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#TBT Concept: 2001 Volkswagen Microbus

#TBT Concept: 2001 Volkswagen Microbus

In the auto industry’s annals of missed opportunities, few stand out quite like the 2001 Volkswagen Microbus concept. In an era where people movers were gaining in popularity, and Volkswagen held a cachet among young and wealthy Americans for a certain Germanic coolness, the Microbus concept was an outright hit upon its debut at the 2001 Detroit auto show. Retro-themed concepts were quite the rage at the time, and the Microbus successfully recalled its forebears while offering all the amenities and space a modern family could want.

Designed in VW’s California studios, the Microbus had a lot of show-car flourishes, but also accurately forecast what people would want from their family haulers — three rows of seats, and lots of screens, with monitors in the back of the first and second row of seats, along with pop-up screens for the third row.

Why was it never built? VW knew it had a potential hit on its hands, and had slated the Microbus for production in 2004 — but getting the concept’s shape to meet modern safety standards and fit onto the corporate van chassis proved too difficult, and the idea was scuttled. (That lack of front overhang that’s a key trait of the old Microbus look would likely fail most crash tests.)

VW has continued to play with the idea — and even had Chrysler build a version of its minivans, the unsuccessful Routan. In 2011, VW showed off an electric concept van dubbed the Bulli, one with a longer nose than the Microbus, but still very much in the same vein. Last year, analysts forecast that VW would finally pull the trigger on a Microbus-like vehicle in 2019. Meanwhile, the demand for classic Microbuseshas grown so much that pristine copies now sell for more than $200,000. Maybe someday families will have a way to feel so groovy again at a much lower price.

707-HP Jeep Grand Cherokee Hellcat Coming Soon

Rumors have been swirling, and earlier this month we talked about the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk receiving the Hellcat powertrain. Our sources have confirmed that it’s coming, and have also confirmed some details.

It’s called Project K, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles [NYSE:FCAU] doesn’t want you to know it’s been given the green light for production. Not only has it been approved, but mules are testing the powertrain using 2016 Grand Cherokee bodies.

When it hits the streets, the Hellcat-powered Jeep will be a 2017 model year.

Sources say the Trackhawk will feature the same supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V-8 as other Hellcats, and output should remain about 707 horsepower. A ZF eight-speed automatic transmission will handle shifting duties, and all-wheel drive will be standard. Whether torque is limited to preserve the all-wheel-drive system or not has yet to be confirmed.

Performance should be nothing short of breathtaking. Our source says the HellJeep will be capable of an estimated top speed of 200 mph and should run the 0-60 mph dash in under 3. Thank the standard all-wheel drive for the insane acceleration.

We reached out to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to ask about Project K and the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk/Hellcat. A spokesperson would only say, “We don’t comment on future products.”

Think a Hellcatted Grand Cherokee is just overkill for hauling the boat on the weekend? Our source also told us the Grand Cherokee SRT together with a name change would receive a power increase from its 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 to an estimated 490 horsepower.

We’ll bring you more information as it becomes available.

How 40 Years of Love Built A Texas Barn-Found Car Collection

Sally Kosmatka tried to find the words, but she had to pause mid-sentence.

“When I think about it for too long …,” she said as tears welled in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Her husband, Jack, reached over and patted her leg. Without saying a word, his gesture said everything. Jack knew Sally’s pain as well as anyone could. This would be a tough day for the Kosmatkas. They were about to see the most precious members of their classic-car family go to new homes.

“It hurts,” Jack said, “but you gotta do it.”

So on June 12, at Motostalgia’s Brickyard Auction at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Texas couple said goodbye to what has become known as the Texas Barn Find Collection – five well-preserved pre-WWII automobiles and a travel trailer that were stored in a warehouse behind their home near Austin. Untouched for 40 years, the collection included a 1932 Cadillac 370B V-12 Victoria Convertible, a 1933 Cadillac Model 370C V-12 Town Coupe, a 1938 Cadillac Series 90 V-16 Fleetwood Limousine, a 1923 Milburn Electric Model 27L, a 1908 REO Model G Boattail Roadster/Sedan Tonneau and a twice-used 1937 Kozy Coach Travel Trailer.

