TopGear.com America completes Project Sipster, lives to tell the tale

John Neff — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Green, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Humor

Click above to watch video after the jump

TopGear.com America is trying to carve a name out for itself, which is difficult to do with the original UK magazine and wildly popular TV show looming overhead and the specter of a U.S.-based program in people's minds. Still, we're totally behind the way they've gone about it, which is to make their first big original feature an interesting project car with a practical purpose.

The team started in late February with a mission to build a car for $7,000 that could get 70 mpg and reach 60 mph in 7 seconds. Project Sipster was born. A 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel was picked to have its heart yanked out and replaced with a present-day diesel TDI engine. A modern HKS performance suspension was added to increase safety and improve handling, and the original, brick-like lines of the donor car were enhanced with makeshift aero mods they hoped would help the Rabbit achieve its 70 mpg target. Fifty-five days after they started, TopGear.com America has their answer and plan on telling you how to build your own Sipster soon. Hopefully your build won't involve Chinese fuel filters, missing doors and an underbelly pan of sheet aluminum and plywood.

We highly recommend reading the final post in the Project Sipster series, as the TopGear.com America team is as funny on paper as Jezza, Hampster and Captain Slow are on the small screen. You can also follow the jump to watch the Top Gear-style wrap up video.

Gallery: TopGear.com America Project Sipster

[Source: TopGear.com America]

Continue reading TopGear.com America completes Project Sipster, lives to tell the tale

TopGear.com America completes Project Sipster, lives to tell the tale originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 28 Mar 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW Rabbit TDI confirmed for next fall, no diesel Tiguan

Michael Harley — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Crossover, Hatchback, Volkswagen

Click on the image above for our high-res gallery of the Golf VI

Volkswagen officials gave Autoblog some insight into their new model roll-out plans when we met with them earlier this week at the media drive for the new 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. First into showrooms will be the 3.0-liter Touareg TDI, scheduled to start production in Mid-February 2009. It will followed by the MK VI GTI, based on the new Golf making its debut at the Paris Motor Show next month. The 2.5-liter Rabbit (gas) and 2.0-liter Rabbit TDI (diesel) will follow in the fall. Absent from VW's diesel lineup is the Tiguan. Larger and heavier than the compact cars currently utilizing the 2.0-liter TDI, the engine would need an urea injection to meet emission standards -- and the crossover wasn't designed with a storage tank in mind. Sorry diesel fans, the Tiguan will be sitting this one out for a while.

Gallery: Volkswagen Golf VI

[Source: AutoblogGreen]

VW Rabbit TDI confirmed for next fall, no diesel Tiguan originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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