Volkswagen is throwing their hat into the rally game for 2013. Today they announced that their multi-surface weapon of choice will be the new Polo R. Volkswagen will drop a 300HP 1.6 liter engine into the the all-wheel-drive Polo R. Now that they have officially put the world on notice and have the specs of their car sorted out all they need is a driver to make it all worthwhile. Although at this point in the game it is too early for them to make any announcements but you can be sure they are on the look out for talent.
In our last Super Bowl XLV commercial post we take a look at the Volkswagen ads. By now you’ve probably heard plenty about both of them but just in case you haven’t check them out below.
Volkswagen commercial 1: Black Beetle
In this spot Volkswagen takes a very literal approach to the upcoming new Beetle.
What do I think? FRESH
Why? It is hard to find something more awesome than an insect drifting through the forrest!
Volkswagen commercial 2: The Force
If you haven’t seen this commercial yet then you haven’t been in the country for the last week or so because it has been everywhere! In this spot a mini Darth Vader is struggling to develop his force powers. Just when he feels all hope is lost he has one more encounter that reassures the fact that the force is strong in him..
What do I think? FRESH x2
Why? This spot covers all the bases. Women think it’s cute, men think it’s hilarious, and Star Wars nerds think it’s epic. It is all win! Plus the kid’s performance is on point! Volkswagen managed to make an impression on millions of people without going for a massive big budget production for this commercial. I mean that literally too. This commercial already has over 18 million views on YouTube! 18 million! That isn’t even counting the millions of people who watched it on television Super Bowl Sunday. Other OEM’s should be taking notes!
This is the latest for the Golf VI GTi from German tuner JE Design. They actually created a full tuning program but the part that sticks out to me is the aero package they developed. It reminds me a lot of the special concept golf that Volkswagen built with the rear-mounted W12 engine!
I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned anything cool for the Golf GTi (AKA The Anti-Civic) since this site launched! Shame on me! Well that ends now as I show off this front lip treatment for the GTi from ABT Tuning. I think this setup looks pretty fresh and you can also add the option of a carbon fiber splitter as seen in the pic. If you’re rockin’ a GTi and this catches your fancy, hit up GGI Tuning to place an order.
Here is a new design from Work Wheels for ’09. This wheel, dubbed the Gnosis GS-3 seems to be targeted toward European cars. The angular design of the spokes and the display of the rivets seem to scream “put me on a BMW!” Work Wheels seems to really be thinking outside of their usual box lately.
Every year during the LA Auto Show a contest is held for transportation design students and other artists to create a future concept around a given theme. Usually its something boring like “urban living” or “mobile entertainment.” This year its finally getting exciting as this time around the theme is racing. The task for the contestants is to design cars for the 2025 race season. So far my favorite is from the Audi of America Design center. They’re concept dubbed the “Audi R25″ is a LeMan’s inspired work and it looks fresh! It reminds me of Ridge Racer from back in the day. If you want to see the rest of the entrant’s design pieces then check out the LA Auto Show later this month.
Press Release:
LOS ANGELES – Oct. 20, 2008 – Today’s race cars have ground-breaking technology to improve speed, power, performance and safety but what a difference 17 years into the future can make. Imagine race cars that go beyond the expectations and challenges of racing today, such as never needing to stop for re-fueling or collision avoidance assistance technology for enhanced safety.
Nine of Southern California’s automotive design studios did just that, predicting how auto racing will change by the year 2025. The designs are part of the fifth annual Los Angeles Auto Show’s Design Challenge, where studios including Audi, BMW, GM, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen are pitted against each other to showcase their talents and further explore new ideas in automotive design.
“Automotive designers have always been fascinated with Motor Sports and this year’s Design Challenge has provided them with the opportunity to use their creative talent to look at these cars with new eyes, using innovative technologies and approaches,” said Chuck Pelly, director of Design Los Angeles and partner in The Design Academy, Inc. “This adds to the excitement, interest and personal involvement in the sport that has thrilled people of all ages for many years…and many more years to come.”
Entries in this year’s Motor Sports 2025 Design Challenge include:
Audi of America Design Center California: The Audi R25 incorporates innovative features such as high-velocity banks and tunnels, which allow cars to race “inverted” and the opportunity to pass anywhere with aerodynamic racecars.
BMW Group DesignworksUSA: The BMW Hydrogen Powered Salt Flat Racer reuses existing, ordinary and mundane materials such as old oil barrels and BBQ lids to whimsical and sustainable by employing goldfish as “co-pilots” to ensure that the vehicle is running clean emissions.
General Motors Advanced Design: The GM Chaparral Volt collects and generates its own energy from three different clean, renewable and abundant California resources: Earth, Wind and Fire to create an entirely new category of racing – the eco-triathlon.
Honda Research and Development, North America: The Great Race 2025′s sonar/echolocation sensors are able to detect changes in speed, terrain, and altitude, allowing it to switch to any configuration to circumnavigate the globe in 24 hours on land through the U.S., by sea through Asia and by air over Europe.
Mazda R&D of North America: The MAZDA KAAN is an electric race car that has a patented electronic tire system to reach 250 mph with no harmful emissions. The vehicles are piloted by individual drivers but teams are made up of thirty cars, all on the track together.
Mitsubishi Research & Design of North America: The MMR25‘s multi-terrain, omnidirectional wheels consist of eight independently-controlled motors, allowing for “8 x 4″ wheel drive so that the car can be driven forward while pointing in any direction.
Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design of North America: Luxury racing arrives in the Formula Zero Racer by incorporating the thrill of Formula One, the track dynamics of the bobsled or luge, and the grace and efficiency of yacht racing.
Toyota’s Calty Design Research: The Toyota Le Mans Racer is the ultimate race car that never needs to stop. Powered by highly efficient hydrogen fuel cell electric motors, each of its body panels is embedded with photovoltaic panels to supply electricity when extra energy is needed.
Volkswagen of America Design Center: In the Bio Runner, the rider is positioned inside a protective cage on a motorcycle-like saddle with controls attached to the hands and feet. These controls manipulate all wheels via synthetic muscle-based suspension which offers unparalleled control and traction.
Entries will be judged by Tom Matano of San Francisco’s Academy of Art University, Imre Molner of Detroit’s College for Creative Studies and Stewart Reed of Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design. Daniel Simon, an established car designer and founder of Cosmic Motors, is the special guest judge this year. Simon began his design career at Volkswagen and recently published his first book: Cosmic Motors-Spaceships, Cars and Pilots of Another Galaxy.
The winning design will be announced at the Design Los Angeles conference Nov. 20 at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
About the Design Challenge
The Design Challenge is part of the Design Los Angeles automobile designers’ conference that has evolved into an integral element of the Los Angeles Auto Show. Entering its fifth year, Design Los Angeles provides designers with leading design speakers and the opportunity to address common issues. More than 500 designers attended last year’s event.
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