Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the VW Touareg North Sails

Volkswagen has treaded carefully down the path first blazed by the largely ignored Mercury Villager Nautica with a sailing-themed Touareg concept that has debuted at the famous Travemünder Woche, which we're told is the second largest annual race week for sailing in Germany. Teaming up with a company called North Sails, which actually sells boat sails unlike Mercury's branding partner, Nautica, which sells polo shirts, VW has added a new ground effects kit, a yellow rub strip, watery-blue reflectors, and 19-inch wheels. Stepping aboard, occupants will find a cabin decked out with teak flooring, LED lighting accents, white leather seats with aquamarine stitching, and an alcantara headliner. We think we've seen that window tint color on our beloved Matchbox SuperFast cars from the early 1980s, too. North Sails branding shows up in the form of logos on the B-pillar and stainless steel sill plates. The instrument panel gets a compass, and there's also a pair of binoculars in the center console so you can make sure that it's your team rounding the pin and raising the chute for the long run to the finish line. Once docked, there's even a North Sails bicycle so you can cruise the marina in style. Spiffy, but we doubt it'd float, unlike the original Beetle.


[Source: World Car Fans]

Click to view the Harley edition Touareg in our gallery

Volkswagen and Harley-Davidson are two motor companies with highly recognized images, but those images don't much overlap. That is, until now: someone has cooked up his own Harley edition Touareg. But while the special badging might look at home on a Ford F-150, it doesn't quite fit on a VW.

Aside from the emblems affixed to the wheels, grille, tailgate, sill plates and steering wheel, there's really nothing that makes this any different from any other 2004 model Touareg. It's got 42k miles on the odometer and a rich brown saddle leather interior, and with four days remaining 'till the digital hammer drops, bidding is up to $13,600. An actual Harley, and any measure of good taste, are not included.

[Source: eBay Motors via Motive]

Audi's first diesel and hybrid powertrains in the US will be launched in the Q7 next year. The power units will likely trickle down to other vehicles in Audi's range, but they're not yet offering up any details on how prolific this hardware will be. Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche have been working collaboratively to develop the parallel hybrid system, which makes the choice of the Q7 logical, as all three brands share a flavor of the architecture. Hybrid Q7s will be able to power around on the electric motor up to 31 mph, and the system will also shut down the engine during cruise conditions at speeds up to 75 mph. The total weight of the system adds 300 pounds, most of which is in the 288-volt NiMH battery pack.

The modular hybrid system will be easy to integrate with different powertrains once Audi starts propagating the system throughout the rest of their models, and terming it "modular" denotes that the basic pieces will be very adaptable. When Porsche and Volkswagen get their versions of the hybrid gear, we'd expect the engines to differ from the Q7's 3.6 liter 280 horsepower unit. Audi's claiming a 23 percent mileage improvement versus the conventional Q-ship. As for the oil burner, it will be a 3-liter V6 that is 50-state compliant while quietly thumping out 230 horsepower and 400 ft-lb of torque. Diesel torque delivery can be often be described as "electric-motor like," but we wonder if the Hybrid, with its actual electric motors, will laugh at the diesel's effort as it gets the hole shot.

[Source: Auto News - sub req.]

As if pronouncing the name of its SUV wasn't enough of an adventure, VW wants Touareg owners to experience what their cars can do off road. So they're hosting three day sessions of trail rides for Touareg drivers to see what it feels like to head off the paved path and get their tires dirty.

The adventures are being held in Moab, Utah, and the itinerary reads like an upper-class off-road getaway should. Cocktails and gourmet meals at Sorrel River Ranch follow three to eight hours of traversing trails "packed with exciting obstacles that test driver and machine," according to the Touareg Adventures Web site. The site also says participants can expect an off-road guide for every two drivers and a "trail toilet" available whenever needed. Is "trail toilet" a fancy way of say "bushes"?

If you're interested, it'll cost you $2,000 per person for the three days of fun, but that includes all meals and drinks. A family member can join all the action for $1,500, or just stay at the ranch with food for $500. The first three sessions are sold out, but there are nine more opportunities through the end of October.

[Source: German Car Blog]

While Volkswagen's Tiguan is more radical-looking than most small SUVs out there, the rest of VW's lineup might best be described as German. Not necessarily ugly, mind you, just not envelope-puching, cutting edge stuff.

