VW Das Auto Magazine

sPriNg // summEr 2010

BrAND ProgrEssioN

Deutsch LA joins Volkswagen in its brand evolution

A New Era of Design Inside the NCC concept and VW’s new design philosophy

Where the Future Lives Volkswagen’s top-secret Electronics Research Laboratory predicts the future

prime time // 25

spring // summer 2010

TECHNOLOGY // 6 electronics research Laboratory

BUZZ // 10 Concept Vehicles Social Studies Awards

HOw-TO // 14 DiGiTs // 16 sCENE // 18 New Beetle Final edition

MOTOrspOrTs // 19 Jetta tDi Cup

OwNErs // 20 Get Your r On Winner’s Circle

LasT LOOk // 68 30 Years of the Jetta in America

FEaTUrEs prime time // 25 BehiND the LiNeS // 30 eVOLutiON OF tOuAreG // 38 ChAttANOOGA // 40 WOLFSBurG–the FACtOrY // 43 BiG GOALS // 45 DieSeL iN the DeSert // 48 SuDDeN impACt // 54 tiGuAN iN AuStiN // 56 DriVerGeAr // 62

Dear Volkswagen Owner, This year, the Volkswagen brand continues to gain momentum in North America as we take our brand to new levels. As we begin this evolution of our brand in the U.S., we’re putting an even greater focus on offering products that are tailored to our customers’ needs. You’ll find evidence of this progress as you read the stories in this issue.

We’re especially excited about welcoming Deutsch LA as our advertising agency for Volkswagen in the United States. Deutsch will play a key role in communicating our message. We are fortunate to be an iconic brand and understand how precious it is.

Therefore, as we lead our brand’s evolution, we’re committed to staying true to its core.

Read more about this new partnership and the latest advertising campaign, That’s Das Auto, in this issue.

That’s Das Auto will illuminate all the unique features that make Volkswagen models such definitive cars. And since design plays such a significant role in every Volkswagen model, we’ll share an interview with Klaus Bischoff, Director of Volkswagen Design, who articulates Volkswagen’s new design philosophy and how it translates to our current and future vehicles.

Design is just one dimension we’re continually pushing in order to develop vehicles that meet your needs and desires. At our Electronics Research Laboratory in the heart of Silicon Valley, our teams of leading-edge engineers, designers and even psychologists are working tirelessly to harness relevant technologies for integration in current Volkswagen models, as well as predicting what’s next.

Then, from California, we’ll take you across the desert to Tucson, Arizona, to go bicycling with one of our contributors who drove the 2010 Jetta SportWagen TDI® clean diesel on an exciting road trip that put this vehicle to the test. We’ll tell you about the adventure and what it was like pedaling and driving the Arizona desert.

And like the efficiency of a TDI clean diesel engine, our Chattanooga factory is being built to provide environmentally conscious manufacturing. We’re applying the most advanced technologies available as well as the proven processes used in Volkswagen factories around the world to the Chattanooga facility, which is on track to begin vehicle production in 2011.

My desire is that as you read these pages, you get a real sense of these exciting developments with our brand and the big part you play in it. After you’re done reading this issue, I encourage you to share us with family and friends. And, as always, we invite you to keep us in the loop by sharing your Volkswagen stories with us by emailing editor@dasautomagazine.com.

Now, enjoy this issue of Das Auto Magazine as you enjoy your own Volkswagen ownership experience.

Sincerely,

Stefan Jacoby President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America

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Expert care for your Volkswagen model Volkswagen’s expert technicians are professionally trained and ready to keep your Volkswagen model in top shape this summer. Your Volkswagen dealership has exclusive tools and diagnostic equipment designed specifically to care for your German-engineered vehicle. And remember, genuine Volkswagen parts and accessories are designed to work in harmony with your vehicle’s components and are available at your Volkswagen dealership. Stop by or contact your local Volkswagen dealership today. A staff of skilled service technicians committed to providing expert care for your Volkswagen model is ready to assist you. vw.com 1-800-DriVe VW

Adam Barker grew up in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, which just might have something to do with his superior talent for capturing inspiring landscapes and dramatic lifestyle and adventure images. His work has appeared in Skiing ® magazine, Mountain Sports + Living Magazine® and Elevation Outdoors®.

For this issue, Adam photographed the 2010 Jetta SportWagen TDI®® clean diesel in the Arizona desert. See page 48.

puBLiSher// Volkswagen of America, Inc. eDitOrS iN ChieF// Tim Ellis, Michael Sachs, Bianca Whittemore

eDitOriAL StAFF// Tamzen Meyer Grimes, Jeremy Pettet, Cathy Schannen

prODuCt AND BrAND CONSuLtANtS// Clark Campbell, Brian Chee, Ben Freidson, Robert Gal, Maria Garcia, Amy Gushman, John Ryan, Jeffrey Sayen, Charlie Taylor, Brian Thomas, Andres Valbuena, Mya Walters, Eric Wilson

DeSiGN StAFF// Daniel Dombek, Marcus McMillen, Matthew Plett, Drew Wallace

prODuCtiON mANAGer// Jim Baum Brian Fiske is a contributing writer for Bicycling ® magazine and contributing editor at Mountain Bike® magazine. He’s been an avid mountain biker for 20 years and has competed in 24-hour races, downhill events and a 100-mile race along the Iditarod Trail in Alaska. He took on the challenges of two esteemed trails in Tucson, Arizona, during a road trip with the Jetta SportWagen TDI® clean diesel for Das Auto Magazine.

Michael Hoinski’s writing has appeared in Rolling Stone®, The New York Times® and The Village Voice®.

When he’s not writing, he works as a culture and arts education specialist for the O. Henry Museum.

Michael lives in Austin, Texas, and is well-connected with the city’s rich music scene. Read his story “Tiguan Turns Up the Volume in Austin” on page 56.

WritiNG StAFF// James Buck, Byron Copley, Kevin Erb, Brian Fiske, Michael Hoinski, Renee Wright phOtOGrAphY// Adam Barker, Tom Galliher, Ray Lego, Andrew McAllister, Bo Streeter, Craig Washburn

SpeCiAL thANkS tO// + + + + + +

Chapman Volkswagen of Tucson, AZ Charles Maund Volkswagen of Austin, TX Dave Walter Volkswagen of Akron, OH Long Center for the Performing Arts of Austin, TX Stokes Volkswagen of North Charleston, SC Vorderman Volkswagen of Fort Wayne, IN

Das Auto Magazine is an owner publication of Volkswagen of America, Inc. Send your old and new addresses to volktalk@vw.com, mail them to Das Auto Magazine, P.O. Box 214378, Auburn Hills, MI, 48321, or call 1-800 DRIVE VW. Send editorial correspondence specific to this publication to Das Auto Magazine, 609 E. Cook Rd., Fort Wayne, IN 46825, or email to editor@ dasautomagazine.com. General questions or comments concerning your Volkswagen model should be directed to 1-800 DRIVE VW or volktalk@ vw.com. For subscription information, please call 1-800 DRIVE VW. All contents © 2010 Volkswagen of America, Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without the express written consent of the publishers.

Printed in USA by RR Donnelley, 111 South Wacker, Chicago, IL 60606. editor@dasautomagazine.com • visit vw.com 1-800 DRIVE VW

Ray Lego’s commercial and fine art skills are known the world over and have appeared in Vanity Fair ®, Rolling Stone and New York Times Magazine®.

SM His clients include Nike®, ESPN, MTV® and Visa®.

Ray describes his camera as “just another weapon in my arsenal.” See Ray’s work in our stories “Prime Time” and “Momentous Innovation.” He also photographed one of our featured owners, Ramesh Manghirmalani.

Craig Washburn is an Austin, Texas-based, internationally published photographer. For this issue, he captured the 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan amid some of the most popular music stops in Austin.

He describes himself as a photographer of people, places and people in places. When he’s not shooting, Craig enjoys pursuing culinary interests and traveling.

“Volkswagen,” the Volkswagen logo, all model names, “R-Line,” “DSG,” “4MOTION,” “4XMOTION,” “Climatronic,” “Das Auto” and “TDI” are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG. “Joy Box” and “Jetta TDI Cup” are trademarks of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. “TFSI” and “FSI” are registered trademarks of Audi AG. “Austin City Limits” is a service mark of the Capital of Texas Public Telecommunications Council. “AutoWeek” is a registered trademark of Crain Communications, Inc. “Bicycling” is a registered trademark of Rodale Press, Inc. “Bluetooth” is a registered trademark of Bluetooth Sig, Inc. “CamelBak” is a registered trademark of Fastrack Systems, Inc. “Clif Bar” and “Luna” are registered trademarks of Clif Bar & Co. Corporation. “Dynaudio” is a registered trademark of Firma Kommanditgesellschaft Dynaudio. “Elevation Outdoors” is a registered trademark of Summit Publishing LLC. “ESPN” is a service mark of Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, Inc. “Facebook” is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc. “FANUC” is a registered trademark of FANUC Ltd. Corporation. “Garmin” is a registered trademark of Garmin Corporation. “Google” is a registered trademark of Google, Inc. “iPhone,” “iPod,” “iPod Touch” and “iTunes” are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc. “MLS” is a service mark of Major League Soccer, LLC. “MotionX” is a trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. “Mountain Bike” is a registered trademark of Rodale Press, Inc. “Mountain Sports + Living Magazine” is a registered trademark of High Country Media LLC. “Motor Trend” is a registered trademark of Petersen Publishing, LLC. “MTV” is a registered trademark of MTV Networks, Inc. “Nascar” is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. “Nature Valley” is a registered trademark of General Mills, Inc. “Nike” is a registered trademark of Nike, Inc. “Nimak” is a registered trademark of Nimak GmbH. “Oakley” is a registered trademark of Oakley, Inc. “Packard” is a registered trademark of Packard Motor Car Company. “PBS” is a service mark of the Public Broadcasting Service Corporation. “Ray-Ban” is a registered trademark of Bausch & Lomb Optical. “Rolling Stone” is a registered trademark of Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. “Skiing” is a registered trademark of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. “Sprint” is a registered trademark of US Sprint Communications Company. “The New York Times” and “The New York Times Magazine” are registered trademarks of The New York Times Company. “The Village Voice” is a registered trademark of The Village Voice, Inc. “Total Value Index” is a trademark of Darrel Edwards Inc. “Twitter” is a service mark of Twitter, Inc. “Vanity Fair” is a registered trademark of Condé Nast Publications, Inc. “Visa” is a registered trademark of Visa, Inc. “YouTube” is a registered trademark of Google, Inc.

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TECHNOLOGY

MOMENTOUS INNOvATION volkswagen generates technology for now and the future

Traversing I-77 South. 3:00 a.m. Near Charleston, West Virginia. A Volkswagen vehicle of the future travels on this section of highway that is all curves and five-percent grades, moving a family of four on a 770-mile journey from Detroit to Charlotte. ETA, approximately 7:30 a.m. The glass is dimmed to a dark tint that filters any artificial light. A semi-subliminal soundtrack of gentle rain streaming from cyberspace loops in the cabin to help keep the young family of four in a subconscious theta state of mind—relaxed, dreamlike.

In other words, everyone is asleep, while the vehicle drives autonomously.

This won’t happen tomorrow, or even 10 years from now, but in a generation or two it just might. If the people of Volkswagen’s Electronic Research Laboratory—or ERL—of Palo Alto, California, were kings of the planet, everyone would own a Volkswagen model that drives itself when necessary, as well as perform many other tasks, while retaining the inherent thrill of driving a Volkswagen.

“The intelligent vehicle of the future, empowered by the dynamic information it receives and transmits, will make the driving experience safer, more enjoyable, more convenient and more comfortable,” says ERL team leader Chuhee Lee. Ultimately, says Lee, the goal is to make the average vehicle “fully interactive with the occupants, other vehicles and with the outside world.”

The ERL is a company of extremely bright and entrepreneurial-minded engineers, psychologists, designers and assorted businesspeople who

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ERL organizes its 50-or-so employees into five interdependent teams, each with specific roles in the path that an innovation travels, from initial inspiration to vehicle readiness.

The Connected Vehicle team “uses wireless networks and remote Web-based computing to develop safer, more intelligent automobiles.”

We want to improve driver consciousness and help them visualize all the benefits of changing their driving behaviors that result in a safer, more environmentally conscious vehicle.”

