Mods And Repairs: Classic VW Beetle Performance?

So, why do you drive a Volkswagen? What is it that made you really want a VW? I'm pretty much a VW freak. I'm only 17, but they're the only cars I've ever driven (on a regular basis). I learned to drive on a blue 2001 New Beetle 5 speed and it was so fun. When I was 5 years old, my aunt bought a 1997 VW Cabrio brand-new and took me for a ride in it and ever since then, I've wanted one (I bought one last year). VWs are so fun to drive, they're reliable if you take care of them, and they're solid as a rock. Not that cheap Ford and Dodge crap that's put out these days. Over the last few days, I've had to drive around an automatic 2004 Nissan Sentra. Nissans are reliable cars, but it bores me to TEARS. I dont drive a volkswagen , but I do enjoy their interiors and their great fuel mileage! Espically the 60mpg tdi! For me, driving my VW GTI is the same feeling I get paddling on a swift,pristine river in my kayak. The GTI & kayak inspire with their agility,speed,uniqueness & fun factor. It seems that both were designed expressly for my delight. It's the rare kind of car that can cheer you up from a bad mood. So, for sheer spark and verve, for performance utility and value, whats not to like? TRY to make them look cool and fast and load. Volkswagens a hell of a lot. VW's. they look and perform spectacularly. I drive one because I'm married to a VW fanatic. We own 2 old Beetles and a 62 Double cab. Those are just the street legal ones, we also have our own personal junk yard. He rebuilds trannys as a side job. I guess he got that from his Dad who owned them back in the day. We had a new Beetle once but it was junk.

I wrote previously about Mercedes' foray into the small car market. As strange as that may seem to many Americans, both Mercedes and BMW have long produced smaller and less costly models for the European market. Now, it appears that BMW is considering doing the same: introducing to the North American market a truly compact car, smaller than any BMW that has ever graced our highways and back streets. Is this a good move for the German automaker? Or, will it water down a prestigious brand name? Part of any automaker's marketing strategy is to convince you, the consumer, what their vehicle line is all about. Dodge would like you to believe that they sell sporty cars and rugged trucks; Scion touts their youth oriented vehicles; and both BMW and Mercedes, like Cadillac, sell luxury vehicles. Millions of dollars of advertising is spent per year to reinforce brand image which is supported by consumer surveys of that particular sentiment.

Speaking about Cadillac, in the early 1980s GM's luxury brand briefly marketed a compact car - the Cimarron - that ultimately bombed, in part, because it strayed far from its big luxury car base. Sure, the car was little more than a rebadged and re-tweaked Chevrolet Cavalier, but it contradicted the entire Cadillac mystique. Even a slightly larger and much later model, the Catera, also failed as the car was perceived for what it really was: a remade Opel. So, now the dilemma: will consumers accept the "1 Series" BMW's planned entry or will it cause confusion and diminish the BMW name? I visited BMW's U.K. Series 1 model. With the typical BMW fascia in place the Series 1 resembles a slightly stretched Volkswagen Golf mated to a compact BMW. The "1" comes equipped with either a 1.6L or 2.0L I4 gasoline engine, a gas 24V 3.0L V6, or a 2.0L four cylinder diesel that achieves a whopping 50 mpg fuel economy. Equipment on the "1" is typical BMW with ABS and all the full luxury appointments. Clearly, the current "1" is not a stripped model as it features many of the amenities found on larger BMWs. In my opinion BMW must tread carefully in bringing a car of this size to the American market. Forget the hatchback and just go with the sedan with either a wagon and or a coupe being a possibility. Unlike the basic Mercedes models, the "1" may just be able to pull it off for BMW and allow the German automaker to sell a tiny BMW successfully in the U.S. Alternatively, BMW just may want to consider launching a separate brand, to retain the BMW mystique in the American market.

Volkswagen Group owns a test track facility in Ehre-Lessien, which is located in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany. What is the rear track of the 2013 VW Golf? The rear track of the 2013 Volkswagen Golf is 4 ft. 11.6 in. (59.6 in.). What is the rear track of the 2011 VW Golf? The rear track of the 2011 Volkswagen Golf is 4 ft. 11.6 in. (59.6 in.). What is the rear track of the 2012 VW Eos? The rear track of the 2012 Volkswagen Eos is 5 ft. 1.1 in. (61.1 in.). What is the rear track of the 2008 VW Eos? The rear track of the 2008 Volkswagen Eos is 5 ft. 1.1 in. (61.1 in.). What is the front track of the 2012 VW Jetta? The front track of the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta is 5 ft. 0.7 in. (60.7 in.). What is the rear track of the 2004 VW GTI?

The rear track of the 2004 Volkswagen GTI is 4 ft. 10.8 in. (58.8 in.). What is the front track of the 2014 VW Passat? The front track of the 2014 Volkswagen Passat is 5 ft. 2.1 in. (62.1 in.). What is the front track of the 2013 VW Jetta? The front track of the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta is 5 ft. 0.7 in. (60.7 in.). What is the front track of the 2010 VW Eos? The front track of the 2010 Volkswagen Eos is 5 ft. 0.8 in. (60.8 in.). What is the rear track of the 2005 VW GTI? The rear track of the 2005 Volkswagen GTI is 4 ft. 10.8 in. (58.8 in.). What is the front track of the 2014 VW Golf? The front track of the 2014 Volkswagen Golf is 5 ft. 0.7 in. (60.7 in.). What is the rear track of the 2013 VW GTI? The rear track of the 2013 Volkswagen GTI is 4 ft.