ViaWest January 2012

January 2012 Via West

Your stories and photos can also be in the magazine...just email them to... [email protected]



CONTACT US YOUR COMMITTEE (cont‟d)

VOLKSWAGEN CLUB OF WA (Inc) EDITOR: 0407 347 340

MAIL: PO Box 175 Ray Willis [email protected]

Victoria Park CONCESSION LICENCE: (08) 9332 6919

Western Australia 6979 Rod McSwain

ABN: 31 610 140 537 CMC LIAISON OFFICER: (08) 9342 8703

TELEPHONE: (08) 9342 8703 Richard Hines

E-MAIL: [email protected] PROPERTY OFFICER: (08) 9342 8703

WEBSITE: www.vwclubwa.com Richard Hines

MERCHANDISE OFFICER: 0417 173 886

YOUR COMMITTEE Karen Fyfe

PRESIDENT: 0408 183 396 SOCIAL SECRETARY:

Jamie Barrett [email protected] Colin Seth

VICE PRESIDENT: 0415 165 175 SPORTS ORGANISER: Currently grouped under

John Hornby As above “Events Coordinator”

SECRETARY: 0407 347 340 PUBLICITY OFFICER:

Ray Willis [email protected] As above

MEMBERSHIPS: 0407 347 340 GENERAL COMMITTEE: Patrick Spiteri, Dave Moore,

Ray Willis [email protected] Karla & Merrick Paget (country liaison South West)

TREASURER: 0438 819 443 WEBMASTER:

Shane Williams [email protected] Tina Moore [email protected]



VIAWEST MAGAZINE

VOLKSWAGEN EVENTS

Advertising:

Please send your „for sale‟ or „wanted‟ adverts by mail or email to the Editor before the publication deadline.

Normally one event will be nominated as the club run each month. Some months will have more than one event. Not all events attended by the club will be club organised.

Please note that non-members are welcome to come to the club organised events. If you have any friends you would like to accompany us, please bring them along.

If you have any ideas or suggestions for club organised events give a Committee member a call or an e-mail and the committee so we can put it on our calendar.

The VW Events Calendar is at page 6 and lists the upcoming events and club runs for some months in advance in chrono-

Fees:

Members - 1/4 page adverts are free.

Non-Members - 1/4 page adverts are $5.00

Please contact the Editor to find out about commercial advertising in the magazine, inserting flyers or advertising on the website.

Publication Deadline: The ViaWest magazine‟s dead-

line for articles for the next issue is FEBRUARY 19

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Volkswagen Club of WA (Inc), its Committee or members.

Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month at John Hughes Volkswagen in Victoria Park, starting at 6:30pm. Committee meetings are open to all members and invited guests.

Membership and Birthdays IN THIS ISSUE page

The Club ............................. p 2

The Club (contd) ................. p 4

VW Event Calendar ............ p 5

Tax on Fuel ......................... p 6

February Club Run .............. p 7

VWs @ Dwellingup ............ p 8

Aldinga Bug-In 2012 ............ p 10

March Club Run .................. p 13

My Bitsa Project .................. p 14

April Club Run ..................... p 17

BBQ @ Point Walter ........... p 18

Volkswagen News

E-Bugster ...................... p 19

Amarok Award .............. p 21

BlueMotion Vans ........... p 21

Scirocco R Award ......... p 22

VW sales records .......... p 23

uP! Award ..................... p 24

VW Awards ................... p 25

New VW HQ ................. p 26

FRONT COVER: VWs @ Dwellingup

Happy

Birthday to the following members for

JANUARY

Robert Lafferty

Duncan Mann

Jerry Heldt

Rose Van Son

Karla Paget

Gerald Charles Frensham

Ton Verbunt

Peter Richards

Russell Maslin

Wayne Rowett

Bill Cullen

Helen Keillor

Raelene Doran

Stephen Lawson

Emma Faulkner

Martin Toohey

Grant Townsend

Sam Baylis Middleton

Jessica Shepherd

Lauren Storrs

Scarlett Faulkner

Christian Jones

Welcome to

new members No new memberships in

January so far

121 “paid up” memberships (represents 255 people)

We will be following up on members that did not renew this year, so if you know somebody that has not, you may want to mention it to them.



This Month February 2012

# indicates a club run

Wednesday 1st ALFRED‟S of GUILDFORD

7pm cnr of Meadow & James St Guildford

Wednesday 8th MONTHLY COMMITTEE MEETING Contact: Ray Willis 0407 347 340

6:30pm @ John Hughes Volkswagen, Victoria Park

Sunday 19th # VWs DAY AT THE BEACH (Penguin Island) Contact: Jon Hornby 0415 165 175

See page 7

Wednesday 22nd 2012 DAY OF THE VOLKSWAGEN Contact: Ray Willis 0407 347 340

Meeting venue to be decided

March 2012

Wednesday 7th ALFRED‟S of GUILDFORD




Saturday 17th # OLD COAST RD BREWERY - CAMPING WEEKEND Contact: Ray Willis 0407 347 340

Details in the February magazine

Wednesday 28th 2012 DAY OF THE VOLKSWAGEN Contact: Ray Willis 0407 347 340


April 2012

Wednesday 4th ALFRED‟S of GUILDFORD


Friday 6th 2012 ALDINGA BUG-IN (South Australia) Contact: Ray Willis 0407 347 340

- Monday 9th See page 10



Sunday 22nd # AUTO ONE CLASSIC CAR SHOW 2012 Contact: Richard Hines 9342 8703

See page xxx

Wednesday 25th 2012 DAY OF THE VOLKSWAGEN Contact: Ray Willis 0407 347 340




Taxation of alternative fuels! If you use alternative fuel and have noticed an increase recently, then this is why...

Taxation of Alternative Fuels Legislation Amendment Act 2011

Announced: The implementation by the Government of the longstanding policy to tax alternative fuels was announced in the then Assistant Treasurer and the Minister for Resources and Energy's joint Media Release No. 099 of 13 May 2010. The date of effect of the new tax changes was extended from 1 July 2011 to 1 December 2011 and announced in the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation's Media Release No. 017 of 24 January 2011. The Government announced on 12 May 2011 that there will be a 10-year moratorium on changes to the taxation and grant arrangements for ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel and methanol. After the 10-year period, there will be a review of the arrangements.

