VW BlueSport Roadster Production on Hold as Sales Numbers Don't Crunch up

Three years ago, almost to the day, Volkswagen unveiled the BlueSport Concept at the 2009 North American International Show. At the time, sources within the company said that the mid-engine roadster was earmarked for production and would also underpin an Audi version as well as a “baby” Porsche Boxster.

The good news is that the BlueSport, which even in its concept form looked like it could enter production with only a few minor tweaks, is virtually ready to offer some open-top, rear-wheel drive affordable pleasure to potential buyers. At least that’s what VW’s engineering boss, Uli Hackenberg, told Autocar magazine.

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VW E-Bugster Study Zooms into the Detroit Auto Show

If you liked Volkswagen's approach with the new Beetle then chances are you're going to give a thumbs up to the E-Bugster study that made its world premiere at the Detroit Auto Show this week.

Wider, lower and sportier looking that the regular Beetle, the concept's name blends the words "E" (for electric), "Bug" and "speedster". It's closest relative is the similarly styled Ragster study back from 2005.

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Volkswagen's E-Bugster Concept is an All-Electric Beetle Hot Rod

At the 2005 North American International Show, Volkswagen introduced the New Beetle Ragster concept. It was a second-generation Beetle convertible with a much lower roofline and its name was conjured by crossing the words “ragtop” and “speedster”.

Fast-forward six years, and the “People’s Car” company (for that’s what Volkswagen literally means in German) is launching a similar concept at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show .

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Volkswagen Teases "Big Detroit Reveal", What Could it be?

We're less than 48 hours away from the grand opening of 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and we've already had our first leak of the day with the official pictures and video of the 2013 Dodge Dart.

Now, Volkswagen's Canadian arm is trying to capture our attention with the release of a picture shot at its Detroit Auto Show booth that shows an unidentified vehicle wrapped up in a sheet.

"The North American International Auto Show kicks off Monday in Detroit. Volkswagen has something big to reveal. What do you think it will be?" the company asks on its Facebook page where it published the picture.

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Volkswagen to Debut Beetle-Based Electric Hot Rod at the Detroit Motor Show

We just learned that Volkswagen's surprise debut at next week's 2012 North American International Motor Show in Detroit will be a pure-electric concept model based on the new generation of the Beetle – despite previous reports saying otherwise.

The conceptual EV version of the recently launched 2012 Beetle will sport a heavily modified body with a lowered roof and wider fenders with its looks slightly resembling the Volkswagen Ragster Concept (pictured above) that was displayed at the 2005 Detroit Motor Show.

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New Volkswagen Electric Car Concept and Jetta Hybrid Headed to Detroit Show

While a little late to the party, the Volkswagen Group plans to make up for its lackluster presence in the electric and hybrid vehicle sector with a barrage of eco-friendly models within the next couple of years.

At the upcoming 2012 Detroit Auto Show, the VW brand will lift the covers off a never before seen pure electric concept car and the production version of the Jetta Hybrid, according to the Detroit Free Press.

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It’s a CC Thing: Volkswagen's New Cross Coupe Concept Live from the Tokyo Show Floors

For a very long time, we only had rugged 4x4s, but then SUVs made their appearance in the market followed shortly after by crossovers and before we knew it, all hell broke loose and each carmaker invented its own acronym to describe a specific niche in any given segment.

Albeit a conceptual proposal, the Volkswagen Cross Coupe is one such example with the German automaker describing it thusly: "a crossover between a four-door coupé and a compact SUV".

We'll just note that a four-door coupe is a crossover between a coupe and a sedan and leave it at there before we start saying things we shouldn’t…

Naming and segment games aside, the CC SUV is a handsome creation overall though its snout could use some styling attention as it's somewhat flavorless compared to the rest of the car in the sense that you could throw in a Seat badge and no one would notice.

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New Volkswagen Cross Coupe SUV Concept Bows at 2011 Tokyo Motor Show

The Cross Coupé SUV concept is Volkswagen's surprise debut for the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show that opened its doors (to the press) today.

The German automaker says that concept is a study for a potential new CC-style SUV that "hints at how a crossover between a four-door coupé and an SUV could look like" -think small BMW X6- while also previewing an evolved form of VW's current design language.

The concept is the first VW model based on the company’s new ‘modular transverse matrix’ or MQB platform architecture to be shown to the public. The MQB chassis will be used in a number of VW Group models ranging from the next Golf to the Audi TT's successor.

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Volkswagen Looks Into the Transporter's Future with New eT! Concept Van

Volkswagen has been in the business of making light commercial vans for over 60 years now, ever since the introduction of the famous T1 / Type 2 (also known as the Kombi and the Microbus) based on the legendary Beetle in 1950.
Now, the German automaker wants to reinvent the commercial van and show the road it will follow with the future generations of the Transporter through an innovative concept model called eT!.
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Spicy VW Beetle R Concept Makes its U.S. Debut at the 2011 LA Auto Show [Updated Gallery +Video]

Officially, it’s just a concept, but the wording on VW’s press release hints at a production version of the Beetle R that was first shown at the 64th IAA in Frankfurt before it made its North American debut today at the LA Auto Show.