Team Leader: Chuhee Lee

The Driver Assistance team believes that an “automobile should be the expression of the driver’s will.”

It develops solutions that promote safer and convenient driving.

collaborate to create technological products for present and future Volkswagen vehicles. It works closely with Volkswagen AG’s research center in Wolfsburg to adapt new ideas to the North American market. The ERL also partners with several world-class American engineering universities, including Stanford, the University of California-Berkeley and MIT, on many of its own innovations.

“There are two kinds of engineers,” says Martin Eberhard, founder and former CEO of Tesla Motors and ERL employee. “Those who envision an idea and will do anything to make it real and those who see every step through to make sure it’s going to work. The right mix of both kinds is magical.”

This diverse group collectively represents 14 countries and speaks 12 languages.

“We value the actual Silicon Valley spirit,” says Lee. “We are a group of risk-taking people who are not afraid of bringing new ideas to the marketplace.

Anyone at the ERL can propose an idea.”

And they do. Imagine a Volkswagen vehicle that tracks eye movement to detect driver drowsiness and intervenes

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TECHNOLOGY

Our job is to reduce the distractions of operating a vehicle’s media and technologybased systems.”

Team Leader: Brian Lathrop

to alert the driver to take a break. Or a vehicle that links driver eye contact to a navigation destination icon or a phone number on a touch screen, and has a speech recognition system on a sophistication level far greater than today. It is intuitive and adaptive technology rather than programmed to react to pre-determined voice commands.

“You could say ‘navigate’ or ‘phone number,’ and the vehicle would plot a course or dial a number based on what the driver was looking at,” says Brian Lathrop, team leader of the ERL Human Machine Interface group.

Everything mentioned up to now is on the table in some stage of development, as is technology of downloading a picture of a building into the navigation system and sending it to a friend’s vehicle with the instructions, “meet me here.” And the vehicle will recognize the picture and direct the driver to it.

“The next generation of Picture Navigation could include features that I can’t talk about right now,” says ERL director Burkhard Huhnke.

Today, though, you can see and experience the influence of the ERL in your own Volkswagen vehicle. The ERL was integral in the development and testing of the RNS 510 navigation system

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that’s available in the CC, Touareg, Jetta and Jetta SportWagen models and is in the process of perfecting the RNS 315 upgrade, which is on its way.

“We have to adjust to the new challenges of the electronic age,” says Huhnke. “Approximately 70 percent of the innovations in all current and future vehicles are related to electronics and software releases. That is our motivation to grow and generate new ideas.”

Research and imagination are the long suit of the ERL. It has already produced the driverless Volkswagen Passat called “Junior” that safely and successfully navigated a 60-mile course in an urban setting in less than four hours. A promising beginning toward making our imagined opening scenario a reality.

“The next generation of autonomous driving is possible,” says Bernhard Mueller, team leader, Driver Assistance Programs.

“We’ve been working on mobility and safety applications where cars can talk to each other and to traffic signals,” says Lee. With the ERL, virtually anything is possible. But is it probable? It’s the job of Technical Strategy Manager Frank Weith to help answer that question.

“The ERL is the ‘crystal ball’ that imagines where technology is evolving,” says Weith. “But there’s the reality of what suppliers are willing to invest in technology that Volkswagen wants to introduce and, ultimately, will the customer pay for it?”

Will customers want a vehicle that drives itself? Perhaps. We will know the answer when we see one on the road.

Eberhard sums it all up. “Technology moves when you make something.”

The Human Machine Interface team “narrows the gap between the car and the driver” and makes vehicle technology easier and more intuitive to operate.

An automobile should be the expression of the driver’s will.”

Team Leader: Bernhard Mueller

TEam LEadEr: HoLgER HEEs

TEam LEadEr: BRIAN LATHRop

The Test Concepts and Validation team assures that whatever is invented works properly and makes sense to the North American customer.

“Volkswagen is considering the incorporation of touch-pad technology in its vehicles, and we look at how it affects the driving experience.”

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MILES AHEAD

Volkswagen explores the future of driving What will driving be like in the future? Volkswagen engineers, designers and trend researchers are jointly developing an array of exciting answers to this question. In their vision of the future, vehicles may communicate with traffic lights, lasers may help warn of road hazards, and your car might be able to drive itself in some situations.

E-UP! concept The all-electric E-Up! vehicle offers a range of 80 miles and a full recharge in less than five hours. Solar panels on the roof and the sun visors help charge the car’s electrical system.

ROOM concept

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Designed for families, the ROOM concept vehicle contains a driving assistance system, intelligent traffic management systems and expanded navigation software. The car positions itself automatically in traffic, plans lane and speed changes jointly with other road users and brakes in emergencies.

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5 VW UP!® LITE concept The Up! Lite concept is the world’s most fuel-efficient four-seat vehicle, achieving 70 mpg/highway. This amazing efficiency is realized with a hybrid drive consisting of a newly developed two-cylinder TDI® clean diesel engine, an electric motor, a 7-speed DSG® gearbox and an outstanding drag coefficient of 0.237. The three-door concept is based on the future New Small Family, a new model series from Volkswagen.

ON(E) concept

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Tired of traffic jams? An urban vehicle for personal mobility, Volkswagen’s futuristic On(e) concept uses a wireless adhoc network to connect with other cars and exchange traffic information with other drivers and traffic control centers.

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L1 concept The world’s first one-liter car, the L1 sips only one liter (0.26 gallons) of fuel to travel 62 miles. The driver and passenger sit behind each other in the high-tech vehicle, which minimizes driving resistance through lightweight construction, excellent aerodynamics, new tires and chassis parts.

EGO concept

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With an eye toward the year 2028, the Volkswagen Ego is a two-seat concept vehicle with an all-electric power source. Inside, it’s outfitted with a highly sophisticated system of lasers, ultrasound and cameras that can warn of upcoming hazards—and a cruise control so advanced you can actually turn control over to the car in certain circumstances.

NCC concept The New Compact Coupe is a hybrid-drive vehicle with sports appeal and crisp styling that offers a combined 45 mpg. A four-cylinder version of Volkswagen’s TSI® engine offers 150 hp and is combined with a 27-hp electric motor and an ef f icient 7-speed DSG® gearbox. With plenty of zip, the car can go from 0-60 mph in 8.1 seconds.

Visit dasautomagazine.com/ncc for photos and further information.

BUZZ

SOcIAL STUDIES

Vw w engages its enthusiastic owner base with a new social media campaign Sluggy Patterson was social media before there was social media. You remember the game of punching someone in the arm anytime you saw a Volkswagen vehicle? People had different names for it—Punch Bug, Punch Buggy or some variation thereof—but the premise was the same. See a VW, call it out, slug a friend. Well, that game was Sluggy’s thing. He started it 50 years ago, just he and a friend in a car. And from that first historic punch, Sluggy’s game spread like crazy, bringing joy and fun (and yes, a little pain) to people around the world. In other words, Sluggy went viral before there was such a thing.

Join in.

www.youtube.com/user/volkswagen

www.twitter.com/VWJettaTDICup

www.vw.com/sluggy

www.twitter.com/sluggypatterson

www.twitter.com/Volkswagen

www.facebook.com/VW

Connect with VW and its fans at some of its social media sites, listed below

http://sluggy.posterous.com

S o w h e n Vo l k swagen kicked off its latest big push into the world of social media at the beginning of this year, who better to carry the flag than the man who was making memes long before LOLcats and Failblog came around? Who better than Sluggy?

No one, that’s who. So at the same time Sluggy was getting some airtime in Volkswagen’s new TV campaign, he was all over the social sphere, connecting with VW enthusiasts and PunchBug fans through Twitter,SM Facebook ® and YouTube.® Sluggy helped bring this great new campaign to life, creating conversations with VW fans around the country.

“As a brand, we’re fortunate to have such a built-in base of enthusiastic fans and advocates,” says Brian Chee, Digital Marketing Manager at Volkswagen of America, Inc. Slugg y’s social media presence is a perfect example of how Volkswagen makes an effort to be where its owners are—real time.

“AS A brAND, wE’rE fOrTUNATE TO HAVE SUcH A bUILT-IN bASE Of ENTHUSIASTIc fANS & ADVOcATES.”

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BUZZ

brAGGING rIGhTS The Volkswagen momentum continues in 2010 with these noteworthy distinctions.

IIhS NAMES 2010 TOp SAfETY pICkS: JETTA, GOlf, pASSAT & TIGUAN

VW’S OUTrANk COMpETITION IN TOTAl VAlUE INDEx

GTI INClUDED IN CAr AND DrIVEr’S 2010 10bEST CArS

The 2010 GTI was recognized with Car and Driver’s 10Best Car award in 2010.

For the 28th running of the annual 10Best competition, test-drivers logged more than 12,000 miles driving 58 cars under $80K. The testers evaluated them for multiple criteria, including performance, ride, value and how much fun each was to drive.

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Five Volkswagen vehicles received top ratings from buyers in Strategic Vision’s 2009 Total Value Index™ (TVI). The Jetta and Passat tied for first place in the medium car category; the Jetta SportWagen took top honors in the medium multi-function group; the Tiguan was first among small SUVs, and the CC not only topped the larger car segment, but also received the highest TVI score of any vehicle in the running for this year.

The TVI was calculated from 48,228 buyers who purchased a 2009 model-year vehicle between September 2008 and March 2009. It starts with clear statements made by owners about value, then incorporates the importance of the variables that make up the entire ownership experience and determines the vehicles’ worth of the attributes compared against the cost involved.

TIGUAN AND rOUTAN NAMED “bEST CAr bUYS”

T h e 20 1 0 Vo l k s w a g e n Tiguan and Routan were both named to NADAguides.com’s list of the “Best Car Buys” for 2010. This recognition comes after in-depth research and testing conducted by the NADAguides.com Market/ Data Analysts (MDAs), who rated vehicles in terms of fuel efficiency, warranty coverage, safety and depreciation. The Tiguan stood strong among a growing collection of competitors in the “Top Crossovers” group and sets “a new bar for what it means to be a cool crossover,” according to NADAguides.com. In the “Top Vans” category, the MDAs from NADAguides.com declared the Routan is “full of amenities and fun to drive.”

Fo u r 20 1 0 Vo l k s w a g e n models have been named To p S a fe t y P i cks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a nonprofit research organization.* Among the vehicles earning the highest possible rating were the Jetta sedan, new Golf four-door, the Passat sedan and the Tiguan.

The annual award recognizes vehicles that perform best in protecting passengers in front, side and rear crash-test evaluations. For the first time, good performance in a roof strength test to measure protection in a rollover was also included.

“Top Safety Picks are the vehicles on the top rung for safety,” said IIHS president Adrian Lund. “These Volkswagen models are in an elite group that afford the best protection in the most common kinds of crashes and have electronic stability control to keep drivers out of many crashes altogether.”

* “Top Safety Pick” based on 31 mph side-impact crash test, 40 mph frontal-offset crash test, 20 mph rear-impact test, roof strength testing, and the availability of ESC. Test performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. For details, visit iihs.org. See vw.com for more information on safety features.

AUTOWEEk® NAMES VW NCC “bEST CONCEpT”

GTI NAMED AUTOMObIlE Of ThE YEAr

If you sensed a bit of déjà vu when the all-new sixthgeneration GTI was recently named AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s Automobile of the Year, you’re not imagining things.

In fact, the GTI also won this award in 2007–the only make and model to win this top honor twice in the magazine’s 20-year history.

“At a time when the world’s economy is in shambles and fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are on everyone’s minds, there remains only one car that ticks all the enthusiast boxes without setting off a single wretched-excess alarm,” wrote Joe DeMatio, AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s Deputy Editor. “That’s the Volkswagen GTI, and that’s why it is, once again, AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s Automobile of the Year.”

CC AND JETTA AMONG EDMUNDS.COM’S TOp VEhIClE pICkS When Edmunds.com, a leading online resource for automotive information, released its “Top Recommended” vehicles for 2010, two Volkswagen vehicles were included in the list. The Volkswagen Jetta was named in three categories: Sedans Under $25,000, Wagons Under $20,000 and Diesels. The CC, Volkswagen’s stylish new sedan, was chosen in the Sedans Under $30,000 category.