Under the current law the general rate of fuel tax of 38.143 cents per litre (cpl) which applies to petrol and diesel also applies to biodiesel, renewable diesel and ethanol, but not to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), compressed natural gas (CNG) or methanol.

Financial impact: This measure is estimated to have a gain to Budget revenue over the forward estimates period of $518.5 million comprising:

Table 2.6 : Phase 1 - Relative fuel tax rates for alternative fuels under the previously announced measures

(assuming a full fuel excise rate of 38.143 cpl )

Table 2.7 Phase 2 - changes to legislated fuel tax rates A full report can be found at http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2011B00077/Explanatory%20Memorandum/Text

2011 - 12 2012 - 13 2013 - 14 2014 - 15

$16.5m $102m $166m $234m

Fuel type Energy Content Band

1 July 2010 1 July 2011 1 July 2012 1 July 2013 1 July 2014 1 July 2015

Petrol cpl High 38.1 38.1 38.1 38.1 38.1 38.1

Diesel cpl High 38.1 38.1 38.1 38.1 38.1 38.1

Biodiesel cpl High 0 3.8 7.6 11.4 15.3 19.1

Renewable diesel cpl High 0 3.8 7.6 11.4 15.3 19.1

Domestic Ethanol cpl Mid 0 2.5 5.0 7.5 10.0 12.5

Imported Ethanol cpl Mid 38.1 2.5 5.0 7.5 10.0 12.5

LPG cpl Mid nil 2.5 5.0 7.5 10.0 12.5

LNG cpl Mid nil 2.5 5.0 7.5 10.0 12.5

Methanol cpl Low nil 1.7 3.4 5.1 6.8 8.5

CNG cpm3 Other nil 3.8 7.6 11.4 15.3 19.0

Fuel type Energy Content

Band 1 July 2016 1 July 2017 1 July 2018 1 July 2019

1 July 2020 ( final rate )

Petrol cpl High 38.1 38.1 38.1 38.1 38.1

Diesel cpl High 38.1 38.1 38.1 38.1 38.1

Biodiesel cpl High 22.9 26.7 30.5 34.3 38.1

Renewable diesel cpl High 22.9 26.7 30.5 34.3 38.1

Domestic Ethanol cpl Mid 15.0 17.5 20.0 22.5 25.0

Imported Ethanol cpl Mid 15.0 17.5 20.0 22.5 25.0

LPG cpl Mid 15.0 17.5 20.0 22.5 25.0

LNG cpl Mid 15.0 17.5 20.0 22.5 25.0

Methanol cpl Low 10.3 12.0 13.7 15.4 17.1

by Rod McSwain



VWs DAY AT

THE BEACH Sunday 19th February

Ok, lets meet at Fast Eddies at the Carousel at 8am, have a quick bite a set off about 9am, then head south on Albany Highway for 17 miles (28km's).

Turn right on to Thomas Rd and soon we will cross Tonkin High-way...anyone wanting to meet we should be there about 9.45am. (suggestion is to turn right off Ton-kin Highway and wait in the Cele-brations Bottle Shop car park...a couple of hundred meters on the left). At about 9:50am we will be crossing the Kwinana Freeway.

At the end of Thomas Rd we turn left into Rockingham Rd, which eventually changes name to Patter-son Road. We keep on this until we reach the traffic lights at Read Road.

Turn left into Read Rd. We go thru several sets of lights, then at

the second roundabout (the only one we can take a right at) we take the last exit (right) into Malibu Drive. We follow Malibu Drive to the end.

Turn right into Arcadia Drive. Continue along until Arcadia Drive swings sharp right there is a gift shop and booking office on the beach side. Park in the car park.

We are at our destination PENGUIN

ISLAND.

If the car park is full (if its windy the kite surfers will be out in force) then there's plenty of street parking in the side streets, DO NOT park on Arcadia Drive!

If you are travelling from elsewhere, you can go direct to PENGUIN IS-LAND, we should arrive about 10:20am.

The ferry travels every hour on the hour and costs $12 (return). You can feed the penguins for an extra $5.50.

Penguin and Sea Lion cruises are at 10.15 am, 11.15am, 1.15am. This is a 45 min trip in a glass bot-tom boat and costs $34.50.

Shoalwater cruise takes 90 mins and runs at 10.45am (and 12.45pm peak season). This costs $85.

NOTE: the sand bar is permanently closed to people traffic, but the is-land is open and free to all visitors in water craft. There are no cafes or food / drinks sold on the island, so take your own and remove all your rubbish too!

There seems to be plenty to see and do in the area, a short drive away is Peron Point but please be careful where you park as cars have been robbed in the quiet car parks.

On the road trip look out for...a wind turbine...coloured elephants...reptile house...dead things...old cars (there are loads in Rockingham)...animals, lots of horse's cows, roo's, etc etc

Remember this is NOT a race, and if you want to stop for tree fresh mangoes, strawberries, or even turf, feel free to, you can always catch up with us at PENGUIN ISLAND.

For further information on the event,

contact Jon Hornby 0415 165 175

CLUB RUN - FEBRUARY 2012



Dwellingup VW Camping Trip

November

2011 Jamie Barrett

A few of us in the club are keen camp-ers and have often frequented the beautiful national park in Dwellingup. The pine plantations, rivers, flora and fauna in this part of WA of just so tran-quil it calls you back time after time. With the fire ban held off until Decem-ber the 1st we were able to take wood to put the icing on the cake with a fire to sit around and talk Veedubs. The Dog friendly campsite at Nanga Mill was our chosen spot.

The trip down on Friday afternoon started in Midland with a couple of us meeting up to get down there and find a spot. The hustle and bustle of Roe Hwy and Tonkin Hwy helped us appre-ciate South West Highway and the drive up and into Dwellingup townsite. The steady cruise 6kms down the un-sealed roads to the campsite would be seen as a hold up for some people but I really enjoy that part of the trip the most, driving along and over the river surrounded by bush and the smell of already lit camp fires and driving an old Volkswagen, knowing that you have a weekend of relaxation ahead - well it doesn‟t get much better than that.

We picked our slopy site out of the re-maining choice we had left. Many oth-ers had the same idea as us. Their new not so shiny four wheel drives did-n‟t look as fitting as the kombis parked up.