“I have feelings about them,” Sally said, stating what was already obvious. “I’m sad to see them go.”

John “Jack” and Sally Kosmatka met in Milwaukee in the late 1950s. They both enjoyed ballroom dancing, and it was at a dance that Jack spotted his future bride across the room.

“She was the right height for hugging and kissing,” 86-year-old Jack joked, eliciting laughter from his wife. “Then when we got married (in 1960), she took off her high heels and shrunk four inches.”

“He didn’t know I was such a short person,” Sally said.

Jack was certain, however, that he’d found a partner who supported his love for cars. “Best thing I ever did was marry this lady,” he said. But Sally was admittedly “lukewarm” about her husband’s hobby until 1968, when Jack bought her a classic of her own, an all-original 1915 Anderson Detroit Electric that she still enjoys driving. “She got a kick out of it because it was unique. As soon as we got it home she was out there cleaning it. It meant more because it was her car.”

Jack’s collection grew substantially during the 1960s and early ‘70s. He’d earned extra cash as a teenager by fixing up wrecked cars and selling them, but his attention quickly turned to antiques. One led to another, and another …

“My first car was a ’28 Buick; my dad had one so I bought one,” he said. “It was kind of a blah car – no power, no pep. A friend of mine had a ’33 Cadillac with a V-12. That impressed me. And we traded. But that car was in need of a lot of parts.”

So Jack started looking. Before he could find a parts car, however, he stumbled upon a gem that he just couldn’t resist – a 1932 Cadillac 370B V-12 Victoria Convertible. He knew Cadillacs well, but he was confused by this one. So he called a friend who worked for Cadillac and suddenly realized the Victoria was body No. 1, a prototype for the 1932 V-16 model. He had to have it. “I paid more than I ever had for a car, but I knew it was special.” Jack mortgaged his house to get the deal done, and he and Sally towed it from Pascoe, Wash., back to Milwaukee behind a 1972 Lincoln Continental.

As for the other cars in the auction, Jack bought the 1908 REO and 1923 Milburn from an attorney who had received them as payment from a client. He bought the ’38 Cadillac Limousine – “the best car I’ve ever driven, by far” – in Detroit. The Kozy Coach came from a Wisconsin farmer who purchased it new and used it once.

In 1973, after Jack became ill and was forced to relocate to a drier climate, the Kosmatkas moved to Cedar Park, Texas. Transporting the cars took several trips, but they all made it safely, and Jack meticulously stored each one in the warehouse at his new home. “Truth be told, we didn’t like the house we bought,” he said. “But we really needed that warehouse for the cars.”

Jack planned to drive them all again, but even after his health was restored, the cars remained in the barn, collecting dust for the next 40 years. “Life doesn’t always go the way you plan,” he said.

The decision to part with the cars was an easy one, Jack said. “I’m 86 years old. I’m running out of time, so you have to think ahead. I don’t want to burden my wife with all this stuff to take care of. I love her very much, so I’m going to leave her well off. That’s what we decided – to part with all the cars – and that’s what we’re doing.”

Antonio Brunet, chairman of Motostalgia Auctions in nearby Austin, was aware of the cars and reached out to the Kosmatkas a couple of times. Weeks and months passed. Then he got the call.

“The moment those doors opened and I saw that V-16 badge … that V-12 badge … I knew that we had something very special,” Brunet said.

His first hurdle was to keep Sally from cleaning them up. “I almost had to hire a security team… She had a motherly instinct to take care of them and make them presentable. I almost threw myself in front of her because I wanted absolutely every single cobweb and speck of dust on the cars when we presented them. They’re all part of the story.”

Auction day arrived, and it was bittersweet for the Kosmatkas. Surrounded by relatives, they were bombarded with emotions – sadness, anticipation, worry, and also surprise. The two were simply dumfounded by the attention given to the cars and all of the interest in their story.

