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HERNDON, Va.—Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today that it has been named Grand Marshall for the 40th Annual Tecate SCORE International Baja 500 Thursday, May 29 – Sunday, June 1 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Volkswagen, which has powered hundreds of class wins in off-road racing over the past 40 years in Baja, including thirteen overall wins, is also the official vehicle of SCORE International.
“Volkswagen is honored to be the first auto manufacturer to serve as Grand Marshall for SCORE Baja 500 since the event’s inception,” said Clark Campbell, motorsport manager, Volkswagen of America. “Volkswagen was SCORE’s official vehicle back in 1973, and is now once again the official vehicle, plus we have the honor of marshalling the event this year, an honor that Volkswagen accepts with tremendous pride.”
In 1973, the Volkswagen model Thing was SCORE’s Official Vehicle; today SCORE officials get to enjoy the luxurious, sophisticated, and highly competent off-road Sport Utility Vehicle Touareg as the official vehicle of SCORE International.
The Tecate SCORE International Baja 500 starts and finishes in downtown Ensenada on Boulevard Costero in front of the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural, marking the first time the race has ever finished on Boulevard Costero. This year’s tight and technical course will run in a clockwise direction for the third straight year. It includes a wide variety of terrain, and over 100 miles that hasn’t been raced for over a decade, along with over 30 miles that has never been raced on.
“The customized Volkswagen Touareg that SCORE has for course identification and marking has worked flawlessly. As a matter of fact, it is easy to forget your riding around the tortuous desert the ride is so smooth and comfortable. SCORE has never had a better course-marking vehicle in its long history than the SCORE Touareg,” said Sal Fish, CEO and president, SCORE International.

HERNDON, Va. - Mass Communications students at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU-Boulder) were recently given the opportunity to participate in the U.S. media launch of the new 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan.

Thirty students from the CU School of Journalism and Mass Communication attended the press briefing which provided an overview of the Tiguan’s technical and marketing specifics. The briefing was then followed by a vehicle “walk-around”, a presentation of its features and a test drive. Students from print and broadcast journalism, public relations and advertising disciplines assisted the Volkswagen launch team in various aspects of the event.

“What better opportunity to give back to our hosts at CU-Boulder than to allow their students the opportunity to take part in a real press event,” said Keith Price, public relations manager for Volkswagen of America Inc. “Boulder reflects the active lifestyle of the Tiguan customer and prospect profile, so the location was a perfect fit and the opportunity to work with the university made it even better for Volkswagen.”

“It’s not often we can give our students hands-on experience in public relations, advertising and magazine journalism in the same event,” said Dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Paul Voakes.

In addition, Road & Track magazine will review articles submitted by students about the Boulder event and will consider publishing the best submission on its Web site. “Road & Track magazine, in both print and online media, needs to contribute to the development of the next generation of automotive journalists,” said Matt DeLorenzo, deputy editor, Road & Track. “We are excited about this opportunity”

Courtesy: Volkswagen of America Inc., USA

Volkswagen’s planned U.S. factory is likely to also make upscale Audis and Porsches, VW of America CEO Stefan Jacoby said Thursday.

In an interview with USA TODAY, Jacoby said of the planned U.S. plant: “For Audi and Porsche, it would be an opportunity to add on units” as German parent VW AG seeks to triple U.S. VW and Audi sales to a million total by 2018 and boost sales dramatically worldwide.

Porsche is VW AG’s biggest shareholder, with 31% and has been involved in many joint ventures with VW. The VW and Audi brands are among a VW AG portfolio ranging from low-price European-market Seat and Skoda to high-end Lamborghini and Bentley.

The U.S. factory, Jacoby said, will be built in Tennessee, Alabama or Michigan. “July, the latest, we will make our decision,” he said. He said the factory should be in operation by the end of 2010, an ambitious schedule for a plant not yet under construction.

A U.S. factory would avoid the currency-exchange whammy, in which the falling U.S. dollar has made imported goods more expensive. VW, a mainstream brand, has less room to boost prices to make up the difference than luxury brands such as Audi.

According to a report from Germany published Thursday by trade magazine Automotive News, Porsche denied it plans to build its current Cayenne SUV in VW’s U.S. plant, but it would not comment on the next-generation SUV or other Porsches.

Porsche and Audi buyers value the German heritage of those brands and might balk at U.S. versions. “My instinct is that it would annoy Porschephiles more than Audiphiles. I think the Porsche guys might get up in arms a little bit,” says Stephanie Brinley, senior manager of product analysis for marketing consultant AutoPacific.

VW pioneered what are called transplant factories in the USA, building about 1 million cars at Westmoreland, Pa., from 1978 to 1988.

Jacoby, who took over U.S. operations on Sept. 1, said VW will “custom tailor” VWs for U.S. tastes. He said U.S. buyers appear to like “soft-riding” cars that don’t need high top speeds because of “speed limits that are much more rigorously enforced” than in Germany.

But he emphasized that U.S. VWs won’t be sloppy-handling or sluggish.

Jacoby acknowledged that VW “did a lot of things wrong” to earn a U.S. reputation as unreliable and costly to maintain. But he said improved quality — “our warranty costs are down considerably” — and a new three-year free maintenance offer should raise perceptions.

With a good amount of chatter out there in regard to Volkswagen offering the 1-litre in 2010, we wanted to give you another look at it. Volkswagen presented the 1-litre car in April of 2002. Do the math and is was just over 6 years ago… The timing would be about right but we have not seen anything solid coming from VW.

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It looks to start at Motor Authority back on October of 2007.

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