Enter The BusBox, truth be told, Mrs Hawk’s brother discovered this awesome Etsy seller and passed the details on to us.

We spent an insane amount of time looking through all of the designs to find the perfect one for our house. Should it be red to match our Multivan? Should it be blue to match the new guttering we were having installed? Should it be yellow as it’s The Hawk’s favourite colour? In the end we chose a blue split window bus.

We then encountered a small issue, mailboxes are very different in the US, compared with Australia. The Hawk discussed this extensively with Branden from The BusBox. Between the two of them they came up with a solution. The bus was painted backwards! Instead of having the flap open for the postman, it opened at the back for us & a slot was cut in the front for the postman to use, as is the norm in Australia.

Then we had to decide what we wanted painted as the numberplate. A name? A word? A random number plate? One of our number plates? We ended up choosing the house number, though you have the option of having whatever you want on there.

And the result? Well see for yourself….

Awesome right?

The quality is fantastic, the slot size is cut exactly right considering it was an unusual request and overall it’s just really cool!  We screwed it onto the pole where the old mailbox was and other than needing a tiny bit of reinforcement on the base it went on perfectly.

The postie hasn’t commented on it yet, but I did catch him with a little grin on his face as he delivered our mail yesterday!

So if you’re a big Kombi fan, make sure you check out The BusBox Facebook page and Etsy Store.

Junior talents from Wolfsburg and Osnabrück build open-air one-off model for GTI Festival in Austria

Wolfsburg/Reifnitz, 09 May 2013 – The Golf GTI Cabrio Austria with 333 PS (245 kW) is a twofold premiere: it is the first time Volkswagen apprentices have designed a cabriolet for the GTI Festival at the Wörthersee Lake in Austria and it is the first ever collaboration between junior talents from Wolfsburg and Osnabrück. Thirteen apprentices of four professions built a two-seater in red-white-red, the national colours of the host country. Today, they are presenting their sporty open-air car to GTI fans from across the world.

Automotive mechatronics technicians, vehicle interior fitters, technical model makers and paint technicians collaborated intensively for a year, from early sketches to a world premiere in Kärnten, Austria. The four women and nine men from 17 to 23 years of age redesigned a standard Golf GTI Cabriolet to their optical and technical specifications. The 2.0 liter engine generates 333 PS / 245 kW.

The apprentices realized their white-red colour concept with attention to detail on both the vehicle interior and exterior: they chose Oryx White mother-of-pearl effect for the Cabriolet, with Flash Red stripes bordering the bonnet left and right, and on the vehicle’s sides. The exterior mirrors are painted red, as are the brake callipers. The apprentices’ customized features further individualized the vehicle interior, for example the black-red-white Recaro sports seats with red “Austria” embroidering and red-white decorative trim, and white GTI lettering on the doors. The honeycomb mesh and air vent frames, the accented stitching on the leather steering wheel and the DSG gearbox’s boot are also in red, as are the seat belts. Even the floor mats have red bordering.

“I’ve learned a lot about project work, and how important team work is,” said the future automotive mechatronics technician Kevin Hoffmann when speaking about his time as a member of the Wörthersee team. Together with his colleague René Eichenlaub, he swapped the Cabrio’s rear seats for a sound system with eleven loud speakers with 2,250 watts output. The apprentices chosen for the team are among the best of their classes. Under the guidance of Project Manager Holger Schülke (Wolfsburg) and trainer Reinhard Bosse (Osnabrück), they planned the vehicle concept and created project plans. The young people selected diverse components from the Volkswagen Group’s range and negotiated with suppliers. The apprentices presented milestones of their “Wörthersee Project” to members of the Board of Management and coordinated with experts in the company, for example with designers. As a finishing touch, they christened their dream GTI Cabrio “Austria”.

Projects such as the Golf GTI Cabrio Austria allow Volkswagen to give its best apprentices an opportunity to extend their knowledge. The “Austria” is the sixth “Apprentices’ GTI” to celebrate its world premiere in Reifnitz at the Wörthersee Lake. Previous models drew large crowds at public events, for example at the “IdeenExpo” exhibition in Hanover.