They were photographed sitting in the cars. They were photographed standing next to the cars. They answered questions. They also paced, occasionally wandering past each car, sometimes reaching out and touching them. It was an emotional rollercoaster ride.

“I would like to see someone get them who’s going to love them and appreciate them as much as we have,” Sally said.

To which Jacke added, “If the person who buys them wants to talk to me about it, good. I love to talk about it.”

“You love to talk about it all right,” Sally said with laugh. “You’ll chew their arm off.”

Sally’s jovial mood quickly turned gloomy. “I walk out to the building where they were and there’s this big empty space, and I think, ‘This is where they used to be.’”

“It’s strange how you become attached to something that you hunted down, protected and preserved all these years,” Jack said.

Hours passed before the auction finally began, followed by a longer wait as other cars crossed the block. At one point, Sally got up from her front-row seat and sat in the Kozy Coach one last time. Jack joined her minutes later.

When the moment arrived, the Kosmatkas were introduced. They stood and waved. Jack grabbed Sally’s hand.

The 1908 REO was up first. The car is unique in that its three-person back seat can be removed and replaced with a wooden rear section, turning it from a five-person touring convertible into a two-person boattail. When the hammer came down, it had been sold for $104,500 (which includes a 10-percent buyer’s premium).

The ’23 Milburn, one of only three in existence, went next. It was built during the company’s final year, before General Motors bought their competition and dismantled the factory. Like the REO, the Milburn cruised past its pre-auction estimate, selling for $165,000.

The three Cadillacs followed – $308,000 for the ’32 Victoria; $55,000 for the ’33 Town Coupe; and $46,750 for the ’38 Limousine. The ’37 Kozy Coach also found a new home for $66,000.

Jack and Sally seemed relieved. It certainly helped that three of the six auction offerings – the REO, Milburn and Kozy Coach – were staying in Texas. Dr. Roberto Assael bought them to display in his Globo Rojo (Red Balloon) Auto Club Museum in El Paso.

“They’re from Texas; I’m from Texas; and they’re going to stay in Texas – in a place where everyone can appreciate them,” said Dr. Assael, who learned about the cars through a YouTube video and saw his museum collection grow to 117 with the new additions. “I’m sure this was very difficult for (the Kosmatkas). I’ve been collecting for 52 years, and I hope I never have to sell anything. I want to leave my cars to posterity.”

The buyer of the limousine spoke with Jack and Sally afterward, and the three of them posed for a photo in front of the car. He also asked Jack to sign his auction catalog.

The 1932 and ’33 Cadillacs went to phone bidders.

“It was better than we expected, very much so,” Jack said. “We’re very happy the way it turned out.”

“I’m sad that the cars are going, but I’m happy at the same time because they’re going to new homes that will be really great for them,” Sally said. “The museum isn’t too far from us, so we can go see them.”

Brunet called the experience “one of the best journeys in my career.”

“Jack and Sally are absolutely the most wonderful people. They’re car guys – and women – to the core. They dedicated themselves to these vehicles, and their hobby kind of took over their lives,” he said. “This barn find was like a time machine, and they allowed me in. It’s been extremely rewarding and an absolute honor.”

Volkswagen Beetle Dune hybrid concept

 in Volkswagen’s Beetle Dune concept, which turned many VW fans’ heads at the 2014 Detroit auto show. Why drive what is, in terms of automotive showpieces, a relatively ancient thing? Well, the Dune is slated to enter production and arrive in early 2016, so while the show car is now fitted with a hybrid powertrain that won’t ever make it to the Beetle, it was still worth nabbing some early impressions of the jacked-up Bug . . . even if the experience was not unlike watching foreign animation without subtitles, in that we found ourselves pleasantly surprised—even entertained—but mostly confused.

This Car Is the Dune, Except It Isn’t

VW calls this version of the Dune the “Beetle Hybrid Concept” on account of it packing the current Jetta hybrid’s powertrain. (The original concept had a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and no electrification.) That means the EA211 1.4-liter TSI turbo four teamed with a 27-hp electric motor; a 1.1-kWh lithium-ion battery pack made from 60 cells; and Volkswagen’s seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox. Total system output is rated at 170 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque.

