More than Fahrvergnügen

Begun in 2008, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup is a single-make series sanctioned by the SCCA that takes place only in North America. As an entry-level series, the TDI Cup is open to drivers between the ages of 16 and 26.

The number of entrants is limited to 30 and, in 2009, a series of ten races was held at eight different venues (Virginia International Raceway and New Jersey Motorsports Park hosted two races each, while Miller Motorsports Park, Mid-Ohio, Autobahn Country Club, Mosport, Road Atlanta and Road America each hosted one race).

Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition

“Since our inaugural TDI Cup series in 2008 we have received numerous inquiries as to whether or not we would offer a TDI Cup replica vehicle,” said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “We’re thrilled to announce that a special edition Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition will be available in dealer showrooms early next year. What makes this special edition so unique is that it features the optional, race inspired, TDI Cup body kit package combined with our clean diesel engine. The Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition is one exceptional special model that is as fun-to-drive as it is to look at,” added Barnes.

Unveiled at last year’s SEMA show, the original Street Edition concept has moved around the country, being displayed at each of the TDI Cup races this year.

Specs

The actual production TDI Cup Street Edition features the front bumper, lower side skirts and rear valance found on the TDI Cup race cars. But there are functional differences as well: all Street Edition Jettas will feature the larger brakes (with red calipers), sway bars and sport suspension featured on the Jetta GLI.

The same 2.0-liter, 140 hp turbocharged direct injection engine that powers the regular Jetta TDI is also found under the hood of the Street Edition. Ditto the standard six-speed manual and optional DSG six-speed automatic.

Additional upgrades include cloth sport seats, a leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel and, last but certainly not least, 18” Charleston wheels in place of the standard 6.5J x 16” alloys.

Pricing

Pricing of the standard Jetta TDI begins at $22,270 and Volkswagen has stated that pricing on the Street Edition will start at “around” $25,000 – meaning all the extra goodies should amount to about a $3,000 premium over a run-of-the-mill TDI.

Summer in the city

Here at LotPro.com, we realize that much of the nation has been suffering through record-setting, sweltering summer heat for quite some time. Here in Michigan, however, the hum of air conditioning compressors has hardly been heard (in residential areas, anyway) due to an unseasonably cool summer so far this year.

Deep in the heart

I was reminded of this not too long ago when my brother, who lives in Houston, Texas, called me to tell me that the weather down there has been nearly unbearable (even for Houstonians) this summer. He also called to let me know that he was very happy with his new car, a Volkswagen Jetta Wolfsburg Edition, but that he was extremely disappointed in the air conditioning system.

I immediately reminded him that the exterior color of said Jetta was black and that anyone who lives in Houston and chooses to buy a black car should immediately be examined for any additional signs of insanity (in his defense, it should be stated that black was the only remaining color the Wolfsburg was available in by the time he made his purchase).

That being said, I proceeded to ask him his procedural checklist for cooling off his car when it had been parked outside in the hideous Texas heat. He replied that he got in the car, started it, turned on the air and then commenced to drive off. I was aghast. I proceeded to give him my advice and a few days later he called back to tell me that it had worked and his new car was much more comfortable, thank you very much.

Here, then, is what I told him:

Sweating the details

Keeping your cool, while maximizing your vehicle’s air conditioning system, requires taking a few steps ahead of time to ensure your vehicle is as efficient as possible:

1.    Take your vehicle to a mechanic to have its air conditioning system checked ahead of time to be sure the refrigerant level is okay and that there are no leaks in the system.
2.    If you live in an extremely hot climate (like Houston during the summer), invest in a good, reflecting windshield sun shade (the silver foldable type). It will keep the interior temperature lower and keep your dashboard looking good, longer. If the area you live in is really hot, you should also buy one for the rear window. This is absolutely necessary if you park outside.
3.    If your car is equipped with a tilt sunroof, tilt it up (and keep the interior sunshade closed) to allow hot air to be vented outside. If you don’t have a sunroof, crack the windows open a half inch or so (neither of these should be done if there is a chance of rain – and don’t worry, with the design of vehicle locks these days, it is extremely difficult to open a car door with a coat hanger if the window is open – just take my word for it).
4.    Park in the shadow of a tree or in a parking structure, if possible. Even a little shade will keep your vehicle much cooler.

Now that you’ve kept your vehicle as cool as possible while it’s parked, here is the drill for cooling it down once you need to get moving:

1.    Start the car, open all the windows and remove the sun shield from the windshield. Once the windows are open, turn on the air conditioner with the fan set on “high” and the fresh/recirculating position set to “fresh”.
2.    When the air coming out of the vents begins to cool, close the front windows all the way while leaving about a 2 inch opening at the top of the rear windows (if you have no rear windows, leave a 2 inch opening at the top of the front windows). Do this while you’re still parked.
3.    You can now start to drive. After a couple of minutes, close the remaining open windows (and the sunroof) then switch the fresh/recirculating switch to “recirc”.

