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Ford Volkswagen WRC

Sebastien Ogier wins 2014 Rally Spain

2014 WRC Rally Spain

Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia have wrapped up their second world rally championship after taking victory in Rally Spain yesterday. The French duo needed just one more point than Jari-Matti Latvala to defend their title and despite a relatively slender 11 second winning margin they always had Latvala’s measure.

“It’s a fantastic feeling to become world champion for a second time! I’m over the moon, it was a real battle to defend the title,” an excited Ogier said after his victory. “In particular, my team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala showed an incredibly strong performance in the last few months. Now Julien and I have a great sense of happiness and relief.

“Big thanks to our fantastic team at Volkswagen. Not just for giving us a fantastic car throughout the season. But also for the unique solidarity that we have. It doesn’t matter whether things are going well or badly—the team stands by every driver crew and that is extremely motivating. I’m happy and proud to be part of this team. Today we will have a big world championship party, that much is clear!”

Rally Spain is run on a mix of gravel and tarmac and on the opening gravel stages Latvala struggled with his car and spent the rest of the rally chasing Ogier’s tail. The Finn did well to fight back and claim second place, he also claimed the fastest time in the power stage and three bonus championship points. Latvala is now 31 points behind Ogier and with just Wales Rally GB left to race and 28 points on offer he’ll have to make do with second once more.

Ford driver Mikko Hirvonen finished third in Spain, which leaves him fourth in the championship and the best placed non-Volkswagen driver. Hirvonen cannot catch Andreas Mikkelsen, who finished seventh, meaning Volkswagen drivers will finish the year 1-2-3 in the overall drivers’ standings.

Mads Ostberg was fourth in his Citroën ahead of Hyundai duo Dani Sordo and Thierry Neuville. While Hyundai and Neuville are the only combination to take victory from Volkswagen this year, we must pray that Hyundai and the other teams can increase the pressure on Volkswagen’s title defence in 2015.

For now, though, well done to Ogier and Volkswagen for their unrelenting dominance.

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Volkswagen

Golf R is best wet weather performance car

Volkswagen Golf R

The Volkswagen Golf R is the best wet weather performance car money can buy. At least that’s the deal according to British mag Autocar who has just published its results from a seven-car comparison.

Included in the test were (ranked in finishing order):

  1. Volkswagen Golf R
  2. Porsche 911 Carrera 4S
  3. Audi RS4 Avant
  4. Nissan GT-R
  5. Range Rover Sport
  6. MINI Cooper
  7. Toyota GT86

In the five tests conducted the Golf R finished no lower than fourth and came first in the Lateral G and Lap Time test. It also came second in the 30–0mph test. The cars were awarded points for each test (lowest score wins) and when they were all tallied up the Haldex V-equipped Golf R won the test by a single point from the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, which came first in three of the five tests (a full table of results is available below). So why didn’t the Porsche win overall?

The 911 finished first in so many tests that it could have won, such is its traction and the water displacement properties of its tyres. In lateral grip tests, however, that was less of an issue and its inherent rear-biased weight distribution unsettled it to the extent that the Golf R nips ahead of it. Strong everywhere – under acceleration, braking and laterally – the Golf R is the ideal way to make a car for wet conditions. It goes, stops and grips like no other.

But, the thing we enjoyed the most from this piece was the intro:

How entirely fitting it was that the day of this test was that day that always comes each autumn. You know the one. It’s Monday morning. You leave the house in darkness. It is pelting with rain. You know that you’ll not return before darkness. There is no question about it: you will need a decent coat, from this very day forward, until the return of spring.

Thank god for Australia!

[Source: Autocar]

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Volkswagen WRC

No changes for Volkswagen’s WRC “dream team”

Sebastien Ogier, Andreas Mikkelsen, Jari-Matti Latvala

Volkswagen Motorsport has announced it will retain the services of its current driver lineup into the 2015 WRC season.

Sebastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen currently fill the first three positions in the chase for the drivers’ championship; Ogier needs to score only a single point more than Latvala in this weekend’s Rally Spain to successfully defend his world title. Between them they’ve accumulated 38 podiums, including 20 wins, from the 24 rallies Volkswagen has competed in.

