Autoblog

VW ending Kombi production after 63-year run

Jeffrey N. Ross — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Safety, Volkswagen, South America

No, the picture above is not that of a fully restored Volkswagen Bus. It is actually a 2012 Volkswagen Kombi that is still in production in Brazil... for now. Due to tougher safety regulations, the Kombi's days are numbered as Brazil's government is requiring all new cars to come with dual front airbags and anti-lock brakes as standard equipment. No word on a replacement for the long-lived Kombi, but it won't be the VW Bulli.

Originally known as the Type 2, the iconic Volkswagen van first debuted back in 1950. Matching its classic styling, Car and Driver points out that the Kombi replaced the original air-cooled engine with a liquid-cooled mill only within the last decade.

Volkswagen has quite a history of squeezing every last year out of its designs between the original Beetle that was produced from 1938 through 2003 in Mexico and the MkI Golf that was introduced in 1974 and ended production in South Africa in 2009.

VW ending Kombi production after 63-year run originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #299

Dan Roth — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Chevrolet, GM, Honda, Lexus, Porsche, Volkswagen, Opel, Tesla

2013 Honda Accord, Volkswagen CUV, GM and Opel, Autoblog talks to Elon Musk

Episode #299 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Jeff Ross talk about the 2013 Honda Accord, the suggestion by Morgan Stanley for GM to unload Opel, Autoblog Green's chat with Elon Musk, and the possibility of Volkswagen reviving the Microbus with a compact CUV. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Keep reading for our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #299:

Topics:

In the Autoblog Garage:
2013 Porsche Boxster S
2013 Lexus GS 350
2012 Chevrolet Sonic

Hosts: Dan Roth, Jeff Ross, Zach Bowman

Runtime: 01:24:33

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Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #299

Autoblog Podcast #299 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #299 LIVE!

Dan Roth — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:25:00 EST

Filed under: GM, Honda, Volkswagen, Opel, Rumormill, Tesla, Electric

We record Episode #299 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #299

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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #299 LIVE! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW mulling Microbus-style CUV to ramp up segment sales

Chris Tutor — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Crossover, Audi, Volkswagen, Rumormill

Volkswagen is on a mission to dominate sales in almost ever category, with a goal of selling one million Audis and VWs yearly in the United States by 2018. Projected U.S. sales of both brands for 2012 is only 565,000. To bridge that gap, analysts say the two brands will need to compete in almost every sales category.

VW and Audi have the sedan customers covered, but offerings in the crossover segment are slim. Automotive News says it hears VW is planning a couple of crossover variants, the most interesting of which concerns a possible greenlight for the Microbus-inspired Bulli concept from the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Unnamed VW executives are said to have expressed interest in a Microbus-type crossover large enough for five adults. We think a retro-themed Veedub bus would look very nice next to the newly restyled Beetle.

Other rumors have VW developing a seven-seat crossover to compete with Ford's Explorer and the Honda Pilot. The new Chattanooga plant is probably where it would be built in time for sales in 2014.

Sources also say the upcoming Tiguan replacement will be "U.S.-sized" (i.e., larger) for 2014. Fewer than than 30,000 Tiguans are sold every year, possibly because of limited legroom and cargo space compared to competitors like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.

VW mulling Microbus-style CUV to ramp up segment sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Doubleback fits a big RV into a small space

Jeff Sabatini — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 14:02:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Europe, Volkswagen, UK, Specialty

We're big fans of the Volkswagen bus, from the original Type 2 and its descendants, to the Vanagon that replaced it, and even the front-drive Eurovan. While VW hasn't sold one of these in the U.S. since it discontinued the Eurovan in 2003, the rest of the world has enjoyed the Transporter T5 for the past decade. The VWs are immensely popular camper vans in Europe (especially those with pop-top roofs), and the novel Doubleback conversion shown above takes the formula to another level.

With an electric, slide-out rear pod similar to what you find on many modern RVs, the Doubleback can extend a Transporter by an additional six-and-a-half feet, offering an entire rear bedroom. The company says the extra room adds only 286 pounds to the vehicle's curb weight and extends in under 45 seconds. The conversion eliminates any rear seating, so your camper will be a two-seater, or you can get a front bench installed to fit an extra passenger in the middle.

At today's exchange rates, the Doubleback sells for about $87,975, including British taxes, or the company can convert your vehicle. Be sure to check out the photo gallery to see more of this cool bus.

The Doubleback fits a big RV into a small space originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW execs want Bulli to compliment Beetle in Heritage Collection

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Minivan/Van, Volkswagen, Design/Style

If there's any one vehicle that can realistically challenge the Beetle in the annals of historic Volkswagens, it's the Transporter. More often referred to as the Microbus or just the Bus, the real original minivan first saw the light of day in 1950 as the Type 2 (the Beetle, naturally, was the Type 1).