Developed by Volkswagen R GmbH - that is, the same people responsible for the Scirocco R and Golf R models, the Beetle R is said to show “the potential for an ever sportier version of the Beetle”.

The company also claims that the 200HP turbocharged 2.0-liter of the Beetle Turbo “could offer even more performance, similar to that of the Golf R and Scirocco R”.

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VW Boss Confirms Production Version of XL1 Concept for 2013

Remember the XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV) diesel-electric hybrid concept that Volkswagen unveiled at the Qatar Motor Show this past January? Martin Winterkorn, CEO of the VW Group, told to Autonews Europe that development plans for the ultra-efficient two-seater model are proceeding.

"We will start small series production by 2013 – in Germany," Winterkorn told the publication.

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New Volkswagen Scale Models Hit Official Store

More often than not, when a new Volkswagen model is presented to the public, the German automaker commissions a matching scale replica, and this week, we have not one, but four new miniature vehicles that go on sale through the company's official store.

These include the production versions of the new up! city car and the Beetle along with the two-seater XL1 diesel-electric hybrid study and the Race Touareg 3 competition vehicle.

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IAA 2011: Volkswagen Pays Tribute to Fender with New Beetle Concept

The high-performance Beetle R Concept was joined at VW's Frankfurt Motor Show stage by a second conceptual study that pays tribute to famed U.S.-based music instrument manufacturer, Fender.

Mimicking the styling used on an electric guitar customized by Volkswagen Design, the Fender Telecaster, the bespoke Beetle study is painted in a high-gloss "Black" finish with a fine red line framing the side windows.

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IAA 2011: Volkswagen's Single-Seater NILS EV Concept

The Frankfurt Motor Show is abuzz this week with a variety of small pure electric concept cars. Volkswagen's contribution to the segment is a single-seater urban study named NILS, which the company claims has been "very realistically conceptualized".

"[The] NILS is a vehicle that anticipates the future. It looks as though someone has projected it back from the year 2030 to the world of today," says Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, member of the Board of Management and Head of Development for the Volkswagen Brand.

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IAA 2011: VW Unveils a Handful of Up! Concepts Including GT, EV and Crossover Variants

Making their world premiere alongside the series production Up! in Frankfurt, are six new concept versions of Volkswagen's new city car. We've already shown the you the Buggy Up! that harks back to the 1960's model, so we'll concentrate on the five other Up! studies.

First up! (pun intended), is the sportiest prototype of the bunch, aptly named GT Up!. Volkswagen says a possible production version of the GT could be fitted with a small displacement engine delivering 100-horsepower or 25HP more than the most powerful Up! available at launch.

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IAA 2011: Volkswagen Beetle R Concept Hints at 260HP+ Production Model

Ever since it became known that Volkswagen was developing the new generation of the Beetle, there were rumors about a high-performance variant wearing the 'R' badge. Earlier this year, the German company introduced the production model but the most powerful version was fitted with a 2.0-liter TSI producing 200-horses. Fast but not fast enough.

However, this may soon change as Volkswagen is giving us the clearest indication of its future plans yet with the unveiling of the new Beetle R Concept at this week's Frankfurt Motor Show.

Beginning with the exterior, the Beetle R Concept sports a subtly aggressive design with newly sculpted bumpers that were widened by 30 mm, and blistered wheel arches widened by 15mm per side that house massive 20-inch wheels in the same “Talladega” design found on the Golf R and Scirocco R models.

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IAA 2011: Volkswagen Buggy Up! Study is Ready to Hit the Beach

The world premiere of Volkswagen's new Up! mini in Frankfurt did not involve only the production version as the German company also unwrapped a variety of concept models based on the small city car.

The most impressive study is the Buggy Up! that pays homage to the original, Beetle-based model of the same name that was born in California in the 1960s.

The concept model features a lightweight construction with extensive body reinforcements and a roll bar behind the two seats to compensate for the loss of the roof and the doors.

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IAA 2011: Volkswagen Prepares Mega Exhibition Stand with 97,000 sq ft

Volkswagen's star attractions at this year's edition of the Frankfurt Motor Show may be the pint-sized Nils Concept and the Up! city car, but there's nothing small about the German firm's exhibition stand which measures a whopping 97,000 square feet or close to 9,000 square meters.

The cloud-like shaped booth will host more than 50 vehicles focusing on the Up! city car, which is making its public debut along with the Nils single-seat electric commuting vehicle concept and the recently unveiled new generation Beetle, facelifted Tiguan and Golf Cabriolet.

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Frankfurt Show Preview: VW Nils is a Single-Seater Electric City Car Concept

The VW Group is pulling out the…small guns at this year's edition of the Frankfurt auto show with a variety of Lilliputian electric car concepts.

Following the announcement on Audi's two-seater Urban Sportback and Spyder studies, the Volkswagen brand today revealed the first images of its new Nils concept, a tiny single-seater electric vehicle designed primarily for use in an urban environment.

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VW to Unveil New Experimental One-Seat Electric Car in Frankfurt

[VW XL1 SEV Concept from 2011 Qatar Motor Show pictured above]

Less than 24 hours after Volkswagen lifted the wraps off the production version of the up! city car, we have news that the German company is planning to reveal a one-seat experimental electric vehicle on September 8 in Berlin, ahead of its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

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