Who is Jason Bourne? This question lies at the heart of the popular film series of the same name. While Bourne is played by Hollywood superstar Matt Damon, it is Tanner Foust in the role of the fictitious secret agent in many of the films’ spectacular driving scenes. As a brand ambassador, Foust represents Volkswagen R around the world.

Tanner Foust is an American racing driver, stunt man and presenter. He’s a four-time Rallycross Champion, winning his most recent title in 2019 behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Beetle R. The Volkswagen pilot also has two championships in “Formula Drift” under his belt, along with four gold medals at the X-Games.

The 46-year-old is actively involved in the coordination and approval process for new Volkswagen R vehicles. “Tanner Foust is a man of many talents. Of course, it’s his skills behind the wheel that stand out the most. With his positive mindset and infectious passion for sporty cars, he is also a really likeable guy. Tanner is a great fit for us and represents everything that Volkswagen R stands for around the globe – in a charismatic and authentic manner,” says Jost Capito, Managing Director at Volkswagen R. “His expertise is also a genuine advantage for the development and optimisation of R models.”

At the beginning of February, the GP Ice Race in Zell am See (Austria) brought the successful combination of Foust and the Beetle R back together. Foust drove the 560 PS Beetle to victory in the American Rallycross (ARX) Championships in 2019 – enabling the now decommissioned model series to go out in true style. In Zell, the successful pairing drifted over the ice track with ease. “The Beetle R is the most fun office you could have. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind vehicle. 2019 was the last year that this Beetle appeared in a race. So, it is extra special for me to have the honour of driving it again one last time here in Zell am See,” enthused the R brand ambassador Foust.

His new “offices”: the eR1 and the Atlas Cross Sport prepared for the “Baja 1000 Race”. The eR1 is a test vehicle for a purely electric racing car based on the body of a Volkswagen Golf. “The future of Volkswagen and motorsport is electric,” says Tanner Foust, looking forward to his appearances in the eR1 in particular. After the cold and the ice, he then went to battle the heat. The largest Volkswagen meet in the Middle East, the “Dub Drive GC” in Abu Dhabi, took place in February. In addition to some spectacular drift shows, this year’s R-Model of the Year was also selected at the event. Foust is well aware of how much love goes into fans’ carefully tweaked Volkswagen models at the “Dubbie” meet.

Jason Bourne is not the only action star who has the R brand ambassador to thank for their incredible driving skills.Foust has also worked as a stunt driver on other Hollywood productions, including Iron Man 2, Need 4 Speed and the popular Fast & Furious series. In “Tokyo Drift”, the third part of the high-octane saga, he expertly manoeuvred tuned sports cars across tarmac and through narrow car park ramps to impressive effect on film. The precision drift work required in a small amount of space garnered him a nomination at the Taurus World Stunt Awards, an accomplishment Foust has repeated three times.Foust has also made a name for himself as a presenter: he guided spectators through the US version of the TV show “Top Gear” between 2010 and 2016. Foust found his passion for drifting at a young age – and he did so in Scotland and not the USA as you might expect. As a member of an US Navy family, he grew up in Scotland, where he discovered rally driving. As a youngster, Foust learned the real way to drive a car on remote country roads in Scotland. After his time in Europe, he moved back to the USA and eventually moved to Colorado to obtain his University Degree in Biology.

However, his passion for motorsport never left him: during the holidays, he spent every free minute at the racing track. To secure his time behind the wheel of racing cars, he temped as a mechanic or driving instructor – until he graduated and finally went pro in 2003 after a brief period as an amateur racing driver. Foust has lived in California ever since. However, his true home remains the same: behind the wheel.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

The Volkswagen Group will be providing about 200,000 category FFP-2 and FFP-3 protec-tive face masks for public health protection in the near future. The donation is being made in close cooperation with Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn. The city of Wolfsburg is also to receive further medical material.

Volkswagen HR Board Member Gunnar Kilian says: “Solidarity take priority for Volkswagen. This principle also applies beyond the factory gate. People working in the public health sector are currently performing outstanding services to society. We are convinced that these face masks will be put to the best use by them. The opinion of the Board of Management is unanimous: Volkswagen is pleased to provide unbureaucratic support. “

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

Following the cancellation of this year’s Geneva International Motor Show, the VW brand show stand can now be visited online. Starting today, visitors can experience all the new models of the brand for two weeks round the clock from their own homes at https://www.volkswagen.de/de/specials/geneva-2020.html. The 360° tour offers an interactive digital experience allowing visitors to immerse into the show. They can stroll across the booth, view vehicles from all sides and also change colors and wheel rim configurations using easy-to-use functions.