The car is also our latest look at the forthcoming Dune package. Little has changed since its debut early last year: Versus the standard Beetle, the Dune gains two inches of ground clearance, 0.8 inch of total height, and 2.2 inches of width thanks to flared fenders accommodating 1.1-inch-wider tracks. The unique front and rear bumpers are still there, along with its rear spoiler and the same burnt orange/gold paint color that carries over to the interior trim.

Powertrain aside, the two most notable changes to the Dune in this form are the loss of the “Dune” branding inside and out—although this may only be the case for the hybrid concept, reappearing in the production version—and a big-red-button-style emergency-cutoff switch next to the emergency brake in the center console. The cutoff is probably the most bizarre element in the already-oddball hybrid concept, but there it is, in all its “do not hit the shiny, candy-like red button” glory. For the record, it’s a safeguard that Volkswagen puts in its concept cars when they’re drivable, and we managed to resist.

Think of This Version as a Bulbous Jetta Hybrid

On the road, the concept feels similar to the current Jetta hybrid, which makes sense as they share not only powertrains but also their PQ35 architecture. We found the Jetta to be a rare fun-to-drivehybrid when we first tested a 2013 model; if anything, the Dune is even more so. This Beetle feels quicker than the Jetta—and more eager. Whereas the Jetta can be a bit slow to take off from a stop, the Beetle seems to deliver its power more immediately, without the transmission-based indecision of the Jetta. The Beetle hybrid’s regenerative brakes feel a bit more sorted as well, an improvement on one of our biggest complaints about the Jetta hybrid. Of course, we didn’t have such a Jetta on hand to compare and contrast.

The orange paint may be off-putting to some in a cheesy-surf-movie kind of way, but the Beetle Dune undeniably turns heads. Everywhere we went on our short journey, the Dune had folks rubbernecking to take it in—it’s at once subtle and completely not. The only hard news we gleaned from our time with the concept is that we should see the Dune hit dealerships next February. We’ve previously reported that Volkswagen’s 2.0-liter TSI engine as seen in the original concept and the Beetle R-Line is to be offered in the Dune; a 1.8-liter TSI engine with 170 horsepower and a 2.0-liter TDI diesel offering 150 horsepower are also among the Beetle powerplants ripe for the taking.

Why Hybridize the Dune if It Won’t Be Sold That Way?

That leads us to why the Beetle hybrid concept exists at all. The official word from VW is that it’s “designed to demonstrate the flexibility of the brand's current MQB-Full Hybrid module” by installing it in the older PQ35 architecture. That’s all well and good, but we already have a living, breathing example of this in the aforementioned Jetta hybrid, and you can even go out and buy one of those if you want. As mentioned, there are no plans to release a Beetle hybrid of any kind, which makes this a very strange demonstrator indeed.

In any event, what we can say with certainty is this: Piloting the Dune on the road definitely whetted our appetite to drive the real thing. The looks strike a chord with fans of the Baja Bugs of the 1970s, even if the production model will be little more than a front-wheel-drive, front-engined, more-show-than-go attempt to cash in on that nostalgia. That’s okay, we suppose; as cash-ins on nostalgia go, the modern Beetle is perhaps the ne plus ultra example, and there really is an allure to the Dune that’s hard to define, hybrid or not. All of this to say that what’s under the hood hardly matters—buyers will either love it or they won’t.

2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

The composite mighty mite flips its wig.

Alfa Romeo’s new 4C Spider is not a convertible in the sense that, say, an Aston Martin Vanquish Volante is a convertible. Instead, the flyweight Alfa features a roll-up softtop that can be stashed in the car’s diminutive trunk, leaving just enough room for a slender knapsack and a sack lunch. Alternately, a lift-off carbon-fiber hardtop is available for $3500; this panel is not stowable in the vehicle. The 4C, you see, makes no pretense of practicality.

