An eclectic mix of Volkswagen Golf GTIs from across the model’s remarkable 40-year history journeyed to Volkswagen UK’s headquarters in Milton Keynes on Saturday (20 August) to attend a special ‘birthday celebration’ for the iconic hot hatch.

The unique event, organised in association with the UK’s largest online motoring forum – PistonHeads.com – saw the owners of 85 GTIs from across the years set their alarms extra early and ignore typically British ‘summer’ rain to make the pilgrimage to the cars’ spiritual home in Britain – the headquarters of Volkswagen UK in Milton Keynes. 

Branded the first PistonHeads’ Golf GTI Open, the event drew a remarkable mix from across the four decades of the car’s existence – with everything from meticulously restored examples to flamboyantly modified GTIs converging on the brand’s UK HQ.

The honourable award for rarity went to the solo Golf GTI Mk III in attendance, while a plethora of Mk V cars – 24 to be precise – saw that iteration of the charismatic hot hatch become the most numerous on show, just pipping the Mk II of which 23 examples were on display.

Volkswagen UK supported proceedings with a mini GTI showcase of its own including a carefully restored Mk I and, bringing things bang up to date, the very first example of the already sold-out Golf GTI Clubsport S to be seen in the UK; the left-hand drive car having been loaned for the event by Volkswagen’s global headquarters in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony.

James Drake, Head of Community and Marketing at PistonHeads, said: “The PH Sunday Service is a tried, tested and hugely popular format for gathering PHers together at significant motoring-related venues nationwide to admire cars, swap ownership stories and generally bring the online forums into the ‘real world’.

“When Volkswagen suggested we consider creating a PH Sunday Service-style celebration event for the GTI we jumped at the chance and Saturday’s PH Golf GTI Open with its impressive turn-out of superb Golfs from across the years, and across the country, clearly demonstrates both the breadth of PH membership and the appeal of the GTI.”

Mike Orford, Head of Press and PR for Volkswagen in the UK, was at Saturday’s celebrations.  He said: “This inaugural Golf GTI Open has been a resounding success.  I can honestly say I’ve never seen such a varied selection of Golf GTIs in one place, and to gather them together here at our headquarters for this celebration shows the depth of feeling – love, even – British owners of this iconic hot hatch feel for their cars.”

The Golf GTI was launched to a stunned automotive audience in 1976, with the German brand initially targeting sales of around 5,000, globally, for the newly minted performance version of its already well-regarded compact hatchback.

Today, 40 years and more than two million registrations later, the Golf GTI remains a genuine icon of ‘everyday’ sporting excellence. 

The latest chapter in this exciting story, limited to just 400 examples worldwide, is the exceptional Golf GTI Clubsport S of which 150 in right-hand drive form have been earmarked for UK customers.  The 310 PS ‘ultimate GTI’ sold out here within weeks of its announcement, which came as the car claimed the front-wheel drive lap record for the infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife in an incomparable seven minutes and 49 seconds.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Volkswagen has presented the new C Coupé GTE at Auto Shanghai 2015. This four-door concept car for the Chinese market – which is over five metres in length – combines exclusivity, perfection and passion. The C Coupé GTE is powered by an innovative plug-in hybrid drive system, whose drive sources combine to produce an impressive 500 Newton metres of system torque.

The progressive C Coupé GTE illustrates a new design approach for Volkswagen’s top future saloons. Its contemporary form is impressive from all angles: while its long bonnet conveys a confident appearance, from the side, the four-door C Coupé GTE shows elegant lines, low-profile side windows and horizontal character line that is formed by two lines. From the rear, this structure comes together distinctively, emphasising the vehicle’s width.

The C Coupé GTE has one of the world’s most advanced plug-in hybrid drive systems. It consists of a turbocharged petrol direct-injection engine (TSI) with four cylinders,an 8-speed automatic gearbox, an electric motor integrated in the gearbox module and a lithium-ion battery. The TSI engine produces 210 PS, while the electric motor has a power output of 124 PS. The hybrid drive develops a system power of 245 PS and an impressive system torque of 500 Nm. The battery integrated at the rear can be charged while driving or while parked.

The C Coupé GTE can also be powered all-electrically (up to a speed of 130 km/h (81 mph)); this mode enables driving with zero local emissions and a range of 50 kilometres (31 mph). The car’s combined fuel consumption (NEDC for plug-in hybrid vehicles) is 2.3 litres per 100 kilometres. This figure equates to CO2 emissions of just 55 g/km. The car’s total driving range is over 800 kilometres (497 miles). Despite its excellent fuel efficiency, the C Coupé GTE also has sporty ambitions. This Volkswagen accelerates to 62 mph in 8.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 232 km/h (144 mph).