Why all the bother?

The point is to flush the hot air out of the car as efficiently as possible. Since hot air conveniently rises and the windows can be cracked from the top, the air will move out more efficiently through the windows, allowing your car to cool down more rapidly.

Once your vehicle begins to cool, recirculating the cool air already in the cabin will allow the a/c to work more efficiently – but if you recirculate the air constantly, even when the car has been parked for a while – it will take much longer for the passenger compartment to cool off.

Stay cool

From all of us here at LotPro.com, have a cool, comfortable and enjoyable summer!

It all began in 1974

1975 Rabbit (photo courtesy of VWoA)

In order to sort through all the generations and name changes, it’s best to start at the beginning which, for the Rabbit/Golf, began in 1974. For 1974, you see, marked not only the genesis of what was to become the C-segment platform for VW, it also marked the beginning of the company’s decision to market the vehicle under a different name in the United States. In Germany and the rest of Europe, it was called a Golf, while in the U.S. (possibly for reasons linking the word to the Mark Twain quote “Golf is a good walk spoiled.”) it was called a Rabbit – complete with a cute bunny logo on it’s behind.

1985 Golf (photo courtesy VWoA)

It’s a Golf for 1985

Sales of the first generation model went well for a while, but eventually succumbed to the onslaught of less expensive Japanese and domestic models. In 1985, the company introduced the second generation Mark II while switching the name to “Golf.”

1999 Mk4 Golf

The Mk3 third generation was introduced in the U.S. in 1994 and the Mk4 fourth generation reached our shores in 1999 and both versions soldiered on under the Golf nameplate.

Mk5 GTI

Back to the Rabbit

The Mk5 fifth generation model marked 32 years for VW’s C-segment car as well as, guess what, a name change that required Volkswagen salesmen to, once again, go back over their sales pitch by embracing the warm and fuzzy image of a Rabbit.

2010 GTI

To quote Ronald Reagan, “There you go again!”

It is now 2009. The Rabbit/Golf has been around for 35 years. To mark its 36th model year and sixth generation, VW has decided to, once again, change the name back to “Golf.” The latest press release from the company gives this reasoning for the decision:

“The Golf is an iconic nameplate for the Volkswagen Brand and it is known throughout the world,” said Mark Barnes, COO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “The Golf is Volkswagen’s best selling global nameplate with more than 26 million units sold in over 120 countries.”

“Making the change back to Golf is an important step in realigning with our global heritage” Barnes added.

What’s in a name?

According to Shakespeare, “That which we call a rose By ay other name would smell as sweet.” Here at LotPro.com, that means that as long as VW continues to build sweet rides like the Golf, GTI, Jetta and GLI, we really don’t care what they’re called.

MINI

2009 MINI Cooper Convertible

It’s been almost two years since the second generation MINI hardtop was introduced, so it’s about time for a new convertible. Practical changes from the first generation include a rear roll bar that now rests in the retracted position for better rearward visibility as well as a trunk that is larger by almost 2 cubic feet that is accessed by a new clamshell-style lid.

Another small improvement is the split folding rear seat that replaces the one-piece seatback of the original, allowing for more passenger/hauling versatility. Finally, for those of you who simply must know this information, MINI is offering, as an option, a gauge (which they call an Openometer) next to the tach. This will track your top-down engine-on time and will download this information to the trip computer which will store the information for the lifetime of the vehicle.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO

Somewhat lost amidst the glitz and glamour of the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss (and overlooked in our last article), is the Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO.

Here in the United States, we’re used to seeing only the big sedans out of Stuttgart, while over in Europe, drivers have been cavorting around in the A-Class (think Ford Ka) for years and in the B-Class (think Ford Fiesta) since 2005.

According to some sources, the styling of the BlueZERO represents the direction for the next-generation B-Class, while the various powertrains (there are three) are meant to demonstrate what is currently under development for alternative sources of power.

The BlueZERO E-Cell is a plug-in electric with a range of 125 miles. The E-Cell Plus uses a smaller battery pack but augments this with the 1.0 liter 67 horsepower turbocharged engine from the Smart Fortwo, thus extending the range up to 370 miles. The F-Cell uses a hydrogen fuel cell to power an electric motor and gives the vehicle a range of 249 miles.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen BlueSport Concept

Volkswagen chose the 2009 Detroit Auto Show to showcase the latest in clean diesel technology. With the company reporting solid sales of the Jetta TDI sedan and TDI SportWagen, new, clean-diesel TDI versions of the Touareg SUV and Rabbit will soon be arriving in the American market.

