much smaller as you might anticipate.Again, the Golf Mk 1 has quite a difference in styling to the ones that succeeded it, with sharp lines and a real character in the shape. From the Golf 2 onwards there’s an obvious similarity in appearance on the outside.The one feature that all cars, including the Mk 1, do have in common is the distinctive dogleg shape of the C-pillar. Indeed, Volkswagen designers now feel duty bound to carry on the tradition from the almost 40-year-old design by Giorgio Giugiaro.Cleverly, interior style in each model follows a similar theme so that a potential buyer of a new Golf immediately has a feeling of familiarity. The instrument layout stays the same, with a pair large dials for speedo and, in older cars a clock, in more recent ones a tacho. The windscreen is relatively flat and though the A-pillars have thickened for crash safety over the years visibility outwards remains good even in the Golf 6. The oldtimer Golfs fell clearly into two categories when it comes to sophistication. Mark 1 to Mk 3, then Mk 4 onwards.That is 1974 to 1997, then 1997 until the about to be superseded 2012 model. Indeed, anyone without the cash to afford a Golf 6 will find that Golf 4 is more than acceptable in ease of driving and overall noise, vibration and harshness control.Most fascinating of all was our drive in a special high economy version of the Golf 3 that in the early 1990s carried many emission reduction features that are only now coming into some new cars. The turbo-diesel engine had a stop-start system to cut its engine when the car was stationary. It even used a coasting function similar to that now fitted to the 2012 Volkswagen’s Passat, Tiguan and Touareg.As I write this we are off to the Paris Motor Show to witness the worldwide launch of the all-new Golf 7, and to fly to Italy the next day to drive the cars on demanding roads in Sardinia. We will bring you a complete report on that car immediately afterwards.