For the past ten years, everyone here at LotPro.com has been reading the advertisements from Volkswagen with the tag line “Drivers Wanted.” And while that ad campaign may have ended this year, the “Drivers Wanted” sign is being hung out by VW as the company looks for 25 young drivers willing to shell out $45,000 to race in next year’s TDI Cup.

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 with no prior professional racing experience (beyond the go-kart level), although previous TDI Cup entrants are also allowed to re-apply.

Applicants have until December 11th to submit their applications along with the requisite $45,000 entry fee. From these applications, up to 125 candidates will be selected to attend the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup final driver selection event that will be held from February 1st through the 9th in Las Vegas. This event will determine the final 25 driver lineup (plus 10 reserve drivers) for the 2010 season and includes three days of professional driving instruction, autocross competition, track time in a Jetta TDI Cup car, physical fitness training, sponsorship development workshop, marketing and media training as well as the requisite Volkswagen brand familiarization.

2009 Champion Timmy Megenbier

What you get for 45K

The racing season begins in March and ends in October. Each driver competing in the series earns a Pro Racing license from the SCCA at the conclusion of the season. To help defray costs, drivers are permitted a maximum number of 8 approved sponsors. In addition to the $50,000 in prize money awarded during the season, the series champion will receive Volkswagen factory “career advancement” support with a value of up to $100,000.

The career advancement shtick is no empty promise, as the 2009 Champion, Timmy Megenbier, will be traveling to Europe next year to race a full season in the newly-created Volkswagen Scirocco Cup.

For more information on entering, you can visit the VW motorsports site at www.vwmotorsportsusa.com.

All images courtesy of Volkswagen of America

1958 Thunderbird

COTY award

In 1949, Motor Trend became the first U.S. magazine to offer a Car of the Year award. For the next 50 years, it was handed out to domestic vehicles only (an Import Car of the Year category was established in 1970 and the two were combined for the 2000 award year).

As hindsight is inevitably 20/20, it’s easy to knock some of the past recipients, such as the 1971 Chevrolet Vega (with its engine block design that led to a history of head gasket failures), the 1980 Chevrolet Citation (that set a new standard in fwd-induced torque steer) and the 1983 AMC/Renault Alliance (which has been universally acknowledged to have been perhaps the magazine’s greatest faux pas).

But that being said, the Motor Trend Car of the Year award has also been bestowed on many of the most historically significant vehicles to grace our roads, including the 1958 Ford Thunderbird, the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, the 1968 Pontiac GTO, the 1985 Volkswagen GTI, the 1998 Chevrolet Corvette and the 2005 Chrysler 300.

2010 nominees

For 2010, there were 23 contenders for the Motor Trend COTY award. As usual, vehicle eligibility is determined by a totally new or substantial redesign and all vehicles must have been available for sale between now and November 1st of the previous year. The list for 2010 was comprised of the following vehicles:

BMW 7 Series
BMW Z4
Buick LaCrosse
Chevrolet Camaro
Ford Mustang
Ford Fusion
Ford Taurus /SHO
Honda Insight
Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Kia Forte Koup
Kia Soul
Lexus HS 250h
Mazda3
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan
Nissan 370Z
Nissan Cube
Porsche Panamera
Subaru Legacy
Suzuki Kizashi
Toyota Prius
Volkswagen Golf /GTI
Volkswagen Routan

2010 Ford Fusion

In a first-ever live webcast event, Motor Trend announced this afternoon that the entire 2010 Ford Fusion model line had taken the honors for the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

“Ford has proven its resilience in these tough times by delivering to market a car with broad appeal to a broad range of consumers,” said Angus MacKenzie, MOTOR TREND editor-in-chief. “The Fusion range has matured into a competitive roster of midsize sedans, able to compete with sales juggernauts such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. It is no surprise the Fusion now ranks in the top 10 best-selling cars in America.”

Mark Fields, Angus MacKenzie, Derrick Kuzak

There to receive the award for Ford Motor Company was a plethora of executives from the company, including Mark Fields, executive vice president of the company and president, The Americas.

“The MOTOR TREND Car of the Year award is another testament of our commitment to delivering a world-class car lineup,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Ford Global Product Development, who accepted the golden calipers on behalf of the Ford team. “Whether it is the best-in-class fuel economy or quality unsurpassed by Toyota or Honda, the Fusion and Fusion Hybrid are clear evidence that Ford is serious about our car lineup.”

Vehicle intros

At LotPro.com, many of us can remember when dealers used to hide their upcoming models in their back lots and put Kraft paper on their front windows in anticipation of the unveiling of their latest models (the cars, themselves, would be kept under wraps on the showroom floor). As kids, we used to climb fences and peek in the windows of garages in order to get that first glimpse of the new Fords, Chevys and Pontiacs.