No sooner than we had set ourselves up and lit the fire we heard the distinct sound of an air-cooled engine in the distance. Mike and his daughter Ca-sey smiling away in their open buggy pulled up and claimed a flat patch for their tent. Not far behind them was Gaz and his dog Elfie in their blue Bay window pop top. Both had made the last minute decision to join us after spotting the event on the club forum. As dark fell, another bay window kombi stopped in the distance with its natural-ly dim headlights, a brighter torch used to locate our waving hands.

(Continued on page 9)



Baxter, Graham and Debbie had final-ly made it with a busy day behind they soon joined us round the fire for din-ner.

We all enjoyed an early morning wake up on Saturday with tea and cooked breakfast on the hotplate of the fire pit. A 25km mountain bike ride for a cou-ple of us filled the morning and helped work the big breakfast off. On our re-turn to the site we were joined by two other kombis and two other dogs; Pete and Sonia with their blue heeler, Dave, Tina and little Karman. Later the same day we were joined by yet an-other family in their Beautiful early Split. The dogs enjoyed walks through the forest and swimming in the cold water. We all enjoyed the warmth of the fire and the near full moon on Sat-urday night.

Unfortunately the weekend had to end, and returning to Perth in our convoy on Sunday afternoon turned many heads and put smiles not only on their faces. The relaxing was over as soon as I got home – washing the bus (and my Mrs‟ Golf) brought me back down from the high!

It was a great trip. Thanks to all those that came along it was a pleasure to meet the new people (and dogs). I hope that everybody that came en-joyed the trip as much as I did. I would love to see many more attend in the future. Can you imagine seeing 50 Volkswagens in those beautiful sur-rounds – What a picture that would make!

(Continued from page 8)



Update -

Latest News!

Finally the VW Club of SA can present to you some details and REGISTRA-TION FORM for this year‟s Bug-In. Apologies for the tardiness, but better late than never!

Listed below are details of the events we will be conducting and also includ-ed is the registration form which we would like you to return to us by the end of February with a minimum 20% deposit. We require the amount of people who will be partaking in the different activities for catering purpos-es, so the deadline for your deposit is critical.

Friday 6th April

REGISTRATION NIGHT

This will be the opportunity to renew old friendships and enjoy a BBQ tea. You will receive all the details and maps required for the duration of the Bug-In. The cost includes all food and drink (beer, wine and soft drinks)

Saturday 7th

SHOW „N‟ SHINE

This will be held on the lawns of the picturesque Serafino Winery at McLar-en Vale from 9am to 1pm.

SCENIC CRUISE

Starting at Serafino‟s at 1.15pm, we will visit Woodstock Winery and the Fruchoc factory in the McLaren Vale area followed by a cruise through Wil-lunga and Myponga where, time per-mitting, we will drop into a micro brew-ery. A short drive later we will drive over the Myponga Dam wall before heading back to Port Willunga via Sellicks Beach where you can choose to drive along a stretch of beach tak-ing in the beautiful scenery and setting sun over the ocean.

EVENING

Free to take it easy at the Tourist Park or go to a restaurant, hotel or cafe in nearby McLaren Vale.

Sunday 8th

MOTORSPORT (Option 1)

We will be conducting four events at the same venue – the Tailem Bend Motorsport Park. The traditional Mo-torkhana and a Khanacross will be held on a dirt surface, while a ¼ mile drag and another Khanacross will be held on bitumen.

The entry fee for the two dirt events will be $30 each and $60 for each bitu-men event, however if you wish to en-ter both bitumen events there will be a reduction of a total of $20.

SOUTH COAST CRUISE (Option 2)

A cruise has been arranged travelling south from Aldinga to Cape Jervis where Kangaroo Island is clearly visi-ble, then to Victor Harbor where a vari-ety of sights and shops are available.

PRESENTATION DINNER

A three course meal has been organ-ised in a private room at Serafino‟s in McLaren Vale, where all trophies for the Show „n‟ Shine and Motorsport will be awarded.

Monday 9th

AUF WIEDERSEHN OR EXTENDED

TOUR

COORONG CRUISE

After travelling down to Goolwa, we board a vessel which takes us past the barrage to the Murray River mouth. On the way to Godfrey‟s Landing we are served lunch before being guided on a boardwalk through the sand dunes of the Younghusband Peninsu-la.

Tuesday 10th

Near the city of Adelaide we will visit one of the best chocolate manufactur-ers in the country – Haigh‟s. After a short tour, we will travel to Hahndorf – a tourist town settled by German set-tlers in the mid 1800s. Plenty to see and do there – including lunch.

Wednesday 11th

This day is still to be confirmed as we intended to join a tour of the Adelaide Oval, however they can‟t confirm if this will be possible due to the redevelop-

ment. If this is not possible, we will book a tour at AAMI Stadium, followed by lunch at the Port Dock Brewery Ho-tel which also conducts tours of their underground brewery. Other attrac-tions nearby are a railway museum and an aviation museum.

Thursday 12th

An easy drive north of Adelaide will take us to the famous Barossa Valley where will visit Peter Lehmann Winery and have a tour provided. Various oth-er attractions and wineries will be in-cluded during this leisurely day.

Friday 13th

A day out on Adelaide‟s public transport doesn‟t sound exciting, how-ever we will take the O-Bahn bus to the city, followed by the tram to Glenelg. Later in the day we come back to the city and visit all the action at the famous Central Market.

SO, IN CONCLUSION – PLEASE SEND YOUR COMPLETED REGIS-TRATION FORM AND 20% DEPOSIT BY THE END OF FEBRUARY!

Any queries – contact Mal Dodd on (08) 8289 4707 or 0402 334 008 or email [email protected]

Thanks & keep on buggin‟!

Mal

The REGISTRATION FORM is included with this club magazine

or will be available on the VW Club WA website under the SA

Bug-In 2012 information.



VW Club WA

Remember to BOOK your LEAVE, ACCOMMODATION and have your TRAVEL plans organised.

RAIL TRAVEL...

The VW Club WA has been able to secure discount fares Perth to Ade-laide v.v. from Great Southern Rail and Indian Pacific for VW Club WA mem-bers. The brochure for the discounted rail fares etc can be found on the Club webpage or a copy can be posted to you by contacting Ray Willis (Club Secretary).

$250 as an incentive to VW Club WA Members who drive to/from their

FIRST INTERSTATE BUG-IN...

When the Bug-In is hosted interstate there is always somebody travelling from WA and in most cases this in-volves a road trip in at least one direc-tion.