Reading the quotes from the drivers below it’s just one big love in at Volkswagen, which is both a sign of great team harmony and that maybe WRC egos are more congenial than those found inf Formula 1.

The talents of Ogier and Latvala are well known, so in 2015 Andreas Mikkelsen will be the driver to watch, we think. His results are becoming more consistent as he gains experience and a maiden WRC win cannot be too far away.

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Volkswagen

Golf R wagon preparing for possible Essen launch

Golf R Estate prototype

This Volkswagen Golf R estate spied at the Nürburgring in recent days makes us very happy. This will undoubtedly become the coolest Golf money can buy. Word is it will be launched at the Essen Motor Show in late November.

The all-paw estate is likely to weigh around 100kg more than its hot hatch sibling, meaning performance from the 221kW/380Nm EA888 2.0 litre engine shouldn’t suffer too much. We should be looking at mid 5s for the 0–100km/h dash.

Thankfully the current Golf wagon is a much nicer looking car than the previous generation. And with a makover from R GmbH it looks even better—just look at those phat quad exhaust tips.

Volkswagen Australia, if you do not bring the Golf R wagon down under we will destroy you!

[Source: Auto Express | Pics: Automedia | Thanks to Charlie for the tip]

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Citroen Ford Hyundai Volkswagen WRC

2014 Rally de France-Alsace in pictures

2014 WRC Rally France

It’s been a massive weekend of motorsport. We’ve had the Bathurst 1000, the 6 Hours of Fuji and the Russian Grand Prix is currently sending the world to sleep. So if you’re still awake take this chance to relive the 2014 Rally de France-Alsace, won by Volkswagen’s Jari-Matti Latvala.

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Honda Peugeot Renault Video Volkswagen

Hot hatch heaven

Mk1 Volkswagen Golf GTI

This video showcasing eight seven of the best hot hatches money can buy is not perfect, but it is pretty cool. The clip was published by the Goodwood Road & Racing YouTube channel and features French racer Nic Minassian behind the wheel of four old and four new hot hatches, listed below:

  • Honda: EP3 Civic Type R v FN2 Civic Type R
  • Peugeot: 205 GTi v 208 GTi
  • Renault: Clio Williams v Megane RS 265
  • Volkswagen: Mk1 Golf GTI v Mk7 Golf GTD

Save for the GTD that makes for a very impressive line up of cars, all of which we would love to drive. And driving them all on the same day, on the same road, well, that would be a great day out.

Just don’t expect this clip to wow you with performance stats or hard data.

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Citroen Volkswagen WRC

Jari-Matti Latvala wins 2014 Rally de France-Alsace

2014 Rally de France-Alsace

Jari-Matti Latvala won his first tarmac rally after claiming Rally de France-Alsace on the weekend. It’s his 12th WRC victory and, amazingly, it’s the 20th win from 24 starts for the Volkswagen Polo R WRC.

Following the demise of Sebastien Ogier’s chances on the opening day due to a faulty gearbox sensor, Latvala dominated the rally, despite early competiton from his junior Volkswagen teammate Andreas Mikkelsen.

In the end, a self-assured Latvala won by almost 45 seconds from Mikkelsen. Kris Meeke added to his resumé and 2015 employment chances by finishing third for Citroën. Dani Sordo was the best placed Hyundai in fourth, while Ford’s best result was the P5 claimed by Mikko Hirvonen.

Robert Kubica was sitting pretty, heading for fourth on the last day. It would have been his best WRC result, but he crashed out once again.

Ogier finished a lowly thirteenth but he did manage to earn himself maximum bonus points in the power stage. Although that wasn’t enough to wrap up his second world drivers’ title. He’ll have to wait for Rally Spain later this month, where he’ll need to earn one more point than Latvala to secure the championship.

