Carlist.my are reporting that Volkswagen have commissioned a full-restoration of the 1987 Golf 2; its turbocharged twin-engine Pikes Peak racer. This is to pay homage to the company’s earlier attempts at the famous US hillclimb and to serve as an ambassador for its renewed attack on the event this year.

Under its rather docile exterior sat two longitudinally-mounted 1.8-litre 16-valve Golf 2 GTi engines (one at the front, another at the rear), force-fed by two turbochargers (one per engine) – synchronised in metallic harmony to produce 652 PS and propel it from a standstill to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds.

Both engines were also equipped with their own Hewland racing transmissions, which meant the Golf could be driven with four-wheel drive, or with solely front-wheel or rear-wheel drive. Despite carrying two engines and two gearboxes, the Pikes Peak Golf 2 weighed just 1,020 kgs.

Pikes Peak, also known as “The Race to the Clouds” is an annual event which takes place in Colorado Springs, in the U.S. Seasoned teams and battle-hardened drivers race immensely powerful cars and bikes up a gruelling 20 km stretch of mountain road to the peak of the mountain – climbing 1,440 m from the start on Pikes Peak Highway, to the finish, some 4,300 meters above sea level.

See full carlist.my story here.

A 48-volt mild hybrid system option for new Mk8 Golf was confirmed by VW at the recent Vienna Motor Symposium. The new Golf is expected to debut late next year.

The move is the first step of a systematic electrification of Wolfsburg’s entire fleet, which will also include the introduction of the I.D. range of electric vehicles starting in 2020.

The mild hybrid system is claimed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions whilst also improving performance and providing an electric boost function. No other details have been divulged, but it has been rumoured that the GTI hot hatch will be the recipient of the system, along with an electric turbocharger.

See full article here.

 

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A breakthrough in the management of diesel emissions has been announced today, enabling diesel cars to undercut future limits for nitrogen oxide (NOx) by almost 90 per cent.

Cars must currently emit no more than 168mg/km (milligrams per kilometre) of NOx and, in 2020, that limit will reduce to 120mg/km in real-world driving tests, and 80mg/km in lab assessments.

New Bosch tech drastically cuts diesel NOx emissions and allows a diesel VW Golf to emit just 13mg/km of NOx in mixed driving conditions, measured using the latest RDE paradigms.

The technology works by managing exhaust gas re-circulation and using optimised turbochargers. It is effective as soon as a car is started and works at all engine speeds, allowing it to operate effectively both when engines are cold, and during urban driving. The system is also effective when drivers accelerate quickly.

See full autoexpress story here

 

At the New York International Auto Show, Nissan revealed the 2019 Altima. The sixth-generation of the best-selling mid-size sedan features two new powerplants, including the advanced variable compression turbo engine first introduced in the Infinit QX50.

Variable Compression Turbo engine

Replacing the previous-generation Altima’s 3.5-litre V6 engine is the world’s first production-ready variable compression turbo inline 4-cylinder —which generates the performance of some V6 gasoline engines but with 4-cylinder level fuel economy.

Designated as the VC-Turbo, the new technology continuously transforms the engine characteristics, providing both dynamic and efficient performance.

The Altima also features the first available Intelligent All-Wheel Drive in a Nissan sedan in the US; and advanced Nissan Intelligent Mobility features, including ProPILOT Assist.

Read full Green Car Congress.com news story here.

 

Is Porsche bringing diesel back? Just because Porsche is pumping billions of dollars into its electric programs doesn’t mean the company has any intention of abandoning diesel engines, contradicting earlier statements.

Porsche’s Chairman of the Executive Board, Oliver Blume, says the company has declared it is 100% committed to keeping the internal combustion engine (ICE) alive because it will remain an integral part of the industry for the foreseeable future. Blume then emphasised that Porsche considers the demand for diesel engines to be very much alive.

“Porsche does not develop or manufacture its own diesel engines, and there are no plans to change that in the future,” said Blume. “All the same, there’s no reason to just suddenly abandon diesel.”

Porsche’s commitment to diesel engines is for the same reason its rivals are equally addicted; diesel engines generally produce less CO2 emissions than gasoline ones, which is important to achieving mandated CO2 emission target.

See full carbuzz.com story here.

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