Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has wowed the crowds at the annual GTI enthusiasts’ meeting on the shores of Lake Wörthersee in Austria with an Amarok Power-Pickup concept featuring a 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine with a power output of 272 PS and 600 Nm of torque.


The Power-Pickup, based on an Amarok single cab, is designed as a rolling workshop to carry spare parts, tools and race equipment, with performance to take it from standstill to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds in conjunction with an eight-speed automatic transmission and permanent 4MOTION transmission.


The striking exterior design features widened wheelarches to accommodate 22 inch alloy wheels, 80 mm lowered suspension, bi-xenon headlights with chrome surround and a chrome grille plus an enlarged lower air intake. At the rear there is also a carbon fibre diffuser and dual exhausts, plus tinted taillights and red, white and black side decals.

Inside, the dashboard, door trims and exclusive Nubuck leather sports seats have a black, red and white colour theme. In-car entertainment is supplied via an infotainment system with an eight-inch touchscreen and 500 watt subwoofer.


Full details of the UK Amarok range are available at www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk or by calling 0800 717131. The latest updates are available from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles on Twitter @Volkswagen_CV or Facebook: facebook.com/VolkswagenCommercialVehiclesUK ...

• Famous, supercharged Bentleys set for 1,000 mile Italian epic
• ‘Bentley Boy’ Tim Birkin’s 1930 Le Mans racer leads charge
• Original Bentley Motors ‘demonstrator’ completes team

Bentley Motors will compete in this year’s Mille Miglia with two unique 4 ½ litre Supercharged “Blowers”; a 1930 Le Mans race car belonging to perhaps the most famous and daring of the Bentley Boys and a company demonstrator that is still going strong even after nine decades on the road.


The No. 2 Team Car – raced at Le Mans by Captain Tim Birkin – was brought by Bentley Motors in 2000 and has been regularly campaigned across the world by the company ever since. Richard Charlesworth, Bentley’s Director of Royal and VIP Relations, who has helped prepare the car for its third Mille Miglia challenge at Bentley’s Crewe headquarters, explains:


“This is a fantastic car to drive and remains extremely rapid as well. We take great pride in making sure all the cars Bentley owns continue to regularly compete or run and are not museum exhibits, which is very much the Bentley way, and we are all looking forward to the unique Mille Miglia experience.”


The car is perhaps best known for its epic duel with a 7 litre ‘Kompressor’ Mercedes (also supercharged) at Le Mans in 1930 with Birkin putting his off-side wheels on the grass as he completed a typically daring pass of his Mercedes opponent Rudolf Caracciola at 120mph. The Blower immediately threw one of its rear tyre treads, but somehow Birkin carried on to set the fastest lap.

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• Just 100 Beetle GSR models will be offered in the UK, with 3,500 worldwide

For the first time, UK Volkswagen Beetle fans can order the legendary GSR model, some 40 years after the original Beetle GSR made its debut in the European market.


Unveiled earlier in 2013 at the Chicago Auto Show, the Beetle GSR has a unique design and powerful 210 PS turbocharged engine. A real limited edition, just 3,500 of these cars will be made worldwide, and 100 of them are being offered to UK customers. The GSR has a legendary predecessor, the ‘Yellow-Black Racer’ which was based on the Beetle 1303 S and made its debut 40 years ago [NB ‘GSR’ stands for ‘Gelb-Schwarze Renner’ in German, which means ‘Gold-Black Racer’]. Only 3,500 of the original model were produced as well.


Volkswagen has re-interpreted the concept of the 1970’s GSR for the modern era. Just like the GSR from days gone by, the body of the new version is yellow. The bonnet and the bootlid of the 1973 Beetle were painted in matt black, as were the bumpers, while black trim strips underneath the side windows and black/yellow side stripes above the door sills rounded off the look. Now, yellow and black are the link between old and new – the bonnet and the bootlid of the new Beetle GSR are black once again, and this time so are the roof and the exterior mirror trims. Black/yellow stripes with ‘GSR’ lettering ensure a unique silhouette above the side sills. Yellow painted bumpers in new R-Line design and a larger than standard yellow and black rear spoiler ...