Currently there is a $250 incentive is available from the McSwain Family to VW Club WA members who drive to/from their first interstate Bug-In.

The offer is available each year until the Bug-In is next hosted in WA and will be distributed as decided by the McSwain Family after suggestions from the committee.

Perth to Adelaide...

By road, cars would normally leave Perth on the Sunday before the Bug-In allowing up to 5 days driving to get to Adelaide - approx. 2700kms or around 500kms per day.

By rail, the train leaves on the Sunday morning arriving in Adelaide on the Tuesday morning. This leaves 3 days to look around or visit places not cov-ered by the Bug-In.

Adelaide to Perth…

By road, cars would normally leave Adelaide on the Tuesday after the Bug

-In again allowing up to 5 days driving to get to Perth. You would arrive on the Saturday - both ways within a 2 week holiday.

By rail, the train leaves Adelaide on the Thursday and arrives Perth on the Saturday morning, again both ways within 2 weeks.

Currently some members have indicat-ed travelling to Adelaide by train with their car and then driving home to Perth.

Please let the Club know if you are going to

the South Australian Bug-In, especially if it is

at least one way by road...we can all experi-ence a great event and

maybe that road trip together!

OLD COAST RD BREWERY

- CAMPING

WEEKEND Saturday 17th March

We are currently planning to visit the OLD COAST ROAD BREWERY on Saturday 17th March. Our last visit there was very well attended.

It offers an opportunity for our South West members (just 20 min from Bun-bury) to meet with the Perth members (45 minutes from Mandurah) and also to give the Vee-Dub of yours that much needed run to a club event.

We are looking at having a lunch there as well as sample their home grown medal winning beers.

A location map is provided and the website for the OLD COAST ROAD BREWERY is...

http://www.ocrb.com.au/

The second part of the club run will be a CAMPING WEEKEND on the night of the 17th and longer if you wish.

Just down the road from the brewery is a turn off towards the ocean to My-alup Beach Caravan Park and the Indian Ocean Retreat.

This provides the opportunity for a stay over after the brewery and mak-ing a weekend of it.

The Myalup Beach Caravan Park is within walking distance to the beach, has clean showers and toilets, good quality Drinking water, LPG available, Shop, Playground, Barbeques, Recre-ation room, Good roads, etc.

The Indian Ocean Retreat is built on the beachfront, spacious and self-contained chalets (some with a Spa), overhead ceiling fans, and comforta-ble furnishings

All chalets have beautiful ocean views!!

3 Star Chalets (acc. 2-6 people) have all cooking facilities incl. Microwave oven, Refrigerator, Television and DVD, and En-Suite.

4 Star "De-Luxe" Chalets have bed-rooms catering for 8-12 pers. One Chalet caters for disabled (No Spa).

The website for both is… http://www.myalupbeachcaravanpark.com.au/index.html.

CLUB RUN CLUB RUN -- MARCH 2012MARCH 2012 Keep the date available, more information to come in the February magazine and on the website!



my bitsa project by Dave Moore

Hi fellow vee dubbers, here‟s my bitsa project I have been working on. Based around a 1969 beetle, I am us-ing bits I have laying around and will be modifying a few bits too where I have the urge to do so!

Enjoy.....pages 12-14

Bitsa project here we go...

Body didn‟t look too bad, but still need a fair tickle with the welding wand...

Rust cut out and painted with KBS paint...

And the plating starts ...

That‟s better...

Don‟t like the dash too much, but will come back to that later!

Chassis off to blasters...



Back to the body, more rust! Cut it out...

Coated in KBS paint and stone guard...

Done. All assembled with new brake and fuel lines etc. All suspension cleaned and painted...

And its back, not too bad, just a few pin holes...

More painting...

New metal...

Rear panel was damaged, so might as well make it removable!




Sneak peak of dash!

That‟s it for this instalment. Dave.

All welding done and ready for body work.

WANTED

VW Kombi Type 1

I am searching for a VW Kombi, preferably a Type 1 split screen in good condition. Please feel

free to call or email me.

Thanks and Regards,

Contact : Matt Inman

Mobile: 0400 303 186

Email: [email protected]



Auto One Classic Car

Show 2012 Sunday 22 April 2012

The Auto One Classic Car Show run by the Council of Motoring Clubs (CMC) will be on again this year at Whiteman Park, on Sunday 22 April. It is on this year in April and from then on in April, as people have said that March is too hot.

Access is from Lord Street, Beech-boro Road North and Marshall Road via Dulwich Road. We expect to have the usual spot and I have asked for room for 30 cars, so let's make this a big one.

The gates will open at 6.30 a.m. on

Sunday

You must have a free ticket to enter.

They will become available at a later date from the VW Club – contact will be me, Richard Hines phone: (08)

9342 8703.

NO Vehicles will be allowed in on Sunday after 9 am. NO vehicle move-ments between 9 am and 3.30 pm on Sunday. Once you are in you will be locked in until 3.30 p.m. This is for public liability insurance reasons and it will be rigidly enforced. If you want to leave early, then park in the public car parks.

Overnight camping is permitted on

Saturday 21st.

Camping is designed for security, not a night out, so please be cool about it. Because of past unruly behaviour the rules will be rigidly enforced. A call out of Whiteman Park security will entail a $150 fee. That will be transfered to the club and we will extract it from the campers.

Once in you must remain in. Other-wise park in the public car park. No

noise after 10 pm. No tents erected before 6 pm. Everything packed away by 7.30 am on Sunday. Drive at walk-ing pace only.

Showers will be available in the Vil-lage Mall on the west wall of work-shop 2. Toilets will be unlocked. $1 BBQs are available. People who wish to camp overnight, keep a look out for further information.

Spread the word and let's make this a memorable event.

MUSSEL POOL

CLUB RUN CLUB RUN -- APRIL 2012APRIL 2012



BBQ Picnic at

Point Walter Sunday 15th January

The club run for January was a family BBQ Picnic at Point Walter. Again the number of attendees did not reflect the clubs large membership, but Jan-uary is a busy month for all.

Thankyou for everybody that attend-ed, it was a very pleasant day with the breeze coming off the river and sitting in a nice shady spot. Here is a pictorial of the cars, sorry I missed taking any group photos. Looking forward to the next run.