"I am pleased that our marketing team has succeeded in making our booth available to all visitors despite the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show. Virtually, they can experience our team’s attention to detail in the presentation of this show and our product highlights. Once again, this demonstrates that special situations call for special solutions,” says Jürgen Stackmann, Member of the Volkswagen brand Board of Management responsible for Sales, Marketing and After-Sales . “We are convinced that we will be able to reach even more people in future through virtual show visits in addition to the real presentation of vehicles.”

All the vehicles and the booth planned for Geneva have been digitally processed for the 360° experience and give visitors a three-dimensional experience of being at the show. The main focus is on the new products of 2020: these range from the future electric vehicle ID.3 to the new R with plug-in hybrid technology and the latest generation of the iconic sports versions of the compact Golf, the GTI, GTD and GTE. 

Users take part in a guided tour of the booth, but can control their visit individually. By clicking integrated additional features and interactive exhibits which allow vehicles to be displayed with different colors or wheel rims, users are encouraged to interact with the presentation. Finally, users are guided to a registration page where they can create their VW ID to receive personalized offers in the future.

“Our first digital booth is only the opening chapter in our new sustainable concept for future innovative online experiences,” says Jochen Sengpiehl, Chief Marketing Officer of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand. “Exploiting the opportunities offered by virtual reality is part of our digitalization strategy. It will become an integral component of our experience marketing, the entire external presentation of the brand and interaction with customers and fans.” 

The virtual motor show can be visited online free of charge. The website is available in German and English until April 17, 2020.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

The new Golf can help drivers to prevent accidents, thanks to its innovative Car2X technology, allowing it to wirelessly connect with other vehicles and the traffic infrastructure. The Euro NCAP consortium gave special recognition to the traffic hazard alert function with the Advanced Award for ground-breaking safety fea-tures. The German automotive association ADAC tested the new technology and declared it a “technical milestone”.

“This is an exciting area of safety,” explains Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General at Euro NCAP. “Volkswagen are to be congratulated for making the technology standard in vehicles selling in high numbers like the Golf.”

The new Golf is the first car on the European market to come standard-equipped with Car2X technology, which is based on the Wi-Fi p wireless standard. This type of Wi-Fi is specifically tailored to local communication between vehicles and does not use the mobile phone network, which means it provides blanket coverage within the limits of the system. Within a radius of up to 800 metres, connected vehicles directly exchange positioning data and information with one another. This allows them to warn each other of danger or make contact with the traffic infrastructure within a matter of milliseconds.

The German automotive association ADAC tested Volkswagen’s Car2X technology, during which it sent the new Golf into eight typical hazardous situations in which a driver, without being warned, would not be able to react at all, or would only be able to react much later. In all eight situations, the vehicle warned the driver reliably and in time, often even 10 or 11 seconds before the impending accident. ADAC assessed Volkswagen’s new technology (certified by TÜV), declaring it a “technical milestone”, comparable to systems such as ABS or airbags.

In the initial development stage, which Volkswagen is introducing with the new Golf, Car2X technology is active at speeds over 80 km/h. In future, it should also be able to improve safety in city traffic. It also offers major advantages if the car communicates with nearby traffic lights – in this way being better able to control traffic flow and protect the environment.

Car2X technology facilitates swarm intelligence in a local environment and improves as more and more participants connect. For this reason, Volkswagen is now rolling it out on a broad scale: After the Golf, other new models of the brand will feature the technology as standard. Other car manufacturers are also working on this topic.

The Euro NCAP Advanced Award recognises ground-breaking safety features. It was introduced in 2010 but has not been awarded since 2014. Volkswagen has now received the award five times for its innovative driver assist and safety systems. The award for the traffic hazard alert function using Car2X technology now takes the already impressive safety performance of the new Golf to the next level. Indeed, the compact car received the top score of five stars in the traditional Euro NCAP test at the end of 2019. The Euro NCAP organisation intends to incorporate Car2X technology into this rating in future.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com