What the Alfa does make is noise. And while the coupe can be unfortunately boomy and whooshy inside, suffering from nigh-unbearable resonances at certain rpm, the roofless nature of the Spider sends any unfortunate sounds to dissipate into the ether, leaving only the righteous bark of the 237-hp 1.7-liter turbo four.

Inside, the cockpit remains an exercise in forced intimacy. Refuse to take proper care upon ingress and egress, and your head may become forcefully intimate with the carbon-fiber windshield frame. The Spider is, however, slightly fancier than the hardtop in its basest trim—a full-leather interior is standard on the Spider. And thankfully, last year’s inscrutable Parrot-supplied stereo has been discarded in favor of an Alpine head unit, which we can at least figure out how to turn on.

On heaving, patched pavement—the nether regions of Carmel Valley Road, for instance—the high-strung chassis forces the driver to manage the road surface. Chuck it down a smooth road, however, and the (claimed) 2487-pound Spider’s a sweetheart. Apply throttle at a bend’s two-thirds mark, and the grunt builds progressively. You’ll be at full chat by the exit, the rear end will step out ever so slightly and tuck back into line in one smooth, progressive motion. Presto! You’re off down the straightaway, spitting upshifts. We did encounter a bit of spooky lightness hurling the car over the hairy crest on the front straight of Laguna Seca. If you do manage to bend the thing out of shape, it’s easier to reel back in than the short wheelbase, quick steering, and mid-mounted engine might conspire to suggest.

Four decades ago, the first crop of semi-populist European mid-engine cars offered frill-free interiors, a targa-esque roof treatment, and some oddball compromises to make the packages work. While Porsche has worked for 20 years to iron those out, Alfa has taken the opposite tack and left the kinks in. The 4C demands your involvement, whether that’s in removing the roof, figuring out how to pack light for a weekend jaunt, or tossing it through a corner.

Alfa acknowledges that the $65,495 4C will be cross-shopped, although they claim the car has no direct competitor. The only other carbon-fiber car under $100,000, the BMW i3, features a battery pack, a rear seat, and an optional two-cylinder engine. Porsche’s Boxster offers a power-folding top, a naturally aspirated engine, power steering, and is made of less exotic stuff. The closest thing to the Milanese bulldog is the departed Lotus Elise, but the spindly Brit didn’t showcase what FCA supremo Sergio Marchionne so memorably termed a “wop engine.”

But let’s be real here. Zuffenhausen’s good-at-everything-except-cup-holders Boxster is a real competitor. The Boxster S starts at $64,895, a shade lower than the Spider’s base price. Buy a Boxster, and the world will dismiss you as just another dude with a prostate that’s starting to bulge. Splash out for a 4C and they’ll assume you’re having a midlife crisis and go in for a biweekly cologne colonic. You can’t win.

As a track toy, the open Alfa is a fine little thing. As a throwback to the era of cramped, wonky Italian sports cars, it does a passable impression. As a boulevardier? The flinty ride would make effortless profiling on the Meatpacking District’s cobblestones largely impossible. Given that the open roof adds only 22 pounds and offers limitless headroom, though, if you’re going the 4C’s way, go Spider.

2016 Toyota Prius 'Coming Soon': 55-MPG Hybrid To Be Sportier

While Toyota remains coy about the launch date of its fourth-generation Prius hybrid, a company executive has confirmed that the car is coming "soon."

Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota North America, didn't release any specifications on the car when he mentioned it during the groundbreaking for an expansion of the Toyota Technical Center near Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Industry sources expect the car to be unveiled either at the Tokyo Motor Show in September or the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.

But Lentz did tell the Detroit Free Press that he'd driven the new model, and that it was "fantastic."

The all-new 2016 Toyota Prius will be notable in at least three ways, the company has suggested.

2015 Toyota Prius Liftback

First, it is likely to offer at least a 10-percent improvement on the current model's combined EPA rating of 50 miles per gallon, according to August 2013 statements by Satoshi Ogiso, Toyota's chief engineer--and the man in charge of developing the next range of Prius models.

