Volkswagen has announced that its latest electric car will be making its North American debut soon at the LA Motor Show. The e-Golf is the first fully electric VW car that will be offered in the US. Like other electric vehicles on the market in the US, the e-Golf will deliver everyday driving capability with […]
If there’s one thing we know people don’t need wen they’re driving around is a bathtub in the backseat as making abrupt stops could certainly cause a burn or two to the back of your neck if the water is as hot as we’d expect it to be. But that’s exactly what Volkswagen Group Japan have built as they have built a Volkswagen Beetle that replaces its backseat with a Japanese-style bathtub. (more…)
Volkswagen Beetle Fitted With A Japanese Bathtub In Its Backseat original content from Ubergizmo. 
     |
If cars were made of metal that looked like lace, the road would be a classier place. Croatian metal shop MG Vrbanus had three artists modify this 1970 Volkswagen Beetle and that is just what they did. This car took 3,500 hours of work, 5,000 Swarovski crystals and hundreds of pounds of wrought iron and gold leaf. The end result? Well, you’ll probably love it or hate it.
They began by sketching a design on the sheet metal body, then they removed it, section by section, and replaced it with designs inspired by metal fencing. The best part is that the see-through body shows the machinery underneath. These guys were so precise that they were able to fit the original windows back into place without any trouble. Now, that is impressive.
I would love to see this thing driving down the street.
You can check out more images of the wrought iron VW bug here.
[via visual news via Neatorama]
Given how complex cars are, repairing one is not exactly an easy task and with every new model that is released, mechanics will have to familiarize themselves with the newer models and technology that is being used if they hope to do a good job of repairing it, but what if that job could have been made a lot easier? Well Volkswagen is hoping to do something about that and has since unveiled an iOS augmented reality app called MARTA, which is short for Mobile Augmented Reality Technical Assistance. Basically this app has been designed specifically for the Volkswagen XL1 concept car and what it does is that it walks technicians through the repair or service.
The app will be able to let technicians know the sort of jobs that can be performed on the vehicle, as well as what are the types of tools needed in order to accomplish them. The goal is to allow those working on the vehicle a faster way of identifying things that need to be worked on quickly and more accurately, meaning that mechanics who work on the car have no excuse to gloss over an identified problem area as it will be pointed out by the app itself. It sounds pretty cool although we’re not sure if this can be applied to all vehicles in the future, but in the meantime you can check out the app in action in the video above to get a better idea.
Volkswagen Demonstrates MARTA AR App To Help With Repairs original content from Ubergizmo. 
| |
After developing an augmented reality car manual for the Audi A3 and similar software for wearables like Glass, Metaio certainly knows a thing or two about the AR space. It’s no surprise then, that Volkswagen has collaborated with Metaio to develop an augmented reality iPad app for the 2014 XL1 hybrid diesel that debuted earlier this year. Called MARTA (Mobile Augmented Reality Technical Assistance), the app uses the iPad’s camera to view the internals of the vehicle and label the various parts and elements so that VW service workers will know what they’re working on.
MARTA also shows step-by-step instructions on how to repair and replace certain components, right down to which direction mechanics should be facing. You can even use the app to test out different design elements like a new hood or a different color. And just in case all that AR doesn’t prove to be useful, the app provides a good ol’ fashioned text service manual as well. Seeing as the MARTA is an AR app for a very limited edition vehicle, we don’t expect it to be of much use outside of certain VW specialty shops. Still, it’s yet another sign that incorporating augmented reality into digital car manuals just makes sense.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Psfk
Source: Volkswagen
If you are a huge fan of Volkswagen, then you would be more than pleased as punch to read about how the Volkswagen e-Golf has been unveiled, although it has been promised to make its way to the US sometime later next year, or early 2015 if things do not work together as originally intended. The Volkswagen e-Golf is one hot hatchback that is packed to the rafters with modern day technology, including full LED headlamps for a greater degree of visibility, the ability to zoom from zero to 60MPH in a matter of 10 seconds, and more importantly, a battery which is capable of being charged from empty to 80% in a matter of 30 minutes.