World Premiere of

the E-Bugster, an Electrified

Beetle! Beetle concept car is powered by an

85 kW E-motor

Zero emissions vehicle was concep-

tualized as two-seat speedster

For many people, it is the most con-genial car of a new era: The Beetle! The successor to an automotive icon. Its world premiere took place in April 2011 in New York, and it was launched on the market in October. Since then, the sportiest Beetle ever has been ready to perform – with up to 147 kW in power. And because all Beetle ver-sions are tuned for agility, versions with less horsepower (from 125 kW in America, from 77 kW in Europe) are still simply fun to drive – mile for mile,

kilometre for kilometre. Now, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Volkswagen is show-ing that this sportiness can also be transferred to a Beetle with pure elec-tric drive. The E-Bugster was specially designed for this mission: a two-seat Beetle speedster, 85 kW in power, 0 to 60 mph in 10.9 seconds, with zero emissions yet the sharpest of propor-tions.

Blue-e-Motion for a clean future

The central electric module of the E-Bugster has an innovative design; it weighs just 80 kg. The energy for pow-ering the electric motor is stored in a lithium-ion battery whose modules are housed in a space-saving location be-hind the front seats. The battery‟s en-ergy capacity of 28.3 kWh enables a range of at least 110 miles (180 km) in the urban world. And even in an enor-mous country like the USA, for the ma-jority of commuters this distance is sufficient to drive to their workplaces and return home. Since the Volkswagen has a quick charging func-tion, the battery can be „refueled‟ within 35 minutes at suitable charging sta-tions. At home, the battery of the E-

Bugster can also be charged from the 120-Volt outlets that are usual in Amer-ica (or from 230-Volt outlets in Eu-rope). The interface for the charge ca-ble is located below the normal „fuel door‟ position near the C-pillar.

Thanks to a new Combined Charging Systems – which was developed in cooperation with German carmakers Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen as well as American part-ners Ford and General Motors / Opel – the E-Bugster can be „filled up‟ via an interface using any of the available charging modalities. Possible are:

Single-phase charging with AC current, and Ultra-fast DC charging at charging stations.

This will require the development of a new, uniform industry standard for the plug connectors of future electric vehi-cles that will be available to all manu-facturers. And this standardisation even goes beyond the plug connector itself: in the Combined Charging Sys-tem, the charge controller and the electrical architecture must be able to handle all charging types. This will re-




duce costs and simplify widespread global implementation of electric mobil-ity.

Charging the battery while braking

Just how much energy the driver of the E-Bugster is requesting with the „electric pedal‟ at any moment is shown in a power display. Instruments also include a driving range indicator and a display showing the battery‟s charge state. Also new in the Beetle is an instrument that shows the driver the intensity of battery regeneration. Re-generation refers to the recovery of braking energy: as soon as the driver‟s foot leaves the accelerator pedal and/or brakes, kinetic energy is converted into electricity which is stored in the battery. This increases the driving range of the E-Bugster. By the way, Volkswagen calls the complete electric drive unit Blue-e-Motion. As early as in 2013, units under this name will go into production in such vehicles as the Golf.

Visions become versions

Bugster? That sounds familiar. Of course: Ragster! That was in January 2005. Also in Detroit. Where Volkswagen presented a New Beetle as a speedster with a swept-back rag-top (folding roof) – the Ragster. A de-sign vision for the Beetle of tomorrow. Wider, lower, sportier. In 2005, the slogan for the concept‟s feasibility was expressed as: “Everything is conceiva-ble!”. In 2012, it had advanced to: “Everything is feasible!” Because the idea of the Ragster – wider, lower, sportier – became a reality (with the

exception of the ragtop) in October 2011 in the current production Beetle. So, what does the name E-Bugster actually signify? That is easy to ex-plain: a combination of the supple-mental identifier „E‟ for electric models, the American nickname for the Beetle, „Bug‟ and the vehicle type „speedster‟ that describes an open-top two-seater.

Proportions of a sports car

The E-Bugster is a Beetle that could hardly be made to look more dynamic. Actually, it is a sports car. It has a height of less than 1,400 mm, which is about 90 mm less than that of the hard top Beetle. And the production model already looks really powerful with its sharply sculpted proportions. The E-Bugster‟s width (1,838 mm) grew by 30 mm, while its length (4,278 mm) is identical to that of the production car. The E-Bugster displays very unique dynamic styling from every viewing angle. Design details of production version were supplemented by new styling elements. In its stance on the

road, the concept car looks as though it were cast as a single piece. This is due to a very simple fact: in developing the production model introduced in October 2011, the Beetle design team had already considered all potential derivatives for future models on its ra-dar screen of possibilities. And that is in part how a speedster with an E-motor evolved, the E-Bugster.

Bugster front and rear

In front, it is the swept-back and wide windscreen that catches the eye; its glass extends laterally to a point above the A-pillars. The E-Bugster, which is equipped with LED headlights, is also distinguished by the highly customized bumpers of the production Beetle: de-signers integrated the daytime running lights to the left and right of the central air intake as bands of LED lights in a C-shape (naturally mirrored on the right side). Ever since the e-up! (concept car) was presented in Europe, this form of daytime running light has been a type of signet among Volkswagen electric vehicle studies. These styling elements also appear in modified form as reflectors in the rear bumper, which was also redesigned. The rear wind-screen of the E-Bugster proves that the rear windows of a speedster do not need to restrict visibility like the arrow slits in castle walls: it is extremely wide.

Speedster side profile

A speedster needs swept-back win-dows and a low roof. The E-Bugster has swept-back windows and a low roof! First, let us survey the car‟s side profile. Beneath the typically flared wheel housings there are larger 20-





inch versions derived from 18-inch Beetle „Twister‟ wheels, which are equipped with size 235/35 R 20 tires. Between the wings, there is the „V‟ on the flank that is typical of the most fa-mous Beetle ever. From the side sill, the viewer‟s gaze moves upwards over the large, smooth homogeneous sur-face of the door and the contour line above the door handle that looks as though it were carved by a knife. Just a few centimetres above this point, the Beetle becomes a speedster: the de-signers lengthened the chrome strip of the lower window border towards the rear; it now runs (as it did once on the New Beetle Cabriolet) from A-pillar to A-pillar. The hard top of the „Bug‟ ex-tends in a low arc above this line of chrome. Following the roof radius – in classic speedster style – is the upper border of the side windows. The height between the chrome lower window border and the uppermost roof line is a low 400 mm. And that is how it should be for a speedster!