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Motor Shows Volkswagen

Paris 2014: Volkswagen XL Sport

Volkswagen XL Sport concept

This is the Volkswagen XL Sport concept and if there’s a cooler car on show in Paris, we can’t wait to see it. So what makes this new concept so appealing?

Firstly, it’s based on the quirky carbon-fibre XL1 city car, which we like a lot. But sealing the deal is the Ducati 1199 Superleggera V2 engine stuffed inside that funky body. The “world’s most powerful two-cylinder” is good for 147kW and screams its nuts off all the way to 11,000rpm.

The XL Sport weighs just 890kg and if you can’t put that in the same sentence as 147kW and come up with a massive smile then you’re just no fun at all.

Surprisingly, though, those numbers, along with a 7-speed DSG, only yield a 0–100km/h time of 5.7 seconds. Although, with that low slung body it would likely feel a lot faster. So too the 270km/h top speed.

What a cool thing this is. Bravo Volkswagen, bravo!

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Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf Alltrack revealed

Volkswagen Golf Alltrack

Volkswagen, what has taken you so long? The stupid public has been demanding SUV crossovers for years and, finally, in 2014, you guys wake up and give the Golf the Alltrack treatment.

Don’t tell anyone, but we think this is pretty cool and are sheepishly standing in that group we just called the stupid public. It’s a euro Estate, so that’s a tick and with its pleasing styling and extra practicality this would make a very useful addition to any family-friendly car fleet.

Put it this way, we reckon it’s a better option than a Tiguan. And it looks a fair bit nicer than the plain Jane Variant model on which it is based.

The Golf Alltrack has “up to 20mm” more ground clearance and 4motion all-wheel drive to enhance its modest off-r0ad capabilities. Sure it’s never going to rival a proper four-wheel drive, but nobody is claiming that.

When it hits European showrooms in Q2 2015 the baby Alltrack will have four engine options to choose from. There’s a 132kW/280Nm 1.8 litre petrol engine and three TDI engines: 81kW/250Nm 1.6 TDI, 110kW/340Nm 2.0 TDI and 135kW/380Nm.

There’s no word yet from Volkswagen Australia to confirm they will be bringing the Golf Alltrack down under, but they’d be mad not to. A model like this would sell pretty well, don’t you think?

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Citroen Ford Hyundai Video Volkswagen WRC

2014 Rally Australia video highlights

2014 Rally Australia video highlights

If you missed any of the TV footage from Rally Australia fear not, because here’s just under four minutes of all the best bits. Follow this link to the Best of Rally Live YouTube account if you’d like to see more.

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Motorsports Video Volkswagen

An inside look at the Volkswagen GRC Beetle

Volkswagen GRC Beetle

The Volkswagen GRC Beetle will make its Rallycross debut this weekend. Drift maestro Tanner Foust, who will race the GRC Beetle, has already given us a teaser, and now it’s the official trailer from Volkswagen.

It’s a pretty mad car and while we’re yet to really sink our teeth into Rallycross, it looks like a stack of fun!

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Volkswagen

Volkswagen updates 6R Polo GTI

2015 Volkswagen Polo GTI

Volkswagen has given us a pictorial update for its facelifted Polo GTI. We already think it’s the little hot hatch that could, but it’s now even better; for two reasons: 1. it has more power, and 2. you can buy it with a proper 6-speed manual gearbox!

Power is only up by 9kW to a new peak of 141kW but it has been achieved by ditching the technical and sometimes troublesome 1.4 litre twincharged engine for a 1.8 litre turbo unit usually seen in the Audi range.

Details for the new Polo GTI are thin on the ground at the moment but we know torque has also been given a boost and it’s now up to 320Nm, a pretty healthy nudge from the previous model’s 250Nm.

It’s okay, Playstation nerds can still get their fix through the option of a 7-speed DSG transmission, but the fact the Pogo is now available with a proper manual box is a great score for trad hot hatch fans.

We’re expecting full details once the Paris Motor Show is underway and we’ll update you when we can. Meanwhile there’s a few more pics for you after the break. It’s always been a nice looking car the 6R Polo, and this facelifted GTI is perhaps the best looking iteration yet.