Manchester Police Officer Destroys Brand-New VW Golf R loaner During Test Run

The Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in the UK has launched an official investigation to find out how one of its officers wrecked a brand new Golf R hatchback, which was on loan by Volkswagen for testing purposes, during a trial run on public roads at 2am in the morning.

In European trim, the £31,000+ Golf R gets a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four with 270-horses and is capable of reaching a top speed of 155mph (250km/h) while completing the 0-62mph sprint in 5.7 seconds.

According to the preliminary police report, the officer was out testing the Golf R along with a fellow officer in an unmarked Audi, when he lost control of the Volkswagen at a roundabout in Wharfside Way, Trafford Park. The crash was so severe that the 40-year old police officer had be cut from the wreck by firefighters.

The man suffered some back injuries and was hospitalized but has now been released.

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VW Golf Keeps its Sales Crown in Europe for 2011, Polo Comes in 2nd, Ford Fiesta 3rd

The sixth generation of the Volkswagen Golf is in its final year with a replacement due to be unveiled at the upcoming Paris Motor Show this fall, yet it still managed to sell more cars than any other model in Europe in 2011 for a third year in a row, according to data provided from JATO Dynamics.

Volkswagen delivered 484,547 units of the Golf in 2011, down 1.6% over the previous year. The German company also took second spot with the Polo that sold 356,490 cars, up 0.5%, while the Ford Fiesta with 348,465 sales (-13.3%), the Opel / Vauxhall Corsa with 313,325 units (-1.7%) and the Renault Clio with 294,172 (-13.1%) complete the Top 5.

We should note that all Top 10 best-sellers came from either German (7 models) or French (3 models) brands.

JATO Dynamics says that outside the top ten, certain models performed much better than their predecessors did including Peugeot’s new 508, which saw its sales rise almost three times achieved by its predecessor, the 407, in 2010, the new Ford C-Max/Grand C-Max, Citroën C4, BMW X3 and Kia Sportage.

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All-New 2013 Volkswagen Golf Reportedly Confirmed for this Year's Paris Motor Show

The 2012 edition of the bi-annual Mondial De L'automobile, otherwise known as the Paris International Motor Show, is several months away as the grand opening is scheduled for the end of September, but we're already receiving news on some of the major world premieres that will take place at the show.

And what more important than the presentation of the next generation of the Volkswagen Golf, which according to a report from German car magazine Auto Motor und Sport, has been confirmed for the Parisian event.

What we know about the seventh iteration of Volkswagen's Golf series is that it will ride on the German group's new "Modularer Querbaukasten" or MQB platform and that it will be slightly longer and wider than the current version.

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Volkswagen's 256HP Golf R gets its Own iPad App

The marketing buffs over at Volkswagen have gone to work to promote the newly launched in the U.S. Golf R with the release of a dedicated iPad application called the “Golf R Drivers Forever”.

The app covers the history of both the regular Golf and Golf R models in the States and includes a variety of photos and videos, a brochure with tech specs, a 360-degree view of the car and even an interview with designer Chip Foose on the VW brand and the Golf.

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VIDEOS: 2012 VW Tiguan Facelift and Golf Cabriolet Mk6

First shown in Geneva earlier this month, Volkswagen has now released video footage of its restyled Tiguan and all-new Golf Cabriolet. The short film dedicated to the compact SUV model depicts both versions of the Tiguan, one for on-road use and one with increased capabilities for off-road driving. The Golf Cabriolet video has a more laid-back, romantic approach, featuring a couple joyriding in the open top car on a sunny day. You can get a closer look at both models by watching the videos below the fold.

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VIDEO: Giant Sinkhole Swallows Two Cars in Wisconsin

A 10-foot deep, 625-square-foot sinkhole gobbled up two parked cars, a VW Golf and a Toyota Camry, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin after a 42-inch water main ruptured in the area this past Saturday. Luckily, no one was hurt during the collapse. Watch the videos after the break.

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VW Launches New Body Kit and Other Accessories for Golf Mk6

Volkswagen has released a new set of accessories for its best selling model, the Golf. The most important of these is a new aerodynamic package, which includes slightly redesigned bumpers, side skirts and a larger roof spoiler. Other than making the Golf look sportier, VW claims these new components improve the car's aerodynamics.

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Geneva 2011: New Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet Mk6

The Golf Cabriolet series has been an on-off affair for Volkswagen ever since the introduction of the original model in the beginning of the 1980s. At the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the Germans decided to give the Cabriolet another go with the presentation of a new model based on the 6th generation of the Golf that will be sold alongside the firm's Eos hardtop roadster.

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Geneva 2011: Volkswagen R Exclusive-izes the Golf R (four times)

Get ready for four new Golf concepts from Volkswagen, all based on the recently hotted-up Golf R. With these four Golfs, Volkswagen R GmbH hopes to explore the themes of "especially high-end" and "especially sporty".

The more luxurious Golfs feature unique paint (Oryx White and Carbon Steel Grey), 19-inch Talladegas, aluminum trim, and Nappa leather interiors crafted by Volkswagen R Exclusive. The white one wears St. Tropez over black leather, while the dark gray one dons Almandine Red over black.

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Geneva Preshow: Volkswagen Lifts the Top off New Golf Cabriolet Mk6

The 2011 Geneva Motor Show will mark the return of the Cabriolet nameplate to the Golf range after an almost decade-long hiatus. Based on the underpinnings of the latest generation Golf hatchback, the two-door four-seater features a soft top with an electro-hydraulic drive that can be raised or lowered in only 9.5 seconds. The process can also be performed during driving at speeds of up to 30 km/h (19 mph).

