As one of the most established carmakers in the automotive industry, Volkswagen is definitely not one to be left behind in the race to save the environment.

Hence, they will be gearing their engineering towards technology that is in compliance with the strict environmental requirements across the globe. The makers of the VW parts will also be complying with the customers’ demands, further illustrating how they cater to the needs of their clientele. At the 2008 Taipei International Auto Show, the company’s Singapore arm managing director shared a little bit of information towards where Volkswagen will be headed for the coming of 2008—and it seems that they are going green.

“With the effects of global warming, the issues of energy conservation and environmental protection have become increasingly crucial to Volkswagen,” Dr. Olaf Duebel said.

Citing the TSI engines that the company has been trying to develop, the makers of the VW parts is also trying to reinvent their technology to help clients get the best in fuel economy. This will be an addition to their already established TDI technology, which has been implemented in the Polo.

If you will see a red Beetle convertible with a license plate that says CUDEC24 (see you Dec.24), then you probably had a close encounter with Santa.

While trusting the VW parts of the Beetle meant treachery to Rudolph, Greg Bump can still make you believe that he is the closest thing that we can get to a real Santa Claus this Christmas. Bump takes on a superhero trait, but every time he changes into his costume, he dons a belly instead of flexing his muscles. He works in a bank during the day, but when his Santa duties are called for, he would strip that corporate outfit and change into the red one, buckle his black thick belt, and then speed off happily in his trusted VW parts. But that is not all. Would you believe that Bump is a certified Santa, and he has got the diploma from the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School in Michigan to prove it.

It all began when he was in his early 20s, according to a report done by pennlive.com. His father was working at a department store, and one day they needed a substitute for their Santa. Bump decided to fill in the spot, and well…let’s just say that the rest is history.

“Most people think anybody who portrays Santa must be an OK guy,” Bump said in an interview by pennlive.com, on being a banker and a Santa. When October rolls out, Bump is sure to be “always in the character, even in my business suit.”

What an incredible story—now we know that even Santa Claus drives a Beetle!

Setting up a business can be quite hard, which is why it involves a lot of patience. It also needs a lot of creativity and originality, for how could the business stand out among all its other competitors? This is probably what a flourishing family auto rental business in Alexandria, Cincinnati thought. But, would you believe that their success is also because of how they were able to cultivate the VW parts of a 1958 Volkswagen Beetle?

Recall is also one key player in a business. If people cannot remember your business then you will surely be bound to file for bankruptcy. This is why advertising is so important in a business. It keeps the people coming back. So for the case of the Alexandria-based “Bill’s Mini Car”, their memorable Beetle was responsible for making the people come back. Back in 1970, the shop was intended originally as a repair shop that is exclusive for VW parts only. But then Bill Goepper decided to try out the rental business, so he had to choose it over the repair business. The 61-year-old businessman was especially fond of the Bug as his parents influenced him at an early stage of his life. He displays the Beetle in front of their auto rental shop, and it has become known for being adorned with dozens of lights. Now, this Beetle captured not only the attention of many people, but their recall as well.

They’ll call and say ‘I’m calling for an auto rental. Are you the ones with the ‘bug’ outside with the lights on it?’ ” Matt Goepper, successor to the family auto rental business said in an interview by the community press. Now, is this not a remarkable Beetle story?

Source: community news.com

Autoblog.com had their coffee earlier than the assigned break, and they were able to breathe in the freshest brew. Or were they? With all the proposals regarding the redesigning of the New Beetle, many people were excited to see what its VW parts will look like in two years’ time. Reviving something as timeless as the Volkswagen Beetle is not an easy task. It has become such an immortal symbol that implementing even the slightest change to it will already alter its eternal beauty. Thank goodness though that they planned to maintain the same VW parts, contours, and the basic Beetle flair. From the firm of designer Brenda Priddy, Autoblog managed to snag some pretty neat pictures of what the New Beetle’s latest rendition will look like. And of course, we borrowed their pictures to give it a new perspective.

