Autoblog

Germany's Wimmer RS unveils stonking 386 HP Volkswagen GTI

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Hatchback, Volkswagen

Wimmer RS 386-hp GTI -- Click above for image gallery

Wimmer RS played around with a VW GTI, and this is the result: nothing too much on the outside and terror under the hood. The exterior, especially for a German tuner, is admirably untouched: just a set of 20-inch Motec Antares wheels, and a lower stance with height-adjustable coilovers.

Up front, though, the revisions take the 211-hp, 2.0-liter TFSI up to 386 hp and 336 ft-lb of torque. The upgraded grunt is courtesy of a new turbo and a thorough rework of the intake and manifold, injection valves, piston rods, fuel pump, and other sundries, along with a new software flash. Top speed is 166 mph, which just might be fast enough to outrun those graphics. Follow the jump for the press release, or have a look at it in the gallery of photos below.

Gallery: Wimmer RS 386-hp GTI

[Source: Wimmer RS]

Continue reading Germany's Wimmer RS unveils stonking 386 HP Volkswagen GTI

Germany's Wimmer RS unveils stonking 386 HP Volkswagen GTI originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEMA Sweeps: Win one of five Sony PSP/Gran Turismo bundles! - Day 1

Chris Paukert — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Because our thumbs are practically aching in anticipation of the new Gran Turismo 5 game for Playstation 3, we've been hunting high and low for ways to keep our inner-child occupied until its release. Thankfully, the folks at Polyphony Digital and Sony have teamed up to make our wait more bearable with their new limited-edition PSP/Gran Turismo bundle, and we thought it'd be nice to share this welcome bit of relief with the Autoblog faithful.

As this week also marks the start of the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and with it, the Seventh Annual GT Awards, we couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than by giving away one PSP/Gran Turismo bundle per day for five straight days!

Entering is easy. All you have to do is:

Leave a comment in this post telling us your favorite car featured in Gran Turismo PSP (Hint: Here's the compete list)
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the U.S. or Canada (excluding Quebec, largely due to Celine Dion)
Limit 1 entry per person per day
This entry period ends at 12:00PM EST on Tuesday, November 3
At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive one PSP/GT bundle (ARV $199.99) that includes a Mystic Silver PSP-3000 system, Gran Turismo PSP game on UMD, a PlayStation Network downloadable voucher for a white Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, PlayStation Network downloadable movie voucher (title TBD) and Sony MusicPass voucher good for 10 downloadable songs.
For a list of complete rules, click here

That's it - it's free and easy. Good luck!!

UPDATE - Date of Day 1's entry period ending corrected.

SEMA Sweeps: Win one of five Sony PSP/Gran Turismo bundles! - Day 1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Happy Papa John to give Camaro owners free pizza after getting his ride back

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

John Schnatter, the Papa in Papa John's Pizza, has been looking for his 1971 1/2 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 for nearly 20 years. He sold it in 1983 for $2,800 and used part of that to rescue his father's business and the rest to begin the pizza chain that has gone global. He has spent more than 100 times that much trying to get it back.

Starting off with a FBI agent, then a web appeal and a $25,000 reward, he got nowhere. The reward swelled to $250,000, and then he got on television and talked about trying to get the car back. Some Indiana readers heard about it, and a web engine search led them to Schnatter's story on Jalopnik. Those readers, the Sloanes, thought they knew the owner of the car in question, because they had owned it and recently sold it.

The new owner -- only the third one, after Schnatter -- was a Kentucky man named Jeff Robinson of Flatwoods, Kentucky. He had transformed the original Z28 into an 825 horsepower dragster doing 9.55 quarter-miles at 141 mph. Still, he was unsurprisingly content to sell his car back to Schnatter for the $250,000 reward. The Sloanes also got $25,000 for the assist.