**30 city/42 highway (2010 Golf 2.0L TDI clean diesel, auto. trans.). EPA estimates. Your mileage will vary.

The New Compact Coupe (NCC) Hybrid, Volkswagen’s latest alternative-fuel, powertrain concept, attracted more than its share of attention at the 2010 North American International Auto Show, held in January in Detroit. With its advanced TSI® gasoline-electric full hybrid system, fresh styling and a Grand Touring-style interior, the NCC combines excellent design and a dynamic driving experience.

No wonder, then, that the NCC scooped up the “Best Co n c e p t ” E d i to r ’ s C h o i c e award from the AutoWeek Design Forum at the show.

“There are many worthy concepts at the 2010 NAIAS,” said Wes Raynal, editor of AutoWeek. “In the end, the Volkswagen New Compact Coupe takes the top concept award.

We were struck with how finished the car looks considering it is a concept. That it is a hybrid is a bonus.”

VW’S TDI ENGINE AMONG 2010 TEN bEST ENGINES

Volkswagen’s 2.0-liter fourcylinder TDI ® clean diesel e n g i n e w a s s e lected by Ward’s Automotive Group as one of the “10 Best Engines” for 2010. The 2.0L TDI is compliant with the stringent Tier 2, Bin 5/ULEV II emission standards and is available in the new sixthgeneration Golf, the Jetta and the Jetta SportWagen. The smooth engine offers an EPAestimated fuel mileage in the low 30-mpg range with city driving and the low 40-mpg range during highway conditions.**

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hoW to

PrEPArE FOr A bIkE TrIP FOr yOUr bIkE tune-up: Make an appointment to have the mechanic at a local bike shop give your bike the once-over—dialing in the shifting (replacing worn cables and housing, if necessary), checking brake pads and tires, tightening any loose bolts, etc. Do this far enough in advance that you can ride at least twice before the trip to test any fixes. repair kit: Bring a spare tube and a patch kit for flat tires, as well as tire levers and a mini-pump for re-inflating the tire on the trail (leave a floor pump in the car for pre-ride pressure checks).

If you don’t know how to change a flat, ask the mechanic at the shop to teach you. Beyond that, carry a mini-tool or a set of Allen wrenches and know how to use them. Use a hydration pack, like a CamelBak®, so you can keep your necessities—including water—together.

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aCCessories shoWn beloW + Rear Cargo Mat + Cargo Organizer Blocks + Eco Water Bottle + Safety Kit

get your vehiCle ready For summer + Change the engine oil and filter if needed. Use Volkswagen’s recommended oil type for your vehicle. + Inspect cooling system hoses for leaks and drive belts for cracks. + Inspect the air filter. + Inspect the cabin dust and pollen filter, if applicable. + Clean and lubricate convertible top seals, if applicable, to prevent squeaks. + Check the paint for chips and cracks and touch up or repair as needed to prevent rust. + Antifreeze fluid should be checked and changed based on your Volkswagen model’s maintenance schedule. + Have antifreeze tested. It prevents coolant from boiling in the summer. + Remove and store winter tires, if applicable.

FOr yOUr bODy

FOr yOUr SAFETy

+ Check tire pressure. Temperature changes can affect it. Having the proper tire pressure helps maximize your gas mileage and save wear and tear on your tires.

helmet: Don’t even think about riding without one.

Cell phone: Carry it in your CamelBak for emergencies.

+ Check the summer tires for wear or cracks in the sidewalls, if applicable.

Food: A must for rides longer than 90 minutes.

Bonus: Energy bars actually taste good when you’re on the trail. Three all-natural favorites: Clif Bars®, Luna Bars® and Nature Valley® granola bars (the crunch can be refreshing).

Water: Carry (and drink!) at least 12 ounces of water for each hour you’ll be riding.

Clothing: Bike shorts, a jersey, bike shoes and gloves will all improve your comfort, as will clean, loose-fitting clothes for after the ride. (A beach towel, baby wipes, a washcloth and extra water help with the post-ride cleanup.)

map: Ideally, your trail map will show nearby roads, as well as the trail. For a higher-tech fix, check out the Motion-X™ GPS (motionx.com) or Trails-GPS Tracker (trails.lamouroux.de) apps for your iPhone®, both of which let you record your ride in detail—and can help you retrace your steps should you get lost, too.

Friend: If nobody is traveling with you, contact a shop at your destination and ask about group rides or if a member of a local bike club could show you around. You can always Google™ “bike club” and the town you’re visiting to find people to contact—most will respond to the chance to help an out-of-towner.

First-aid kit: Carry some adhesive bandages, gauze pads and tape in your pack—in case you get tripped up by a stray rock…or come across someone who beat you to it. The phone number and address of a hospital at your destination won’t hurt, either.

+ Clean your windows, inside and out, to help increase visibility. + Wash your vehicle by hand to thoroughly clean it and remove debris collected from winter driving. + Spray the salt and dirt out of your wheel wells (a favorite hiding spot for rust). + Wax your vehicle to enhance and help protect the paint. + Check the windshield for stone chips or cracks. It often isn’t necessary to replace the entire windshield, just repair the chips. + Replace worn wiper blades. + Check your vehicle’s exterior lights for proper operation.

See your local Volkswagen dealer, who can assist you with all these important vehicle care tips.

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DIGITS

decades 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

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1949 The first two Beetle vehicles are shipped overseas from the Netherlands to the U.S.

1955

1959

1962

Volkswagen of America, Inc., is incorporated.

Volkswagen’s famous “Think Small” ad, developed by Doyle Dane Bernbach, is launched.

One millionth Volkswagen model for the American market arrives in the U.S.

1963

1966

1,000,000

The Volkswagen transportation ship “Johann Schulte” leaves the shipyard.

The U.S. welcomed the Volkswagen Squareback and Fastback models.

1967

1968

All vehicles are fitted with a new energy-absorbing steering column and dual-circuit brakes.

The two-millionth Transporter leaves Hanover.

1971

1973

1974

First model year of the 411 in the U.S. The five-millionth Volkswagen model is exported to the U.S.

The Passat is launched with front-wheel drive and a fourcylinder in-line engine.

Start of production of the Golf.

1979 Vanagon is introduced in the U.S.

1978

1975

1976

First model year of the Rabbit.

Volkswagen introduces its first diesel-engineered car, the Golf.

The first Volkswagen assembly plant in the U.S. (Westmorland, PA) is opened.

1980

1980

1981

Volkswagen hosts an energy symposium about future technology for economical vehicles.

Jetta sedan is introduced in the U.S.

Volkswagen vehicles use equipment that offers enhanced fuel economy.

1983 For the first time, robots are involved in building a Volkswagen vehicle.

1985

1987

1988

The GTI is named Motor Trend® Car of the Year.

The Volkswagen Fox arrives in U.S. showrooms.

Volkswagen AG and the town of Wolfsburg turn 50.

1991

1995

The third-generation Golf arrives with higher safety standards.

Volkswagen of America changes advertising agencies to Arnold Fortuna Lawner & Cabot, the “Drivers wanted.” campaign is developed.

1998 The New Beetle is introduced in the United States.

2000

2001

2003

2005

Autostadt opens in Wolfsburg.

Volkswagen’s Transparent Factory is opened in Dresden.

The fifth-generation Golf is one of the first models available with DSG® technology.

Volkswagen of America celebrates the 50th year of its incorporation.

2006

2007

2008

Volkswagen’s Design Center California opens.

The Race Touareg becomes the highest-finishing diesel-powered vehicle in the history of Baja 500.

Volkswagen announces it will build a production facility in Chattanooga.

Volkswagen introduces the Jetta TDI® clean diesel model. Volkswagen introduces the first-ever clean diesel racing series, the Jetta TDI Cup™.

2009 The Golf is named World Car of the Year*. The sixth-generation, all-new GTI becomes Volkswagen’s first-ever mobile launch of a vehicle.

2010 Volkswagen introduces the NCC hybrid concept car at the North American International Auto Show. An all-new Touareg is introduced for the 2010 model year.

*Volkswagen Golf VI awarded “2009 World Car of the Year” by World Car of the Year awards. See wcoty.com for information.

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HOW SCENE TO

CELEBRATING AN ICON After more than 10 years producing the universally loved—now iconic— New Beetle, Volkswagen moves forward with an exciting new future design, but not without giving the current model a proper send-off.

To celebrate the last year of the current New Beetle, Volkswagen unveiled special Final Editions of the New Beetle and New Beetle Convertible. Adding an element of exclusivity, only 1,500 each of the two Final Editions were produced.

(The New Beetle’s successor is due to launch next year.)

Final Edition models will show off a special Aquarius Blue paint scheme, Final Edition exterior badges, individually numbered steering wheels and fog lights integrated into the front bumper.

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In addition to many standard features, the Final E d i t i o n N e w B e e t l e m o d e l s w i l l re c e i v e a h o s t of distinctive upgrades. Final Edition models will show off a special Aquarius Blue paint scheme, Final Edition exterior badges, individually numbered steering wheels and fog lights integrated into the front bumper.

Under the hood of both models is Volkswagen’s 2.5-liter in-line five-cylinder engine, with its readyto-go 150 horsepower and 170 lb-ft. of torque.

A six-speed automatic transmission puts the power to the pavement and can change gears on its own, or the driver can select each gear.

Like all Volkswagen models, the Final Edition models come standard with Electronic Stabilization Program. They include Volkswagen’s Carefree Maintenance Program*, which means no-charge

scheduled maintenance for the first three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first.* “The Final Editions combine all of the elements that best represent what people love the most about the New Beetle and that have created the car’s legacy, which will live on in generations to come,” said Mark Barnes, Volkswagen’s Chief Operating Officer.

* The Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance Program covers the vehicle’s scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first. Coverage during the term of the new vehicle limited warranty at no additional charge. Some limitations apply. See dealer or vehicle maintenance program booklet for details.

MOTORSPORTS TECHNOLOGY

TICKET TO RISE Of course, the Jetta TDI Cup™ has been a tremendous success—for motorsports, for TDI® clean diesel technology and for the Volkswagen brand. It’s also been a tremendous success for the young drivers—this year a new crop of exciting hot-shoe talent competes in the Jetta TDI Cup. And while the racing undeniably brings out the full spectrum of emotions in dramatic fashion, for the drivers, just getting chosen for the series is a victory in itself.

The driver selection process fulfills Volkswagen’s ideals of promoting excellence and giving young drivers a golden opportunity to showcase their potential in an increasingly exclusive sport. For this year’s series, the final driver selection event was held at the South Point Casino Resort and Spa, during the Performance Karting Expo show in Las Vegas. By integrating the event into a major karting expo, Volkswagen was able to further expose the Jetta TDI Cup to top karting talent.

don’t mess with the coach Jan Heylen, Chief Driving Instructor for the Jetta TDI Cup, is a respected mentor for its young racers. And just to make sure he’s competitive, Jan underscored his cred by competing in the Performance Racing International / CKI All-Stars Karting Classic in Orlando last December. Among the competitors were Formula One driver Vitantonio Liuzzi, Sprint® Cup drivers Jamie McMurray and Scott Speed, and IRL veterans Justin Wilson, Ryan-Reay Hunter, Buddy Rice, Tomas Scheckter, Ed Carpenter and Alex Tagliani. How’d Jan do?

He qualified on pole position, won both the pre-final and final race by leading from flag to flag.

Das Auto Magazine’s advice?

Shut up and drive like coach Jan tells you to.

race touareg– dakar domination In mid-January this year, Volkswagen Motorsport turned last year’s 2009 victory in the South American Dakar Rally into total domination—a 1-2-3 finish for the Race Touareg—a triumph for the teams, for TDI® clean diesel technology and for the Volkswagen brand. “…unless you have a car capable of winning, it is impossible to win the Dakar,” says Volkswagen Motorsport team member Carlos Sainz. “For me, this also includes the team that prepares the car. Being part of a fabulous team like Volkswagen makes me proud.”

Carlos, along with Lucas Cruz, captured the win a mere 2 minutes and 12 seconds ahead of teammates Nasser Al-Attiyah/ Timo Gottschalk. American Mark Miller, along with Ralph Pitchford, rounded out the podium for Volkswagen in style.