GTI cult at Wörthersee: Volkswagen developed concept car for the race track

“Design Vision GTI” transfers the appearance of the Golf icon to car racing

Wolfsburg/Reifnitz, 08 May 2013 – The GTI meeting at Wörthersee is a veritable cult and pure automobile passion. Just like the car everybody is celebrating and driving there. There ought to be 150,000 fans showing up again in 2013. From 8 through 11 May 2013, they will turn the Austrian city of Reifnitz into a Mecca of the GTI scene. Traditional highlight: the world premiere of a concept car conceived by Volkswagen engineers and designers especially for the meeting. This year, it is a visionary GTI for car racing—the “Design Vision GTI.” An unmatched 370 kW / 503 PS Golf. The progressive design study is based on the seventh-generation GTI that was launched just now in Europe, transferring the design and power potential of the icon to the world of car racing. Visually, particularly intriguing: The design team under the aegis of Klaus Bischoff (Head of Design of Volkswagen Brand) has drawn the C pillars and side sills outward as autonomous body elements, thus creating space for substantially enlarged track widths and specially developed 20-inch wheels (with 235 tyres in the front, 275 tyres in the rear). The “Design Vision GTI” achieves 300 km/h, and despite extreme modifications, it comes across as very homogeneous thanks to the precise styling based on the Volkswagen design DNA: this “Super-GTI” could start tomorrow in a racing series!

Drive system – technology and driving performance

The new Golf GTI is already more of a clear leader on the road than ever with an output of 162 kW / 220 PS or 169 kW / 230 PS (Golf GTI Performance), respectively. Now Volkswagen has more than doubled this power on board of the “Design Vision GTI,” with the 503 PS (at 6,500 rpm) mentioned above. So what’s working under the bonnet in the front is not a series four-cylinder but a V6 engine. As with the 2.0-litre engine of the production GTI, however, the 3.0 litre engine of the concept car is a TSI – a direct injection petrol engine with turbocharger. In this case, two turbochargers are on board. Two three-way catalytic converters arranged close to the engine optimise emission behaviour. The V6-TSI develops 500 Nm already in the lower engine speed range (as of 2,000 rpm) and a maximum torque of 560 Nm (between 4,000 rpm and 6,000 rpm). This force is distributed to the front and rear wheels via a dual clutch gearbox (DSG) and an all-wheel drive.

With this drive concept and a specially designed sports chassis, the “Design Vision GTI” virtually eats up any type of race track. And pretty damn quick at that: After a mere 3.9 seconds, the study is already going 100 km/h fast.

In order to slow down the GTI with corresponding power, going 300 km/h fast as mentioned above, Volkswagen uses ceramic brake discs all around. In the front, the brake callipers grip onto 380-mm discs; at the rear, the diameter is 356 mm. The ceramic brake discs and red-painted brake callipers shine through the spokes of the 20-inch alloy wheels, which have likewise been redesigned. The front wheels (8.5J x 20, ET32) are fitted with 235/35 tyres; the rear wheels (9.5J x 20, ET25) are equipped with 275/30 tyres.

The design of the new rims adopts the formal concept of the “Austin” GTI wheel, which in turn is a subtle derivative of the “Denver” GTI classic. The wheel of the “Design Vision GTI” features blades that are integrated into the design and discharge the hot air of the brake system optimally through the wheel openings. The wheel bolts are covered; this way, the appearance of a central lock is created. A shallow press-in depth allows for a slight key shape of the wheels, which in turn creates visually exciting reflections on the polished surfaces.

Visionary exterior

Two things become crystal clear when seeing the “Design Vision GTI” for the first time. First: This car is a Volkswagen. Second: This car is a Golf GTI. This may sound banal but it’s exactly this visual clearness that is part of Volkswagen’s secret of success. Klaus Bischoff: “We put our claim to be a global player on a new basis with the DNA of our universal design idiom. A design that visualises the brand’s identity without a doubt is binding for all models that carry the VW logo. Thus each model is recognised as a true Volkswagen by its distinctive design.” That also applies to extreme sporty cars like the “Design Vision GTI.” Result: The concept car makes such a natural and obvious impression as if it could go into production tomorrow. Klaus Bischoff again: “We wanted to bring out the design elements of the GTI as concisely, dynamically and emotionally as we could so as to get to the heart of the fascination that this car emanates.”

