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[UPDATE: Also check out our top ten list of the best...or was it the worst...April Fools' Day automotive gags.] Occasionally, an automaker likes to have a little fun on April Fools' Day by announcing a car so ridiculous it couldn't possibly be real. Unfortunately, what happens more often than not is that an automaker will announce a car so ridiculous that it couldn't possible be real... and it is. Some are poorly-styled and ill-conceived, while others seem to fill no foreseeable niche other than a need to show they're doing something, anything. Below is our list of new cars that are punch lines to jokes no one ever told (i.e. the least dragon-able new cars). [UPDATE: We've added a poll so you can proclaim the most foolish car of them all] More »
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Just because the Autobild boys ruined the surprise of the 2009 Volkswagen Routan yesterday, doesn't mean we can't have fun with the live reveal today. The Town & Country turned Routan has certainly been outfitted for the US market. Featuring things Germans don't care about like 13 cupholders, and a conversation mirror, something tells us Chrysler's first attempt as a tier one supplier VW's first modern minivan will sell well in the highly competitive minivan market. It was good to see some of the remarkable seating features made it in like power stow und gehen seating in the back. We're using our pointy elbows to get some more pics and we'll get em to you as soon as we can. More »
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We have our friends at AutoBild to thank for breaking the embargo on the Chrysler Minivan-turned-VeeDub kid hauler. The new 2009 VW Routan takes its styling cues from the current crop of VW's, but gets its minivan knowhow from the boys at Dodge. As seen in the pre-Chicago Auto Show Routan spy photos, the Passat-esque tailights make the jump to the larger minivan. More details as they leak out onto the internet or our German gets better. Press release after the jump. More »
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Sorta. OK, no, not really. For some strange reason Jamie over at Motive Mag the site that's a Vortex for all things VW has posted a Vaseline-enhanced image of what they're claiming is the new 2009 VW Routan (what our Rou-tan Clan spy photo from last night wasn't good enough for ya?). There's absolutely no way we can be sure of their claims, as it could really be any minivan underneath that fuzzy p-shop masking layer. But if it is the new egg-mobile from VW with the unpronounceable name of Routan, that's one heckuva big logo it'll be sporting in the front. Well, it's got to be easily distinguishable from its Dodge and Chrysler cousins, doesn't it? Well, we'll find out soon enough what it looks like as we've got the Chicago Auto Show starting in oh, right around five days? [VW Vortex] More »
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Brenda Priddy and her quick lens caught the first photos of the rebadged Dodge Caravan that is the 2009 Volkswagen Routan Minivan. As you can tell from the photo, it does carry a lot from the current lineup of Chrysler minivans (though, with something else going on out front and in back). If you look at the back, you can see the taillights have a sort of curvature reminiscent of the current Passat/Jetta, unless that's an optical illusion. Exciting stuff. We can't wait to see it in full at the Chicago Auto Show. Spy report below the jump.
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