For more info on the race, go to dasautomagazine.com/dakar2010

after the cup In 2007, Timmy Megenbier was a successful karting driver. He wanted to go farther. By being selected to race in the Jetta TDI Cup in 2008, his dream was taking shape, but it wasn’t without setbacks.

However, deciding to compete again in 2009, Timmy’s fortunes turned in a big way, preceded by an improved mental focus that allowed him to dominate the 2009 Jetta TDI Cup season. “Winning the Jetta TDI Cup has showcased my ability to be successful in the best racing series in the world,” Timmy shares.

“I really enjoyed racing on a level playing field against some of the best drivers in America.”

Now Timmy’s taking his show on the road, only in Europe this time, racing in the 2010 Scirocco Cup— a racing series in Germany using 250-horsepower natural-gas-powered race cars. In doing so, Timmy continues his dream and will become the first American ever to run a full season in the German Volkswagen Cup series. Keep up to date on the 2010 Jetta TDI Cup season at vw.com.

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rAMESh MANGhIrMAlANI

OWNERS

!

EcONOMIcS PrOfESSOr

#

2007 JETTA

To say Ramesh Manghirmalani is a man of the world would be an understatement.

He travels 300,000 miles a year around the world, has visited 148 countries and all 50 U.S. states, and speaks six languages.

A professor of economics at Stanford University, he also teaches in Heidelberg, Germany, and Paris, France.

Among his travels, Ramesh has visited Volkswagen factories in Brazil, Mexico and Germany. See his comments on page 44 of our Wolfsburg factory story.

JASON fAllS !

OWNEr, SOcIAl MEDIA ExPlOrEr llc

#

2009 JETTA TDIÂŽ

When Jason Falls decided it was time to look for a new vehicle, he knew he wanted to purchase a car that was more environmentally conscious. He decided hybrid technology was the way to go and was set on finding the right hybrid vehicle to fit his needs. After nearing his final decision, he decided to do some further research and was surprised by the information he found. He discovered the benefits of diesel over hybrid technology and was able to dispel some of the myths he’d heard about diesel vehicles being dirty and slow. It was enough to compel him to visit his local Volkswagen dealership and test-drive a Jetta.

! #

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OScAr rAMIrEZ !

PrE-OWNED vEhIclE MANAGEr

#

2004 r32, 1990 GTI vr6, 1992 cOrrADO, 1990 GlI

Oscar Ramirez has been a Volkswagen fan since first coming to the United States to attend Baylor University in 1988. After graduating, he entered the automotive sales business and also became a driving instructor at a high-performance driving school. Including the Volkswagen models he currently owns, Oscar has owned 12 Volkswagen vehicles.

MArGArET S. rOSS

MIkE BUTlEr ArchITEcTUrAl PhOTOGrAPhEr

!

DIrEcTOr, BEhAvIOrAl MEDIcINE, BOSTON UNIvErSITy, STUDENT hEAlTh SErvIcES

#

2007 PASSAT WAGON

#

2009 JETTA SPOrTWAGEN TDI AND 2003 JETTA WAGON

Mike Butler takes full advantage of the cargo space his 2009 Jetta SportWagen TDI offers. As an architectural photographer, he has a massive amount of lighting and grip equipment to haul.

Rather than use the industry standard cargo van to transport his equipment, Mike relies on a vehicle that fits his “environmental ethos.” He appreciates the extra room and mileage* he gets with his Jetta SportWagen TDI clean diesel.

In his drive to create aesthetically pure images as an architectural photographer, Mike recognizes the beauty and functionality his vehicle provides.

For Margaret Ross and her husband David Link, Volkswagen runs in the family. Not only have the two of them owned several Volkswagen models, their children have as well. Their son, Ben, owns a 2003 Passat sedan. Another son, Nate, owns a 2004 Jetta Wagon TDI. Their daughter, Becca, owns a 2005 Jetta Wagon TDI, and daughter-in-law, Becky, owns a 2003 Passat Wagon. They may live miles apart, but the family is united in their passion for Volkswagen.

r.G. vAN TrEUrEN !

SPAcEcrAfT OPErATOr

#

2008 TOUArEG v8, 2007 EOS

Volkswagen is the only brand of vehicle R.G. Van Treuren has ever owned. It began with his first vehicle, a 1975 Rabbit, continued with several Passat models, and most recently with his 2008 Touareg and a 2007 Eos, which his wife drives. As a spacecraft operator for United Space Alliance, R.G. has a distinct appreciation for well-engineered products, especially the German engineering found on Volkswagen vehicles.

*30 city/41 highway mpg (2009 Jetta SportWagen 2.0L TDI clean diesel.) EPA estimates. Your mileage will vary.

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OWNERS

GET yOUr r ON

The evolution of volkswagen’s r-line® for the cc From the jaw-dropping introduction of the CC Gold Coast concept in 2008 to the dawn of the 2010 CC R-Line model, Volkswagen’s luxury sports coupe has propelled itself into race-inspired royalty.

Building on the CC’s already aggressive, dramatic design, Volkswagen offers rousing opportunities to elevate the CC’s appearance with R-Line accessories that add sporty touches inside and out, creating an entirely unique look.

NEW R-liNE fEatuRES + Front bumper + Side skirts + Darkened tail lamps + Front door sills with the R-Line logo + R-Line exterior badge + 18" Mallory wheel + Front fog lights

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The CC Gold Coast concept debuted with a front lower spoiler, side skirts and a rear spoiler that accentuated the strong lines of the coupe—all designed at Volkswagen’s Design Centers in Germany and California.

At the same time, a CC R-Line option package was designed for owners who prefer to add the accessories à la carte. It’s what you see here on owner Tanya Bell-Brown’s Candy White 2009 CC. “My CC looks fantastic. VW is truly an amazing brand,” says Tanya.

Such was the response to these bring-’em-to-their-knees styling elements that Volkswagen introduced the ultimate in factory personalization—a special 2010 CC R-Line model, unveiled at this year’s North American International Auto Show. Available on the 2010 CC Sport trim level, the R-Line model comes straight from the factory loaded with some sporty enhancements.

The 2010 CC R-Line model is the next step in Volkswagen’s continuing evolution of personalization opportunities for the CC. Visit your local Volkswagen dealer for information about the 2010 CC R-Line model or check out Volkswagen’s à la carte CC R-Line accessories at drivergear.vw.com.

My CC looks fantastic. VW is truly an amazing brand.

2009 CC Owner, Tanya Bell-Brown

!

#

TANyA BEll-BrOWN MOrNING TAlk ShOW hOST, WSSx 95.1 fM #

2009 cc

When Tanya first saw a picture of the CC in 2008, she knew she had to have it. She printed a picture of the car and posted it in her office until the day her 2009 CC arrived.

It’s her fourth Volkswagen model, and Tanya says it gets plenty of admiring looks and compliments. In fact, one of her coworkers liked Tanya’s CC so much that she purchased one, too. Now Tanya’s 2009 CC has Volkswagen’s R-Line body kit, and the car gets even more attention than before.

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OWNERS

IN THE WINNER’S CIRCLE Matt Chase and five other lucky gamers won 2010 GTI MkVI Limited Editions by playing Real Racing GTI.

When Matt saw an Autoblog post about Real Racing GTI, a hot new auto-racing game, he didn’t waste any time downloading it. “The game is great—good graphics, easy to play and as realistic as I can imagine, given that it’s on an iPhone,®” he says.

The Real Racing GTI game was part of the groundbreaking 2009 introduction of the all-new GTI, with Volkswagen becoming the first automobile manufacturer to launch a vehicle exclusively through mobile devices—the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch®. From its debut in late October through the contest’s close on December 2, 2009, Real Racing GTI was one of the hottest free apps on iTunes,® with more than three million downloads.

Registered players for Real Racing GTI put their skills to the test, hoping to win one of six limited-edition GTI vehicles. Each week for six consecutive weeks, one player was chosen to win the exclusive GTI MkVI, an individually numbered, specially tuned version of the all-new hot hatch.

“I think that winning the GTI is awesome,” says Matt, who previously owned several Volkswagen vehicles, including a 1996 GTI VR6. “Specifically with the GTI, I love the fact that it is very nimble and also has great low-end power for its size.”

Consumer response to Real Racing GTI was phenomenal, noted Tim Ellis, Volkswagen of America’s Vice President of Marketing. But then, that’s the kind of excitement that you’d expect for the launch of the all-new version of the legendary GTI.

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Prime Time Volkswagen’s new ad agency starts with a shot in the arm

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THE TEAM Mike Sheldon CEO

Eric Hirshberg

CEO, Chief Creative Officer

Jeffrey Blish

Partner, Chief Strategic Officer

DA

MAG

Iconic, memorable, stark, humble, irreverent, playful, snarky, heartfelt.

Over the years

there’s been a raft of buoyant adjectives to characterize Volkswagen’s advertising. The Volkswagen brand made its mark on America in the early 1960s with the counterculture idea of “Think Small,” and in the halcyon days of the 1990s with “Drivers wanted.®” Undeniably, advertising has played an instrumental role in creating Volkswagen’s universal cultural appeal. “Volkswagen has an incredibly strong brand,” says Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “As we look to grow our brand in the United States and continue our strategy to sell 800,000 cars per year in the U.S. by 2018, we also maintain a commitment to staying true to our core DNA. It’s a challenge you can’t solve with an ad—it takes a lot of hard work, strategic thinking and great creative.”

Volkswagen is working with advertising agency Deutsch LA to take on this challenge.

The company was named Volkswagen of America’s advertising agency of record last October. We sat down with some of the senior leadership at Deutsch to get insights on their creative approach and how they’ll work with Volkswagen as the company takes its brand to a new level.

I think Das Auto readers might want to know a little about your backgrounds.

Eric: I grew up in Detroit, and my dad was a “rockstar” car designer, so I grew up around cars and passion for the design of cars.

Mike: Yeah, we both grew up in Detroit…I moved out here (West Coast) out of college in my twenties, so we’ve both got a lot of gasoline running through our veins. I’ve raced motorcycles since I was a little kid. Then I decided I have had more bones in my body that had been broken than unbroken, so I took up flying…and now I’m a golf addict. So I’ve gone from adrenalin junkie to frustration junkie.

Jeffrey: I’m from the Midwest as well…plus my dad sold Packard ® cars back in the 1950s, and my first car was a 1969 Beetle…I loved that Bug. And I also had a 1984 GTI for a while—it was a great little car…so yeah, I definitely have my own VW stories.

Volkswagen has a long history of memorable advertising, dating back to Doyle Dane Bernbach’s 1959 “Think Small” ad. What shift can owners expect to see in Volkswagen advertising?

Eric: The iconic creative work of Volkswagen’s agencies goes all the way back to the creative revolution of the 1960s and Bill Bernbach. We not only have our own standards to live up to, but also this creative legacy at Volkswagen as well.

You know, as we looked at Volkswagen… it’s a universally appealing brand that has been, over the past decade, almost exclusively marketed to the young. We think there’s a subtle, yet powerful difference between being young and being youthful. And we think

Volkswagen is more a mindset than an age.

You take that spirit and take it to a wider age group and it scales up beautifully—it’s a very inclusive mindset.

How will you apply your creative approach to help Volkswagen communicate where it’s taking the brand?

Eric: Deutsch’s longstanding creative approach has been “Human spoken here.” All of our campaigns are built on a foundation of human insight— connecting people with brands on a human level.

Nowhere in my mind is there a better fit than with Volkswagen. It’s the most human car company there’s ever been. It’s the basis for their appeal, more than technology, more than creature comforts…and all those things are there and we need to talk about them…but first and foremost… it’s humanity.

Mike: “Human spoken here” is why we love our favorite movies, music and TV shows…it’s when I can look at an ad and say: “You know what, you got me—you really understand me.”

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Jeffrey: Human is creating work that’s based on some kind of human insight…we believe that’s the way to build rapport between the customer and the brand.

this new cultural behavior that helps do our marketing for us…the more people throw punches, the more we’ll be reaching our marketing target.

Mike: It was one of the first spots we showed Tim Ellis in the original pitch. By the end of the day, we felt it really could be a big deal—that this could really disrupt the perceptions of VW in this market.

So, we’re assuming this insight was key to your pitch for the Volkswagen account, too?