Take a look and observe how the design was able to retain the inherent charm of the Beetle, and yet manage to give it a fresh twist. Something like the headlights, the bumper, and even the wheels. It looks like it has a longer front fascia now, and it was inspired by the VW Up! Series. According to many speculations, this is Volkswagen’s solution for the disappointing performance of the New Beetle in the market. As far as this picture says, it is not such a bad remake, but of course we cannot expect that the same glorious days of the Beetle can be regained just like that. So for the mean time, let us await until this photo manifests itself on the road, until we pass our fair judgment.

When we say “sweet Beetle sounds”, it is not supposed to invoke the tune of “She Loves You” in your mind. It just means that motorists no longer have to endure that annoying noise from an engine. The engine generates noise because of its operation, in fact the more power it produces, the louder the noise becomes. As a result, the car is not just an air pollutant nowadays, but a contributor to noise pollution too! (And that’s just the engine noise—we haven’t talked about those horns yet.)

The engine of a Beetle may not be as heavy-duty as that of a truck, so it is not really supposed to make that annoying noise. But if it does, then the car is probably not hooked up with one of the most vital VW parts, the Volkswagen muffler. The muffler is basically aimed at lessening the noise that comes from the engine bay. It is an integral part of the exhaust system because it is like the second to the last phase before the exhaust comes out of the tail pipe. How is a muffler able to “muffle” all that engine noise?

According to howstuffworks.com, mufflers practically “cancel out sound”. They are made of tons of tubes so that they could resonate the sound that the engine makes. This will therefore make the noise less prominent. (After all, you would not want your car to garner arched eyebrow stares just because it is so noisy.) While the Beetle’s engine may not churn out thousands of horsepower, its combustion process still shakes the rest of its VW parts. So if you want to keep your Beetle a well-loved street creature, make sure that it creates only a friendly noise.

Sculpture is a very strong form of art. Imagine having the ability to give life to a piece of inanimate object. Is it not like breathing life as the artwork begins to take form? LA artist Charles Ray has been known for creating sculptures that are very celebrated for their richness in aesthetics and craftsmanship. Among his most memorable works displayed at Matthew Marks is his version of the “New Beetle”. Ray did not use any high-quality VW parts for this sculpture, but it clearly speaks of how much the Beetle is loved. Easily mistaken as made out of smooth white marble, this sculpture is really made out of stainless steel which is painted in immaculate white.

The “New Beetle” is not an impression of the vehicle, or any of its VW parts. It is a life-size sculpture that portrays a naked young boy curled on the ground with his left hand extended to the floor, and the right is playing with a toy car. We can now safely say that the car is an impression of the Beetle, but this is not what the sculpture tells us. It is about the freedom that children enjoy while they are playing with their toys. Just like driving a Beetle. One can easily get caught up in the whole Beetle experience. Check out other works of Ray until January 9.

Source: New York Times

Volkswagen of America Inc., one of the most successful arms of the makers of high-quality VW parts, will now be known as Volkswagen Group of America Inc. The change of the name will be effective on the first day of January for the year 2008. Hm…will there be more changes to expect? It seems like Volkswagen is planning on a head start as 2008 slowly unfolds itself to the automotive industry.

The change in name is to emphasize the growing family of Volkswagen, extending its services to car names such as Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Volkswagen. It also serves as the umbrella company for related financial services like the Audi Financial Services, Bentley Financial Services, and Volkswagen Credit.

“Our company, like the entire Volkswagen Group, has grown dramatically since our formation in the United States in 1955. Our new corporate name allows our individual brands to flourish, while recognizing that we have a common support structure that gives us great strength as we face our competitors,” Stefan Jacoby, President and Chief Executive Officer said in a statement released by Volkswagen of America. “The new name Volkswagen Group of America reflects the much wider array of goods and services we now offer, and prepares us for even more activities in the future.”

Despite such change, the Volkswagen and Audi marques will still carry on their business under their names, Volkswagen of America, and Audi of America. Aside from the change of the company’s name, improvements are to be expected as they will still continue to live up as the world’s fourth largest car company, providing excellent VW parts worldwide.

