Cars, Car Insurance, Auto Purchase

Volkswagen Space Up Blue Concept
Volkswagen unveiled the third and most advanced iteration yet of the up! family of concept vehicles at the Los Angeles Motor Show.

Named space up! blue and taking its visual inspiration and drivetrain layout from the classic 1950s Samba Bus, the concept vehicle is powered by a pioneering high-temperature fuel cell linked to a series of 12 lithium-ion batteries. The innovative power sources are linked to a rear-mounted electric motor developing 61 PS and 88 lbs ft of torque. The only by-product of this highly efficient drivetrain is pure water.

Relying solely on the bank of lithium-ion batteries, which have a combined energy capacity of 12 kilowatt-hours, the space up! blue has a range of around 65 miles. When drawing energy from the high temperature fuel cell a range of 155 miles is possible - bringing the vehicle’s maximum theoretical range to 220 miles.

The new drivetrain is fully integrated into the space up! blue concept with a bank of solar panels built into the roof of the vehicle to allow the charge in the lithium-ion batteries to be topped up at all times when light falls on them. The high-temperature fuel cell meanwhile produces electric energy from compressed hydrogen, stored in a pair of secure tanks beneath the vehicle.

The innovative high temperature fuel cell developed by Volkswagen has several advantages over a conventional low-temperature fuel cell. The high temperature version is far more efficient as it converts more of the energy in the hydrogen into electrical energy. Furthermore it is less complex and does not require the same cooling systems demanded by a low-temperature variant - which also significantly reduces the packaging and therefore cost requirements of the cell unit.

Running on purely battery power the space up! blue is capable of reaching 62 mph in 13.7 seconds before reaching a top speed of 75 mph.

In design, the space up! blue continues the mix of clean surfaces and sharp, cohesive lines that define the look of the up! family which now comprises the up!, space up! and space up! blue. As well as featuring a recessed solar panel the roof of the space up! blue features a set of glass skylights reminiscent of the classic Samba Bus.

Despite being capable of carrying four adults in comfort and a total of 220 litres of luggage capacity the space up! blue’s dimensions remain modest, measuring 3680 mm long, 1569 mm high and 1630 mm wide.

The space up! blue’s interior, accessed through a pair of wide butterfly doors that hinge from both the A- and C-pillars, features a unique mix of advanced, touchscreen interfaces and innovative materials. Many of the surfaces are constructed out of recycled materials - the instrument panel and the door mouldings are made out of organic plastics or biopolymers.

Development of production versions of the up! family of vehicles is underway with the aim of bringing a road-going version to the market before the end of the decade.
 

Volkswagen Touareg R50
In a world premiere, Volkswagen will be presenting the Volkswagen Touareg R50 on October 11 at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. Its power of 258 kW / 350 PS (at 3,500 rpm) positions the new Touareg version among the most powerful SUVs in the world. The Volkswagen Touareg R50 can be ordered in Germany at prices starting at 88,260 Euro; it will be introduced to the market this November.

The engine characteristic of the Volkswagen Touareg R50 is marked by a torque level nearly unattainable by the competition: The V10 TDI of the Volkswagen Touareg R50 develops its enormous power of 850 Newton-meter at a low 2,000 rpm. The turbo diesel was derived from the well-known ten cylinder with 230 kW / 313 PS. Adjustments to its turbo charging and modified engine management enabled a 28 kW / 37 PS increase in power and a considerable 100 Newton-meter increase in maximum torque. Under these new parameters, the SUV accelerates to 100 km/h in just 6.7 seconds (production car: 7.4 seconds); its top speed is 235 km/h. In relation to engine power and vehicle size, the fuel consumption of the production ten-cylinder diesel equipped with a particulate filter is a moderate 9.6 liters per 100 km (highway) and 12.6 liters per 100 km (overall). Despite big gains in power and torque, its DIN fuel consumption values have remained constant compared to the Touareg V10 TDI.

In keeping with the performance potential of the R50, Volkswagen Individual designed new exterior and interior features according to the R philosophy. From the outside, the new Volkswagen Touareg R50 is easy to recognize with its 21-inch Omanyt type alloy wheels and size 295 tires, blue painted brake calipers, discrete wheel well flares, side skirts and distinctive bumpers (Sport Design Package), as well as a modified radiator grille (in a matte finish chrome).

Offered exclusively on the Volkswagen Touareg R50 is the car color “Biscay blue”. Blue hues of this type have been typical of the high-powered R models since the first Golf R32 was introduced in the year 2002. Offered as optional car colors on the Volkswagen Touareg R50 are “Campanella white”, “Reflex silver”, “Black Magic” and “Atacam gray”.

The car’s extensive features also include an air suspension sport chassis: The so-called “Driving dynamics package with adaptive roll compensation” and chassis lowered by twenty millimeter supplements the “Sport” mode of the manually or automatically controlled air suspension by achieving a stiffer spring rate.

On the inside, the SUV’s features include a sport seating system in anthracite-colored nappa leather with R50 logo integrated in the headrests. The logo was also integrated in the stainless steel tread plates. Also in keeping with the sporty character of the Touareg is the light-colored “engine spin” decor of the interior - a metallic structure similar to that previously used on race cars - as well as metal worked caps for the accelerator and brake pedals. A R50 logo also decorates the gearshift lever of the six-speed automatic transmission (Tiptronic). Standard features the Volkswagen Touareg R50 also include a winter package (including seat heating for the rear seats), the Premium Memory Package (including electrically adjustable seats, steering column and seatbelt height), net partition behind the rear seats and a ski sack.