But that could change in the coming years, says VW product head Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard. In an interview with UK media at the L.A. show, Doc Bernhard said the Scirocco and Tiguan are good indicators of how future VeeDubs might look.

'We have to shape our own destiny rather than trying to fit in with everyone else,' he said. 'The fun-to-drive part of our cars has to be on the surface.'

Bernhard went on to promise the Brits a Passat-based competitor for Mercedes' CLS, a more luxurious Touareg and a "bolder" replacement for the current Beetle.

First, how will the CLS competitor be different from the not 100% unsuccessful Phaeton (remember, it lives on in Europe)? Second, aren't Porsche and Audi both already marketing more luxurious Touaregs? And, third, we're looking forward to how the Beetle redesign is handled. It will be one of the first automotive retro makeovers and promises to pose a challenge for VW.

VW probably won't go so far as the design study shown here, which, by the way, is a fantastical creation by Hussein Al-Attar at Husseindesign. Click on the rendering for a high-res, desktop-worthy sized version.

[Source: What Car]

There have been lots of rumblings about a possible Lamborghini SUV. Maybe something along the lines of a neo LM002. Lamborghini spokesmen have said that they are considering entering new segments but pointed out that retro was not an option. With a corporate platform available that has produced everything from a VW to a Porsche, and a rumored Bentley sport-ute dropping soon, it doesn't seem too hard to believe. Ace spy photog Hans Lehmann has just captured what he thinks might be a Lambo SUV mule, disguised as a deep-chinned Cayenne.

By following the links you'll not only see several shots of this muscular Porsche, but also the full-sized version of the pic at right, which looks a bit like a Silly Puttied Gallardo. Although the mind reels at the thought of Porsche developing a Lamborghini, the G and Murci have already had German hands massaging every inch of them, and Porsche has already done a good job with the Audi Q7 and the Volkswagen Touareg.

The Gallardo-derived V-10 from the Audi S6 and S8 is likely to find its way underhood, as well as possibly a smaller 4.5-liter V-8. And it's not too big of a leap to think this might be the first Lambo to offer a diesel option since the old tractor days. While the mule doesn't offer a lot info other than the deep front fascia and the big wheel arches, the concept sketch reminds us of the Murano a bit and makes the thought of a non-military inspired Lamborghini SUV somewhat more palatable.

[Source: Winding Road]

I wasn't home when the media fleet guys dropped off the svelte silver bullet they call the Audi Q7... but my roommate was. Like any car-crazy boy, he just couldn't help himself. He grabbed the key fob and tore out to the driveway -- it was playtime.

"This thing is STUPID with features," his voice screamed into my earpiece when he called to tell me that the Audi had arrived. "I lifted the rear hatch and saw a button -- when I pushed it, the ass dropped three inches. I thought low-riders were supposed to have switches in the cockpit." There are switches in the cockpit, by the way, but we'll get to that later when we discuss the Q7's Adaptive Air Suspension. The ass-dropper in question is the technology's cargo mode, which makes it easier to load and unload the cargo space of the vehicle.

Thankfully, my roomie heeded my warning that the Audi loan agreement specifically states that only the operator (yours truly) and the operator's spouse can drive the vehicle, and he refrained from going on a joyride. He did suggest we get married, however, but then I would have to share.

Welcome to the key audience for the Audi Q7 -- boys (and girls) who love their toys. There are seven -- yes, seven -- owner's manual books for the vehicle's various systems stuffed into the glovebox.

(continued)

Land Rover's Range Rover Sport borrows liberally from the Green Oval's internecine parts bin, and as such, it's got some work to do to justify its premium pricepoint. As laid out in 'Day 1-2'  and 'Day 3-4', we've established that the newest Landie cribs the lion's share of its mechanicals from the significantly less-expensive LR3, while trading on the big daddy Range Rover's aesthetics and badge. But beyond the obvious styling ace it possesses, Rover pledges a more visceral steer and a bit more on-road competence. Indeed, the Supercharged iteration appears to make good on the promised bravado-- it's the fastest production vehicle the company has ever built... capable of a fairly remarkable 140 mph, and possessing trick bits like actively-manipulated front and rear sway bars to enable flatter cornering. But the Roots [blower] rockin' iteration whacks wallets to the tune of $70,000, and that's only about $5,000 shy of the Big Kahuna. And besides, we've got the HSE.

(Lots more photographs and the Sports' final judgement after the jump!)