But time and technology marches on. As a society, we are no longer content to wait for the actual model introductions – even though the auto manufacturers regularly push new models to market as soon as possible – timing be damned. And with the realities of the internet and digital photography, the spy shot of a new model can be sent around the world in all of its high-resolution glory within a matter of minutes.

To counter this, manufacturers have resorted to releasing “teaser” images of their upcoming models. Having witnessed this phenomenon for quite some time, we are now ready to begin classifying them according to the amount of useful information the images supply.

Level 1 tease

Recent example – the new Volvo S60

These images include some type of full resolution image. These teasers include images of the actual production vehicle and can be classified as a “tease” only because the manufacturer withholds images of the interior of the vehicle as well as miscellaneous up close shots of the wheels, engine compartment and trim pieces usually found in the full-blown press kit.

Level 2 tease

Recent example – the upcoming Volkswagen mid-size sedan

Level 2 teases usually involve releasing either a small image of just a part of the vehicle, or an artist’s rendering. In both cases, you get a glimpse of the design direction and the overall “feel” of the vehicle without actually seeing it in its entirety (which would be the level 1 tease).

Level 3 tease

Recent example – the new BMW 5 Series

The level 3 tease is best described as the overt attempt by a manufacturer to drive most car crazies out of their minds. Examples of the level three tease include supplying images of vehicle outlines or shadows. Shooting the model in black against a black backdrop while lighting only two feet of the front fender also qualifies, as does the recent release from BMW in which the new 5 series is assembled using a CGI array of ball bearings to highlight only the horizontal surfaces beginning at the beltline and moving upwards.

For the second time in its history, Automobile Magazine has bestowed upon the Volkswagen GTI its car of the year award and the first time in its history that the magazine has awarded it twice to the same model.

“At a time when the world’s economy is in shambles and fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are on everyone’s minds, there remains only one car that ticks all the enthusiast boxes without setting off a single wretched-excess alarm. That’s the Volkswagen GTI, and that’s why it is, once again, Automobile Magazine’s Automobile of the Year,” said Joe DeMatio, Executive Editor, Automobile Magazine.

“Having our GTI named AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s Automobile of the Year once again is a tremendous honor for our brand,” said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “We’re thrilled that the staff of AUTOMOBILE Magazine acknowledged that today’s sport’s car consumers are looking beyond horsepower and going fast, rather they are looking for vehicles that are practical, fuel efficient, and fast. The GTI truly embodies what the Volkswagen brand is all about–affordable, efficient, and fun-to-drive German Engineering,” Barnes added.

Since 1983

First unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1975, sales of the golf-based GTI began in Europe in 1977. And while the rest of the world was able to enjoy the hot VW hatch, it wasn’t until 1983 that American drivers would be able to get their hands on the North American version that, by that time, would be assembled in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

That original version was equipped with a 90 hp 1.8-liter four and close-ratio 5-speed manual transmission, along with a pair of the sweetest sport seats this side of the Atlantic.

The GTI for 2010

For 2010, the GTI features a 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC turbo-charged four-cylinder engine that produces 200 horsepower and 207 lbs.-ft. of torque. This time, a six-speed manual is standard, while the father of all “pocket rockets” is also available with VW’s sweet automated manual DSG® transmission. Top speed is electronically governed at 130 mph, while EPA fuel economy is a respectable 32/24 highway/city with the DSG.

Here at LotPro.com, we learned of Volkswagen’s Real Racing GTI app for the iPhone® and iPod Touch® when the company made the official announcement on October 22nd. Since that time, the Real Racing GTI app continues to be “one of the hottest free apps on iTunes”, according to VW, with more than 2 million downloads.

And while the app really is pretty cool, it certainly helps that, tied in with the game, VW plans on giving away a total of six limited-edition MkVI GTIs to randomly-selected players in the six weeks following the introduction of the game.

“Consumer response to Real Racing GTI has been phenomenal, and thanks to fans like Joseph Chase, the game is still one of the top free apps on iTunes,” said Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “More than 2 million consumers have already downloaded the free app, and we are thrilled they have reacted to it with such enthusiasm and in such a short time frame.”

And the first winner is

From the above quoted paragraph, you should discern that the first winner is one Joseph Chase. Joseph, who hails from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, is not so enamored of the virtual world that he isn’t looking forward to the real thing. “I downloaded the Real Racing GTI App the minute I first heard about it and I haven’t stopped playing since – it’s just such a fun game,” said Mr. Chase. “But now I can’t wait to hit the real streets in my new GTI!”