And now their gain may be your gain - if you're one of the Camaro faithful. Papa John is so happy to have his car back that he's giving away free pizza to all Camaro owners tomorrow, Wednesday, August 26. One pizza per Camaro, one visit per Camaro. Although we suppose if you can get that transforming Bumblebee Camaro suit from the Mexican Chevy dealer, you might earn a couple more pies. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Sources: Jalopnik; The Associated Press via Google]

Happy Papa John to give Camaro owners free pizza after getting his ride back originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: VW banking on Oprah giveaway to raise awareness of slow-selling Routan minivans

Chris Shunk — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:33:00 EST

Filed under: Volkswagen

If you close your eyes and think about the Volkswagen product lineup, products like the Golf, Jetta, and Passat are sure to come to mind. Most won't picture the Routan minivan, because most Americans don't even know the rebadged Dodge Grand Caravan exists. Sales of the Routan are so bad that the minivan hasn't been made since January, and production isn't picking up again until August.

Volkswagen is hoping to change the fortunes of its invisible minivan by giving away two Routans on the Oprah Winfrey Show. The move could prove to be a boon for VW, particularly after Oprah's 2004 stunt where the media madam gave away 276 Pontiac G6 models. Two weeks after the show, public awareness of the new sedan shot up to 87% and Pontiac was off the charts in Google and Yahoo searches, too.

Since Oprah is giving away two Routans instead of one to each member of her audience, we're guessing this giveaway won't have the same punch as the G6 scheme. The association with Oprah probably won't hurt, though, and any discernible bump in showroom traffic would make the Routan giveaway a success. With only 2,099 sales in June and 1,390 in May, the Routan could use all the help it can get.

[Source: Wards Automotive]

REPORT: VW banking on Oprah giveaway to raise awareness of slow-selling Routan minivans originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2007 Holiday Sweepstakes Day 2: The Bourne Ultimatum DVD

John Neff — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Contests

"Get some rest Pam, you look tired." I've been saying that line to my girlfriend ever since I saw The Bourne Ultimatum in the theater, and I can't wait to hear it again at home when I get the movie on DVD for Christmas. Are you afraid Santa or a disgruntled spouse won't let you watch Jason Bourne tear up the Big Apple on your flat screen this Christmas? We've got you covered. The prize for Day 2 of Autoblog's 2007 Holiday Sweepstakes is The Bourne Ultimatum DVD, and we've got 5 copies to give away. This movie is worth a watch for the car chase alone, and the DVD also includes a special feature on how the chase was done.

How to Enter: Just leave a single comment on this post (if you leave two or more, all will be disqualified).

Simple Rules:

5 winners will be randomly selected at 12:00PM EST Wednesday, 12/12/07
You may enter today's sweepstakes only once
Only residents of the United States are eligible
You must be at least 18 to enter

Click here to view official rules and come back every day this week around noon to see what else we're giving away. Happy Holidays from your friendly neighborhood Autoblog!

NOTE: We have already randomly chosen 10 winners for yesterday's sweepstakes and will be in contact with them shortly. Feel free to enter today's sweepstakes if you're eligible, and if you happen to be one of yesterday's winners, your entry in today's sweepstakes will automatically not count.

2007 Holiday Sweepstakes Day 2: The Bourne Ultimatum DVD originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler announces "ultimate door prize" vehicle giveaway

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep

To help celebrate its new era of Cerberus stewardship, Chrysler has announced a giveaway. While we were thrilled to give away a Nitro during our relaunch, Chrysler will be giving away 15 different vehicles. The promotion is being referred to as "the ultimate door prize." Sadly, there is no Viper on the list. You'll be able to get the full details and learn how to enter at participating U.S. Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep dealers on August 15, which Chrysler has dubbed "The New Chrysler Premiere Event" at its dealerships.

Vehicles on the list of prizes include the Chrysler Aspen, Crossfire, 300C and Pacifica; Dodge Caliber, Charger, Dakota Crew Cab, Durango, Magnum, Nitro and Ram Mega Cab; and Jeep Commander, Compass, Grand Cherokee and Liberty. You can click the "Read" link to visit Chrysler LLC's new website and find a participating dealer near you.