• ŠKODARapid SPORT to show off the possibilities inherent in the Rapid
• A dynamic, sporty compact power package
• 32^nd edition of the legendary Volkswagen meeting to take place May 8-12, 2013

At this year’s GTI Meeting at Wörthersee, the ŠKODA Rapid SPORT concept car will celebrate its world premiere. With the especially sporty version of its compact sedan ŠKODA Rapid, the Czech car manufacturer will once again demonstrate the versatility of its model range. The 32^nd edition of the legendary Volkswagen tuning event will take place from May 8 to May 12, 2013.


Every year, the long Ascension Day weekend sees up to 200,000 tuning fans meeting in the Austrian town of Reifnitz for the Volkswagen event. This year, ŠKODA will present them with ŠKODA Rapid SPORT as a highlight a particularly sporty study of its compact sedan ŠKODA Rapid.


“The GTI Meeting is a Mecca for all tuning and motorsports fans,” says ŠKODA’s chairman of the board, Prof. Dr. h.c. Winfried Vahland. “With the ŠKODA Rapid SPORT, we will put a decidedly dynamic and emotive version of our new compact sedan Rapid on display for the first time.”


“This way, we once again demonstrate the competence of our team with regard to sporty vehicles and motorsports,” adds Werner Eichhorn, ŠKODA board member for sales and marketing.


The ŠKODA Rapid SPORT will show off the power of the Skoda design as well as the Rapid’s inherent possibilities. The result is a vehicle full of excitement and sportiness. The vehicle is painted in ‘Corrida ...

A 1994 2.5l Audi Quattro convertible once owned by Diana, Princess of Wales and to be auctioned by COYS at their traditional sale at Blenheim Palace on June 29th has gone on display in London at the Grange St. Paul’s Hotel.

This Audi was the family car in which Diana, Princess of Wales was photographed in a number of occasions driving Their Royal Highnesses Prince William and Prince Harry in 1994.


Chris Routledge, Managing Director of COYS, said: “This is an extraordinary opportunity to own a piece of Royal History. We have put a guide price on the car of between £20,000 and £25,000 but we have no idea what it will go for.“


He added: “Although we have not formally released the fact that the car was for sale until this press release we have already had enquiries from around the world and particularly from America.”


Claire Farrington, Partnership Manager of Grange Hotels, said: ”We are delighted that potential purchasers and the public will have a chance to see this iconic car on display at the Grange St. Paul’s which of course is just a few yards from St. Paul’s
Cathedral which holds such an important place in the history of the British Royal family.”


The car is in immaculate condition and has only 21,000 miles on the clock. Visitors to the Hotel will also have the opportunity of leaving a sealed bid for the vehicle, which will then be given to the auctioneer at Blenheim. COYS and Grange Hotel are also planning a competition where the lucky winner ...

First ever 'three-box' A3 and S3 models set to join the UK range offering generous passenger and luggage space in a compact footprint

• All-new A3 Saloon range and 300PS S3 Saloon flagship available to order in the UK from the summer – prices TBC
• A3 Saloon first deliveries in autumn 2013, S3 first deliveries in early 2014
• Two TFSI petrol engines and one TDI at launch in A3 Saloon range – 1.4 TFSI 140PS with Cylinder-on-Demand (CoD) technology, 1.8 TFSI 180PS and 2.0 TDI 150PS
• 1.4-litre TFSI capable of up to 60.1mpg, all-new 2.0-litre TFSI in S3 combines 300PS with potential for up to 40.9mpg
• More seats-up luggage capacity than Sportback, same level of cabin space

The all-new Audi A3 is already famed for offering the finish and feel of an executive class car, and as if to emphasise the point it now has the boot to complete the impression – the new A3 Saloon range becomes available for UK ordering this summer, closely followed by the 300PS, quattro all-wheel-driven S3 Saloon. The first ever booted A3 begins the Vorsprung durch Technik brand’s foray into the world’s largest market segment – the compact saloon class. It slickly integrates more seats-up load space than the A3 Sportback with similarly ample passenger accommodation and performance, the latter helped by ‘Audi ultra’ lightweight construction processes that trim weight to as little as 1,205kg.
The design of the new A3 Saloon is a cross between the classic three-box concept and the coupé philosophy. Its overhangs are short, and its “tornado line” design element forms a distinct light-refracting edge that runs along the entire side. Above the side sills, the ...