Progressive interior

The combination of high-tech equip-ment and dynamic performance is also reflected in the interior. Sport seats and a continuous centre tunnel in body color underscore the sporty character of the E-Bugster. The use of alumini-um as the material for the door han-dles and belt guides, and the light-weight construction styling of the steer-ing wheel also produce a direct con-nection between the exterior and interi-or. Starting the E-Bugster is a unique

experience: the Start button not only activates the drive system; it also puts a light show into motion: first, the inte-rior is immersed in a white light, then a blue light. It begins with a light pulse in the instrument cluster; from there the light emanates as a thin line of light, just one millimetre wide, coursing into the door window sills and around the air nozzles – a kind of visual awaken-ing of the E-Bugster.

„Manliest Motor‟ and

Best Pick-Up Awards for Volkswagen

Amarok The new Volkswagen Amarok pick-up has received two more accolades in the last month, firstly from UK‟s What Van? who named it the „Best Pick-Up of the Year‟, and also from UK‟s Zoo magazine who crowned the double-cab pick-up „Manliest Motor‟ in its 2011 Motoring Awards.

The Amarok has proved a huge suc-cess since arriving in UK Volkswagen Van Centre showrooms last year. Its other achievements include winning the „Best Pick-Up‟ category in the Brit-ish Insurance Vehicle Security Awards, replacing a 40 tonne excavator to de-molish a 140 tonne steel chimney, and being a support vehicle in the chal-

lenging Dakar Rally.

Zoo magazine‟s verdict on the Amarok said: “The Amarok packs so much tes-tosterone, other cars melt in its pres-ence. It's that manly, the brute can car-ry a tonne in the rear loading area, can tow over two tonnes and tackle angles up to a 45 degrees.”

Although strong and powerful, the Amarok uses Volkswagen‟s latest 2.0-litre common rail diesel engine to bring new levels of refinement and efficiency to the pick-up market, yet is just as powerful and more efficient than rivals that still use larger capacity units. It also has some of the lowest CO2 emissions in the sector, and was the first to break the 200 g/km threshold.

Transporter and Crafter BlueMotion

Models Released in

Europe In the commercial vehicle sector the combination of efficient drive technolo-gy and technical highlights, resulting in a model with outstandingly economical consumption, has a name: “BlueMotion”. Two new models have been introduced the Transporter BlueMotion and the Crafter BlueMo-tion. With consumption values of 6.3 and 7.0 liters, each of these two out-standingly efficient commercial vehi-cles by Volkswagen sets new stand-ards in its class.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is starting the New Year with two out-standing models in their own right, in the Transporter and the Crafter series. The low consumption values of the Transporter BlueMotion and the Craft-er BlueMotion set them apart. With these new additions to the range, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is introducing independent BlueMotion models in the commercial sector for the first time. They are of especial in-terest to fleet operators and to other customers who are particularly inter-ested in low maintenance costs and





are environmentally aware.

“With the introduction of independent BlueMotion models in the Transporter and Crafter series, we are setting new consumption standards for vehicles in purely commercial use”, says Dr Wolf-gang Schreiber, spokesman for the executive board of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand and mem-ber of the board with responsibility for development. “Our customers‟ interest in vehicles with low fuel consumption, low maintenance costs and high utility value is extremely important to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.”

The Transporter BlueMotion – a van with a normal roof, a 3,000 mm wheel-base and a maximum permissible gross laden weight of 2.7 tonnes – has the powerful 84 kW 2.0-TDI engine. In addition to the established Transporter BlueMotion Technology – with start-stop engine system, regenerative brak-ing (recuperation), tires optimized for rolling resistance, tire pressure control display, plus aerodynamic measures and cruise control – the Transporter BlueMotion also has a specially adapted five-speed transmission and appropriately coordinated engine man-agement.

Thus, thanks to the combined applica-tion of highly efficient consumption measures, the Transporter BlueMotion only uses 6.3 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres, corresponding to CO2 emissions of 166 g/km. This puts the Transporter BlueMotion another 0.4

litres below the Transporter 84 kW 2.0 TDI with BlueMotion Technology – pre-viously the model with the lowest con-sumption – and makes it the most eco-nomical vehicle in its class.

The Transporter BlueMotion, which can be ordered as of now, is recog-nizable by the “BlueMotion” plaque on the radiator grill and at the rear. Its own individual fabric is used in the in-terior. The Transporter is available on request in the color “Glacier Blue Me-tallic”, exclusive to BlueMotion models.

The new Crafter BlueMotion, for which orders can also be taken immediately, is even available in a choice of two engine variants – 80 and 100 kW. Both engines require only 7.0 litres of diesel fuel per 100 kilometres, corresponding to CO2 emissions of only 184 g/km.

Here, too, taking as a basis a Crafter

30 van with normal roof and short wheelbase, the highly effective fuel-saving elements have been combined: start-stop system, with energy man-agement and recuperation, tires opti-mized for rolling resistance, cruise control and a faster rear axle, which has the effect of reducing rpm.

The Crafter BlueMotion is also distin-guished from other available Crafter models by the “BlueMotion” plaque on the radiator grill and at the rear, and by the use of its own individual seat fab-ric.

The Transporter and Crafter BlueMo-tion models are under consideration for introduction to the Australian range by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles with a view to offering the most effi-cient commercial vehicle fleet in Aus-tralia

Volkswagen‟s Scirocco R is TopGear Aus-tralia‟s Car of

the Year The long awaited Scirocco R has tak-en out its first Australian award being crowned TopGear Australia‟s Car of the Year 2011. The Scirocco R‟s in-credible value for money, sporty de-sign, and firey 2.0-litre engine ensured





the car‟s top spot amongst a list of high-profile competitors.

The Scirocco R went on sale in De-cember last year and it‟s already on top of the wish list of many prospective customers. Its 188kW TSI engine with 330 Nm is able to summon torque at practically any speed range and com-bined with the sophisticated XDL, the driving behaviour of the agile Scirocco R is sporty and precise. The Scirocco R is a head turner with its typical “R” styling and sexy body design. En-hanced by its narrow, unique radiator grille, larger roof edge spoiler, promi-nent glossy black diffuser and “Talladega” style alloy 19” R-wheels, the Scirocco R not only plays the part, it looks the part too.

