SPIED: 2013 Volkswagen Golf Mk7 Shows Up with a Three-Door Body Style

The seventh generation of the Volkswagen Golf is on its way with the world premiere planned for the Paris Auto Show in the fall of this year. But you already know about that.

Chances are you are also aware about the fact that it will be the second VW Group model after the upcoming Audi A3 to make use of the company's highly flexible and more lightweight or MQB platform, as well as a new version of the 1.4-liter TSI petrol engine with a cylinder deactivation system to further improve fuel economy and CO2 emissions.

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Volkswagen to Introduce Golf GTI Cabrio at the Geneva Motor Show?

You may remember that at last year's Wörthersee fest in Austria, Volkswagen showed the Golf GTI Cabrio and Golf R Cabrio concepts. Today, we learn that there's a good chance that we'll see, if not both, at least one of the drop top models entering production.

The news comes from British car magazine Autoexpress that claims Volkswagen will introduce the production version of the Golf GTI Cabrio at next month's Geneva Motor Show.

If true, it could be the last version of the sixth generation Golf before Volkswagen lifts the covers off the new model at the Paris Motor Show this fall.

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This is the New Volkswagen Golf MK7's MQB Platform

At an event held today at its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, Volkswagen revealed its new "Modularer Querbaukasten" or MQB platform that will form the base for the upcoming seventh generation Golf as well as a large number of other mainstream models.

The MQB is by far the most important platform architecture in the group, as it will be used in the next generations of the Volkswagen Polo, Beetle, Golf, Scirocco, Jetta, Tiguan, Touran, Sharan, Passat, and CC, as well as the soon-to-be revealed Audi A3, and all the other derivatives from Seat and Skoda.

A key feature of the platform is its flexibility in terms of wheelbase length, track width, wheel size and seating positions. Other dimensions such as the distance between the pedals to the wheel center are always the same and provide a unified front-end system.

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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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Schmidt Revolution Upgrades VW Golf GTI MkV to 275-Horses

The fifth generation of the Volkswagen Golf GTI gave its place to a newer model in 2009, but the tuning industry still has a lot of love left for the car that rejuvenated the series after the mediocre Mk3 and Mk4 GTI's.
This tune comes courtesy of Germany's Schmidt Revolution, which has readied a package comprising of both performance and some cosmetic upgrades.
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Volkswagen Brings All 6 Generations of the Golf GTI to the Track

The year is almost up yet Volkswagen continues to celebrate its much vaunted Golf GTI's 35th birthday. Over the year we saw the Germans release the production Golf GTI Edition 35 as well as numerous concepts including a Cabriolet at the Wörthersee meeting in Austria.
Now, just before 2011 comes to an end, Volkswagen's UK division released a video showing all six generations of the Golf GTI on the racetrack and which we presume, is a preview for something a little more exciting as there's not much action going on in this clip.
You won't be missing on much, but if you're still interested, you can watch the video after the break.

SPIED: 2013 Volkswagen Golf Mk7 Snagged Wearing its Production Body

The last time our spy photographers caught up with Volkswagen's engineers, they were working on test mules of the seventh generation Golf GTI and Golf R models, both of which were wearing Golf Mk6 bodies on top of the German group's new Modularer Querbaukasten (or MQB) platform.

Always on the lookout, they have now managed to capture the German firm's people testing a regular version of the next Golf Mk7 complete with its newly styled body.

Albeit heavily disguised, the prototype confirms our suspicions that VW won't mess around with the classic Golf styling cues such as the think C-Column design, though the front-end of the car does appear to be sharper with the lights and grille placed lower than on the current model.

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Watch a High-End Technician Try to Install a Subwoofer on a VW Golf Cabrio

We could be wrong but a car audio installer holding a hammer and wearing a speedo with a tool belt wrapped around his waist, white socks and fancy flip-flops from the days when Richard Nixon was in presidency, doesn't seem like the kind of guy you'd let anywhere near you vehicle (or your house for that matter), let alone try to connect a subwoofer.

Still, if you have your doubts, you can hop over the jump and watch this craftsman in some hammer-time action.

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Rumors: VW's 2.5L Inline-Five to be Replaced with New 1.8-liter Turbo in the U.S.

With such a large arsenal of turbocharged gasoline engines in all sorts of sizes and states of tune, one could only wonder why Volkswagen is still holding on to the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-five in the States – especially since even GM and Ford have gone ahead and introduced smaller displacement force-fed fours.

