New Cabrio Info!!!

We have now been given more information on the 2013 Beetle Cabrio and it's available options and equipment. Turbo models will be fitted with a gauge pod on the center dash, showing you things like boost pressure and oil temperature, not to mention a cool stopwatch. Also, the Beetle Cabrio will now be the ONLY vehicle in its class offered with an available 2.0L TDI clean diesel engine. That's right, Diesel Power!!! Get Ready!!! Pre-orders available now!!!

The Convertible is Almost Here!!!!

The wait is about to come to an end!!! It's almost here and everybody's talking!!! The first 2013 Beetle has been spotted in the US. The Michigan tag indicates a corporate vehicle, but expect to see these cars hitting dealerships nationwide very soon!!!! Call me now to set up an appointment to view the first vehicles in stock!!

Shark!!!

What if we could drive a Volkswagen under water? What if we could drive under the ocean and watch the sharks swim about (in the comfort of a safety cage, of course)? Well now we can. Volkswagen has teamed up with the The Discovery Channel for it's famous Shark Week special. They made a shark cage in which divers can observe sharks in safety. However, this is no ordinary shark cage, as you'll see in the video below. This shark cage is actually a replica of the 2012 Beetle, and actually drives! It has twin propellers mounted out back, and features the same 19-inch Tornado alloy wheels available on the land based version. Check it out!

Meet The Design Team!

ABS! (Not an ab workout)

Today we are going to talk about Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS). Nowadays, ABS is required by law on all vehicles sold in the United States. So basically, almost all cars on the road today are equipped with some form of ABS. However, this does not mean they are all the same. Repeat: NOT ALL ABS SYSTEMS ARE CREATED EQUALLY!!!!

There are actually three main types of ABS on the market today. 2-channel, 3-channel, and 4-channel are all for sale on the market. But what does that even mean? I mean, my digital cable service has over 600 channels, does that make it better? Well....

The number of channels in the ABS refers to the amount of dedicated brake lines the ABS has coming out of it. 2-channel setups usually have one channel for the front, and one for the rear brakes. This means that the system can trigger ABS on the front wheels together, or rear wheels together. However, there is no way to correct the cars behavior from side to side.

3-channel setups have one channel for each of the two front brakes, and one channel for both rear brakes. This means that the front brakes can correct for side to side movement, but the rear brakes cannot. In essence, if the rear brakes lock up and the tail of the car starts to go into a skid, the car will more than likely spin completely around, and out of control. That doesn't sound safe....

Now we have Volkswagen's 4-channel setup. This means that each brake has its own dedicated ABS line. We can independently close and open each brake with ABS if we need to. The 4-channel system works in tandem with the car's ESP and internally mounted wheel speed sensors to keep you in control. Basically we monitor the speed of each wheel. If you are stopping in a straight line, all the wheels decelerate evenly. If one is decelerating more than another, we can adjust the brakes on all the other wheels to correct it.

Basically, we don't care if you're in snow, mud, asphalt, sand, oil, WHATEVER!!! 4-channel ABS stops you in a perfectly straight line. Every time. Period.



Join me next time in the Passat Blog to discuss our next safety topic.

1974

Let's remember back to 1974 (okay I wasn't there). Well, thats when VW started to release a great idea, the camper! It was a small camper with a kitchenette, closet, beds, sink, etc; and it clipped right onto the roof of your Beetle! It was perfectly sized so that the Beetle could perform complex maneuvers with the camper still attached. The craziest part is, the Beetle would get about 20 mpg, even with the camper attached!!!! Check it out:

http://youtu.be/56XL0TysIn0

MoRRRe Beetle (R-Line)

So the new Beetle looks pretty masculine now. Thank You!!! But what about those of us who still want a little bit more? How about a front valence kit, and some big rims? How about some shiny performance badging or something? Make the interior look a little sportier too! .....Done. Presenting the R-Line Beetle. Have fun.

Monster Beetle!

The E-Bugster is Coming!

VW's favorite car is going electric and topless! Let's hope this concept makes it's way to us!