Anke Koeckler, Volkswagen Group Australia‟s Managing Director commented. “The Scirocco R arrived with high expectations and we‟re de-lighted that these have been met. The sporty Scirocco R is a dynamic performer and most importantly affordable and fun to drive. We are happy to see that TopGear Australia agrees.”

The Editor of TopGear Australia Magazine, Stephen Corby, had this to say: “We had high expecta-tions for Volkswagen‟s Scirocco R. Stupidly unrealistic expectations, frankly…Incredibly, it not only matched all our hopeful hopes and dreams, it exceeded them”.

“What we‟ve got here is a very worthy winner of Top Gear Australia‟s Car of the Year Award for 2011. It‟s hot stuff.”

Volkswagen Continues Record-

Breaking Aus-tralian Sales

Growth in 2011 Volkswagen Group Australia has once

again recorded solid sales growth in 2011, topping all-time sales figures for the brand in Australia.

Overall sales for the Volkswagen brand in Australia of 44,740 vehicles (38,109 Passenger Vehicles, 4,627 Commercial Vehicles), exceeded 2010‟s record of 38,016 by 6,724 vehi-cles (18%).

Volkswagen Group Australia Managing Director, Anke Koeckler, commented: “2011 has been another good year for Volkswagen. We have seen sales grow steadily which reflects not only our appealing vehicles but the dedica-tion of our growing dealer network. With several exciting new models planned in 2012, I am confident this year will see

Volkswagen vehicles in even more new customers‟ driveways.”

On top of record total sales, Volkswagen also achieved solid re-sults for across its key models.

The sixth generation Golf, Volkswagen Group Australia‟s most popular model in the range, achieved a new record high of 18,383 sales in 2011, and was supported by the strong performance of the Polo (36.4% year-on-year in-crease) and Passat (31.5% year-on-year increase).

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles con-solidated its market share in 2011‟s challenging light commercial vehicle sector. The Caddy range achieved 2,206 sales, while the popular new Amarok sold a total of 2,649 units.

Volkswagen Group Delivers Over 8 Million Vehicles for

First Time Full year 2011: 14.3 percent increase in deliveries

Group Board Member for Sales Chris-tian Klingler: “Further gains under diffi-cult conditions in 2011. Risks on Euro-pean markets will multiply in 2012”

In 2011, the Volkswagen Group clearly exceeded prior-year deliveries, selling over eight million vehicles for the first

time in a twelve-month period. A total of 8.16 (2010: 7.14; +14.3

percent)* million vehicles were handed over to customers. De-velopments on the global pas-senger car market during the same period were also posi-tive; however growth only ran at 5.1 percent, and Europe‟s largest automaker was there-fore able to expand its global market share. The Group

brands also closed 2011 on a high note, delivering 650,000

(December 2010: 545,600; +19.1 percent)* vehicles to customers in

the month of December.

"All Group brands reported further gains under difficult conditions on vola-tile markets. This outstanding result is clearly a team achievement," the Group Board Member for Sales, Chris-tian Klingler, said. "However, a very challenging year lies ahead. The risks on European markets in particular will multiply in 2012. In spite of this, the Volkswagen Group is well placed and well prepared to master the upcoming challenges and play a leading role on world markets."

Positive developments in growth re-gions and established markets

The Volkswagen Group reported a very encouraging sales situation on Asian markets in 2011. Deliveries throughout the Asia / Pacific region grew 19.8 percent to 2.56 (2.14) mil-lion units. In China, the largest single market, the Company delivered 2.25 (1.92; +17.2 percent) million vehicles.





Deliveries in India doubled, with the Group handing over 111,600 (53,300; +109.3 percent) vehicles to customers there.

The Volkswagen Group also reported a rise in deliveries in other parts of the world. In South America, a total of 933,400 (887,900; +5.1 percent) vehi-cles were delivered to customers, while 666,800 (549,200; +21.4 per-cent) units were handed over in North America. On the U.S. market, Group brands delivered 444,300 (360,300) vehicles in twelve months, represent-ing 23.3 percent growth.

The Group also reported a rise in de-liveries in Western Europe (excluding Germany) where customers took pos-session of 1.98 (1.85; +7.0 percent) million new cars. As a result, the Volkswagen Group performed noticea-bly better than the overall market, which declined by 4.4 percent over the year. 548,000 (423,200) units were delivered in Central and Eastern Eu-rope, a year-on-year increase of 29.4 percent. The Group reported very pleasing growth in Russia, where cus-tomers took possession of 229,000 (131,300; +74.4 percent) new vehicles. On its home market of Germany, the Volkswagen Group grew deliveries for the full year 2011 by 11.4 percent, handing over 1.15 (1.03) million vehi-cles.

Group brands also report marked rise in deliveries

With a 13.1 percent increase in deliv-

eries to 5.09 (4.50) million units, the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand closed 2011 with a new record. The brand developed particularly well in the Central and Eastern Europe region, delivering 218,000 (147,900; +47.4 percent) vehicles there. Volkswagen Passenger Cars handed over 496,700 (406,400; +22.2 percent) vehicles to customers in the North America re-gion, and delivered 1.93 (1.65; +16.6 percent) million units in the Asia / Pa-cific region.

Audi delivered 1.30 (1.09; +19.2 per-cent) million vehicles to customers in the past year. For the premium brand from Ingolstadt, 2011 was therefore the best-ever year for sales in the company‟s history. Deliveries to cus-tomers in North America totaling 142,500 (121,500; +17.3 percent) units contributed to this achievement. In South America, Audi delivered 19,100 (13,400) vehicles during the same pe-riod, an increase of 42.7 percent. De-liveries in the Asia / Pacific region rose by 35.3 percent to 373,700 (276,200) units.

ŠKODA delivered 879,200 (762,600) vehicles worldwide in the period from January to December 2011, an in-crease of 15.3 percent. The brand made especially strong gains in China, India and Russia. The Czech automak-er grew deliveries in particular in the Central and Eastern Europe region, where 231,600 (194,800; +18.9 per-cent) units were delivered, and in the Asia / Pacific region, where 256,100 (203,300; +26.0 percent) vehicles were handed over to customers.