It appears that VW also believes it's time to replace the old-school five-pot with a more modern turbocharged four. Citing two sources from within the German company, Car&Driver reports that the 2.5L unit will soon be dropped from Volkswagen's U.S. range with a new 1.8-liter TSI four-cylinder engine taking its place.

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Two New Volkswagen Production Models to Debut at the LA Auto Show

Next up on our international motorshow calendar is the Los Angeles Auto Show that will be open to the public from November 18 to 27. The event organizers say that at least 17 world premieres have already been confirmed, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Among the new cars to debut in LA will be two Volkswagen models. According to a report from Kicking Tires, Volkswagen made the announcement on Wednesday but didn't name the new vehicles simply stating that both will be production cars.

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168,000 VW Jetta, VW Golf and Audi A3 Diesel Models Recalled in the U.S. Amidst Fire Concerns

The Volkswagen Group of America issued a voluntary safety recall on 159,884 diesel-powered VW Jetta and Jetta SportWagens manufactured from May 2008 through September 2011, and Golf models built from May 2009 through September 2011, and nearly 9,000 Audi A3 diesel models made from September 2009 through September 2011.

All the aforementioned vehicles are equipped with the German group's 2.0-liter TDi diesel engine. The company said that certain vibrations could potentially result in a fuel line cracking. The defect could cause a fuel leak, which in the presence of an ignition source may lead to a fire.

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2012 Volkswagen Golf R with 256-Ponies Priced from $33,900* in the U.S.

We've known about Volkswagen's plans to sell the hot Golf R in the States for a while now, but today, the German carmaker released pricing details on the heir to the 2004 and 2008 Golf R32 models, which will go on sale early next year.

The most powerful VW hatch sold on this side of the Atlantic will be offered in both three- and five-door body styles with prices starting from $33,900 *plus destination. Models equipped with sunroof and navigation will carry MSRPs of $35,490 (two-door) and $36,090 (four-door), not including destination and handling fees.

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VW's Anniversary Golf GTI Edition 35 with 235HP Arrives in the UK

For those looking for a bit more muscle in their GTI, Volkswagen has launched the special anniversary edition of its hot hatch in Britain. Created to celebrate the Golf GTI's 35th birthday and first shown at the at the Worthersee Festival in Austria this past June, the Golf GTI Edition comes with a tuned 2.0 TFSI delivering 235HP.

The 25HP increase over the standard model allows the Golf Edition 35 to complete the 0-62mph (100km/h) sprint in 6.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 153mph (246km/h).

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Euro NCAP Releases New Crash Test Results, Announces Changes for 2012

As nine out of 10 cars tested this month earned the highest result of 5 starts in Euro NCAP’s crash tests, the safety organization is gearing up for making the 2012 requirements even more demanding.

In alphabetical order, the five-star winners are: the Audi A6, the BMW X3, the Chevrolet Aveo, the Chevrolet Orlando, the Citroen DS5, the Hyundai i40, the Opel Ampera, the VW Golf Cabriolet and the VW Jetta.

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2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Under Investigation Over Fuel Leak Complaints

Federal safety officials are looking into allegations for possible fuel leaks on the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine (TDI).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] said that so far, it has received seven complaints alleging leakage from the fuel line to the No2 fuel injector, all from vehicles with low mileages ranging from 2,470 to 7,764 miles.

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Would You Pay $50,000 for Kate Middleton’s Used VW Golf?

Say want you want about the media’s obsession around Britain’s newly-wed royal coupe, Kate and Williams, but for some people, like Sonny Brazil, it’s a gift from the heavens.

You see, Sonny’s father Al, bought Kate Middleton’s inky-blue 2001 VW Golf hatchback back in 2009 from her brother James for a reasonable £1,400 (about US$2,300 or €1,600 at today’s exchange rates).

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Siemoneit Racing’s VW Golf R Black Pearl with up to 530HP

While VW’s 270-horsepower Golf R hatchback is hardly underpowered, the engineers over at the German tuning firm Siemoneit Racing felt like it could use some extra ponies.

Siemoneit Racing calls its tuned VW Golf R the ‘Black Pearl’for obvious reasons- and it offers customers a choice of two performance packages. The first boosts the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine’s output from 270HP and 320Nm to 355-horses and 485Nm (357.7 lb-ft) through thanks to the updated ECU software, custom exhaust and a new air intake system.

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