With much of the company’s resources allocated to clean-diesel technology, VW chose to unveil its latest concept vehicle – the Volkswagen BlueSport. Boasting a top speed of 140 mph while, at the same time, managing to get a claimed 42 mpg on the highway, this turbocharged 2.0 liter diesel generates 180 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque at only 1750 rpm. Equipped with a 6-speed double-clutch transmission, the BlueSport is capable of zero to 60 times of 6.2 seconds.

Aluminum and other lightweight materials keep overall vehicle weight to 2,600 pounds, while regenerative braking and an automatic engine start-stop system further contribute to fuel efficiency.

The good folks at Kelley Blue book are finishing up another year where their site, www.kbb.com, saw over 140 million unique visitors for the third year in a row. During these “visits”, people looked at cars, cars and more cars. But what were they looking at? “The site traffic on Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com demonstrates what is on the minds of today’s new-car shoppers, especially when examining the most-researched new-vehicles of 2008,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com. “Continued interest in Honda and Toyota, Chevrolet’s home-run Malibu redesign and an increase in visits to more fuel-efficient, economical vehicles is an accurate reflection of the marketplace in 2008.”

So how does your “best” list stack up against the visitors to the Kelley site? Here, in alphabetical order, are the top 20 searches. Want to know the order of finish? See if you can guess and it’s listed at the end of the article.

Chevrolet

Malibu

Chevrolet division (and General Motors) had just one model in the KBB top 20 list this year and it was an important one. Voted the North American Car of the Year, the new Malibu is an important step for the General in the climb back to engineering, styling and quality prominence in the world market.

Ford

Escape
Mustang

Ford brand has two vehicles on the list with both the Escape SUV and the Mustang. The Escape represents Ford’s most fuel-efficient sport utility with the new Escape Hybrid delivering 20 mpg on the city cycle and 28 mpg on the highway. Meanwhile the Mustang, Ford’s iconic pony car, is set to celebrate its 45th anniversary in April of 2009.

Honda

Accord
Civic
CR-V
Fit
Odyssey
Pilot

Honda lands in second place in the nameplate segment with six vehicles on KBB’s 2008 list – reflecting the brand’s high marks in quality, fuel efficiency and resale value.

Mazda

Mazda3

Mazda’s smaller “zoom-zoom” sedan makes it on the list and is also a perennial favorite with the enthusiast press. Not only does the 3 run circles around most of its peers, it also offers outstanding gas mileage.

MINI

MINI Cooper

The MINI Cooper may finally put the rest the notion that you can’t sell a premium small car in the United States. Equipped with the base 1.6 liter 4-cylinder engine, the MINI achieves 28 mpg city/37 mpg highway with a 6-speed manual transmission.

Nissan

Altima

Nissan’s mid-size entry offers a choice of two body styles – coupe and sedan – as well as the choice of a 2.5 liter 4-cylinder engine, a 3.5 liter V-6 as well as a hybrid powertrain option available only on the sedan.

Toyota

Camry
Corolla
Highlander
Prius
RAV4
Sienna
Yaris

Toyota garners first place in the manufacturer’s category with 7 entries. You can say what you will about bland interiors and middle-of-the-road handling, but the Japanese firm’s reputation for quality and reliability keep it at the top.

Volkswagen

Jetta

The re-introduction of a diesel in the form of the clean-burning, fuel-efficient (30 city/41 highway mpg) Jetta TDI had a lot to do with raising the German brand’s awareness above and beyond “fahrvergnügen” as Green Car Journal’s 2009 Green Car of the Year.

The winning order:

1.    Honda Civic
2.    Honda Accord
3.    Toyota Camry
4.    Toyota Corolla
5.    Nissan Altima
6.    Honda CR-V
7.    Toyota Prius
8.    Toyota Highlander
9.    Toyota RAV4
10.    Mazda3
11.    Toyota Yaris
12.    Ford Escape
13.    Honda Odyssey
14.    Honda Pilot
15.    Honda Fit
16.    Ford Mustang
17.    Chevrolet Malibu
18.    Toyota Sienna
19.    MINI Cooper
20.    Volkswagen Jetta

Green Car of the Year

In the world of automotive awards, GCOTY is a fairly new one. Established just three years ago, the first one was awarded to the 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid. A year later, the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid was the recipient, while last year, the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid received the award that was presented, for the first time, at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

In order to qualify for a nomination, a vehicle must, according to Green Car Journal, “exhibit characteristics that substantially raise the bar in environmental performance and be in production by January 1 of the award year.” In addition, each nominee is driven by Green Car Journal so that its driving characteristics can be observed first-hand. Nominee vehicles must also be in production to make sure they are actually available in the market during their award year.

The winner is selected by an 11 member panel that is comprised of both automotive as well as environmental experts. Past jurors have included such luminaries as Jean-Michael Cousteau of the Ocean Futures Society and TV personality and major car aficionado Jay Leno.