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Wolfsburg (21 August 2016). Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) are back on the winning track – and it is asphalted: victory at the Rally Germany went to Volkswagen for the second year in a row. As they did last year, Ogier/Ingrassia won round nine of this season’s FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with the Polo R WRC, making full use of the slight advantage that came with opening the route on the first all-asphalt race of the year. Extremely difficult conditions, ranging from dry asphalt to wet concrete, made tyre selection a real challenge all weekend. Ogier/Ingrassia produced a display worthy of world champions to extend their lead in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship by 14 points to 59. Their closest rival, Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) just failed to take second place in a thrilling finale and ultimately had to settle for fourth. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), in the third Polo R WRC, recovered from a damaged gearbox on Friday to score two bonus points on the closing Power Stage. They also fought back to finish eighth in the WRC class and contribute to Volkswagen taking a big step towards defending its title in the Manufacturers’ Championship.

“Winning the ADAC Rally Germany again is a great success for Volkswagen and an important step towards defending the title in the World Rally Championship,” said Dr. Frank Welsch, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand with responsibility for “Development”, who visited the works team in Trier alongside Christian Eisenlohr, General Secretary Volkswagen Passenger Cars. “The Rally Germany once again lived up to its reputation as being particularly challenging. Our entire team did an outstanding job in front of our home fans, and I would like to thank them for that,” said Welsch.

Gripping finale for second place – Mikkelsen/Jæger narrowly beaten in fourth place

Thrilling down to the finish: Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) once again found themselves embroiled in a gripping three-way battle for second place on the final day at the Rally Germany. In light of the looming rain, they opted for three soft and three hard Michelin competition tyres for the showdown on the closing three special stages. And thereby for one more replacement tyre than their rivals at Hyundai – but with the option of having more wet tyres in the damp conditions. The rain never came, but Mikkelsen/Jæger tried everything to seize second place, however, they were forced to pay the price of the extra weight of around 20 kilograms and overheating brakes: Fourth place, despite an immensely strong performance on all rally days.
 
The duo in second place in the championship staged a gripping duel with their Volkswagen team-mates Ogier/Ingrassia for the lead on Friday and Saturday, which went in favour of the three-time World Champion on the legendary “Panzerplatte”.

Fantastic atmosphere at the first asphalt event of the year

Thousands of fans at the "Panzerplatte" and along the special stages in the vineyards: The first asphalt event of the year presented not only a great driving and technical challenge, but also a mesmerising atmosphere. The WRC completed three days of classified stages around Trier, and there were completely different characteristics of asphalt stages on three occasions. The preliminary decision in favour of Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia came on the "Panzerplatte", which with wide sections of track on concrete, bordered by the menhirs, characterised the rally Saturday. On the narrow asphalt routes through the vineyards, a gripping duel for the lead developed between Mikkelsen/Jæger and Ogier/Ingrassia on Friday. The stages "Drohntal" and "Sauertal", which were held as a Power Stage for the first time, hosted spectacular rally action with a mix of fast sections and serpentines in the vineyards on Sunday.

WRC lead extended: Ogier/Ingrassia 59 points ahead of Mikkelsen/Jæger

An important step in the world championship for Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia in the drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings, and for Volkswagen in the manufacturers’ standings: With the fifth win of the season for the brand, the third for Ogier/Ingrassia, the team came a little closer to defending the titles in all three standings. Ogier/Ingrassia now have 169 points to their name, 59 more than Mikkelsen/Jæger in second place in the overall standings. Latvala/Anttila are in fifth place with a deficit of 80 points. In the manufacturers’ standings, Volkswagen defended a lead of 55 points.

This means that Ogier and Ingrassia could successfully defend their titles in the drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings already if they were to win the next event, the Rally France on Corsica.

Power Stage: Two bonus points for Latvala, one for Ogier

The Rally Germany came to a conciliatory end for Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila. They were forced to retire their Polo R WRC with gearbox damage after just a few kilometres on Friday, but came back strongly under Rally 2 regulations on Saturday and Sunday and secured themselves two bonus points for the second-fastest time on the Power Stage. The final point on the Power Stage only just went to Ogier/Ingrassia, who beat Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E, Hyundai) by one thousandth of a second. That corresponds to three centimetres.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Space, pace, and environmental credentials that even before its official UK showroom debut have already secured it a prestigious ‘green’ award: the new Volkswagen Passat GTE is calculated to offer drivers the very best of all worlds.

A winner in the Large Family Car class in the recent Next Green Car Awards even before its showroom debut here, the new Passat GTE is available to order today (02/08/16) through the Volkswagen UK retailer network with prices starting at £36,525 (RRP OTR), excluding Government Plug-In Car Grant of £2,500.