Two more things are likewise clear at first glance: First: This car is a racing car. Second: This car is impressive, extremely impressive. Both are to be ascribed to its distinctive racing design and its extraordinarily dynamic proportions.

Exterior dimensions

Already the production GTI shows extremely crisp proportions. Here the benefits of the new Modular Transverse Matrix (MBQ) take effect. Among other things, it enables the front axle to be arranged farther to the front. Result: a long wheel base and shorter front overhang. With 4,253 mm, the “Design Vision GTI” is exactly 15 mm shorter than the production GTI. This explained primarily by the more compact rear apron. The new Golf GTI is not more than 1,442 mm high. This measurement has been once more reduced by 57 mm to 1,385 mm in the “Design Vision GTI.” Last but not least, the concept car is significantly broader: 1,870 mm instead of 1,799 mm. The track widths also fit the picture: For the Wörthersee GTI, it’s 1,595 mm in the front and 1,579 mm in the rear; the production model, which is already quite self-assured, measures 1,538 (front) and 1,516 mm (rear). Thus the “Design Vision GTI” has even more extreme proportions than the production GTI. The ratio of height to width in particular indicates that the concept car belongs on the race track.

Exterior styling

Developing a show car for the GTI meeting at Wörthersee always presents the opportunity to outline extreme ideas and pack a solid portion of “emotions” into the draft. The guidelines for the designers are straightforward and clear-cut. Klaus Bischoff: “The team was to allow for a spectacular glance into the future of the GTI – in other words, to realise a vision.” No problem for the designers. After all, with Marc Lichte, Andreas Mindt and Philipp Römers, the same team who developed the latest Golf and the new GTI, also collaborated in the development of the “Design Vision GTI.” This team breathed the charisma of a race car into the concept car presented at Wörthersee.

By contrast, the colour concept of the “Design Vision GTI” is nothing if not classic. It follows the traditional GTI triad of “black – white – red.” The paint is white (“White Club”), the add-on parts are black (“piano paint black”), and the GTI insignia as well as the strip integrated in the front are red.

Side profile. Probably the most concise feature is the C pillar in the side section designed as a detached element. To be more precise: The back roof pillar, which has always been characteristic of the Golf and hence of the GTI, is drawn outward as an autonomous design element, while the body narrows more strongly toward the rear. This process starts already right behind the front wheel with a vertical air outlet at the height of the front door joint. In parallel to that, the sill grows continually outward until its upper edge merges with the C pillar to spring forward again in the roof – a stylistic device that gives the spectacular shape of this GTI the necessary homogeneity.

A honeycomb grid, designed with the proverbial love for detail, closes the space between the widening and the body – a masterly achievement in terms of model building and attainable only with the help of computer-based technologies.

Front end. In a similar sculptural manner, the GTI design is varied in the front section. The radiator grille, the bottom air inlet and the side openings for the cooling of the brakes are combined with the headlights into a unit that is framed by an exactly defined edge. The precision and straightforwardness of its lines again follow the Volkswagen design DNA. Grille and air inlets – although re-interpreted – consciously underscore its relatedness to the production GTI; thus the honeycomb structure in the grids is a natural and obvious stylistic device. The so-called “blades” are an especially prominent detail, emphasising as spoiler edge the sculptural character of the front in the bottom area.

A shining core element of any front design is the headlights. Very consciously, the designers adopted the look of the production GTI here as well. Nonetheless, the concept car shows options of how headlights and radiator grill could look in the future: The red line typical for the GTI front divides the headlights of the “Design Vision GTI” horizontally. In the bottom half, the visual elements are set back; the design gives the “eyes” somewhat of a dramatic depth – an innovative variation of the “evil eye” popular with GTI up-daters. At this point, our Volkswagen designers like to speak alternatively of a “determined” look or simply about a “self-assured appearance.”

