VW Beetle live reveal

Volkswagen global marketing director Luca de Meo says of the car that was revealed simultaneously in New York, Berlin and Shanghai, "We worked on the entire packaging of the car, engine, trunk, interior, everything." Take a close look at it, and it's clear.
Marketing guru de Meo says VW laid out three objectives for the new hatchback: Bring back the spirit of the original, i.e., make it affordable, tough, and easy to use; reconnect with the emotion of the car; and bring the shape and concept of the original into the 21st century.To achieve all that, Volkswagen's head of design, Klaus Bischoff, says they threw everything from the current Beetle out the window and had an original Beetle in the studio when they started the redesign in 2007. Working from those vintage cues, the 2012 car is stretched everywhere: it's 150 millimeters longer, 3.2 inches wider, and has a wider track.

Volkswagen Caddy Racer

Case in point: the Volkswagen Caddy Racer.The new race-prepped utility van has just been unveiled by Volkswagen at the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC Show in Birmigham, England. It takes the form of the new Caddy panel van introduced late last year and replaces the previous-generation Caddy Racer. Underneath the commodious bodywork sits a 2.0-liter gasoline-burning four with 270 metric horsepower driving the front wheels through a six-speed competition-spec gearbox. The rear axle has been replaced by the Golf's multi-link suspension, with adjustable dampers up front, a Milltek exhaust system and 18-inch alloys housing ventilated brakes discs and wearing Hankook racing slicks.Like the model it replaces, the new Caddy Racer will be driven by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles director Simon Elliott in the Volkswagen Racing Cup, dicing it with the likes of Sciroccos, Golfs, Beetles, Jettas and Polos of various generations across Britain's finest racing circuits