Eric: I think we understood that while VW wants to grow and be more of a mainstream brand, for But “Punch Dub?” them we answered the question, “How do you go Eric: I know. It’s called “Punch Buggy” on the West big without selling your soul?” How do you appeal Coast. In the Midwest, it seems to be called “Punch to a larger audience and have it still feel like Volks- Bug.” Depending on where you live, you get people wagen? And that was really our whole approach. that are really passionate about what the game Mike: Absolutely. That and the fact that what drives is called (laughs). But it’s a universal, human us is, we take it very personally. When we won the phenomenon. business, Stefan Jacoby (President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America) asked me: “Are you and Eric going to “Pod” conference rooms where stay personally involved in the the VW campaign was conceived. account? I really want you to be a part of this.” It wasn’t just about money or the prestige… this is about promising to do a great job and brilliant work for another human being.

And it won the account…now what?

Eric: Volkswagen has really aggressive sales goals…so to make the kind of impact on the market they want to, they need to go a little more mass. We’re going to have to reach out to a wider audience.

Jeffrey: There’s just a tremendous amount of love for the brand…positive feelings toward VW. It’s a brand that has touched a lot of people in this country. But their knowledge of VW tends to be sort of nostalgic as opposed to current—of the wide range of models and technologies like TDI ® clean diesel. We’re going to help change that.

Which leads us to Punch Dub… Eric: From the start, we knew we needed to find a way to raise awareness of the full lineup of Volkswagen products. Punch Dub gets people inv o l v e d playing this game that creates

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It’s [VW] probably the most attractive account in advertising, period.

…Like the Volkswagen brand. That’s Das Auto.

Eric: You put two people together who’ve never met before, but have owned Volkswagen models, and they’ll have a lot of cultural touchstones in common—they’ll likely have in common TV shows, music and a similar outlook on life—it’s more of a mindset, and that’s what we’re trying to bring to the table.

Mike: …and really give people an understanding of how superbly built these cars are—and how they sweat over every single millimeter of every item on that vehicle—it’s a story that’s yet to be told. It’s really a premium product at an affordable price.

Jeffrey: With That’s Das Auto, we really wanted to turn it into what it really represents, which is VW’s commitment to quality and excellence in engineering—that they deliver on what the world needs today. That’s Das Auto focuses on all the great and unique features that really make a Volkswagen vehicle THE car (Das Auto). It’s about how Volkswagen is making cars that are relevant for customers today.

Inspiration for “Human Spoken Here.”

Is there anything you’d like to relay to Volkswagen owners?

Eric: Volkswagen owners are Volkswagen’s single biggest asset. They don’t just drive Volkswagen, they live Volkswagen…there’s a feeling of being a part of something greater—a lifestyle, a philosophy that’s greater than with any other kind of car. I think it comes from that shared set of values that owners feel. You sharing your passion for the brand is the best advertising we could ever hope for, and our advertising is really just trying to supercharge what already exists.

Jeffrey: Volkswagen owners are passionate for the brand, and they’re kind of pulling for Volkswagen— they’d like to see the company be successful and achieve these goals—and they’re excited to see others experience that special kind of quality that VW has to offer.

Mike: I’d tell them that with the strong leadership at Volkswagen and the kind of passionate Volkswagen owners we have out there, I’d bet anything on their future (slugs Eric in the arm).

Deutsch’s VW team in a “Pod” conference room LEFT TO RIGHT: Mike Sheldon – CEO Eric Springer – EVP, Group Creative Director Jeffrey Blish – Partner, Chief Strategic Officer Doug Van Praet – SVP, Group Planning Director Avery Carroll – SVP, Digital Associate Creative Director Tom Else – EVP, Group Account Director Eric Hirshberg – CEO, Chief Creative Officer Josh Rose – EVP, Digital Creative Director

For more on this story, visit dasautomagazine.com/primetime.

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Behind The Lines A new erA of design diReCTOR Of vOlkswagen design, klaus BisChOff Reveals vOlkswagen’s new design philOsOphy in a new COupe COnCepT

wORds By Jim BuCk

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The

MAn

I arrived at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) last January to capture the thoughts of Klaus Bischoff, Director, Volkswagen Design. Today, he is sharing the hard work of his team in unveiling the long-awaited New Compact Coupe, commonly abbreviated NCC. The actual powerplant showcased in the NCC was a 1.4-liter gasoline hybrid powertrain capable of 150 horsepower and 40-plus miles per gallon.

The vOlkswagen press conference that came mid-morning at the show was swarmed by journalists.

Reporters of all media types— lo ca l , re g i o n a l , n a t i o n a l , international—all clamored for a clear view of this new coupe. Volkswagen had done a good job keeping the design under wraps until today and kept their reputation for revealing surprises. Along with famed designer and head of Volkswagen Group design Walter dé Silva, Mr. Bischoff unveiled the NCC. The lines of the NCC are distinct, taut and crisp— leaving one with a visual interpretation that is forwardlooking, yet at the same time, retains a truly Volkswagen feel and from certain angles notable evocations of previous Volkswagen designs—such as the much-loved MkIV Jetta sedan and Corrado. Indeed, this reveal showed decisively that the coupe is back.

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pROpORTiOns,

++

aRChiTeCTuRe,

TeChnOlOgy all This is melding inTO a veRy Clean sTaTemenT ThaT we wanT TO give wiTh The design.++ — Klaus Bischoff

design TRends VoLkswAgen new erA design dnA All great designs and brand traits follow what designers call “language.” It’s what a particular facet of the overall design impresses upon those who view it.

Volkswagen, along with Klaus Bischoff, has endeavored to break new ground in designing cars of the future. In keeping with this language, the new era design DNA encompasses these key stylistic traits:

simpliCiTy+ fewer lines that clearly define the shape, leaving little ambiguity

puRiTy+ true to a family

Left to right: Klaus Bischoff, Director, Volkswagen Design; Walter dé Silva, Head of Group Design; Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, board member technical development Volkswagen brand; Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

resemblance, not easily confused with

After the fervor of the press conference, I was able to interview Mr. Bischoff and found him to be affable, humble and approachable—quite enjoying his role, and deferential to his design team—a true Volkswagen team player. Although his words were precise and measured and had a good dose of German accent, excitement and intensity were apparent.

The Volkswagen display was expansive and intensely bright. The reveal platform was a huge rotating dais presenting the NCC beneath a stunning overhead image display that stretched horizontally the entire width of the stage, providing atmosphere and showing the coupe’s details in imagery.

other brands, true in purposefulness

RefinemenT+ of its technologies and quality, evoking strong impressions of capability, user-friendliness, durability and longlasting quality By combining these traits, Mr. Bischoff and his team have been able to translate these qualities into the NCC (New Compact Coupe) and numerous upcoming models, many of which are yet to be seen—we’ll be eagerly waiting.

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...wiTh OuR Clean,

++

puRisTiC design,

we Believe we seT maRks in The indusTRy.++ — Klaus Bischoff

klaus BisChOff On… Q a

“The new design direction of Volkswagen shows a very clear, unmistakable design—we want to be outstanding, very attractive, very precise and very valuable. Proportions, architecture, technology—all this is melding into a very clean statement that we want to give with the design.”

Q

And This is refLecTed in The new TouAreg…?

a

“It was a very demanding project for us…the car looks completely new.

It has a new, more dynamic exterior design. It features a very interesting interpretation of the new design—the new face of Volkswagen… it appears more compact, more light, more dynamic.”

Q a

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whAT Are The MessAges ThAT The new VoLkswAgen design direcTion conVeys?

PersonALLy, whAT PArT of The cAr do you find MosT insPirATionAL To work on?

“The face. The face is giving character. The face is giving the expression that you want to create, so for me, this is the most important area of the car.”

Q a

Q a

Q a

Q a

This new coMPAcT couPe you’Ve shown TodAy is A hybrid—whAT VALues does This new design conVey? “We are responsible for the environment, we are responsible for the cars that we build. We also want to show this in the design of our products….With the new NCC, we can see how we think a car should look—very attractive, very nice, desirable—and a true Volkswagen.”

The design cycLe for new ModeLs seeMs To be geTTing shorTer And shorTer. do you feeL you’Ve MeT your MArks?

“The true task is to develop simultaneously so many new products…I think we’ve done this very successfully, with all the new cars that will come to the market, you will see that we’ve developed a very strong design identity.”

wiLL This be eVidenT in The cArs ThAT wiLL be buiLT in The chATTAnoogA fAciLiTy in The neAr fuTure?

a BRief hisTORy Of maJOR vw COupes using The cLAssic sPorTy couPe LAyouT of Two doors And TAPering reAr roof-Line ProfiLe, VoLkswAgen hAs Produced MAny ALL-TiMe fAVoriTes:

kaRmann ghia 1955-1974

Even though the original Beetle was somewhat of a coupe shape, it was the Karmann Ghia that gave America its first love with the sporty Volkswagen coupe.

“Design is able to create very character-full cars and outstanding personalities…this is one of our strongest goals…and with our clean, puristic design, we believe we set marks in the industry.

“If you look too much on the designs and cars that other manufacturers are displaying or doing, it’s easy to fall into the trap of orienting your design language toward the others. That’s wrong…we want to be unique, outstanding, and we want to create a very, very strong design language.”

in the front, but with a new, low-profile, air-cooled engine, the Fastback provided another trunk space in the

sCiROCCO 1974-1988

Q a

“What gets me excited is art. There’s advertising art, there’s sculpture, very rich objects in terms of surfacing…if you read a lot and if you’re walking around open-eyed, you see the trends coming…and I believe to be a designer in a company like Volkswagen is one of the most inspiring jobs you can possibly have. To be creative is a process that starts or speeds up in the dialogue between creative people… the dialogue is firing it up. The work that we do together as a team…that’s what is leading the creative process. That is truly inspiring. There is this fever that goes on when you create a new design, and that is very interesting and motivating.”

rear for maximum cargo in a sporty package.

The original Giugiaro Scirocco coupe design of the Scirocco I combined sports-car performance with Rabbit hatchback versatility and thrift.

Although technically a hatchback, the Scirocco I evoked the coupe persona to a tee. The Scirocco II enhanced dimensions of performance even further

where do you geT your insPirATion froM?

1965-1973

Still sporting a trunk

“Absolutely. What we want to do is to create cars that are truly made for American customers. We listened deeply to what our experts here in the American market told us about the demands of the American customers…”.

whAT is VoLkswAgen AbLe To do wiTh design, And how do you View The designs found in oTher MAnufAcTurers’ brAnds?

fasTBaCk

with its 1.8-liter, 16-valve engine.

CORRadO 1989-1995

The last of the Volkswagen sporty coupes, until now.

Hailed by Volkswagen enthusiasts as well as fans of sporty performance driving, the Corrado, in spite of its limited production numbers, made its mark in the 1990s as a definitive sporting coupe that has lasted up to the present day.

Want to hear the full interview with Klaus Bischoff? find it at dasautomagazine.com/design.

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Photo taken at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, TX. See the story on page 56.

for more on the stories in this issue

dasauto magazine .com

go to:

BUZZ

InTroDUcInG An ALL-nEW DESIGn

t’s been eight years now since we first met the Touareg, and it’s plain to see it has joined the ranks as one of the most capable SUVs ever to hit the road—exactly what you’d expect from Volkswagen. With the introduction of the 2011 model, Volkswagen takes another leap forward, designing a completely new Touareg that exudes elegance and refinement within a sleeker, lower and more aerodynamic skin.

Beginning with styling, the new 2011 Touareg, under the careful guidance of chief designer Klaus Bischoff and his team, clearly reflects the New Era Design DNA that will guide Volkswagen products moving forward. (See page 30 for more on Klaus Bischoff and Volkswagen design.)

Figuring most prominently into the styling equation is the “face” of the Touareg. Along with crisp lines, engaging shapes and surfaces, a harmonious balance has been created that appears lighter and more compact, even with slightly larger dimensions than the previous Touareg. Most importantly, the shape of the new Touareg cuts a smaller slice of the wind for a reduction in aerodynamic drag over the previous model.

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DIGITS One of the most exciting aspects of the new Touareg is efficiency that comes from three unique and powerful V6 engines—a V6 FSI® gasoline engine, V6 TDI® clean diesel and, replacing the V8 engine, a future option will be a V6 TSI® gasoline hybrid, which offers many distinctions, including: + Volkswagen’s first worldwide application of a hybrid powertrain. + The first supercharged hybrid, a combination of a supercharger with a hybrid powertrain, in the European market. + A unique function which Volkswagen engineers have called “sailing.” While traveling at Autobahn speeds, the engine can switch off and the vehicle can coast without engine power, while producing zero emissions. + A combined system output of 374 horsepower and the fuel-efficiency of a hybrid. + A towing capacity of 3.8 tons.