The long and wide bonnet, whose lines extend sideways right into the bottom border of the side window graphics and toward the back up to the C pillar, thus making the body look longer and more powerful, also makes a definitely self-assured impression – a design feature that also distinguishes the production version of the new GTI from all its predecessors. The bonnet itself has an outside lid joint at exactly the same height as the horizontal all-round line that is typical for the Golf VII – a design motif with which the new Golf quotes the classic Golf I.

Rear end. Analogous to the front end, an all-round precise edge makes for a consistent picture in the rear as well. The integration of the rear spoiler is the same as for the production car, while the aerodynamically conceived ribs of the rear diffuser dominate at the bottom end; the diffuser is framed by the silencer end pipes. The design of the tail lights is well-known as an element of the Golf light signature typical for the brand. What’s new here are the two horizontal “blades” arranged underneath that connect the rear and the drawn out side part with each other.

Interior design

Like with the exterior, the typical charisma of a GTI should be palpable in the interior as well – consistently sporty and fit for active driving yet cultivated when it comes to design features. Consequently, the credo of the team briefing by Tomasz Bachorski, Head of Volkswagen Interior Design: “Pure GTI. Concentration on the truly essential. But with style.” Nothing easier than that. After all, the designers responsible for the concept car, Boris Grell, Jan Haacke and Guillermo Mignot, are at home in all Volkswagen interiors – from the up! to the Phaeton – and know how to fine-tune the interior concept individually to the character of each vehicle.

With regard to the “Design Vision GTI,” the notion of “reduced design” so popular with designers has been radically applied. And this means: As few switches as necessary, and the ones that are left are arranged precisely and in such a way that they can still be operated intuitively even with a very sporty driving style. Thus the steering wheel is equipped with ergonomically optimised DSG gear shift paddles. And not only that: The driving mode switches are located (“Street,” “Sport” and “Track”) under the cross panels; the start button is on the right.

The designers have integrated the switches and rugged turn knobs for climate control as well as the hazard light switch and the activation of the on-board camera in the upper section of the centre console A vehicle main switch, a push-button for the fire extinguisher and the ESP deactivation are underneath, features that are typical for racing cars. The bottom part of the centre console is dominated by the DSG gear shift – it consists of a vertical handle with dynamic contours, as in racing.

The shapes of the dashboard and the centre console correspond to the well-known GTI interior in their configuration; they are arranged, though, in an even more driver-oriented way, as in motor racing. The surfaces are more taut, the edges harder and more precisely formed. The technical impression is reinforced by the partial use of carbon. Moreover, alcantara in “Anthracite” and “Titan Black” as well as nappa leather in “Black” and “Flash red” dominate the interior. One pleasant detail on the doors is a handle in the shape of a red loop – reminiscent of the Porsche Cup models. The space of the back seats is taken by an X-shaped cross member, which heightens the body stiffness another notch up. The seat belt retractors for the red suspender belts are integrated into the cross member. In the meantime, two black integral helmets are stored away close at hand under the cross member.

All purism notwithstanding – the designers also show how they imagine networking the “Design Vision GTI” with the social community: A large display to the right of the main instruments also shows the circuit in question and supplies information about the times driven. The show-stopper is: The display communicates with other vehicles on the course and calculates the details about the current status of the race in real time. Anybody wanting to have the community take part in the race can direct the cameras integrated into the A pillar either to the track or in the interior. Klaus Bischoff again: “The design of the interior is the area where we expect unusual technical and formal innovations. That’s where we set the trends.”

And finally: As spectacular as the “Design Vision GTI” is at first glance – the concept car will be still fascinating after you’ve seen it the umpteenth time. Because the viewer will discover new, exciting design elements each time he looks. And it becomes clear that the production GTI features the identical charisma of perfectly well-balanced sportiness – and not only for the ride on the race track but for each day of the year.