The first Passat with a state-of-the-art plug-in hybrid drive system, the innovative new car offers spirited performance alongside the possibility of zero emissions when driving in all-electric mode.

Available in saloon or estate body styles, the most environmentally responsible Passat to date emits just 39g of CO2 on the EU Combined Cycle, equating to fuel economy of 166 mpg.  Yet with 400 Nm of torque and combined system power of 218 PS, the new car can sprint from rest to 62 mph in a lively 7.6 seconds before heading to a top speed of 140 mph, where legal. The potential range between refuelling stops is more than 660 miles.

The Passat GTE is a plug-in hybrid that can be driven up to 31 miles on electric power alone in E-Mode.  A 1.4-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine delivers 156 PS, while the electric motor adds a further 115 PS.  Underlining its engaging performance capabilities, the electric motor alone can provide up to 330 Nm of torque from near-standstill.

A specially developed six-speed DSG gearbox is standard on the Passat GTE and features a third, disengagement clutch.  This decouples the TSI motor whenever possible, to allow the vehicle to make best use of kinetic energy and hence increases efficiency still further.

Building on the already elegant lines of the new Passat – voted European Car of the Year 2015 - the Passat GTE is distinguished outside by distinctive C-shaped LED daytime running lights and an additional blue line across the radiator grille: design cues which are shared with the award-winning Golf GTE.  A redesigned front bumper and 18-inch alloy wheels also mark out the new car.

Inside, in addition to the optional innovative Active Info Display with specific customised read-outs, standard features include blue ambient lighting, a leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel with blue decorative stitching, GTE-specific gear knob with blue stitching and seats covered in Alcantara with Vienna leather side bolsters.  Unique GTE badging also marks out the new Passat.

Bristling with innovative and engaging new technology, the new Passat GTE boasts Volkswagen’s new Car-Net e-Remote app which allows a wide variety of tasks – including charging – to be controlled via smartphone.  All climate control functions can be also activated remotely, while information on the vehicle’s state of charge, recent driving data or last parking position can be displayed.  It is also possible to check whether the doors are closed and the lights turned off.

The Passat GTE’s electric motor develops maximum torque of 330 Nm and offers continuous torque of 170 Nm.  The 1.4-litre direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine is as sophisticated as the electric motor and drivetrain.  This four-valve per cylinder unit from the EA211 engine family uses an ultra-rigid die-cast aluminium crankcase.  Maximum power of 156 PS comes at 5,000 rpm, and maximum torque of 250 Nm is on offer between 1,500 rpm and 3,500 rpm.

Under normal circumstances, the Passat GTE starts in pure electric E-Mode. When it reaches minimum battery charge hybrid mode is activated. Here the Passat GTE operates as a full hybrid, charging the battery under deceleration and automatically using the TSI motor and/or electric motor as required.  However, should the driver wish to conserve electric power (for example to use E-Mode in a city at the end of a journey), Battery Charge mode can be selected.  For maximum power, GTE mode can be chosen: this uses both petrol and electric motors.

The car’s lithium-ion battery is fitted in the floor area of the rear seat bench. Comprising eight modules of 12 cells each, it creates a nominal voltage of 360 V and power of 9.9 kWh, with a peak output of 85 kW.  The high-voltage battery is overseen electronically by the Battery Management Controller, which manages various functions including the battery’s liquid cooling system.

Charging is achieved either via a standard UK domestic mains outlet in around four hours and 15 minutes; or in two hours 30 minutes from a dedicated wallbox with a 3.6 kW supply.

The Passat GTE comes in two highly specified trim levels in the UK.  On top of the standard features of the Passat GT (such as Adaptive Cruise Control with Front Assist and City Emergency Braking, Discover Navigation, Bluetooth and parking sensors), standard items include LED headlights and tail lights, Mode 2&3 charging cables and Car-Net e-Remote.  Standard items on the GTE Advance trim also include the new Active Info Display, Discover Pro navigation (eight-inch screen), Nappa leather, Area View and LED premium headlights.

Despite its extra technology and revised styling, dimensions of the Passat GTE match those of the standard Passat, including boot volume (402-968 litres for the saloon and 483-1613 litres for the estate).

Judges in the Next Green Car Awards said of the Volkswagen: “Volkswagen’s Passat is an excellent large family car that performs well in every area. Add to it the plug-in hybrid powertrain that effortlessly provides drive for all situations and the Passat GTE becomes a dominant model in the large family class.”  

The new Volkswagen Passat GTE, in saloon or estate form, is available to order on 2 August, with first registrations due in August. 

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk