Volkswagen Touareg by Abt Sportsline

While the Porsche Cayenne has been tuned by everyone and their brother, the Volkswagen Touareg has been sadly neglected. To fix this inequality, Abt Sportline has unveiled their new program for the unpronounceable SUV.

On design front, the tuner adds a new grille, revised side skirts, rear apron and a massive roof spoiler. Other goodies include a sport exhaust system and 22-inch alloy wheels (other sizes are available).

Under the hood, the 240 PS (177 kW / 237 hp) 3.0 TDI can be modified to produce 282 PS (207 kW / 278 hp) and 580 Nm (427 lb-ft) of torque. Additionally, the S package enables the engine to churn out 310 PS (228 kW / 306 hp) and 610 Nm (450 lb-ft). Lastly, if you own the Touareg 4.2 TDI, you'll be rewarded with 385 PS (283 kW / 380 hp) and 870 Nm (642 lb-ft) of torque - an increase of 45 PS (33 kW / 44 hp) and 70 Nm (52 lb-ft).

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Golf R by APS

British tuner APS has announced its Stage 2 performance upgrade for the VW Golf R.

The Stage 2 package includes a power boosting to between 320 and 330 bhp (246 kW / 335 PS), depending on which sport exhaust system the customer opts for.

The output upgrade includes a Milltek large bore down pipe for the turbo on the 2.0 liter TFSI power plant, a high-flow sports catalyst and a choice of stainless-steel sport mufflers with dual 100 mm black ceramic pipes.

Also part of the tuning package is a 3-way adjustable Haldex Gen4 controller for the all-wheel drive system, lowering springs, a KW height and damping adjustable coilover suspension, Brembo GT brake kit and a choice of 18 or 19-inch Mono 10 forged alloy wheels with Toyo tires from tuning partner Sportec of Switzerland.

APS's Stage One tuning offers a bump to 308 bhp (230 kW / 312 PS) on the Golf R, from its series' 266 bhp (199 kW / 270 PS), for a price of £445, including VAT and fitting.

The tuner is also promising an upcoming 350 bhp (261 kW / 355 PS) Stage 3 tuning for the Golf R.

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2011 Volkswagen Eos Facelift Unveiled ahead of LA Show Debut

Four years after it hit the market, Volkswagen is giving the Eos coupe-cabriolet its first cosmetic makeover. The facelifted model, which will have its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late November before going on sale in January 2011, receives an updated design and a host of new features.

The exterior restyling brings the Eos in line with VW's latest models such as the new Touareg, Passat B7 and Jetta. At the front, there's a new, and less prominent, upper grille which is now completely separated from the lower. Also new are the headlamps that incorporate horse-shoe shaped LED running lights, the bumper design and the more chiseled side mirrors.

Out back, the changes include a revised bumper housing a diffuser and new, rectangular-shaped tail lamps with LED technology.

Inside the cabin, the changes are really rather difficult to spot, being limited to some fresh colors, new controls for the air conditioning system and additional features such as the keyless locking and starting system, a new multi-function color display and the remote control for the retractable hardtop.

Aside from the use of BlueMotion technology with a start-stop system and regenerative braking on the 140HP 2.0-liter TDI diesel engine that reduces fuel consumption by 0.7 lt/100 km, bringing it down to 4.8 lt/100 km [49 mpg US], there aren't any other changes under the hood.

More details on the 2011 VW Eos will be released at the car's LA Sow premiere in November.

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Revamped 2011 VW Phaeton Prices Announced in the UK

Volkswagen UK has dropped pricing details and specification for its facelifted 2011 Phaeton, which is available to order this week. British buyers have two engine options, a 3.0-liter V6 TDI diesel unit with 240-horsepower and a range-topping 6.0-liter W12 petrol unit churning out 450-horsepower.

The diesel model is available with both a standard wheelbase and a long wheelbase (LWB) which gives an additional 120 mm of legroom to rear passengers, while the W12 variant is offered exclusively with the LWB body style. On-the-road prices range from £46,195 to £78,685.

Revealed to the public for the first time at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show in China this past April, the 2011 Phaeton features a refreshed exterior with a new front end design and interior updates that include new trim finishes, a different multifunction steering wheel design and changes to the instrument cluster.

For a more in depth view of VW's flagship model, check out our previous post (click here).

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Paris Show: 2011 VW Passat Sedan and Estate B7 or more like B6.75... [Updated]

[Fresh pics added] What can we expect from the crisp, facelifted B6 Passat? Well, for one thing, it's actually labeled a seventh-generation model even though it's clearly B6-derived. In its defense, VW says "every body panel apart from the roof is new".

Said new panels extend the car by 4 millimeters (4,769 mm for sedan, 4,771 mm Estate), while the width and height remain the same at 1,820 mm and 1,474 mm, respectively.

Up front, the nose gets a more attractive grille / headlight treatment and is more in-line with VW's current styling. On the outer edges of the new, chromey grille reside LED running lights. At the rear, the tail lights get chrome accents and blend nicely with the sharper lines of VW's family saloon.

Passengers get heated/cooled seats that can also provide massages if consumers are willing to go lux. In order to make the Passat more of a flagship along the lines of the Phaeton VW has added a few new touches: inside the revised dash there are new dials, trim and even an analogue clock (you stay classy, V-Dub). Other than that, the rest of the interior gets the usual minor updates.

At the bottom of the diesel engine pack is a BlueMotion 1.6-liter TDI which makes 105 horses; it also gets greener (or bluer) thanks to battery regeneration and a start/stop system. If equipped with this engine, the Passat can return up to 68.8 mpg ("a theoretical range of over 1,000 miles on a single tank") while emitting 109 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Above the 1.6 there are two 2.0-liter units making 140 and 170 horsepower.

The gasoline engine lineup includes a 1.4-liter TSI (122 hp), a 1.8-liter TSI (160 hp), a 2.0-liter TSI (210 hp), and the top-of-the-mountain 3.6-liter V6 (300 hp). Frankly, VW should get that 2.0T to put out a little more oomph, because the gasoline lineup is seriously unbalanced with a 90-horsepower gap between the high-output four-banger and the V6.

Transmissions will be clutch-run manuals and DSGs across the range, and an XDS electronic differential makes it first appearance on the Passat (300 ponies to the front wheels will do that).

Safety systems include a (hopefully better than Volvo) auto-brake system as part of the car's Automatic Distance Control which applies the brakes at 18 mph or below should you or a pedestrian be a little careless. And get this: "The system is also able to accelerate the vehicle automatically should it detect an imminent rear end collision providing the vehicle sees a clear space ahead. " There's also an optional "you're too tired to drive" warning system.

Deliveries should begin early 2011, while pricing is going to be announced in the next few months.

By Phil Alex

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READ MORE - Paris Show: 2011 VW Passat Sedan and Estate B7 or more like B6.75... [Updated]