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This is the VW UP! Lite concept, debuting moments ago at the LA Auto Show. It's a four-seat, front-wheel-drive, diesel-electric hybrid with 70MPG fuel economy. While it's not production-intent, Ze Germans have announced plans for an ultra-efficient compact by 2011. More »
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What we thought was an electric minivan is in fact a quiet little "3+1" city car. What we believed to be an 82-horsepower zero emissions concept was just that. Volkswagen says it's the Beetle of the future; we're thinking Polo. More »
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Don't look now, but the all-electric VW E-Up, the silent-but-deadly concept version of the forthcoming VW Up, will be unveiled tomorrow in Frankfurt. It'll get an 82HP e-motor with 80 miles of range and a 30 minute partial charge time. More »
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Last but not least on our parade of the Great 8 is this extremely custom 1946 Chevrolet Pickup. Nearly every body panel on the thing is hand built, so calling it a '46 is an effort in suspended disbelief. We're betting it will light the tires pretty quickly too since the truck is sporting a 425 HP 6.1L Hemi with fuel injection plugged into the bottom of some really nice velocity stacks. Yeah, it's a nice truck, and probably fast, but too clean for us. All these snazzy Great 8 picks make us wonder what the other folks on the floor are showing. Perhaps when we're done with all of these cars, we start showing off the fun stuff. More »
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Excuse us if we didn't take much time to look into this GMC which was on the stands as a pick for the Ridler award at this years 2008 Detroit Autorama, it just didn't tickle our fancy. Sure it was built well, and everything seemed to have an appropriate level of hot roddery, but was just a little too... meh. Maybe it was the 80's era speedboat level of metal flake in the paint, perhaps the overdone front hinged hood, maybe it was just the clear lens LED tail lights, who knows. Regardless, this was one of those rods we respect for its craftsmanship, but would pass for some of the other offerings. There's just something fundamentally wrong with a truck that has the tailgate welded shut. More »
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For the Los Angeles show, Volkswagen's ubiquitous new minicar concept, dubbed Up!, alights the hybrid bandwagon (bandwagen?). It's a version of the more spacious Space Up! from the Tokyo auto show, powered by a novel fuel-cell hybrid drive system with solar support. The system's an outgrowth of VW's research in gas cells that operate at a higher temperature than traditional ones. VW engineers say the cells, which can reach temperatures of 248 degrees Fahrenheit, stand to be lighter, more compact, more stable and cheaper than lower-temperature ones. The cell can also charge a bank of lithium-ion batteries, which alone power the electric motor to a range of 65 miles. A roof-mounted solar panel provides additional wattage. Style wise, the hybridized Space Up! Blue gets some traditional VW cues, like windows reminiscent of the old 11-window Type 2s. Performance figures befit a car created more for inner-city use than open-road cruising: zero-to-62 mph in 13.7 seconds and a top speed of 75mph. Look for it in your grocer's freezer. More »
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Volkswagen's awfully serious about its new Up! concept becoming a cognitive itch — the vehicular equivalent to "My Sharona." That's largely because the Up! is a prototypical standard-bearer for for the company's plan to retake the world's budget-car market. Now, we hear from Carscoop V-dub will show a hydrogen fuel-cell concept of the five-door Space Up! model it unveiled at the Tokyo show last month. No other details yet, though we're assuming a water-related theme, and lots of stuffed animals. Naturally. [via Carscoop] More »
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Here in Tokyo yesterday, Volkswagen rolled out the latest small-car concept based on its new Up! platform. That is, a longer, taller version of the rear-engined Up! shown in Frankfurt, with more room for IKEA furniture, stuffed animals or assorted cartons of ethnic curries. It's the product of a design team led by VW/Audi's favorite Italian son, Walter d'Silva, who introduced the Space Up! with telltale Italian brogue. VW needs a hit in the mincar segment if it wants to beat Fiat in its own bid for renewed relevance, and the Up! may make its name as a kind of high-style alternative. Right; it's a European thing. More »
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Here in Tokyo, V-Dub's just revealed a new version of it's Up! concept car revealed last month during the Frankfurt Auto Show. Unlike the last one, a micro-car measuring a minuscule 3.45 meters, this one's giant. And by giant, we mean it's 3.68 meters long. Yes, yes, it's ginormous — exactly 23 centimeters longer than the last one. And like the last up! the gasoline, diesel and electric powertrains of this up! will always be located in the rear - just like on the Beetle. Full press release below the jump, and Spinelli's going to have shots of the live reveal post haste. More »
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In a leaked document, Volkswagen's plans for a rear-engined, RWD city car based on the up! concept have been unveiled. Measuring 3.5 meters in length, the 3-door version should retail for €8,950 and, in true VW style, will serve as the platform for a number of additional models. Manufacture is expected to take place in Skoda's Vrchlabi factory in the Czech Republic, with sales expected in Europe, India and Russia starting in 2010. A plug-in hybrid power train is expected to accompany the usual range of diesel and gasoline engines. Bizarrely, a source within the company describes the project as "new territory." But, an affordable, rear-engined car for the people sounds like a welcome return to form for the creators of the original people's car. [Automotive News Europe via Motor Authority] More »
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We're here live at the official reveal for the Volkswagen Up! concept car which we've been told is being sold by VW as "like a new Beetle" with it's projected 67 MPG or higher fuel economy rating. Sorry for the low quality of these first shots, we'll move in for the kill in a few moments — keep checking back here and we'll have another gallery up shortly. UPDATE: New up-close shots. More »
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Volkswagen prepares to stand "Up!" here at the Frankfurt Auto Show with a new concept car designed to compete with the Smart ForTwo. As we were the first to tell you earlier, it's called the "Up!" and VW's planning on bringing the rear-engined, high-design subcompact to market in the next two years and we've heard rumors of a 100 mpg target fuel economy. We'll have more tomorrow, but for the time being, here's the press shots we've got — seeing as km77's gone with it — why the heck not? More »
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