The new Touareg’s engine offerings are evidence of Volkswagen’s role as a leading innovator in the development of powertrains that deliver fuel economy without sacrificing performance.

Contributing to the Touareg’s overall efficiency will be available LED daytime running lights that use a fraction of the electricity of traditional headlamps and add a unique design element to the front of the vehicle.

A new level of luxury is reached with the modern interior.

An array of premium materials, including leatherette, leather, and technical and wood trim inlays embrace the inside of the Touareg with a completely reinterpreted and elegant design. The large panels of the available panoramic sunroof stretch all the way back to allow rear passengers an open, airy feeling of space. And when extra cargo space is needed, the sliding rear seat releases and folds down at the touch of a button.

Additionally, an available revamped Dynaudio® highend sound system has been specially tuned to the new Touareg acoustics and will allow users to experience the crystal-clear audio through a variety of sources—CD, MP3 and more. Integrated into the gauge cluster is an available new navigation system that features a beautiful and large full-color display.

The 2011 Touareg is the epitome of Volks wagen’s continued push to innovate exciting vehicles that offer efficiency and performance.

nEW ToUArEG By ThE nUmBErS 450 approximate weight savings in pounds from the previous Touareg model year 350 percent increase of the new Touareg sunroof size compared to a normal sunroof 160 millimeters of fore and aft adjustment of the rear bench seat 8 number of speeds available with Touareg’s new automatic transmission (a first in this segment) 5 percentage of increase of torsional body stiffness over previous Touareg 0 amount of fuel burned at stoplights with the new Touareg hybrid’s stop-start system

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below fanuc® robots in the plant’s body shop.

building mOmentum in

Chattanooga production continues on the high-tech, distinctly volkswagen plant.

Over the last several issues of Das Auto Magazine, we’ve seen the advancement of Volkswagen’s much anticipated Chattanooga production plant. From the plant’s announcement in July 2008 through today, progress has taken the shape of completely enclosed buildings that house the assembly, paint and body shops. In fact, all the buildings were weather-tight as of the first of the year. The advanced laser-welding robots are installed in the body shop. The first wave of production team members has arrived to begin production of the pre-series (preproduction) vehicles by June 2010.

As the plant enters its final months of preparation, it will be the culmination of all that Volkswagen vehicles represent—quality, German engineering, precise design and technological advancement.

Volkswagen builds its plants using the most advanced technology and best processes from its operations around the world. New production facilities, like the one in Chattanooga, also feature improvements, furthering the brand’s innovation when it comes to building vehicles. For example, the layout of the body shop at the Chattanooga plant will be more compact as a result of optimized processes that Volkswagen has simulated in virtual reality.

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On a lOcal level, vOlkswagen grOup Of america inc. will invest $1 billiOn in c h a t t a n O O g a’ s ecOnOmy and create 2,000 direct jObs in the regiOn.

The Chattanooga plant will also employ Volkswagen’s new 2010 optimized paint process.

Applying what it has learned at its other manufacturing plants, Volkswagen has successfully enhanced paint quality with fewer resources. To help reduce waste water, the plant will apply a more environmentally conscious technique that uses dry scrubbers to wash out the overspray created when painting a vehicle.

Additionally, application robots will help avoid paint losses during the color-changing process. The newly engineered base coat will help reduce vehicle paint-drying time and CO2 emissions by 20 percent.

Advancements such as these will be used throughout the Chattanooga plant to help reduce waste and emissions, and save energy. All of it is part of building a high-tech, highquality plant that uses the most modern production processes. That extends to the plant’s employees as well, who will benefit from ergonomically designed working spaces, a fitness center and healthy food choices in the dining area.

ExpEriEncE it for yoursElf. Once production is ramped up at the new plant next year, Volkswagen owners are invited to visit the Chattanooga plant and see firsthand the Volkswagen manufacturing process at work.

top the e-coating process in the paint shop’s dipping tank left a welding gun attached to a robot arm (wrist) bottom a heating tunnel in the paint shop

it will be the culminatiOn Of sOme Of the best technOlOgies and prOcesses frOm vOlkswagen plants arOund the wOrld .

Employees are already busy at the ChattChatt anooga facility, with the first production team training to build Volkswagen’s New Midsize Sedan. This first wave of team members are training on production simulators and will also be visiting Volkswagen factories in Europe and Latin America for hands-on learning.

It is from these areas of the world, as well as here in the U.S., that Volkswagen has built its quality assurance team. With experts from other Volkswagen plants, as well as professionals from other vehicle manufacturers and a variety of other industries, the Chattanooga plant will have a quality assurance team with some of the broadest experience in the industry.

On a local level, Volkswagen Group of America Inc. will invest $1 billion in Chattanooga’s economy and create 2,000 direct jobs in the region. In addition, more than 700 jobs will be created in Chattanooga by suppliers who settle in the Supplier Park or nearby. According to independent studies, the new plant is expected to generate $12 billion in income growth and another 9,500 jobs over the life of the project.

In a troubled economy that is just beginning to recover, this kind of investment in American workers is something for which Volkswagen and its owners can be proud.

The Chattanooga plant advances Volkswagen’s commitment to the North American market.

It will be the culmination of some of the best technologies and processes from Volkswagen plants around the world and at the same time, will put forth its own progressive touches that will be the model for future plants.

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above steel construction in the plant’s halls below w weld line in body weld (with robots from fanuc® and nimak® weld guns)

below view into body shop before equipment installation

below dryers in the paint shop

the factOry

you’re one of the top automakers in the world, what kind of automotive manufacturing facility do you choose to call home? For Volkswagen, even with automotive plants on five continents, it’s still an easy choice. First, navigate to the heart of Lower Saxony, Germany, and find factory floor space big enough to house 350 football fields indoors, then fill that space with some of the most advanced automotive production capabilities, and you have Wolfsburg, home to one of the largest car manufacturing plants in the world.

Wolfsburg produces more than 3,400 vehicles daily—yes, daily.

But it doesn’t stop there. The facility also makes a number of automotive components which it ships to other plants as well. The Wolfsburg site is also home to Group headquarters, which organizes and manages the carmaker’s activities around the world.

Wolfsburg History The factory was built in two years and completed in 1939, for the purpose of series production of the “People’s Car” designed by Ferdinand Porsche.

Series production of the Volkswagen Beetle began in December 1945. By 1955, the factory was already celebrating completion of the one-millionth Beetle from Wolfsburg.

Wolfsburg today The Golf, GTI and Tiguan models are all built in Wolfsburg, along with two other models not sold in the United States, the Golf Plus and Touran minivan. In addition to building passenger cars, the site also makes components such as driveshafts and injection-molded parts, which are either used in production at the plant itself or supplied to other Volkswagen Group production sites. level Green—An Experience in sustainability On the grounds of the Wolfsburg complex stands the popular Autostadt promotion and competency center that allows visitors to experience the values embraced by the Volkswagen Group. Within the Autostadt, the Level Green exhibition showcases an integrated, personally relevant and positive experience of sustainability. Through interactive displays and artful architecture, Level Green interprets sustainable concepts as having three das autO magaZine

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48,000

48,000

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

734,000 NUMBER OF VEHICLES

BUILT IN 2008 DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS WHOSE PARTS CONVERGE AT

WOLFSBURG

3,400 DAILY VEHICLE CAPACITY

442 750

AVAILABLE

MEGAWATTS FROM WOLFSBURG’S

POWER

STATIONS

|

NUMBER OF VEHICLES

BUILT IN 2008

1,900

main pillars: equal parts environmental, economic and societal objectives.

By allowing users to select their viewpoint, Level Green allows participants to experience how interdependent each of these pillars becomes in forming workable solutions.

A Wolfsburg Visitor’s Perspective “An implacable, fantastic and educative tour. The Wolfsburg complex represents a new concept in car

442

DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS

WHOSE PARTS

production, combining CONVERGEthe ATconstruction process of the automobile with the everyday activities which surround such a large production plant.

The architects have successfully merged the complexities of such a large facility by drawing the elements of the plant together in the award-winning design DAILY CAPACITY ofVEHICLE the semi-transparent central building.

“Employees not directly involved with assembly are still involved and AVAILABLE engaged as the production line is visible from offices, the staff restaurant FROM WOLFSBURG’S and the reception areas of the central building. Inside the central building, the first thing that strikes you is the TRUCKS immense&scale. Offices are very # OF well-organized as a series of concrete terracesDAILY that seem to cascade from one NEEDED end to the other. A towering stairway sweeps up to a balcony of offices along THE PLANT one side of the room; on the other side, the terraces are linked by a long, narrow ramp. Leaving Wolfsburg, I was struck with a singular thought: ‘Wow, that was awesome!’”

WOLFSBURG

3,400 MEGAWATTS

POWER STATIONS

600 RAIL CARS 150

THE PLANT

TO SUPPLY

TO SUPPLY

NUMBER OF BEETLE MODELS

44

734,000

TRUCKS & RAIL CARS NEEDED DAILY

BUILT IN WOLFSBURG

0

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

# OF TIMES

VOLKSWAGEN

HAS RELOCATED

ITS MAIN PRODUCTION FACILITY

dasautomagazine.com

NUMBER OF BEETLE MODELS

BUILT IN WOLFSBURG

Professor Ramesh Manghirmalani: 2007 Jetta Volkswagen factories visited: Wolfsburg, Brazil, Mexico. Read more about Ramesh on page 20.

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VolksWAgen-sPonsored

Junior MAsters soccer tournAMent helPs PdA Pele eArn

World title chAnce in MAdrid

hen a PDA Pele team member tapped a gentle lead pass to his teammate, mere minutes remained in the 12-and-younger soccer match that determined the U.S. representative to the Volkswagen Junior Masters World Championship.

From the top of the opponents’ penalty area, on the turf of RFK Stadium during a cold, misty Washington, D.C., October afternoon, the team gathered the ball on the run and drove it right between the outstretched hands of the opposing goalie.

This second goal of the match capped Players Development Academy (PDA) Pele’s 2-0 victory.

The international Junior Masters competition was created by Volkswagen AG and is the first of its kind in the U.S. “Supporting youth soccer is a natural fit for Volkswagen,” says Ben Freidson, Manager of Sports Marketing, Volkswagen of America.

“These families are dedicating a large portion of their weekends traveling to tournaments across the country.

Our lineup of family-oriented vehicles, including the Routan, Jetta SportWagen, CC, Passat Wagon and Tiguan, are all tailored to fit the needs of the lifestyle of an active family.” The qualifying tournament began with 80

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U.S. teams. Only one will compete in Madrid, Spain, this May against the world elite of the 12-and-younger age group.

“We’re just a little club from Zarephath, New Jersey,” says PDA Pele’s head coach Sam Nellins. He’s being humble, which is the way of a coach of his impressive credentials.

Nellins has an impressive résumé. He’s an elite soccer player from London, who is now living his passion of developing players to compete at the highest levels of the sport worldwide.

“We have developed women players who played in the World Cup® and the Olympic Games,®” says Nellins, “and we have male players who now play professionally in Europe and in the MLSSM (Major League Soccer). We also have kids who now play at the top levels in colleges all over the United States. With our younger players, we end up getting a lot of overachievers, because they see the path that’s available to them.”

Playing professionally is the likely destiny of several players on Nellins’ team. But their next immediate destination is Madrid May 5 – 10, 2010.

Nellins anticipates the incredible opportunity that awaits him there. And he recognizes that’s all been made possible by Volkswagen, a company

“With our younger PlAyers, We end uP getting A lot of oVerAchieVers, becAuse they see the PAth thAt’s AVAilAble to theM.” —Sam Nellins

that supports many grassroots youth sports at the community level, in addition to professional franchises like D.C. United® of the MLS. Six separate qualifying tournaments divided the 80 teams into pools of 12 to 16. The top two finishers in each pool comprised the field of 12 that competed for the U.S. berth to Madrid.