The exterior styling is similar to the three-door Golf Mk6, with the Cabriolet featuring a unique rear section, lower profile roof line and more swept-back angle of its front windscreen frame.

Whereas previous Golf Cabriolets featured a fixed central rollbar, VW's newcomer gets a pop-up rollover protection system similar to the one found on its sister Audi model, the A3 Convertible. Minus the four-seat layout, the Cabriolet's interior is identical to that of the hatchback.

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Geneva Motor Show to Mark the Return of the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet

If you never fancied the Eos as a replacement for the good ol' traditional Golf Cabriolet, then you'll be happy to know that the Geneva Motor Show will host the world premiere of an all-new soft top Golf model. The last time Volkswagen offered a convertible variant of the Golf range was almost a decade ago with the facelifted Mk3 version that was marketed alongside the Mk4 Golf.

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VIDEO: Volkswagen's 440-horse Golf24 Endurance Racer on the Track

Last week, Volkswagen unveiled the Golf24 endurance racer with which it will compete in this year’s Nürburgring 24-hour race. This is the first time since 2007 that the Germans enter a Golf-based competition model in the event. Unlike its 300HP, front-wheel drive predecessor, the new model gets all-wheel drive and a 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo engine cranking out 440 ponies and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of peak torque. Hit the jump to see the Golf24 in action at the Vallelunga racetrack in Italy. Read more »

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Volkswagen Unwraps Monster Golf24 with 440HP Five-Cylinder Turbo for 2011 Nürburgring 24-hour Race

Volkswagen has announced that it will compete at this year's 24-hour endurance race at the Nürburgring with an all-new challenger, the freshly developed Golf24. The dramatic racing version of the Golf borrows the 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine from sister company Audi's TT RS and RS3 models, modified to deliver 440-ponies and a maximum torque of 540Nm or 398 lb-ft. Power is transmitted to the permanent four-wheel drive by a sequential six-speed gearbox with paddle shift operation.

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It Came from eBay Hell: ‘80s VW Golf Stretch Limo with Mercedes Nose

So you want your own limousine? Sure, I can dig that. Who hasn’t thought of trading in their daily commute for something that’s chauffer driven? And what better place to start your search than on eBay, where you’re sure to find something both unique and affordable, if not exactly well built or driveable.

Here’s one such find, based on a 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit (Golf for the rest of the world) with a Mercedes-Benz nose piece. The seller’s description reveals that this vehicle has new brakes, struts, a new exhaust, new wheels and tires, new windshield and gas tank. And it still has its original motor and transmission, with a twin barrel carburettor with aluminium intake and header which the seller assures us makes it, “Fast for what it is.”

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Volkswagen Golf Mk7 Set to Debut at the End of 2012 or Early 2013

The Volkswagen Golf Mk7, based on the cost-saving modular transverse architecture known as MQB, is scheduled to debut at the “end of 2012 or early 2013”, according to a Reuters report citing a company spokesman.

The German automaker plans to eventually build some 3 million MQB-based vehicles annually across the group and expects savings in the double-digit percentage range thanks to a new production process. Unlike previous strategies that offered synergies across brands using the same underpinnings, the new manufacturing method delivers synergies across both brands and models.

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VIDEO: "Buying a Volkswagen from an Old Lady" Dutch Ad is Epic

In what could very well be one of the most amusing automotive-related ads we've seen this year, this Volkswagen commercial from The Netherlands puts a surprisingly wild twist on the belief that old ladies take good care of their cars. The 50 second-long clip finishes with the tagline "Not every old lady is reliable as a Golf". Watch the video after the break. Read more »

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APS Does it Again, Announces New Tunes for VW Golf R with up to 350HP

Now that Volkswagen has broadened the availability of the Golf R by officially confirming sales for North America, the tunes for the range-topping German hatch have just become a bit more interesting. APS of Brackley, has just announced three stages of performance tuning for the 2.0-litre TFSI, all-wheel drive Golf R, with two being available immediately and the third to be offered in a little while.

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Officially Confirmed: New Volkswagen Golf R to go on Sale in the USA

Hot hatches are mostly a European fad, but Volkswagen’s R- and GTI-badged products have proved successful in the North American market over the years. That said, VW loyalists will be happy to know that the new Golf R has finally received the green light for America. No specific launch date was given, but according to the official announcement, the U.S.-bound Golf R will be released in “limited numbers and for a very limited time” starting from 2012.

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Volkswagen Brightens up Golf with New LED Front Lights

Those of you with a good memory probably remember that back in late 2009, Volkswagen developed a new set of LED tail lights for the sportiest variants of the Golf VI. Now it's time for the German carmaker to introduce the same option for the Golf's headlights - at least for the European market. The new optional LEDs for the headlamps are similar in design to those found on the facelifted Eos hardtop convertible.

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Mini-me Volkswagen Gol for Little People [with Video]

Being a little person in a big world is daily challenge for some of our fellow citizens. And even though technological advancements have it made it possible for little people to drive any car available today, Volkswagen's Brazilian division has taken one step further with the creation of a prototype, miniaturized version of its local market Gol hatchback.

The little people's car is called the Mini-Gol and it has been scaled down by approximately 30 percent over the standard car. It measures around 2.25 meters (88.5") in length and can accommodate drivers and passengers under 5ft tall (1.53 meters).

As you can see in the video clip after the jump, it is an exact replica of the original model with power coming from 5.5-horsepower engine that offers the car a top speed of 27km/h (17mph). According to the reports, VW Brazil has built only two examples of the Mini-Gol, with one being used at various events and shows, and the other finding a home at Parque de Ocio in Santa Catarina, Brazil.

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