9ff has established itself as a serious player in the pursuit of toppiling OEM's top-speed records, but the German tuner's range of modifications for Porsches spans the spectrum from mild to wild. Wild, in this case, includes the 9ff Vantage GTR. It's based on the Cayenne SUV and has nothing to do with the 911-rivalling Aston Martin, but the 9ff sport-ute packs a mighty punch. With a whopping 725hp on tap, the Vantage GTR leaves other modified Cayennes in its dust – make that a big cloud of dust – and straight into Gemballa territory, which is an insane place to spend any amount of time. To match the power output, 9ff has decked out this Cayenne in Tumbler-worthy bodywork and sinister matte black finish, and is apparently even offering a revised front end to replace the stock model's angular headlights with round 911 units.
Consumers prefer cars to be angry-looking and dominant. That's the official word from a team at the University of Vienna after studying a group of male and female volunteers. Each were asked to rate the design features on 38 passenger cars introduced between 2004 and 2006. After rating the vehicle's physical traits, the researchers asked if the subjects saw "faces" (it's a phenomenon called "pareidolia") in the vehicles' appearances. Lastly, they asked participants which cars in the group they preferred. Interestingly enough, the more a vehicle bore characteristics appearing mature, dominant, masculine, arrogant, and angry-looking, the better the research subjects liked the cars. While the study didn't correlate actual sales figures with implied vehicle attitudes, it does add credence to the fact that emotion sways consumers towards certain models and adds yet another meaning to the familiar mid-cycle "facelift."
These days, when discussions turn towards the cars we'll be driving a few years from now, efficiency and emissions are two unavoidable topics. Such is the case with the next-next generation of the VW Golf, following the sixth iteration that will hit European dealerships later this year. So, what will the seventh version have in store for us? Smaller engines and a smaller structure. For the last few decades, every succeeding redesign was just a bit bigger and more powerful that its predecessor. Expect that trend to end with the Mk VII Golf. You can bet that diesels will account for a larger percentage of sales too, possibly even in the States. Just when are we likely to see Golf v7.0? Rumors point to 2012, but VeeDub is keeping quiet. What they do admit to, however, is working on it as you read this.
There aren't a lot of things that will get an automotive journalist out of bed before dawn. But nearly all of them have four wheels, which is about the only thing a formula racing car shares in common with the kind of ordinary automobiles you and I drive regularly. The chance to drive one stands out as one of those few luring precipitators. So when the invite came to join a local racing team for a test session at a remote desert airstrip, we broke with tradition and raced the sunrise just to see if it would prove worthwhile. Follow the jump to read what we discovered.
Professional football players have been victims of gun violence on several occasions over the past year and a half, and investigators in the latest incident involving Carolina's Richard Collier say the offensive tackle was targeted. The NFL and some top athletes have had enough and contacted the Texas Armoring Corporation for help. The TAC creates custom bullet-proof vehicles for movie stars and public figures, and the company is a self-proclaimed expert at converting luxury vehicles into a blingtastic Brinks-mobile. The TAC says that 80-90% of attacks happen in the car, making armored vehicles a good option for those in the public eye. Professional athletes buying an armored car from the TAC can also get a professional threat assessment from two former CIA operatives. A quick glance at the TAC website shows that you can get a Cadillac Escalade with 8,000 miles and the ability to stop an AK47 or M-16 for $147,000. That's a bit over blue book for a used SUV, but when considering that it has one-inch-thick glass and European B6 level protection, the six figure price tag isn't all that shocking. It's just sad that we're at the point athletes need a 9,000 lb, overstuffed SUV to get to the game in one piece.
Though we got a preview of the sixth-generation Volkswagen Golf earlier this month, it took VW this long to get its act together and release the full gamut of official images and details. In addition to the new exterior and interior, the Golf VI will also be offered with four TSI gas engines and two TDI diesels, and the superlative 6- and 7-speed DSG transmissions will replace automatic trannies in all but the entry-level models. Electronic nannies will include DCC Adaptive Chassis Control, Park Assist, a Rear Assist rearview camera and the Park Pilot with a visual display. Pricing hasn't bee released yet for Europe, but expect it to start low and end high.