• racing kart included – tools and equipment always there

Hanover / Reifnitz 07 May 2013. Reifnitz, a picturesque town in Austrian Carinthia, expected this year up to 200,000 Volkswagen enthusiasts from all over Europe – record! They all have one goal: the legendary “GTI Meet” at the Wörthersee. Four days (08 – May 11, 2013) they will all celebrate the cult of Volkswagen and other products of the Group, as nowhere else in the world.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is presenting the world premiere at the Wörthersee 2013 an “About Amarok”: About 5.25 meters long, 2.22 m wide and about 270 horsepower. As SingleCab with XL single cab and in combination with almost 6 cm wheel arch extensions and 80 mm lowering not only a visual powerhouse – the power pickup from Hannover can actually draw on plentiful: its V6 TDI generates 3-liter whopping 200 kW ( 272 hp). The enormous torque of 600 Nm is distributed via 8-speed automatic transmission to the four permanently driven wheels. So accelerated reached the Wörthersee study after only 7.9 seconds, 100 km / h threshold. Not bad for a car whose cargo area with over 3.5 m2 – offers easy place for a racing kart, including full workshop equipment – as in the case shown. Or in real life space for two Euro pallets. Just a real workhorse of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles – but with an emphasis on animal.

The strongest of all time Amarok distinguishes itself with a fully modified exterior and interior equipment: For the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle designers have missed the Wörthersee study with a well-coordinated refinements independent presentation and at the same time the technical requirements of the 272-hp V6 TDI taken into account engine. So the Wörthersee Amarok features front, the combination of Bi-xenon headlamps with chrome inserts behind clear glass – optically connected by the powerful, matte black, chrome occupied slats of the grille and three large air intakes below the bumper with matt black louvres also. Above all sits in the middle of the mighty Volkswagen logo. Side is the Wörthersee Amarok through its sill extensions with integrated carbon plates and also attached red and gray pasting to spot. Everything dominate the powerful 22-inch wheels in Gunmetal color and tires size 295/35 and attached behind the cab styling bar, also gunmetal, the image of the imposing silhouette.

Also at the rear of the Amarok top model differs significantly from the series. Here it is next to a carbon diffuser and two outside positioned dual tailpipes, especially the newly developed, darkened tail lights. They work with fast response and long-lasting LED technology and form an easily recognizable graphics night.

Inside, the right to the GTI meet black, red and white color scheme continues: door panels, racing bucket seats, sport steering wheel and extra wide, new center console are covered with black carbon leather and nubuck. Accents are set by the red stitching and trims in “brushed aluminum look.” Gauges in the well covered with black leather instrument panel indicate the torque and the boost pressure of the engine while the stopwatch button measures the acceleration time. As befits such a show car, of course, is not only outside, but also inside catered for as Sound: The performance of the infotainment system with integrated 8-inch touchscreen strengthen cooled amplifier with 2x 380 watts and a mounted between the racing clamshells subwoofer with 500 watts.

Also for the physical welfare of the GTI fans will be provided – The famous original Volkswagen curry sausage, there are also at the Wörthersee, served fresh from the Volkswagen Bulli. The Volkswagen curry sausage and the associated fries thanks to a complete, ultra-modern kitchen with barbecue, Doppelfritteuse and cooling system in the second Volkswagen cult-car fresh. Completing the retro Gastro-arrangement of Volkswagen commercial vehicles this year. By Beck’s Beer Bulli So a decent celebration, nothing stands in the way.

Exclusive special edition marks the record of one million built Scirocco models

Wolfsburg, 03 May 2013 – With an exclusive special model, Volkswagen celebrates the fact that the Scirocco has broken through the magical sound barrier for a sports car of one million built vehicles in 2013.

The Scirocco Million, painted exclusively in “Deep Black Metallic ” can be recognised at first glance by its sporty accent strip (in the middle of the body), the exterior rear mirror caps painted in “Galvanic Grey” and its “Interlagos” 18-inch alloy wheels with 235/40 tyres that are also standard (China: “Spa” 17-inch wheels). The alloy wheels are delivered in combination with a tyre pressure control display. 19-inch alloy wheels of the “Lugano” type that are painted silver are also optionally available.

The other standard exterior customisation features include R-Line bumpers, R-Line side sills, smoked tail lights, “Million” stickers on the wings and rear windows that are 90% smoked (China: 65 per cent).