“Volkswagen provided us a once-ina-lifetime opportunity,” says Nellins appreciatively. “They treated us the way players at that level are treated in Europe and South America. It was a professionally run event. And now, we’re going to Madrid. It’s an opportunity that I never even conceived as a player.”

Yet Nellins also realizes the true premise of youth sports. Though some of America’s best youth soccer players play for PDA teams, Nellins feels that winning at the 12-and-younger level is not a high priority. It’s all about improvement and progress, and that is evident in the way he approaches the game.

For example, before a difficult and tense 3-2 semifinal win against TAP FC Milan of Alexandria, Virginia, Nellins says, “The boys are really excited. We’ve wanted to play Milan for a while, and this game will be a real challenge,” all with the casualness of ordering an appetizer at a restaurant.

grAssroots suPPort Volkswagen extends its partnership with youth sports to the fields of local communities as a way of thanking the people who support Volkswagen through the ownership of their vehicles. It’s also an effective way of introducing the brand to one person at a time in a way that proves Volkswagen gives generously. Volkswagen offers several vehicles in its model lineup that cater to the needs of parents with kids who are involved in youth sports— including the Routan. For more information, visit vw.com.

As fortunate as Nellins and his players feel about winning the chance to represent the United States in Madrid, PDA Pele will also represent Volkswagen admirably as one of the 20 international teams in the field.

“It’s a really honest, multicultural group,” says Nellins.

“They all come from different backgrounds. They really compete against each other very hard, and game days are fun because they get to play against other competition.

They want to see how good they can be.”

They will be sternly tested in Madrid.

“The enthusiasm and positive response from the parents and kids throughout the preliminary rounds was great to experience,”says Freidson. “With the inaugural United States championship completed, we are looking forward to having PDA Pele represent the United States in an exciting international final.”

Find out more about the upcoming Junior Masters World Championship at dasautomagazine.com/jrmasters.

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Photos by adam Barker

the 2010 Jetta sportwagen tDi速 clean Diesel proviDes the means for a cactus-filleD getaway, all on a single tank of fuel.

Diesel in the Desert

Words by Brian Fiske

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am no botanist, but it seems like every plant in tucson is pointy.

At least, that’s the thought I had as I rounded a downhill switchback on my bicycle and was scraped by yet another prickly plant.

There was no way those scrapes could ruin this ride, though. The unique flora simply adds to the beauty of the rugged landscape outside the city.

Turning off Tucson Mountain Park’s Starr Pass Trail, back

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toward the 36th Street Trailhead, I realized I had the full mountain-desert experience—trails that are dusty, rocky, loose, steep and loaded with cacti. And once back at the car—a 2010 Jetta SportWagen TDI® clean diesel —I’d be able to cool down, pack up and see what other adventures were in store.

t

he desire for adventure had been creeping up for days. I wanted to explore some unfamiliar trails, but didn’t want to burn more than a tank of fuel getting to them. Of course, since I was driving a 2010 Jetta SportWagen TDI® model, which can travel around 600 miles per tank,* thanks to its remarkable 2.0L clean diesel engine, I had a lot of options.

Tucson was the perfect fit.

The city is surrounded by mountains, with cactusstudded Saguaro National Park on the east and west sides of the city. A few years ago, it was named one of the top cycling cities in the U.S. And, the biggest bonus of all, the 520-mile trip there and back fit in my single-tank plans.

A few quick phone calls led me to Scott Johnson, general manager of Broadway Bicycles, for ride recommendations.

“You should check out Starr Pass,” he said. “Not everyone here likes it because it’s a lot of up and down and technical.”

I was immediately sold. I wrote down the trail info I’d need— including which turns to take—got directions to the trailhead and was on my way.

Well, almost. First I had to pack. Fortunately, the Jetta SportWagen’s 66.9-plus cubic feet of cargo space (with rear

seats folded) can hold more than enough gear…and I’m a habitual overpacker.

My schedule was loose. I’d head straight to 20,000-acre Tucson Mountain Park west of the city, and ride out to Starr Pass and beyond—connecting Yetman, Bowen, Hidden Canyon and other trails until I was exhausted or the day was over (the park’s 62-plus miles of shared-use trails were too much for one afternoon).

a

little over four hours after leaving, I was at the trailhead, popping the Jetta SportWagen’s hatch so I could gear up. A quick look around had me excited to ride.

The cacti were everywhere: saguaro, barrel cactus, prickly pear, cholla, you name it.

The ride was stunning: rocky climbs, fast descents, a mix of double- and single-track, in parts almost completely surrounded by spiky plants.

By the time I returned to the parking lot, I was nearly out of water. I was scraped up. I had spiny cactus debris in my socks.

I felt dried from the heat— temperatures hit the 80s Based on 2010 Jetta SportWagen TDI® clean diesel with automatic transmission.

42 mpg highway. EPA estimates and a 14.5-gallon fuel tank. Your mileage will vary.

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on this spring day. But most of all, I was elated. This was pure fun.

I spent just long enough at the Hotel Congress in downtown Tucson to rinse off the trail grime before heading to the original El Charro, a Mexican restaurant that opened in 1922, worth visiting for its famously delicious beef. But shortly after finishing my smoky-sweet Carne Seca plate, the day’s epic nature sank in.

I was beat. The Jetta SportWagen’s torque quickly propelled me back to the hotel, where I had a single Kilt Lifter Scottish-style ale in the hotel’s Tap Room before calling it a night.

The next morning, I paid $10 to enter Saguaro National Park east of the city and pedaled the short (five miles out and back) Cactus Forest Trail. While here, I learned how slowly the saguaro grows: the multiarmed specimens along the trail were more than 100 years old; the foothigh cactus stumps were already 15 years old.

a

fter the ride, I still hadn’t had enough of the feeling of swooping single-track, so I drove the Jetta SportWagen around Cactus Forest Drive. The twisty, eight-mile-long, one-way loop was a perfect match for the vehicle’s precise handling and road feel. Then, after a quick cleanup (and a souvenir purchase—a $5 set of National Park magnets), it was time to think about getting back on the highway.

Driving north out of the city, iPod® pumping tunes through the MDI connector, my body is tired, but my mind is completely refreshed. It’s exactly what a road trip should accomplish. And thanks to the funbut-fuel-sipping Jetta SportWagen TDI—which lets me feel good while I drive and feel good about driving— I know the next trip can’t be far away.

Then I realize that I have the air conditioner and the seat warmer on.

Counterproductive? Possibly. But the heat feels good on my tired legs.

I guess it’s another example of how the Jetta SportWagen fits this biker’s lifestyle to a T.

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accessories shown on vehicle + Base Carrier Bars + Barracuda Bike Rack + Goal 17˝ Anthracite Light Alloy Wheels

B

eef secrets: El Charro’s chefs lay marinated Angus beef on drying racks placed on the restaurant’s back roof, where it sits for up to three days before being shredded, cooked and used in the restaurant’s award-winning foods. A fun El Charro legend: The original owner is said to have named the first chimichanga after dropping a burrito into hot oil. She toned an expletive down to “chimichanga” because kids were present.

H

istoric fun: Entering the 91-year-old Hotel Congress is like stepping back in time. The lobby ceiling reaches airy heights, classic Southwestern designs adorn the walls and columns, and there are no TVs in the 40 guest rooms. Still, it’s far from stodgy: There are five bars, live music almost every night, and an always-crowded Saturday night dance party. Bonus: The next morning, the hotel’s Cup Café bakery will set you straight.

The Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance Program covers the vehicle’s scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first. Coverage during the term of the new vehicle limited warranty at no additional charge. Some limitations apply. See dealer or vehicle maintenance program booklet for details.

F

inal stop: On the way out of town, I visited BICAS (Bicycle Inter-Community Action and Salvage), a co-op originally founded as a way to provide low-cost transportation for homeless men. Today, it’s a community center offering classes on bike maintenance, an assortment of used parts for sale, an open bike shop and a small gallery of bike art. When I visited, this included a lamp made with old hubs and bike-part earrings.

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Does not deter this award-winning duo from doing their jobs.

Eos and Tiguan models were named 2010 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Picks.* The 2010 Tiguan also earned a five-star crash rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).**

Silent Partners Bi-XENON headlights with an Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS). Xenon lights simply emit a brighter light—to help you see better and be seen better. Even as you round a highway bend. AFS turns the headlights up to 15 degrees in the direction of the curve, lighting the way before the turn. Those split seconds can matter sometimes.

VOLKSWAGEN WAGEN

AWK 9871

Should Things Get Rough

Light-Emitting Diode (LED) technology.

The LED taillights illuminate virtually instantly and at much higher intensity than conventional taillights. Those nanoseconds of additional notice could be the difference between a nasty crash and a near miss. And we thought that the speed of light couldn’t increase.

If you see this warning indicator on your instrument panel, determine which tire is low and inflate to the appropriate pressure, shown on your Volkswagen model’s door jamb sticker, not what’s on the tire. Consider it your virtual tire gauge.

Tire-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

Next to the brakes, your tires are the most important safety features on your vehicle.

TPMS checks tire pressure every 30 seconds.

3 to 5 inches: the contact patch area of the tire that meets the road at any one time.

This is what’s supposed to happen.

Volkswagen models have predetermined crumple zones that fold like an accordion to slow down the force of the crash, which is then channeled around the passenger compartment rather than through it.

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*“Top Safety Pick” based on 31 mph side-impact crash test, 40 mph frontal-offset crash test, 20 mph rear-impact test, roof strength testing, and the availability of ESC. Test performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. For details, visit www.iihs.org. See vw.com for more information on safety features. **Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov).

Lock and Hold Emergency locking retractors: Ever feel the safety belt catch you in a hard-braking situation? That’s the emergency locking retractor helping hold you in place.

Airbags***All Around They deploy in eye-blink speed when crash sensors in the vehicle are triggered exactly right.

Working in conjunction with the three-point safety belts, airbags help slow occupants down from vehicle speed to zero as quickly and safely as possible.

Safety-belt load limiters: Well, hey, they do just the opposite.

If too much force is exerted on the belt in an emergency situation, the safety-belt load limiters release excess belt tension.

Pyrotechnic safety-belt pretensioners: If the vehicle is involved in an actual crash, these babies can fire instantaneously to take up some of the belt slack to minimize forward movement of the occupant.

50 miles an hour: The speed at which unbelted occupants travel if a vehicle traveling 50 miles an hour hits a stationary barrier head on.

1994: Percentage of occupants in U.S. who wore safety belts: 60.

60: Percentage of unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities during daytime.

2008: Percentage of occupants in U.S. who wore safety belts: 86.

45: Percentage of unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities during daytime. Source: NHTSA.

To Prevent and Preserve Tiguan’s Prevent and Preserve System has more than 40 different safety features that help the driver avoid crashes and protect occupants in the unlikely event one should occur.

You’re reading about many of them now, and everything here is also available on the Eos.

(EBD)

In the Extremely Unlikely Event of a Rollover Eos cleverlyhides twin beams of steel underneath the rear headrests. In a rollover situation, they pneumatically fire instantaneously to maximize support and minimize injury.

The Tiguan roof can support four times its weight. Now that’s 13,732 pounds—or nearly seven tons. It’s no accident that the IIHS rated the Tiguan’s roof as the strongest in its class.†

Brake Force Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) directs braking force to the wheel or wheels that need it most.

That’s usually the front brakes during a hard stop, because the weight moves in the same direction the vehicle is moving.

3 to 4 percent of all accidents in the U.S. involve the occurrence of a rollover. Source: NHTSA

-17.5 ft/sec2: The rate at which a vehicle decelerates at 60 miles an hour. Source: NHTSA.

No More Skid Marks — Anywhere Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) do what the driver cannot: pump the brakes rapidly enough to prevent wheel lock-up during rapid deceleration. ABS allows the driver to fully apply the brakes and ***

†

and WIn!

steer the vehicle at the same time.

1.5 seconds: The time it takes the average driver to decide to brake, no matter the vehicle speed or time of day. Source: NHTSA.

Airbags are supplemental restraints only and will not deploy under all crash circumstances. Always use safety belts and seat children only in the rear, using restraint systems appropriate for their size and age.

2010 Tiguan model was tested without available panoramic sunroof. For details, visit www.iihs.org www.iihs.org. See vw.com for more information on safety features.

Play it safe

Go to dasautomagazine.com/safety for a chance to win a VW Eco Water Bottle.