That would take its combined rating to 55 mpg. Lentz said, however, that reports of a 15-percent improvement in gas mileage were "too high."

Second, the new Prius will have a sportier character--both in its design and its handling.

Current Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda has charged his company with adding more flair and passion to every product it releases, and he has raced in the past.

2015 Toyota Prius Liftback

To the usual Toyota virtues of reliability and predictability, then, the new Prius may actually be fun to drive.

Finally, the new 2016 Prius is the first of many coming models to be built on a new "architecture," or set of structural underpinnings, that will be used across millions of future Toyota vehicles to achieve economies of scale.

The next Prius may also offer all-wheel drive in one or more models--a feature that's increasingly viewed as necessary by drivers in wintry areas.

And there will be another plug-in Prius as well, most likely with a higher electric range than the present model's 11 miles.

2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid - production model

The present Prius Plug-In Hybrid model goes out of production this month, and the new one appears likely to lag the introduction of the conventional model by some months.

The new 2016 Toyota Prius will be the well-known five-door Liftback model, incidentally.

The two additional vehicles in what has become a four-car Prius family were launched two years after the 2010 Liftback, so the Prius C subcompact hatchback and the Prius V five-door wagon are likely to be replaced in 2018 or so.

Rezvani Beast Production Launches As America's Next Supercar

It’s easy to scoff at the many unheard-of automakers that claim to be creating the latest, greatest super car. But when California-based Ferris Rezvani made his claim in 2014 things seemed more genuine. For one, there was no mention of a 2,000 horsepower form of propulsion; a mere 500 horsepower was to be top of the range. And the price tag wasn’t set deep into the seven-figure range; a more attainable six figure sticker — starting with a “one,” no less — was to be the number.

Proving our hunch, Rezvani Motors has now revealed the finished production model, on sale right now — in fact, a couple of Beasts have already been sold and are currently on their way to their new garages. Meet America’s newest super car.

We’d seen renderings of what the car might look like and what’s glorious here is, in the flesh, it appears to look even better. It’s still based on the lightweight, track-focused Ariel Atom, but with a proper windshield, wilder angles and some rather useful fenders. Ferris Rezvani envisaged taking the Atom’s diminutive chassis and morphing into a more pleasant place to spend time outside of a racetrack, and these pleasantries (like Apple CarPlay) only cost 200 lbs. in additional mass — meaning with a curb weight of 1,650 lbs., it should still feel mighty agile, although looking at the carbon seats in the video below, I’m not sure how comfortable it will truly be.

Under the hood sits an upgraded version of the Atom’s 2.4-liter four-cylinder, featuring both a supercharger and turbocharger, good for 500 horsepower and a 0-60 mph sprint of 2.7 seconds. That's roughly on par with an $845,000 Porsche 918 Spyder. Best of all, is this performance is accessible through a six-speed manual gearbox (or an optional automatic, for the silly). Top speed is 165 mph.

It was rumored that a lower horsepower, cheaper version of the rear-wheel-drive Beast would also be available, but that is now off the table. That means you won’t be able to buy a Beast for the proposed starting price of $120,000, rather you’ll need $165,000 to buy this more powerful version.

Despite this, $165,000 is good value when compared to a Porsche 911 Turbo or McLaren 570S — although it is more costly that a Corvette(but you can be positive your neighbor won’t own one). On paper it has all the performance it needs and in the looks department it stands out like a car worth ten times as much. What it lacks is the usability of these other cars, but that’s not what the Beast is about: “We wanted to get back to the basics,” Ferris Rezvani told Yahoo Autos last year. “We wanted to get back to a raw feel, a car with real tactile feedback, with a lightweight chassis.”

In essence they wanted to do it differently, and most importantly in a way that was realistic. In doing so, we’re now able to welcome the Rezvani Beast to actual roads, something we rarely get to do when talking about new custom supercar-makers. In the coming months, we hope to get behind the wheel of one too — proving its legitimacy on the curves as well as in the metal.