In the interior, the special model features, among other things, a standard leather seating (type “Vienna” in black) with contrasting seams in “Snap Orange.” In sync with that: the black roof liner and the leather cover of the parking brake lever and gear lever gaiter (also with seams in “Snap Orange”). Floor mats with colour-contrasting chain-stitch seams, stainless steel pedals, entry plates with “Million” lettering and the accent strips made of brushed aluminium are likewise standard on board. The RCD 310 audio system provides the right sound and up-to-date information.

The Scirocco Million can be ordered with three different petrol engines (TSI) and two diesel engines (TDI). The TSI have output ratings of 90 kW / 122 PS, 118 kW / 160 PS and 155 kW / 210 PS; the TDIs develop 103 kW / 140 PS and 130 kW / 177 PS. With the exception of the 122 PS TSI, all engines can be combined with a dual clutch gearbox (DSG). The base price of the Scirocco Million will be 27,325 euros in Germany.

Like the Golf GTI, the Scirocco is a sporty icon. The first generation of the Coupé was launched in 1974. Seven years later, in 1981, the second generation of the Scirocco took off. It was built up to 1992. A total of 795,650 vehicles of the Scirocco I and II were built – a truly sporty world success. The comeback of the sports car came with the Scirocco III in 2008. The third generation is developing into a success model, too: Inside of just under five years, more than 204,350 fans the world over have opted for a new Scirocco – if we add generations I, II and III, we arrive at the one million vehicle mark we just mentioned. Volkswagen is celebrating this with a special edition: the Scirocco Million.

The special model is on offer exclusively in Germany and China. The production of the special series will be started as early as the end of May.

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC)
Ogier second, Latvala third – Volkswagen consolidates WRC lead.

Places two and three behind the record-setting world champion – During the Rally Argentina Volkswagen consolidated its lead in the manufacturers classification of the FIA World Rally Championship. Volkswagen’s French duo of Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia extended their leads in the drivers’ and co-drivers’ championship respectively – with second place on the event behind compatriot Sébastien Loeb in the Citroën. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila (Finland), also driving a Volkswagen Polo R WRC, fought their way through to third on the final day of the Rally Argentina. Their team-mates Andreas Mikkelsen and Mikko Markkula impressed on their second outing for Volkswagen with their final placing of eighth, plus some top times set on the total of 14 special stages.

Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup
Season opener 2013: Larini Show in Hockenheim

The action-packed season opener of the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup was dominated by racing legend Nicola Larini’s performances. The 49-year-old Italian became only the second Legend winner in the history of the world’s most environmentally friendly one-make series – the previous such winner having been Markus Winkelhock at the Lausitzring in 2012. Larini, the 1993 DTM champion, not only set fastest time in practice for the first of nine races in the series, but also captured pole position on a wet track during his dominant weekend. Second place went to Denmark’s Kasper H. Jensen, who also assumed the lead in the overall classification as Legends are not eligible for points. Danish lady Michele Gatting finished third after a feisty showing, becoming the first woman in the history of the Scirocco R-Cups to score a podium place.

FIA European Formula 3 Championship
Strong weekend for Volkswagen at the Hockenheimring

Beaming smiles on the faces of the Volkswagen representatives after a successful FIA European Formula 3 Championship race weekend at the Hockenheimring. The highlight was Russian driver Daniil Kvyat of Team Carlin’s first podium place with third place in the third race, while Sven Müller impressed with his consistent performance after the German, driving for Team ma-con, placed in the top ten in all three races. His personal highlight: fourth place in the first race with his Dallara F312 powered by Volkswagen’s 210 PS racing engine. In the overall classification Britain’s Harry Tincknell is the best-placed Volkswagen representative in sixth place with 73 points. The next round of the series takes place in Brands Hatch on 18 and 19 May.

ATS Formula 3 Cup
Kirchhöfer wins in all weather conditions

Whether dry or drizzle: Marvin Kirchhöfer had the measure of the opposition in the ATS Formula 3 Cup at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. In the first race the 19-year-old from Leipzig crossed the line a whopping 22 seconds ahead of US American Gustavo Menezes. The second race, held in dry conditions, saw Kirchhöfer continue in his winning way, beating Briton Emil Bernstorff into second place. Kirchhöfer now leads the overall classification with 62 points to the 46 of team-mate Artem Markelov (Russia) and Swede John Bryant-Meisner (30).