[Source: Inside Line]

Chrysler announces "ultimate door prize" vehicle giveaway originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Aug 2007 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #67

Dan Roth — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 09:52:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Podcasts, Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, SUV, Europe, I.C.E., Japan, Supercars, Acura, Audi, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, GM, GMC, Jaguar, Volkswagen

We've finally poked our respective heads out of our interweb caves and unleashed episode 67 of the Autoblog podcast upon the world. We've been pretty nutty lately with our new, improved site design and our groundbreaking car giveaway, so please forgive our delay at getting back to this. Our first delightful round of witty repartee centers around the excellent spy shots from the last couple weeks, and more specifically Jaguar's new Starship Enterprise looking shift selector. Expanding on the abundance of uberteched European cars, we carp for a while on the proliferation of new and ill-conceived user interface paradigms. Coming back to native shores, we touch on the new CTS-V, which will eschew the need for bumper nuts by a conspicuously bulged hood hiding a supercharged V8 capable of roasting the competition. Speaking of big power, we touch on the rumored NSX mule running around the Nurburgring in S2000 drag, and then concede that we really have no idea. Again, we come back to the US after a quick jaunt to the Continent, and discuss the upcoming Chevy version of GM's Lambda CUV. We're split on whether that's a good idea or not, but we all agree that the Utes themselves are a great product from the General. What the heck, let's go back across the Atlantic to close it out with insane VAG concepts at the Worthersee gathering in Austria, which saw the unveiling of a mid engine twin turbo GTI, the Audi TT Clubsport design study, and the Pirelli Edition GTI that is a real production car. We decided to only consume about 37 minutes of your time, as we'll be back soon. Enjoy the show!

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Autoblog Podcast #67 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Jun 2007 09:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo embarking on new treasure hunt adventure

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Volvo

map from last year's treasure hunt

Just like it did last year, Volvo appears to be launching another treasure hunt wherein one lucky buccaneer will escape with the ultimate automotive treasure - a new car! The online clue board is located here, and with a new installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise set to debut May 25th, the Disney website is a part of the hunt, as well. At World's End isn't just the name of the new Pirates movie, it just might also be the location of this year's dig as well.

This bit from the current contest entry leads us to wonder what will be at the end of your shovel when you finally strike gold: "The treasure this year will shock even the toughest swashbucklers out there." Could it be one of the SEMA C30s? All of them? We can only hope and pray, though last year's XC90 was hardly a bad prize in its own right. As we said in our post on last year's contest (one of the most commented on Autoblog posts of all time with 1,271 comments), tying into a hit movie franchise, giving away a vehicle or two and doing it in such a fun and different way is a refreshing change for Volvo. Now, all for one and... that's it, go get your car.

[Source: Volvo via GTChannel.com]

Volvo embarking on new treasure hunt adventure originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW gives customers the axe: electric guitar comes with every vehicle

John Neff — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 12:28:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Volkswagen

While many automakers are scrambling to increase the music quotient in their cars via the addition of auxiliary inputs, a.k.a. iPod jacks, Volkswagen has announced the V-dubs Rock promotion today that turns up the wick on in-car entertainment. Beginning today and lasting through December 31st, anyone who purchases or leases any 2007 Volkswagen model or select 2006 models will get a custom First Act GarageMaster electric guitar that can be plugged into their Volkswagen and played through its sound system. The guitar displays the corresponding vehicle's VIN number and features pick guards colored to match the vehicle. Of course, the guitar is plastered with VW logos galore on the knobs, neck and other places, and comes with VW-branded picks and a guitar strap made out of seat belts. Even the blue indicator light on the guitar is the same shade as VW's trademark IP lighting.

The guitar's real trick, however, is its ability to play through the sound system of any VW via the auxiliary input thanks to an on-board preamp. We have to admit, we've never heard of FirstAct before so we can't comment on the quality of the instrument, but neither of us actually play guitar, which begs the question, who exactly is Volkswagen targeting with this promotion? It's a nifty give-away, but seems like an expensive one considering how few customers can even play Stairway to Heaven.

(Check out additional pics of VW's free music gear and the official press release after the jump.)

[Source: Volkswagen]

UPDATE: To clear things up, the First Act guitar is available with all cars except the Touareg, Passat, and Eos. So for 2007 models, it's the Jetta, Jetta GLI, GTI, Rabbit, New Beetle and New Beetle Convertible; and for 2006 models it's Jetta, Jetta GLI, GTI, Rabbit, New Beetle and New Beetle Convertible.

Continue reading VW gives customers the axe: electric guitar comes with every vehicle

VW gives customers the axe: electric guitar comes with every vehicle originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Oct 2006 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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