As with the Beetle, it's the earliest models that incite the most butterflies in the hearts of air-cooled VW enthusiasts, though the machines remained collectible all the way through the early 1990s. And, if Volkswagen executives have their way, the iconic Bus may once again enter production.

Previewed by the Bulli Concept from the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the production model would likely ride atop the same platform as the latest Volkswagen Beetle and sport seating for five occupants and their cargo. If that's the case, expect a range of four-cylinder engines (maybe even a five...) sending power to the front wheels.

If Autocar is to be believed, the next Microbus may be ready for the road by 2014, and it would likely come to the States. We'll begin the finger-crossing now.

VW execs want Bulli to compliment Beetle in Heritage Collection originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cheeky coed's butt wins vintage VW bus

Zach Bowman — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Minivan/Van, Etc., Volkswagen, Humor

Hollister 1978 Volkswagen Microbus winner Lizzy Marola - Click above for high-res image gallery

Hollister and Facebook have teamed up to take social media to new and lofty heights. The clothing company just wrapped up a contest in which users were invited to submit photos of their derrières in Hollister jeans. Both guys and girls could enter for a chance to take home one very awesome, custom 1978 Volkswagen Microbus, complete with all the surf gear you'd need to at least pretend like you're a beach bum. Facebook users were invited to judge the competing rears and vote on their favorites, and one rump stood above the rest.

Lizzy Marola entered the contest at a Hollister store on a whim and wound up winning the eyes of enough voters to take home the bus of her dreams. Marola is a freshman at Coastal Carolina University, so there's at least some chance that those long boards will hit the water in the near future.

The Microbus was delivered to Marola at her home in Torrington, Connecticut recently on a trailer before being inspected and registered. If you're interested to see the image that won it for her, click here.

Gallery: Hollister 1978 Volkswagen Microbus Giveaway

[Sources: Litchfield County Times, Facebook]

Cheeky coed's butt wins vintage VW bus originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Life Bus in Pictures: The Volkswagen Bus turns 60 *Updated

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:57:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Minivan/Van, Volkswagen

Volkswagen Bus turns 60 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Many automakers will build cars for decades and never create a product that can truly be considered a cultural icon. Few that do produce multiple such models. One of those is Volkswagen.The original Beetle/Bug/Type 1 is recognizable almost anywhere and even by people that know nothing about cars. The Beetle itself spawned another icon in the form of the Type 2 (or Microbus), a vehicle that is celebrating its diamond anniversary in 2010.

Like the original Bug, the Microbus had an air-cooled flat-four cylinder engine hanging off the back of the rear axle. The front seats were moved up over the front axle creating a format that was eventually copied by Ford, Dodge, General Motors and countless Japanese automakers.

Over sixty years, the bus became the ride of choice for surfers, hippies and iconoclasts everywhere. Many surviving examples from the 1960s are still hauling surfboards and Deadheads today. In the 1980s, the third-generation bus morphed into the still-loved but less iconic Vanagon, with emissions standards forcing the adoption of water cooling in 1983. The last of the rear-engined VW vans ceased production in 1992. A tip of the hat to Brooks!

*UPDATED: New photos added and official VW press release available after the jump

Gallery: Volkswagen Bus Turns 60!

[Sources: Volkswagen, Life]

Continue reading A ~~Life~~ Bus in Pictures: The Volkswagen Bus turns 60 *Updated

A ~~Life~~ Bus in Pictures: The Volkswagen Bus turns 60 *Updated originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: VW Microbus back on the table?

Alex Nunez — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:15:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Volkswagen, Rumormill

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the '01 VW Microbus concept

The 2001 VW Microbus concept was really cool; so much so that it looked like it was headed for 2005 production. Then the project started getting expensive at the same time the U.S. dollar began to hit the skids. So, then-boss Bernd Pischetsrieder swung the axe, and it was curtains for the retro breadbox. Fast-forward to the present. Instead of a spiffy new Microbus, we now have the Routan, which is fake German for "Dodge Caravan." Not very exciting, to say the least.

A revival of Flower Power's official vehicle seemed hopeless -- until now. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that VW's entertaining the possibility of a 21st-century Microbus built on the same platform as the new sedan that'll pe produced at VW's Chattanooga, TN facility. An unnamed "senior Volkswagen official" told the paper that European production's basically a non-starter, and Volkswagen Group of America's Jill Bratina played it coy, saying only that a second vehicle line out of Chattanooga is "conceivable in the foreseeable future." A locally-built, car-based Microbus is an idea that certainly piques our interest. How about yours?

(Oh, and by the way, should you ever decide to move to Brazil, you can still kick it old-school down there in the meantime.)

Gallery: 2001 VW Microbus Concept

[Source: Sydney Morning Herald via Squob.com]

Rumormill: VW Microbus back on the table? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen considering a Microbus revival?