People are all about making the engine all good and ready to run. They always think that showing their care for the car is always through hyping up the engine and its horses. Or by equipping some performance parts that promise an improvement in the car’s aerodynamics. As a result, Beetle owners purchase many high-quality VW parts that are focused on a faster and smoother run. But for the keen eyes of the real car enthusiast, they know that a good reaction from the gas pedal is not enough. They also know that it is important to achieve a very smooth stop. After all, the very thing that makes the Beetle a safe mode of transportation is its brake system.

Having the assurance that the driver can stop the car at any given need means power. For what will happen if there is a blind person attempting to cross the street? The driver of the fast car must have the power to smoothly stop the car to save both the life of the blind pedestrian and his own. Hence, every car owner must also pay loads of attention to the efficiency of the brake system. Complete with highly effective VW parts, the brake system of a Beetle is definitely not one to worry about—just keep up with the maintenance and it is good to go.

The brake system is indeed a wonder. It makes something as big as a Beetle stop despite speed, through just the use of one foot. But there is one main part that is important. That is the Volkswagen brake pads. This is the main friction player, acting as a catalyst to the car’s stoppage. So here is a genuine tip to make drivers enjoy their Beetle more: change brake pads when needed. After all, we’ll never know when we have to stop.

Beetle enthusiasts can now enjoy the lovable bug in the form of a wooden toy car. They no longer have to spend thousands of dollars to afford its VW parts, because Terry Purrington will make sure that the Beetle will be able to bring a cheer to the children. Purrington is a toymaker who crafts different things out of a simple block of wood. Among his famed works, his version of the Volkswagen Beetle is very popular among the kids. But what is best about his talent, is that he also knows how to share. As a matter of fact, the toys that he makes are being given to the kids of the Bakersfield Homeless Center. While this is his second year of being a good-doer, his passion is enough to make people believe that he will not be stopping this act of kindness anytime soon.

Kids aged between two and six years old can enjoy the 150 toy trucks and cars that Purrington has shared to Bakersfield. According to a report by The Bakersfield Californian, Purrington will continue making these toys for the center until “he can’t physically do so”.

“From what I understand, these (homeless) kids have nothing,” Purrington says in an interview by The Bakersfield Californian. “Maybe it’s the fact these are handmade. They get a better feeling that somebody cares about them.”

Although the wooden Beetles are devoid of having authentic VW parts, the kids’ faces still light up when the toys are being given to them. Louis Gill, the executive director f the homeless center only have praises for Purrington’s dedication to bring joy to the kids. “Most of the kids, they have absolutely nothing here at the shelter, except for very few clothes. To get this individual, unique toy, it’s a special Christmas,” he says in the same interview.

Now this, is the real way to enjoy the Beetle this Christmas season.

Source: The Bakersfield Californian

What is the common denominator that binds the Beetle and gold? Nope, not this car. Rather, the word is timelessness. Gold will never run out of anybody’s style. From accessories, to clothing, and even in other forms of ornament, gold is definitely one solid element that will never fade. The Beetle may be one car that can concretize the concept of timelessness too. This is probably what the owner of this 18-karat gold Beetle thought. It is not just some nice body finish, but it really is gold.

The golden Beetle in itself is really timeless, what with its 1968 badge and supremely-conditioned VW parts, it is in itself worthy of posing for a car show. But since it has been caramelized with gold, it all the more became controversial. The golden bug was unveiled at the annual Luxury Show in Bucharest, Romania. See the intricate pattern of this gold-laden car. It is covered with tonsssa tiles that were made of glass together with 18-karat gold. No wonder this thing sparkles at any given angle, and it can strike anybody even from afar. Of course gold things also come with a golden tag price. If you are wondering about this Beetle’s worth, it is safe to say that you could have bought a pretty good supercar with its $88,000 value.

While many people are criticizing this Beetle—apparently, it is senseless and too expensive—the owner probably finds too much value that even the gold cannot justify. After all, it is the Beetle. Whether embedded with gold or not, its VW parts will always make it a show stopper.