2009 Nominees

In alphabetical order, here are the 2009 nominees:

2009 BMW 335d

The 335d is BMW’s first U.S. diesel sedan in almost 20 years. Equipped with a 3.0 liter turbocharged direct injection diesel, this 3-series Bimmer produces 265 horsepower and a stump-pulling 425 lb.-ft. of torque.

Engine: 3.0-liter inline-six diesel
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2, Bin 5/LEV
Horsepower: 265
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 23/33 (EPA)
Base MSRP: $44,725

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

Just introduced at the L.A. Show, the hybrid Fusion receives the same makeover as the rest of the lineup for 2010. Under the hood, the hybrid benefits from the same new 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle 4-cylinder engine with intake variable cam timing as the Escape/Mariner hybrids, the green-friendly models produce 155 hp and 136 lb-ft of torque.

Engine: 2.5-liter inline-four, gasoline-electric hybrid
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2, Bin 5/AT-PZEV
Horsepower: 155
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 38/35 (est.)
Base MSRP: $27,000-$30,000 (est.)

2009 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid

The second generation Saturn Vue was introduced at last years Los Angeles Auto Show and, like its smaller brother the Astra, it’s a re-badged Opel, although in Europe it is known as the Antara. The Vue benefits from the first application of the General’s two-mode hybrid technology in a V-6 front-driver.

Engine: 3.6-liter V-6, gasoline-electric hybrid
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2, Bin 5/AT-PZEV
Horsepower: 255
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 28/31 (est.)
Base MSRP: Under $33,000

Smart Fortwo

The Fortwo is certainly the latest way for environmental fashionistas to wear their colors. Ideal for urban prowling, the fortwo, with its short wheelbase and lack of storage space, is less suited for spirited driving or family vacations. EPA numbers of 33 city/41 highway are impressive, but 0-60 times are best measured with an hourglass.

Engine: 1.0-liter inline three
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2 Bin 5/ULEV
Horsepower: 70
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 33/41 (EPA)
Base MSRP: $11,990

2009 VW Jetta TDI

Here’s where the fun starts. The VW, it must be noted, is the antithesis of the Fortwo. It has terrific handling, plenty of space and a clean diesel engine that meets emissions certification in all 50 states. To top it all off, fuel economy is 30 city/41 highway, with many drivers claiming close to 50 mpg.

Engine: 2.0-liter inline-four, diesel
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2, Bin 5/SULEV
Horsepower: 140
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 30/41 (EPA)
Base MSRP: $21,990

And the winner is…

As it announced this afternoon, the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI becomes the first-ever clean diesel to win Green Car Journal’s Green Car of the Year honor. From all of us here at LotPro.com, a tip of the hat to Volkswagen!

Coming soon to your local VW dealer

Here at LotPro.com, there has been a great deal of anticipation concerning the latest compression ignition Jetta variant due, in part, to the fact that Volkswagen moved the intro date back at least twice – from last summer to late in the fall and again from last fall to sometime this summer. We have even been chastised for excluding the TDI from an article on fuel economy, even though we explained that it was hardly fair to list a car that wasn’t even on sale yet in the U.S.

That was then, this is now

Hopefully, those days are behind us. According to our friends at Fox Volkswagen, dealers should have a vehicle to test drive by the end of June, while deliveries are expected to begin sometime in late July or early August for those fortunate enough to be high on the waiting lists.

Pricing and mileage estimates

According to VW, prices start at $21,990 for the sedan and $23,590 for the SportWagen (plus destination charges). Based on current pricing, this prices the sedan at a $2,140 premium over the gasoline-fueled Jetta SE.

EPA numbers are also in, and they look very good. While the Jetta SE is rated at 21 city/29 highway, the TDI comes in at 29 city/40 highway (for the automatic). That sounds good, but diesel fuel is currently selling at $4.80 per gallon, while regular gas is currently $4.09 a gallon (both figures are for the Detroit metro area). Given this discrepancy, does it really make sense to spend the extra money on the TDI?

Crunching the numbers

Using the EPA as guidance, we’ll use their 15,000 mile per year baseline with 55% city and 45% highway driving. This works out to 8250 city miles and 6750 highway miles. Based on their respective mpg ratings, the Jetta SE would use 625.6 gallons of gas, while the TDI would need 453.5 gallons of diesel fuel. Based on current fuel costs, even considering the higher cost of diesel fuel, you would still save $383 per year with the TDI. Factor in the difference in retail price between the two, and you would recoup the difference in price in about 67 months – about 7 months longer than a Prius (using the same formula and a Prius MSRP of $26,000).

The Bottom Line

A typical Volkswagen, the Jetta is blessed with responsive handling and a long list of standard safety features (including electronic stability control). While it may take longer to pay off the difference, the Jetta TDI is sure to entertain you a lot more than the Prius (or any hybrid, for that matter) along the way.