Volkswagen

#157, 50 years of driving: Co-hosts talk good, bad, ugly

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:49 — 54.7MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More Turning age 66 doesn’t have the same milestone traditions as ages 40, 50 and 65. But there are connections to the automotive world for me with double six on the horizon, including 50 years of driving. Driving the iconic Route 66 is a bucket list item for many travelers. I’d like to do that at age 66. And for those who acquired their first driver’s license at age 16, a half-century of driving has likely provided plenty of opportunities for reflection. During the past half-century, the automotive industry has advanced with the acceleration of a Tesla. So my friend and co-host Bruce Aldrich

Read more
,

VW icon: 23-window bus for beach bums, hippies

For beach bums and touring musicians, alpine explorers to free-spirited travelers of yesteryear and today, the elusive Volkswagen 23-window bus — was and is as good as it gets. Known to U.S. buyers as the “Deluxe Microbus with Samba package,” the 23-window bus was originally designed as a vehicle to tour the Swiss Alps, offering up to nine passengers maximum visibility.   But it was quickly adopted by families, campers and members of the counterculture. The van features a collection of unique windows including eight skylights, two curved rear windows, a retractable skylight, and a coveted split windshield. Produced between 1951 and 1967, the first-generation Microbus was budget-friendly and built for sightseeing adventures. The four-cylinder engine was placed in the

Read more
,

#153, Author Russell Hayes’ new book on VW beetle, bus

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:25 — 31.5MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreRussell Hayes, like all automotive industry book authors, is passionate about his subject matter. Hayes’ interests cover several iconic carmakers, including his latest effort celebrating the 75th and 70th anniversaries of the Beetle and Bus. Hayes is the author of numerous automotive books ranging in topics from auto shows to Lotus to several offerings on Volkswagen. His latest book is the just-released “Volkswagen Beetles and Buses: Smaller and Smarter.” In a wide-ranging interview, Hayes is our guest on Episode #153 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with the author about VW’s two most iconic vehicles, the first Beetles

Read more

Camper from the past: VW Super Bugger for sale, nearly 40K

The Super Bugger was a strange little machine, a hybrid camper conversion for the 1970 VW Beetle introduced 45 years ago by an entrepreneurial company in Southern California. It cost $6,000. The rage for the strange little machine conversion didn’t last long, and not many of the campers in decent shape remain. Beyond car shows and parades, Super Bugger choices show up for sale on vintage automotive, including this option on eBay. The asking price is $39,900, just shy of five times what it costs new. Super Bugger: Minimalism defined. The vehicle includes: A 1.6-liter four-cylinder rear-mounted engine with a four-speed manual transmission and 60 horsepower. There’s seating for four, a small sink, a two-burner stove and a dinette table.

Read more

VW has a new mini-van with a camper slinky

Many companies make unusual-looking RVs, campers and mini-vans. Volkswagen‘s new entrant among the fraternity of the odd is the Mini-Camper. The small camper is called a Caddy Camper. The full-sized model was launched in 2018. Its innovative junior sibling transforms a small van into a larger “glamping lodge.” It will replace the outgoing larger Caddy Beach van. Versatility is a premium attribute of the new van. Its small size means easier parking and nimble handling. It also adds to VW’s lineup of vehicles with multitasking abilities. The vans are ideal as daily drivers but work equally in what the manufacturer calls “spontaneous micro-adventure.” New mini-van adds to VW’s camping lineup In its early marketing, the German manufacturer has positioned the

Read more

5 great cars for drive-in movie visit during Covid-19

There’s no wrong vehicle to drive to a drive-in movie theater. But some are better than others. And one of the best is a Ram 1500 pickup truck — at least according to cars.com. Drive-in movie theaters are having another renaissance during the coronavirus as a safe escape from social distancing. Drive-ins around the country aren’t yet showing new movies. Instead, classics from many genres are playing. “Drive-in theaters are making a comeback this summer as the destination of choice for movies, music and other forms of live entertainment that people can experience without ever leaving the safety of their vehicle,” said Matt Schmitz, Cars.com’s assistant managing editor. The Ram 1,500, a popular choice among RVers to haul their rigs,

Read more

Say goodbye to 20 cars in 2020, Aston Martin to VW

Every year the auto industry bids farewell to cars. Some years, it’s the unpopular trim levels of well-established cars and trucks. Some years, a substantial selection of easy-to-guess cars are discontinued. And there are surprises, buyers’ favorites who’ve had their time. With many 2020 models now on the market, here’s a list (and synopsis of few departing vehicles) in alphabetical order of 2019 models being discontinued. The list represents a spectrum of standard sedans to sports cars and SUVs to long-time family favorites. And The Weekly Driver says farewell to our favorites with short commentaries. We’ve provided links to the vehicles we’ve reviewed. Aston Martin Vanquish How does any Aston Martin leave us? It’s arguably the most beautiful car on

Read more

Volvo, VW and driving in the pro cycling caravan (video)

For every cyclist competing in a professional bike race, there’s seemingly a corresponding vehicle. But it’s not an exact parallel. In fact, in top-level races, there are several times more team, organization, media and sponsor vehicles, equipment trucks, fans’ motorhomes, police cars and motorcycles than competitors. Like the cyclists, race vehicles get down time at hotels, but otherwise, they’re all almost always on the move, climbing mountains, negotiating narrow roads and descending at top speeds. Volvo saw an opportunity at this year’s event and provided three V60 AWD T6 Inscription trim wagons for the seven-rider team. Team managers Michael Sayers and Michael Creed are driving the cars during every stage. Scott Schnitzspahn, USA Cycling’s vice president of Elite Athletics, has