ADAC Formula Masters
Picariello dominates in Oschersleben

Alessio Picariello dominated the season opener of the ADAC Formula Masters at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. After scoring a double pole, the 19-year-old Belgian last weekend won two of the three races scheduled for the Volkswagen-supported development formula. In the first race he defended his lead against team-mate Hendrik Grapp; in the second he kept Jason Kremer at bay. The Sunday saw Indy Dontje hold off the opposition to win the action-packed final race. Picariello leads the overall classification with 57 points to the 37 of Nicolas Beer, who placed second on Sunday, and Indy Dontje’s 33.

Volkswagen Castrol Cup Poland
Lisowski in a class of his own at the Slovakiaring

Mateusz Lisowski mastered the second weekend of the Volkswagen Castrol Cup Poland at the Slovakiaring to secure victory in both races after the Pole claimed pole position during qualifying. In both races the 22-year-old beat his biggest opponent Jan Kisiel to the line despite having started the second race from eighth place as per the regulations. Lisowski now has a comfortable lead over Kisiel in the championship classification.

South African Rally Championship
Lategan/White in Mpumalanga finish fourth

The duo of Henk Lategan and Barry White finished fourth for the Volkswagen Sasol Racing Team in the second round of the South African Rally Championship. The event, held in Mpumalanga, was hit by strong rainfall, causing two of the 15 special stages to be cancelled and forcing extremely tough conditions on the drivers, who fought to keep their cars on the road. Thus there were a host of incidents and numerous damaged tyres. Lategan, just 18 years of age, even won the last special stage with his Polo, a remarkable achievement given the adverse conditions. The next round of the South African Rally Championship takes place on 31 May/1 June.

All new Commercial Vehicles first registered in Australia on or after 1 January 2013 will be covered for a total of 90,000km (180,000km for Crafter models) or six years (whichever comes first).

A scheduled service in the Volkswagen Capped Price Service Program includes the regular replacement of oil filters, engine oil and sump plug washer at each service interval, as well as the standard replacement of the air filter (at 45,000 and 90,000 km) and spark plugs (every 60,000km).

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle customers will now benefit from the security of a comprehensive aftersales package of Capped Price Servicing, a three year/unlimited kilometre Volkswagen Warranty and three year Volkswagen Roadside Assist.

http://content.volkswagen-commercial.com.au/CappedPriceServicing/

Volkswagen has taken the lead early on at Rally Argentina with a strong team performance. Once again, everything came together today (Thursday) – the technology and the team, the drivers and the co-drivers, the strategy and the tyre choice. With Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) leading the pack, Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) in fourth place and Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula (N/FIN) currently ranking sixth, all three Volkswagen Polo R WRCs are among the frontrunners after the first 157.94 kilometres of the 407.64-kilometre rally. Day two of the fifth event in this season’s FIA World Rally Championship demanded everything of man and machine, with fog and light drizzle, rough gravel roads and the tricky question of which tyres to use all making for a thrilling day in Córdoba Province.

The teams had to tackle each of the two stages – “Santa Catalina/La Pampa” and “Asochinga/Agua de Oro” – twice. The Volkswagen drivers chose mainly soft Michelin tyres in the second of the two runs: a wise decision. Sébastien Ogier and his Polo R WRC have a 16.3-second lead over record-breaking world champion Sébastien Loeb (Citroën) ahead of the last two days of Rally Argentina. Ogier has secured four of a possible five best times.

Quotes following day two of the Rally Argentina

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7
“It was a day of highs and lows for us. In terms of speed, we were usually up there with the best today – like in the first and third stages. I was a bit too fast at one point in the second stage and hit a stone. I was lucky and was able to keep going, but my handbrake stopped working afterwards which is important because we use it to throw the car around hairpin bends. On top of that, the tyres were really starting to flag at the end of that stage. Once my crew had done a great job of servicing the car, everything went according to plan again, but the handbrake played up again in the fourth stage. I lost a bit of time on the hairpin bends. I could have made more of today, so I’m not 100% happy.”