Not only that, it has also obtained an 8 mile boost compared to its predecessor, which might not sound like much, but when you are in a real fix, being 8 miles nearer to your intended destination is a whole lot better than from where you are at the moment. Sure, it ain’t all that hot in terms of performance compared to gas or hybrid engines, but then again that would be comparing apples and oranges. All in all, the Volkswagen e-Golf still remains as one important milestone for the auto manufacturer. [Press Release]
Volkswagen e-Golf Announced original content from Ubergizmo. 
| |
We’ve kept an eye on Volkswagen’s Golf Blue-e-motion EV for the past few years and are ecstatic to report that it’s getting a release window. The e-Golf is showing up stateside later than expected, but the German automaker promises we’ll see it by late 2014 or early 2015. Once the hatchback lands it’ll be packed to the gills with all manner of settings and improvements since we last saw it, too. We’re talking full LED-headlamps, zero to 60MPH in about ten seconds and (with optional accessories) a battery that goes from dead to 80 percent charged in a half an hour. What’s more, the previous range has been boosted from 100 miles to 118 miles.
While none of this sounds all too impressive when compared to gas or hybrid engines, it’s an important milestone for the people’s car company. How so? Well it, along with the Europe exclusive e-Up! that’s finally moving into production, represents the first part of Wolfsburg’s mission to take EVs to the mainstream. There’s a set of press releases after the break, but you might want to grab a fresh cup of tea before settling in — they’re quite lengthy.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Volkswagen
Volkswagen has taken the wraps off its latest Golf entrant, the model series flagship Golf R. This follows the launch of the Golf GTD, Golf Estate, Golf TDI BlueMotion, and the Golf GTI throughout 2013, and as such it isn’t surprising that VW is calling this the “year of the Golf.” The sports car is […]
You know, it makes perfect sense to keep your eyes peeled on the road whenever you are behind the wheel, and the use of smartphones while driving can be dangerous – not only to yourself, but to other motorists on the road. After all, it takes a few seconds of carelessness for disaster to happen – and even worse, one might end up in a potentially fatal situation. Having said that, Volkswagen has just introduced the SmileDrive app that intends to make make driving a more fun experience. This is an Android app, and the good news is, you do not need to own a Volkswagen to make use of this app, although it is essential that your smartphone and car are able to “communicate” via Bluetooth connectivity.
Upon a successful connection between your ride and SmileDrive, the app will run in the background throughout the entire duration of your commute. Upon arriving at your destination, you will be able to check out a list of your on-road achievements, stickers and “punches”. The punches are reminiscent of an old grade school game “Slug Bug” (or as VW has named it “Punch Dub”), where each time you pass a VW Beetle on the road, you end up with a “punch”. The achievements list is a long one, and at least getting stuck in traffic would not make you lose any of the proverbial points, so to speak.
SmileDrive App Launched By Volkswagen original content from Ubergizmo. 
| |
It surely isn’t the first time we’ve seen a quirky automaker look to the smartphone in order to add a bit of pizazz to the morning drive — Mini owners far and wide have plenty of inside jokes when it comes to the Mini Connected app. That being said, SmileDrive might just have the market cornered when it comes to all-out joviality. The free app, which was launched today by Volkswagen of America and Google, is presently only available for Android devices. (And yes, it’s a result of Google’s Art, Copy & Code project.) In a nutshell, it connects to any vehicle via Bluetooth (yes, Fiats and Ferraris as well) and runs in the background while a drive is ongoing. Once the wheels have stopped and the ignition has been switched off, it uses factors like location, distance, time and weather to deliver users their Smile Score and awards them with stickers — think of ’em as Foursquare badges for motorists.
On a longer road trip, SmileDrive offers the ability to create a Smilecast: a dynamic travelogue filled with the captured photos, maps of the trip, status updates, as well as other memories that are collected on a single URL. It all sounds pretty fantastic, if we’re honest, but allow us to offer up a tip: make sure you phone’s plugged into a charger. Wouldn’t want that background action to drain too much of your battery, now would you?
Filed under: Transportation, Software, Google
Via: The Verge
Source: Volkswagen, Google Play Store
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