It pays to play

How can you win your own MkVI? Here’s the DL from VW:

U.S.-registered players enjoying the action of the Real Racing GTI App can put their skills to the test for a chance to win one of the remaining five, limited-edition 2010 GTI models. The more people play, the more chances they have to win. Continuing over each of the next five weeks, one player will be chosen to win the ultimate racing prize: the exclusive GTI MkVI, an individually-numbered, specially-tuned version of the legendary hatchback. Each model includes the GTI’s 2.0T 200hp four-cylinder engine, a performance tuned suspension finished with black, Volkswagen
motorsport 18-inch all-new wheels, and special interior touches, including carbon fiber-look trim, a numbered dash plaque, and unique stitching in the front headrests. Winners will be selected and notified by ePrize, Volkswagen’s interactive promotions partner. For more information on the competition please visit: www.vw.com/RealRacingGTI.

The Real Racing GTI App is available for free from the App Store on the iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/. No purchase is necessary to enter the contest, which officially ends on December 2 at 11:59PM.

All images courtesy of Volkswagen of America

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.

1951 International Auto Show

Getting your virtual kicks

Here at LotPro.com, we’re pretty sure that not in his wildest dreams would Ferdinand Porsche have conceived of anything like a virtual reality game (was ist das?) playing a major role in a new car introduction. But that was then (1931), and this is now.

Today, Volkswagen of America announced the launch of its all-new 2010 GTI along with a free version of Firemint Real Racing starring VW’s latest generation pocket rocket.

Real Racing GTI can be downloaded directly to the iPhone® and iPod® touch via a WiFi connection (the file is too large for 3G) or through the iTunes® software program. The App, according to VW, “is available worldwide and spares no detail, allowing players to experience every thrilling aspect of the all-new 2010 GTI right in the palms of their hands” (this being a G-rated blog, we have no comment).

“With the personalization of media and the challenges inherent with reaching constantly connected consumers, we tasked ourselves to rethink the way we launch vehicles in order to engage our consumers in a meaningful way,” said Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “The GTI customer is a tech-savvy consumer who enjoys social networking, playing games and spending time on mobile devices – most often an iPhone. Launching the all-new 2010 GTI via the Real Racing GTI App allows us to connect with this savvy GTI consumer within his or her everyday life in a way that no 30-second spot ever could.”

But wait, there’s more!

And just like a Shamwow commercial, only better, VW has added a major sweetener to the pot: U.S.-registered players will have a chance to win one of six limited-edition 2010 Volkswagen GTIs. The more you play, the more chances you have to win as, each week for six consecutive weeks (beginning as we write this), one player will be chosen to win her or his own individually-numbered, specialy-tuned GTI MkVI.

This custom ride will feature “performance tuned suspension finished with black, Volkswagen motorsport 18-inch all-new wheels, and special interior touches, including carbon fiber-look trim, a numbered dash plaque, and unique stitching in the front headrests.

Gentlemen, start your downloads!

For more information, visit: www.vw.com/RealRacingGTI.

All images courtesy of Volkswagen of America

Green Car of the Year

In the world of automotive awards, GCOTY is a fairly new one. Established just four 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 the following year the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid received the award that was presented, for the first time, at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Last year, the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI became the first-ever clean diesel to win Green Car Journal’s Green Car of the Year honor.

Requirements

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 readily available to 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 Carl Pope of the Sierra Club as well as TV personality and major car aficionado Jay Leno and legendary race car driver and designer Carroll Shelby.

2010 Nominees

In alphabetical order, here are the 2010 nominees:

2010 Audi A3 TDI

Audi makes its first appearance on the list with the A3 TDI clean diesel. Equipped with a 2.0 liter TFSI turbocharged direct injection diesel, this smallest of Audis produces 200 horsepower and 207 lb.-ft. of torque.

Engine: 2.0-liter inline-four diesel
Emissions, EU5; PZEV or ULEVII
Horsepower: 200
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 21/30 (EPA) with manual transmission
Base MSRP: $30,775

2010 Honda Insight

The second generation Insight brings with it a new level of affordability to the hybrid sedan segment. Borrowing its name from Honda’s first production hybrid vehicle, the Insight is a completely new model from the ground up.

Engine: 1.3-liter inline-four, gasoline-electric hybrid
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2, Bin 5/AT-PZEV
Horsepower: 98
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 40/43 (EPA)
Base MSRP: $20,510

2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid

The Mercury Milan hybrid is the mechanical twin of Ford’s Fusion hybrid. Under the hood, the Milan 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 156 hp and 136 lb.-ft. of torque.

Engine: 2.5-liter inline-four Atkinson-cycle
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2, Bin 5/AT-PZEV
Horsepower: 156
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 41/36 (EPA)
Base MSRP: $26,280

2010 Toyota Prius

The new Prius is certainly the latest way for environmental fashionistas to wear their colors. It also represents the third generation of the most popular hybrid on the planet. Completely re-designed and re-engineered while retaining its unmistakable styling, Toyota has endowed the latest Prius with such cutting edge engineering features as a “Touch Tracer” display and an electric water pump, thus requiring no accessory drive belts on the engine.