Not too many surprises lie under the camoflage, the next-generation GTI will be the Angry-Teut-Box version of Volkswagen's forthcoming Golf VI, which we've already seen. The overall milieu is an evolutionary step from our current fifth-generation Golf/Rabbit, though the detail changes to the GTI that KGP snagged add some sporty stylistic touches which will undoubtedly be backed up by hardware. The front end gets honeycomb grilles for every opening and eschews foglamps in favor of brake cooling, with bright red calipers now squeezing away. A dual exhaust setup might have you thinking R32 instead of GTI, but there are rumors floating around that the R32 will be kaput after the current generation. We hope that the MkVI keeps or even expands upon the current GTI's demeanor, which finally returned to some of the original hot-hatch magic after years of bloat. Rumors are that the GTI VI will show up at the Paris Motor Show as a "concept" - nudge,nudge,wink,wink.
In what may be the least shocking news you will read today, Volkswagen will indeed be launching a revised GTI model shortly after its recently revealed sixth-generation Golf (or, Rabbit, as it's known in the U.S.) hits the market. According to Autocar, the next GTI will steer even closer to its original hot hatch mission, with VW reportedly giving the new model a "harder edge" than the current GTI. Underhood, at least in Europe, will be the same 2.0L TFSI engine that powers the base Audi A5, featuring Audi's valvelift technology that helps it offer up 208 hp at 4300 RPM and 258 lb-ft at 1500 RPM. That ought to make for a very spirited, though still relatively frugal ride.
What may be even more interesting news, though, is the replacement for the R32 model. Volkswagen won't be keeping its narrow-angle V6 underhood any longer, instead opting for a high-boost 2.0L with 265 horses and an 'R' moniker. All-wheel drive is also on the menu. Sounds like a bargain Audi TT-S to us, to which we simply say, "yes, please."
Following the internet's unofficial, unscheduled and probably unwanted (at least by Volkswagen) reveal of the sixth-generation Golf this week, VW has thrown its cards on the table and revealed its hand. Along with high-res images, VW has revealed that the new Golf will launch this October in Europe and then find its way to markets in Africa, Asia, Australia and North America. Unfortunately, the company did not specify the U.S. (could just be Canada, for instance), but we're going on VW of North America's word that it will eventually go on sale in the States. Europeans, however, get first dibs and the base price will be 16,500 Euros at launch.
The car's new design carries forward trademark Golf cues but adds a bit of crispness. VW says it's more "three-dimensional" than the current car, which is strange since they're both technically objects in space. Regardless, VW does fess up to the Scirocco's influence, particularly the broad shoulder section on which the roof sits. The interior also was inspired and borrows bits and pieces from the more expensive Passat CC.
Power for the new Golf, in Europe at least, will be provided four gas engines and two diesels. All of the gassers will be TSI, i.e. they incorporate both a supercharger and turbo. The diesels meanwhile get common rail injection across the board with two balancer shafts to quell vibrations. Finally, DSG is essentially replacing the automatic in all Golfs except base models. Either a 6- or 7-speed DSG will be used depending on which engine it's paired to. Electronic doo-dads include "automatic distance control" (ACC), "adaptive chassis control" (DCC), a "park steering assistant" and updated ESP system.
Volkswagen was planning to unveil the sixth generation of its popular Golf model this week, but the internet strikes again with a preview of the new people's hatch ahead of its official reveal. Information is limited so far and comes primarily from bloggers who don't speak the Queen's English, but from what we can tell the next-generation Golf will be larger than the current model. Indeed, it does appear to be a bit wider and maybe even lower than the current model. Might we even see some hints of the Scirocco in its design, as well? Our source indicates that the range of engines available with the Golf VI will include a 1.4L TSI, 1.8L TFSI and maybe even the 2.0L TFSI, while diesels will include the company's 1.9L and 2.0L TDI motors. A manual, automatic and DSG transmission will also be on the spec sheet. Contrary to some reports, VW of America has said that the new Golf will be sold in the U.S., though not until late next year. That's all we know for now, and it's admittedly basic stuff, so stay tuned this week for the official word from Volkswagen.