Read more
,

2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI: Mighty return for sedan

The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI (Grand Luxury Injection) celebrates the sporty sedan’s 35th anniversary. It debuted in February at the Chicago Auto Show and is offered in S, Autobahn and a special trim commemorating the occasion. The 2019 model is also the debut of the vehicle’s seventh edition; the Jetta in other styles debuted in 1980. Its new version has a longer wheelbase (105.6 inches) and is three inches longer overall as well as slightly wider and taller and sits lower. Key Takeaways Seventh-generation Jetta celebrates GLI’s 35th anniversary: The sporty Grand Luxury Injection model returns on a stretched 105.6-inch wheelbase with three inches of added overall length, more width, and a lower stance. 2.0-liter turbo delivers 5.8-second 0-60 performance:

Read more

VW Beetle to Chevy Volt to Ford Focus: goodbye, farewell

The end of the year in the automotive world always marks the end of the run for a car or two and sometimes more vehicles. The end of 2018 was among the most drastic farewells to vehicles in recent years. Manufacturers announced their departures from the car-making business to focus on sport utility vehicles and trucks. Vehicles with long histories and some that barely had time to build a sustained buying base will soon be defunct. In all, the production of at least 14 cars has stopped or will soon cease. The most significant departure from the new car landscape is the Volkswagen Beetle. The “people’s car,” as designated in the late 1930s in Germany, will no longer be produced

Read more

VW plans electric car to compete with Tesla Model 3

Volkswagen may be giving up on the Beetle, but its continuing its quest to regain public trust and modernize its offerings with a new all-electric mid-sized sedan for $23,000. The German automaker cheated for years on its diesel emission tests, but its pending electric sedan has the name I.D. Aero. According to a Reuters report, it will cost nearly $12,00 less than the basic price of a Tesla Model 3. Reuters’ sources also reported VW will convert three of its factories in Germany to produce its Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) entry. The carmaker’s goal will to manufacture 200,000 vehicles using the platform to make a family of electric vehicles. Volkswagen said its goal is selling 10 million by the

Read more

Episode #51, Colorado conversion man marries VW, Subaru

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:36 — 29.7MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreVendors at the yearly Outdoor Retailer Show do an impressive job of attracting customers. But none of the companies had a better presentation than Helinox. It used a 1976 restored VW van. Helinox, which makes efficient compact lawnchairs, cots, umbrellas and other outdoor equipment used a VW restored by John Buschmann in his business called Urabus. The name is Subaru spelled in reverse, and Buschman is adapt using Subaru engines in vintage VWs. Buschmann is our guest on Episode 51 of the Weekly Driver Podcast. Buschmann joins us from his shop Englewood, Colorado. He discusses his long interest in Volkswagen and why Subaru engines

Read more

Episode 41, Goodbye to the VW Beetle, Ford sedans

The automotive industry is always changing. But two of the more significant announcements in recent years — the apparent demise of the VW Beetle and the jettison of the majority of Ford sedans — is the focus of Episode 41 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss the recent announcements by the respective carmakers in the news-oriented edition of our ongoing week chat about all things cars and trucks. The pending loss of several Ford models and the icon Beetle came, respectively, in a press release from the former and the text of a speech by a VW executive in Europe. The Beetle was first sold in the United States in 1949. Sales of the

Read more

Episode 36, New sales for old cars, vintage car passion

Lending Tree, a leading online exchange based in Charlotte, N.C., connects consumers with banks, credit institutions and other lenders to negotiate the best deals. It also releases studies to provide pertinent statistics to customers. A recent study, tabulated with thousands of transactions, details the top 50 metropolitan areas whose car buyers purchased the oldest used cars. The national average age for a used car purchase is six years old. Jen Jones, an autos writer for Lending Tree, is our first guest on episode No. 36 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Responding to co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia, Jones provides insight into the survey. She explains why it was done, what the results mean and the surprises Lending Tree discovered

Read more

So long, farewell to the Volkswagen Beetle

Say goodbye to the most iconic car ever made, the Volkswagen Beetle. A representative from the German automaker told a reporter from the publication Autocar during the Geneva Motor Show that it plans to stop production of the vehicle at the end of its current generation. Frank Welsch, the carmaker’s research and development leader, said, “two or three generations is enough now.” The Volkswagen Beetle is the fourth best-selling vehicle in history, trailing the Toyota Corolla, Ford F series pickup trucks and Volkswagen Golf. But the Beetle’s sales have waned in recent years, with reports the carmaker’s engineers have lost enthusiasm for the vehicle. It was originally known as the “people car’s” when it was first commissioned in Germany by

Read more

2018 VW Golf SportWagen: humble, proud, best in class

Throughout its long history in the United States, Volkswagen has manufactured two of the most recognizable cars in history, the VW Beetle and the VW Van. It also makes the Golf, and it’s arguably the most understated vehicle on the road. The Golf’s humble exterior and simple, efficient interior define its personality. It’s about as far-removed from its individualistic siblings as possible, and that’s its appeal. It’s no-nonsense and versatile. And it’s the best-selling VW in history and third on the all-time global sales list behind the Toyota Corolla and Ford F-150 series trucks. Key Takeaways 170-hp 1.8-liter turbo across all trims: The SportWagen carries the same engine as the rest of the Golf family, paired with either a six-speed

Read more
Previous Next