• Porsche celebrates 40 years of Turbo with new ‘Type 991’ generation 911 Turbo and Turbo S
• New all-wheel drive chassis with adaptive aerodynamics and active rear axle steering
• Flat-six twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre engine produces up to 560 hp
• On sale September 2013: Turbo priced from £118,349, and Turbo S from £140,852

In the forty years since the first prototype appeared, the place of the Porsche 911 Turbo at the technological summit and peak of dynamic performance has never been in doubt. Now, with the unveiling of the new ‘Type 991’ generation 911 Turbo and Turbo S, the car’s reputation as a technology showcase combining the virtues of a circuit race car with those of an everyday road car reaches new heights.
New all-wheel drive running gear with active rear axle steering, adaptive aerodynamics, full-LED headlights and up to 560 hp from the flat six-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine emphatically underline the character of the 911 Turbo and Turbo S models. Playing an equally crucial role is the entirely new, lightweight design chassis with a 100 mm longer wheelbase riding on larger diameter 20-inch wheels.
The Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active anti-roll system, which is offered for the first time on the 911 Turbo models, increases the dynamic performance potential even more. This system is standard equipment on the 911 Turbo S, together with the Sport Chrono Package Plus incorporating dynamic engine mounts, and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB). These are also each available on the 911 Turbo.
As a consequence, the 911 Turbo S shortens the benchmark lap time ...

From today, UK customers can order one of the world’s most fuel-efficient family cars: the new Golf BlueMotion. This car offers fuel economy of 88.3 mpg on the combined cycle, and CO₂ emissions of just 85 g/km, yet like its predecessors it still offers customer all the Golf’s traditional attributes of practicality, comfort and safety.


The new Golf BlueMotion’s fuel economy is 15 per cent better than that of the previous-generation model, which emitted 99 g/km (now the emissions of a standard Golf 1.6-litre TDI). The original Golf BlueMotion, revealed at the Geneva Motor
Show in 2007, returned, at that time, a class-leading 62.8 mpg with emissions of 119 g/km – figures now surpassed by even the range-topping diesel, the 184 PS Golf GTD.

With its 50-litre fuel tank and 88.3 mpg fuel consumption, the new Golf BlueMotion has a theoretical range of 970 miles. Assuming an average annual driving distance of under 10,000 miles, most drivers will only have to refuel 10 times a year. Road tax won’t be an issue, either – the Golf BlueMotion is in Band A, meaning it’s zero pounds a year.


The reduction in the car’s combined fuel consumption has been achieved through lightweight design (including 26 kg less weight in the running gear and 37 kg less in the body), engine-related modifications and a collection of other measures.
These include super low rolling resistance tyres with higher air pressure, longer gear ratios (six-speed manual gearbox), the Stop/Start and battery regeneration systems that are standard in all new ...

Fans of loud music, great-looking small cars and questionable puns are in for a treat this summer, with the introduction of two new special-edition versions of the award-winning Volkswagen up!, called the Groove up! and Rock up!.


Both vehicles are based on the top-specification High up! model, each with a unique twist.


The Groove up! comes with a pumping Fender sound system, complete with six speakers, a subwoofer and a 300-Watt amplifier. Also standard is the Maps & More personal infotainment device, which along with touchscreen satellite navigation provides Bluetooth phone connectivity and music streaming, making it a cinch to synch with your tunes.


Available as either a three-door or five-door model, the Groove up! also features heated front seats, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake with orange stitching, bespoke black seats with orange edging, dark-tinted glass from the B-pillar back, 16-inch ‘Upsilon’ alloy wheels and black gloss door mirror caps.


The Rock up! is available only as a three-door model, and while it may not come with a Fender sound system, it’s still loud, thanks to distinctive styling, including an anthracite stripe running the length of the bonnet, roof and tailgate and a full body kit, consisting of gloss black front spoiler, side skirts, rear diffuser and rear spoiler. The door mirror caps are also gloss black, apart from on vehicles ordered with Deep Black Pearl paintwork, in which case they are chrome. Smart 16-inch ‘Upsilon’ alloy wheels complete the look.


Inside, ...