Honda Cars : VW's Beetle-Based E-Bugster Concept: 2012 Detroit Auto Show | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Just the Facts:
-A pure electric concept, the VW E-Bugster shares its driveline with the upcoming Golf Blue-e-motion.
-The jaunty two-seater features an 85kW electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack.
-Range between charges is more than 100 miles.

DETROIT — Volkswagen's E-Bugster is a pure electric concept based on the Beetle, but revamped to run solely on battery power.

The jaunty two-seater features an 85kW electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack, similar to the drive system that will power the upcoming VW Golf Blue-e-motion, and produces 199 pound-feet of torque.

The battery is charged via a connector under the VW logo on the hood that can accommodate everything from a household current to a quick-charge commercial unit. Range between charges is more than 100 miles.

The concept gets a lower roofline, shallow windows and a wide, flat windshield, as well as LED daytime running lamps.

The cockpit features EV-specific gauges, including an energy-consumption display, a driving range indicator, a display with the battery's state of charge and a display that indicates the intensity of battery regeneration.

Inside Line says: A hipper, greener Beetle for the 21st century.

Source;
http://www.insideline.com/volkswagen/vws-beetle-based-e-bugster-concept-2012-detroit-auto-show.html

Honda Cars : VW Toureg Sport Concept | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

This is one awesome concept, I love the roof scoop....Do you enjoy watching the Dakar Rally? If so, then you probably have day dreamed about driving those awesome off-road racers to the mall or to work. Only problem is, while these racers have minor details like the shape of the headlights and names in common with models you’d find in showrooms, technically, they’re completely different.

Take the Volkswagen Touareg for example. The one that races in the Dakar Rally has little in common with the one you’ll find in the showrooms. That, however, could change if they decide to put the Race Touareg 3 concept into production.

Unveiled at the Qatar Motor Show, this concept marries the madness of the rally machine with some civility from the road going version. Thankfully it is more like the rally car than the normal showroom model.

Not only does it look like the racer that just won the 2011 Dakar rally, but it has the same powertrain also. So you get the same 2.5-liter turbo-diesel engine that produces 296-hp and a whopping 442 lb ft of torque. Power is sent to all wheels via a 5-speed sequential gearbox that has a three-plate ceramic clutch and three limited slip differentials. In other words, this vehicle doesn’t even know the meaning of getting stuck.

It’s quick too, 0-60 mph takes just 6.1 seconds and tops out at 117 mph (due to those large dune bashing tires, otherwise it would have been even faster).

While the cockpit of the race versions have no interior trimming whatsoever, the Race Touareg 3 concept has a fully finished, well appointed interior.

And now the bad news, this awesome concept is just a concept. There are no production plans yet, but if everyone bugs VW enough, they could put it into limited production. Hey, these things have happened before. So if you would like to park one of these on your driveway, tell those Germans at VW to make one for you and your friends.

Watch out Ford Raptor.

Source;
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2011/01/volkswagen-race-touareg-3-concept-brings-dakar-to-the-street.html

Honda Cars : Volkswagen’s electric Milano Taxi concept | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Now, that's just too cool....
This is the taxi of the future, according to Volkswagen. VW, which will launch its first production electric vehicles in 2013 has shown this electric driven taxi at the Hanover Trade Show. Called the Milano Taxi concept, it is a city MPV tailored to the needs of taxi drivers and passengers with innovative details such as a swivel-sliding door that opens in a forward direction and customisable taxi touchscreens.

The green and black paint of the concept cab is a tribute to the fashion capital of Milan, where taxis were once painted like this. VW says that the Milano’s styling bears similarities to the iconic Volkswagen Samba Bus of the 1950s, and this plus its emissions-free drive and practicality could “make it a highly coveted vehicle in cities like New York and Tokyo”.

“One door less is all the more for a taxi,” said Walter de Silva, VW Group’s Head of Design. The safest way to enter and exit a taxi is on the sidewalk side, which explains why the LHD Milano’s single swivel-sliding door opens on the right side. The door also extends well into the roof, so the opening is very tall. The Milano’s dimensions is 1.60 m tall, 3.73 m long and 1.66 m wide. Like the Samba Bus, the outer roof areas are transparent; combined with a panoramic glass roof, passengers get a spacious feel and great views of the cityscape above.

Also, the need for passengers to always have to gaze at the taximeter in front to see the current charges is now a thing of the past (the meter in our Proton Iswara cabs are always conveniently shielded by the gear stick!). An 8-inch touchscreen in the Milano’s rear not only displays charges, but incorporates a credit card reader as well!

This cute cab has a top speed of 120 km/h and is driven by an electric motor with 85 kW (50 kW continuous power) powered by a lithium-ion battery located underfloor. VW says that the battery’s storage capacity of 45 Kilowatt-hours (kWh) and the Milano’s relatively low weight (1,500 kg) allows it to cover distances of up to 300 km. The battery can be recharged to 80% capacity in just over one hour.

Source (check it out with more pic's);
http://paultan.org/2010/04/21/volkswagens-electric-milano-taxi-concept-is-very-cool/