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8
“We’re very pleased with the way the rally is going for us so far. Winning the first special stage right at the start of a day is a great feeling, of course. We were catching up Dani Sordo in the second stage, which cost us a bit of time, but that’s all part of rallying. In the afternoon, we chose four soft and two hard Michelin tyres, which was far from being the worst decision we could have made. Being in front after such a tough day is great – now we’re concentrating on the rest of the rally. After all, we’ve got several long and difficult stages ahead of us.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“Hazy weather and fog in the morning twinned with four extremely long, physically challenging special stages – the Rally Argentina didn’t make things particularly easy for us today. High levels of humidity and soaring temperatures in the cockpit demanded absolute fitness. We worked on our communication today and tried out our new pace notes for the first time. Everything is moving in the right direction: our times are getting better and I feel more comfortable in the Polo R WRC with every metre. We’re delighted with our placing too – we’d love to keep it up over the next two days, of course.”

Jost Capito, Director of Volkswagen Motorsport
“Motorsport directors love days like today. Every member of the team helped to put us in the lead after some really difficult stages. A key part of that was translating the right weather information into the right choice of tyres this afternoon. The mechanics did a brilliant job during the lunchtime service too and sent all three Polo R WRCs back into the rally in tip-top condition. The drivers and co-drivers also put in a great performance today. In short: I’m proud of the lot of them.”

And then there was …

… the long trip for the recce cars. The Volkswagen Golf Rs which Jari-Matti Latvala, Sébastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen use to inspect the special stages before the rallies will be overhauled in the course of the rally weekend and then shipped directly from Argentina to Australia. The Volkswagen team’s shipping containers packed with spare parts and equipment will also make their way straight to Australia. Rally Australia will take place from 12 to 15 September.

Fans of loud music, great-looking small cars and questionable puns are in for a treat this summer, with the introduction of two new special-edition versions of the award-winning Volkswagen up!, called the Groove up! and Rock up!.

Both vehicles are based on the top-specification High up! model, each with a unique twist.

The Groove up! comes with a pumping Fender sound system, complete with six speakers, a subwoofer and a 300-Watt amplifier. Also standard is the Maps & More personal infotainment device, which along with touchscreen satellite navigation provides Bluetooth phone connectivity and music streaming, making it a cinch to synch with your tunes.

Available as either a three-door or five-door model, the Groove up! also features heated front seats, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake with orange stitching, bespoke black seats with orange edging, dark-tinted glass from the B-pillar back, 16-inch ‘Upsilon’ alloy wheels and black gloss door mirror caps.

The Rock up! is available only as a three-door model, and while it may not come with a Fender sound system, it’s still loud, thanks to distinctive styling, including an anthracite stripe running the length of the bonnet, roof and tailgate and a full body kit, consisting of gloss black front spoiler, side skirts, rear diffuser and rear spoiler. The door mirror caps are also gloss black, apart from on vehicles ordered with Deep Black Pearl paintwork, in which case they are chrome. Smart 16-inch ‘Upsilon’ alloy wheels complete the look.

Inside, the Rock up! features a choice of black or grey seats. As with the Groove up!, standard equipment levels are high: air conditioning, heated front seats, the Maps & More infotainment system and a six-speaker audio system are all standard, as is remote central locking.

Optional equipment includes the award-winning City Emergency Braking system; a sensor pack that includes rear parking sensors, cruise control and a multifunction computer; and for the five-door Groove up!, a forward-folding front passenger seat to accommodate long loads. The Groove up! is also available with a panoramic glass sunroof.

Both the Groove up! and Rock up! come with a three-cylinder 1.0-litre 75 PS petrol engine, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. This returns a combined fuel economy of 60.1 mpg while producing CO2 emissions of 108 g/km, meaning both models qualify for VED band B, which is free for the first year, and just £20 thereafter.

The Groove up! three-door costs £11,640 RRP on the road, and the five-door £12,015. The Rock up! costs £12,980. Both models are available to order now, with first deliveries expected in July. All up! models are available with a three-year or 30,000-mile Fixed Price Service Plan for just £299.

For more details visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.