Words by MICHAEL HOINSKI Photos by CRAIG WASHBURN

S

RN U T N A U TIG

TIN S U A N I ME U L O v E Up TH

Win music!

Go to dasautomagazine.com/music for your chance to win an iTunes® playlist featuring some of the artists listed on the next page. If you don’t win, you can still find directions for downloading the Das Auto: Austin playlist at this Web site.

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famous austin musicians + Willie Nelson + Janis Joplin + Roky Erickson + Asleep at the Wheel + Stevie Ray Vaughan + Daniel Johnston + The Gourds + Spoon + James McMurtry + Explosions in the Sky

ORGET EvERyTHING yOU’vE BEEN TOLd ABOUT AUSTIN’S MUSIC SCENE. The 6th Street bar district is not the city’s epicenter for vibrant live music. That’s where nondiscerning college kids go to hear guitar players still learning how to wield their axes grind out takes of “In-A-Gadda-DaVida.” The venues that make Austin the “Live Music Capital of the World®”—outside of the SXSW and Austin City Limits festivals—mostly dot the perimeter of the capital city’s downtown.

Bohemian South Austin.

Rocking Red River Street.

No-man’s-land North Austin, where each Sunday afternoon for the last 10 years, at a dive called Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon, you can eat free hot dogs and place bets on where a chicken will cop a squat, while premier honky-tonk practitioner Dale Watson croons in between sips of canned Lone Star beer. Spots like these are the ones frequented by people in Austin who know where to go to find good music.

The brilliant thing about the live music scene here is that you can experience it every night.

Pick a night, any night, and the Continental Club on South Congress Avenue in South Austin will blow you away.

Some of the finest musicians in the game hone their chops there, among them stalwarts Jon Dee Graham and James McMurtry (son of Lonesome

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Dove author Larry McMurtry). Their Wednesday night double bill is a must.

The storied Continental opened in 1955. First it was a private supper club. Then it was a burlesque club.

Now it’s a destination for roots, rockabilly and retro.

“In a city that has seen so many changes over the past years, it’s refreshing to walk into the Continental Club, which is sort of a time capsule of what Austin used to be like,” owner Steve Wertheimer says.

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OU dON’T HAvE TO dRIvE fAR TO HIT A SCORE of other killer venues in South Austin. You’ll be glad you have the extra space when a stranger you’ve befriended at one show wants to hitch a ride to the next. Two sure things for that second set are Threadgill’s and the Broken Spoke.

The Broken Spoke is where you go if you’re looking for genuine country amidst a flock of two-steppers.

Tight jeans low on your boots. Pearl in your shirt buttons. Perhaps a stain around the brim of your Stetson to show you didn’t just take it out of the box.

That’s how the crowd did it back in the day when Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys played. That’s how the crowd does it today, when Alvin Crow is on the bandstand, stroking his fiddle. “We have cold beer, good whisky and good-lookin’ girls to dance with,” Broken Spoke owner James M. White says. “What more do you need?”

OK, OK, maybe pure country isn’t your thing.

You need a little rock to temper the drawl. The convergence of the two is how Threadgill’s made its bones. Back in the ’70s, it was called the Armadillo World Headquarters. The cosmic-cowboy craze was in full effect. One weekend Willie Nelson might be playing, on another weekend The Clash, and on another Sun Ra. Inside, on the walls of the renovated haunt, providing visuals for the diners, are vintage psychedelic concert posters. Outside is a performance space less ambitious in the scope of musicians it purveys than the Armadillo, but still a mainstay for eccentric acts like countrified hippies, the Gourds. Enjoy the

fire pit, room for folding chairs, and a bar with a line that’s long but fast. Because in the morning, you’ll be back to atone for your sins at the Sunday gospel brunch.

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NOTHER IMpORTANT AMALGAMATION of cultures occurred at Antone’s. The blues club was a unifier for blacks and whites in the ’70s and ’80s. Owner Clifford Antone ran the place like a playground for his heroes, blues assassins Muddy Waters, B.B. King and John Lee Hooker. But Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Los Lonely Boys have also dropped buckets of sweat there. “Clifford opened a club in downtown Austin at a time when downtowns were dying all over the country,” sister and current proprietor Susan Antone says. “The uniqueness of what became a first-class blues club led in many ways to so many other clubs opening there.”

The club has since relocated and is in a hightraffic area of downtown. And while the blues is only a fraction of what’s played today, you can still routinely catch 97-year-old boogie-woogie piano player, Pinetop Perkins, pouring out his heart.

Of course, there are alternatives to the raucous side of Austin’s live music scene. The Long Center for the Performing Arts, located on the banks of Lady Bird Lake, hosts programming for that special night out, like when you want to put on cashmere and plunk down 100 bucks to see Leonard Cohen or Tuvan throat singers or the Austin Symphony Orchestra. But included in that hefty admission is a view of the cityscape that is downright hallucinatory.

accessories shoWn on vehicle + Base Carrier Bars + Aluminum Side Steps + Chrome Mirror Caps + Rear Valance and Diffuser + Side Window Deflectors + Valve Stem Caps + Exhaust Tips + Polished Stainless Steel License Plate Frame + Chrome Door Handle Trim + Stainless Steel Doorsill Protection + Rear Hatch Chrome Accent Strip + Front Skid Plate + Front Valance + Hood Bug Deflector

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y NOW IT’S THE WITCHING HOUR. There’s no other place to be than Red River, the street that runs like a wayward son north of 6th Street. At the end is Mohawk, where rock bands on the cusp of the mainstream get loaded on cigarettes before commencing their post-midnight set behind a pair of Ray-Ban® sunglasses. This is where you can say you saw the next Pitchfork “it” band first.

Because once that band amasses a following, it will graduate down the street to Austin’s definitive rock arena, Stubb’s. Some people go there for the barbecue, fashioned after the namesake, a Lubbock-born cotton-picker and Korean War vet named Christopher B. Stubblefield. Some people go there for the hotshot touring bands on the outside stage. Most people go there for both.

Say you just got your Tiguan and you’d rather marvel at it in your garage.

There’s always Austin City Limits,SM the live-music TV show after which the festival took its name. You know, the show that comes on PBS® late at night, with the lit-up backdrop of Austin.

It’s filmed in a studio on the University of Texas campus. You have to know someone to get tickets, or you line up well in advance of a taping and hope there are extras. With this risk comes reward, though. Music from the best of the best, both local and national. “After 35 years, we’re the longest-running music show on American television, so we’re probably on our third generation of artists and viewers,” executive producer Terry Lickona says.

Soon Austin City Limits will move into a studio in the new W Hotel, smack dab in downtown. But that’s how it goes in Austin. Things are always changing, sounds are always going in and out of style, musicians get big and move on as new ones arrive in town. Who knows, maybe in a couple years 6th Street will really be alive with the sound of live music.

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DriverGear branDinG irOn A

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VW Flip Camera

perFOrmanCe SpOrT Cap

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White/Royal. Compact, super-sleek video/still camera tucks easily in your pocket. QuickDraw connects to your PC or Mac with its own pop-out USB connector. Includes 16 MB of built-in space and supports memory cards for added capacity. VW logo imprinted on front.

Black/White. Ripstop nylon fabric with breathable mesh liner, pinstripe piping on both sides, sandwich visor. Velcro strap adjusts size for perfect fit. VW logo embroidered on side, Volkswagen at back.

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make an impression at your next cookout with the VW fire-heated branding iron.

Stainless steel with 14" wood handle. Cleans up easily with soap and water.

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VW ipOD® ClOCk raDiO Blue. Digital clock with AM/FM radio, iPod dock lets you wake to radio or buzzer. Dock plays and charges iPod. Snooze and sleep functions. Built-in speaker. VW logo screenprinted on top. 5 ½" tall x 5" wide.

bbQ SpaTula

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round-end spatula with convenient bottle opener on the handle. Heavy-duty stainless steel with hard maple handle and brass rivets.

VW reTrO Tumbler The double-wall insulation of our acrylic tumblers help keep drinks cold and resists condensation. They’re great for enjoying your favorite beverage indoors or out.

Hand wash only. Do not microwave.

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Oakley® WHiSker® SunGlaSSeS Oakley C-5 alloy frames mean durable but lightweight shades. 8.75 lens curve wraps around your face for peripheral clarity and side-of-the-eye protection. VW logo laserengraved on lens.

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VW DOT TOTe baG White with pastel polka dots. Cute polka-dot bag perfectly complements your VW style. 24" shoulder handles, flat-bottom design.

reFill WaTer bOTTle B

black. lightweight stainless-steel water bottle helps keep plastic water bottles out of landfills. VW sport stripes imprinted.

blue pluSH DaiSy Add even more charm to your New Beetle with our plush daisy. Bud vase not included.

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V-DOG TuG TOy Quality time with you and your best friend. Standard-size tennis ball with an 8" long strap. Great for training, work or play.

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CHillin’ bOWl Orange. Freeze the bottom half before you leave home to help keep milk or fruit chilled until mealtime. Cereal stays dry in the top compartment until it’s time to eat. 12 oz. dry storage bowl and 5.7 oz. cold storage. Hand-wash only.

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WOVen peT COllar Royal Blue. Durable nylon collar coordinates with our dog leash.

Volkswagen logo is accented with paw prints. Adjustable neck.

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peT aCCeSSOry SeT Royal/Grey. Use our pet accessory bag every time you take Fido for a walk, and you will have everything you need for a fun day at the park. Made of strong 600D polyester for years of adventures together. Includes 2 collapsible bowls for food and water, detachable zippered case for storing treats or waste bags.

Roomy interior for food and leash storage. Outer mesh pocket for a water bottle. Volkswagen logo screen printed on pocket.

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WOVen peT leaSH Royal Blue. Durable nylon leash features generous hand loops. Long, 6' length is perfect for hiking, walking or running. Volkswagen logo is accented with paw prints.

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V-Dub DOG TOy Blue. This toy is made like a tennis ball and has an unpredictable bounce that will keep your puppy wildly entertained. Great for playing fetch or tug-o-war.

VW rOpe Flyer Blue. This rope flyer will provide hours of fun for people and pets. Measures 9.84" inches, made of nylon.

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DriverGear

baSe Carrier barS Designed to fit your specific Volkswagen model, the base carrier bars support our roof rack systems so you can easily and safely haul your gear.

upper CarGO parTiTiOn This partition separates the luggage area from the passenger area and fits between the rear seat back and the roof liner. Can be used with the lower cargo divider.

HOOD buG DeFleCTOr High-impact acrylic shield helps protect from stone chipping and bug debris. Complete with mounting hardware.

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FrOnT anD rear SiDe WinD DeFleCTOrS The front and rear side wind deflectors give you a reduction of in-cabin wind noise and air turbulence and fit your Tiguan with precise customization. Sold separately.

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18" mOTOrSpOrT blaCk Gli/GTi/Golf/ Jetta/rabbit VW Garmin® nuVi765 inTeGraTiOn SOluTiOn In addition to the state-of-the-art navigation device from Garmin, an original Volkswagen integration kit is included. See dealer for compatibility requirements and ordering information.

ipOD® aDapTer Allows you to listen to and have basic control over your iPod player via your vehicle’s radio. Restrictions apply. See your local Volkswagen dealer for ordering information.

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Ask Your volkswAgen DeAler About A triAl subscription* to sirius sAtellite rADio. With over 130 channels, SIRIUS brings you more of what you love. You get 100% commercial-free music from every genre, artist-dedicated channels and live performances. Plus hear every NFL game and NASCAR® race, college sports, the biggest names in entertainment from Howard Stern to Martha Stewart, laugh-out-loud comedy, kids’ programming, news and more. And now you can add The Best of XM to your SIRIUS subscription** for even more sports, talk and entertainment. Visit www.sirius.com/inyourvehicle to extend your subscription today.

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*Available only on SIRIUS-equipped vehicles. Routan vehicles receive a 12-month trial subscription. **Requires a small monthly fee. © 2010 SIRIUS XM Radio Inc. SIRIUS, XM and all related marks and logos are trademarks of SIRIUS XM Radio Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other marks, channel names and logos are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. SIRIUS|XM U.S. Satellite Service available only to those at least 18 years of age in the 48 contiguous USA and D.C., with SIRIUS also available in PR (with coverage limitations).

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