Engine: 1.8-liter inline-four Atkinson-cycle
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2 Bin 3/SULEV AT-PZEV
Horsepower: 98
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 51/48 (EPA)
Base MSRP: $22,750

2010 VW Golf TDI

Here’s where the fun starts. The VW, it must be noted, is the antithesis of the Prius. It has terrific handling that engages the driver 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: $22,690

Hyundai Genesis

NACOTY and NATOTY awards

At LotPro.com, we normally have to wait for the short list of candidates to be released by Automotive News. This year, Marty Padgett of The Car Connection (and also a juror) was kind enough to reveal the list just a bit early.

Patterned after the European “Car of the Year” award, the North American awards were first given in 1994. The jury is composed of no more than 50 journalists from the United States and Canada. In order to be eligible for consideration, a vehicle must be “substantially changed” from the previous model and be on sale shortly after the announcement of the award in early January. In addition:

•    Cars must have reasonably foreseeable annual sales in North America of 5,000 vehicles.
•    Trucks must have reasonably foreseeable annual sales in North America of 2,000 vehicles.

Ford F-150

From the short list of vehicles you see here, the three finalists in each category are announced in December and the winners are unveiled at a press conference at the beginning of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (although the show does not sponsor the awards in any way).

Award trivia: During the sixteen years of the car award, hybrids have been honored 4 times. Domestic automakers have garnered eight awards, Japanese automakers have won the award three times and European automakers have received the award four times (for Car of the Year), while 2009 marked the first year a Korean automaker was honored (the Hyundai Genesis for Car of the Year). In the Truck of the Year competition, domestic automakers have taken the award home 10 times (including the 2009 winner, the Ford F-150), Japanese automakers have won 4 times, while European automakers have won twice.

This year’s short list is comprised of the following vehicles:

Ford Taurus SHO

Car of the Year

BMW 335d
Buick LaCrosse
Cadillac CTS
Chevrolet Camaro
Ford Fusion/Fusion Hybrid
Ford Taurus
Honda Insight
Kia Soul
Mazda3/MazdaSpeed3
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Porsche Panamera
Subaru Legacy
Suzuki Kizashi
Toyota Prius
Volkswagen Golf/GTI

Cadillac SRX

Truck of the Year

Acura ZDX
Audi Q5
Cadillac SRX
Chevrolet Equinox
Ford Transit Connect
Honda Crosstour
Land Rover LR4
Lincoln MKT
Subaru Outback
Volvo XC60

Not yet a symphony but much more than a solo

From what we can remember here at LotPro.com, the first year the Hyundai Sonata graced our shores was back in 1988. We were around to test drive an example and it was an excruciating experience. The steering was vague, the handling was forgettable and its quality control was suspect (a cloth rear seat release strap ripped of in our hands).

Since that time, the Korean automaker has gotten its act together in a big way. Four generations plus two updates later, the Sonata is now a legitimate player in the mid-size segment with the biggest difference coming from the current model that was introduced in 2006.

2011 Sonata

Even though the Sonata was updated in 2009, the 2010 model will have only a brief run before the company begins production of the 2011 version that will have its world debut at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The new Sonata will also mark a “first” for Hyundai in the U.S. market when the company brings out a gas-electric hybrid version of the vehicle in late 2010, using cutting-edge lithium polymer batteries to augment its electric motor and gasoline engine.

And speaking of propulsion, Wards Auto World reports that the vehicle will only be available in the U.S. with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder direct injection gasoline engine (mated to a six-speed automatic transmission), while other sources (Hyundai being tight-lipped at the moment) report that this particular four cylinder will be used for entry-level models, while a 3.5-liter V6 will power a premium version.

Style

While earlier Sonatas could easily get overlooked in mall parking lots, the newest Hyundai, based on the company’s “fluidic sculpture” styling language and designed at its Irvine, California studio, is certain to garner more than a few second looks.

Codenamed “YF,” the new Sonata takes a cue from both the Mercedes-Benz CLS and the Volkswagen CC as the Hyundai features four doors with a distinctive coupe-inspired roofline. In front, a large Genesis-inspired grille is flanked by wrap-around headlamp bezels set between two ridges that start below the grill and flow around the headlamps and curve up to the vehicle’s beltline. A second ridge begins behind the front wheel openings, two thirds of the way up the fender, and continues an upward curve along the car’s flanks to the top of the taillamps and around the trunk.

Although vehicle options are a bit sketchy at this point, expect to see Hyundai’s stability and traction control system (which they call VDC or Vehicle Dynamic Control) as standard equipment on all U.S. models with a panoramic glass sunroof, proximity-sensing keyless entry and push-button ignition available as options.