Merritt Johnson — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Minivan/Van, Volkswagen

Volkswagen is one of those brands that evokes a lot of nostalgia. The Who is an iconic band from the 60's. That's why when Volkswagen decided to revisit the Microbus concept they looked to members of The Who for guidance. While not only playing a song titled Magic Bus, The Who also used a VW Camper for touring in their early years of existence. They encouraged Volkswagen by expressing interest in a more economical and safer update of the Camper.

The new Camper concept being researched at Volkswagen is nicknamed Bulli. As with many current design trends, the Bulli will have a stripped out retro appearance. The aim is to appeal to more frugal consumers. The possibility is there if they can achieve demand for enough units. We just hope they keep them off the racetrack and inside the paddock.

[Source: Auto Express]

Volkswagen considering a Microbus revival? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Oct 2007 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Magic Bus: Project VW reveals hidden surprise

Chris Shunk — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Government/Legal, Volkswagen

Back in the 60s and 70s, the VW Micro-bus had quite the hippie reputation, with flower power and home-grown pharmaceuticals being part of the mystique that helped make the real original minivan a 1960s icon. For the owner of a 1958 double panel restoration project, the drug connection hit a little close to home. When checking out the undercarriage of his new purchase, TheSamba forum member Joshua B. found 14 LBS of marijuana stashed away. While we can't provide an exact street value of such a find (if you can, let us know in the comments) we can assume that it's a hell of a lot more than the value of this rusted out old groove-mobile. If you plan on trying to contact Joshua about his find, don't bother, he already disposed of it. If anything, we can say that marijuana definitely kills enough brain cells to forget all about storing 14 LBS of chronic under a VW, which doesn't seem like something someone would ordinarily forget about. It doesn't take Fred, Velma, and Shaggy to figure out that these forgetful smugglers are total rejects.

Thanks for the tip, Aaron!

[Source: TheSamba]

Gallery: VW Magic Happy Bus!

Magic Bus: Project VW reveals hidden surprise originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Artist creates life-sized VW Bus out of wood

Alex Nunez — Tue, 08 May 2007 16:35:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Volkswagen

Well, this is interesting. By his own account, sculptor Lee Stoetzel is "very interested in the far-reaching power of nature." If you needed further evidence of this, it's currently being displayed at the Mixed Greens Gallery in New York in the form of an almost-full-scale VW Transporter built out of wood and steel (but mostly wood). The craftsmanship is very impressive, and if you've simply gotta have it, you can put it in your...well, somewhere (Flower bed? - Ed.)... for a mere $65,000 USD. As impressed as we are by Stoetzel's work, we'd still rather buy a perfect example of the real thing...for less. Then again, we aren't the most cultured bunch.

Make sure you check out his sportbike made of shells, too.

[Source: Mixed Greens Gallery via Hemmings]

Artist creates life-sized VW Bus out of wood originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 May 2007 16:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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24 Hours of Le Mons adding $800 VW Microbus for rule enforcement

John Neff — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Volkswagen

You may remember our post on the 24 Hours of LeMons last October, but if not we'll refresh your memory. The 24 Hours of LeMons (pronounced like "lemons" if you didn't get the joke yet) is an endurance race of cars purchased and prepped for $500 bucks or less. The entire event is perhaps the greatest automotive parody we've ever encountered, with the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans being the subject of its satire.

While past races included a People's Choice award for drivers voted the biggest jerks on the track (last year's recipient was Car and Driver, whose prize was the unceremonious destruction of their $500 Oldsmobile Aurora), organizers of the event have invested in a new piece of equipment to help enforce the rules of the road course. According to Automotiveblogger.net, a 1973 Volkswagen Microbus has been purchased for $800 and is intended to "make life miserable on the track for drivers who aren't obeying the track rules."

While the author of the blog post appears to be in with the organizers of LeMons in some way, he didn't want to spoil the surprise and reveal exactly how they would wield the Microbus as a weapon against rule breakers. The $800 Microbus apparently tops at around 30 mph, however, so we don't imagine it will be chasing down violators in the turns. Perhaps a penalty box? We'll have to wait until at least the "Championship Race" in early July to find out what the organizers of LeMons have planned.

24 Hours of Le Mons adding $800 VW Microbus for rule enforcement originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cartalk names Top 10 Scariest Cars

Chris Tutor — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 19:55:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety

What do the 1980 Chevy Monza and the 1973 VW Microbus have in common? They are among Car Talk hosts Tom and Ray Magliozzi's Top 10 Scariest Cars list. Of the Monza they say, " Whenever one of these beauties reared its ugly grille in front of the garage, every mechanic with more than six weeks' experience would go running for the men's room and lock the door." Another car on the list, the 1987 Ford Festiva, gets this derision from the brothers: "We once got in trouble for saying this car came right from the factory with a funeral wreath on the grille."

If these cars aren't scary enough, submit your own nomination.

The whole list after the jump.

[Source: cartalk.com]

Continue reading Cartalk names Top 10 Scariest Cars

Cartalk names Top 10 Scariest Cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Oct 2006 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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