SEAT delivered 350,000 (339,500) vehicles worldwide in 2011, represent-

ing an increase of 3.1 percent. The Spanish brand made strong gains in particular in Mexico, where deliveries increased by 35.4 percent to 18,100 (13,400) units, in Germany, where 52,000 (43,000; +20.9 percent) vehi-cles were delivered to customers, and in France, where 36,200 (31,600; +14.6 percent) units were handed over.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles re-ported a strong increase of 21.4 per-cent in 2011, delivering 528,800 (435,700) units worldwide. Deliveries were particularly robust in the Central and Eastern Europe region, where 36,500 (26,700; +36.6 percent) vehi-cles were handed over, the Asia / Pa-cific region, where customers took possession of 11,700 (7,900; +48.2 percent) new vehicles, and in South America, where 137,300 (113,600; +20.9 percent) units were handed over.

New Volkswagen up! Named

What Car? Car of the Year

2012 Even before it has hit UK roads, the new Volkswagen up! has claimed top honours at the prestigious What Car? awards, being named Car of the Year for 2012 as well as best City Car. Tak-ing the Car of the Year title for the sixth time makes Volkswagen the most successful manufacturer at the What Car? awards since they began in 1978.

It was a highly successful night for the manufacturer overall at the motor in-dustry‟s annual „Oscars‟ held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, with the Golf returning as winner of the Small Family Car category for the sixth time overall and fourth consecutive year, and Volkswagen also taking the coveted Safety Award.

Commenting on the awards, What Car? editor-in-chief Chas Hallett said: „The Volkswagen up! sets new stand-ards for a car at £10,000. It‟s a city car





that can seat four adults, while offering new levels of refinement, quality and maturity at this price; none of its rivals feels quite so grown-up. Buyers will be looking for even more for their money than ever in 2012, so the up! is a wor-thy winner of the What Car? Car of the Year.‟

Once again, the What Car? editorial team found the evergreen Golf hard to fault, and summed up by saying: „The Golf now has four wins in a row in our Small Family Car category – proof that Volkswagen got the package just right. This is a particularly demanding cate-gory, but the Golf has all the right in-gredients: it‟s practical, comfortable and good to drive, holds its value well and is economical. It‟s really all the car most people will ever need.‟

Meanwhile the Safety Award was in large part the result of the availability of Volkswagen‟s innovative City Emer-gency Braking system on the up!. Alt-hough safety features are no longer the preserve of larger, more expensive models, the judges were impressed by this particular example of „big car‟ technology filtering down to a smaller model. The system uses sensors to scan the space ahead, then applies the brakes automatically if it detects that the car is about to hit an object in front. Hallett added: „It works well – particularly in town, the up!‟s natural environment – and the biggest achievement is that Volkswagen is offering the technology at a respecta-ble price on its smallest model.‟

Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Brand with responsibility for Development collected the award and commented: „We are very grateful for this award which recognises the achievements and qualities of our new small car, the up!. We set out to design a car which would combine Volkswagen values and maximum space in a distilled and compact pack-age; a car which embodies the pure essence of the brand.

„From its modern, clean and efficient engines, through its class-leading safety features to its innovative info-tainment system, it is a design which encapsulates modern urban mobility.

„Furthermore the up! is not a standalone product, but the first child in a new small car family. Ground-breaking Volkswagen models including a fully-electric version, the up! Blue-e-Motion which is due in 2013, will also join the family, and other Volkswagen Group brands will also benefit from its arrival. We are very excited about our new car and are delighted that the in-fluential judges at What Car? maga-zine clearly share our views on the up!.‟

“2012 Yellow Angel”: Dual Victory for

Volkswagen

Coveted trophies for new develop-ment of the multicollision brake and for the economical Passat TSI Eco-

Fuel

January 20 in Munich, ADAC an-nounced award winners of its “2012 Yellow Angel” competition. Volkswagen took two of the coveted top honours: in the category of “Innovations and environment” the Wolfsburg-based company was recog-nised for its development of the multi-collision brake, while in the “Car of the future” category the Passat TSI Eco-Fuel impressed the experts.

A jury of experts – made up of the ADAC executive board and the presi-dents of VDA, VDIK and ZDK – singled out the development of the multicolli-sion brake as an outstanding innova-tion. On behalf of Volkswagen, Dr. Ul-rich Hackenberg, member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Brand responsible for Development, accepted the “Yellow Angel” award in the “Innovation & Environment” cate-gory.

The multicollision brake (MKB), which will be introduced in the next genera-tion Golf, is a new and important sys-tem for integral safety. It initiates auto-matic braking after a collision to re-duce accident severity and avoid any secondary collisions – entirely if possi-ble.

Various studies have shown that in just about one-quarter of all car accidents in Germany that involve loss of vehicle control by the driver and high kinetic energy, a secondary collision occurs with another vehicle, non-automotive traffic or the environment. At Volkswagen Research, the new sys-tem‟s effectiveness was verified in var-ious crash studies that included im-pacts against crash barriers at a num-ber of vehicle speeds and impact an-gles.

The multicollision brake system is trig-gered by the airbag electronic control module, which detect an initial colli-sion. The system evaluates data from such sources as accelerometers, pres-sure sensors in the doors, belt tension-ers and/or the airbags in frontal, rear and side crashes. Detection of the crash by two independent sensors is required to trigger the MKB. The data is communicated to the ESP electronic control module, and the vehicle is braked at a predetermined decelera-





tion rate to a minimum speed of 10 km/h. Nonetheless, the driver – if not incapacitated – can still override the system and take control of the vehicle, braking or accelerating during the acci-dent event.

Volkswagen also scored top honours in the “Car of the future” category, win-ning the prestigious ADAC trophy. The winning car was the Passat TSI Eco-Fuel, which has been setting new standards for natural gas powered cars since its market launch in 2009. Its bivalent 1.4 TSI engine with 110 kW can be powered with either natural gas or petrol, and it impresses with its low fuel consumption values and low CO2 emissions of 117 g/km. In ex-plaining its award selection, ADAC praised the Passat TSI EcoFuel for its very high level of development with regard to everyday practicality, econo-my, environmental compatibility and safety.

VW Group Australia‟s Brand New Corporate

Headquarters Volkswagen Group Australia has com-menced business at its purpose built new corporate headquarters in Chul-lora.

The new state of the art facility incor-porates all business divisions under one roof housing Volkswagen Passen-ger Vehicles, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, ŠKODA Australia, Bentley and Volkswagen Financial Services.

The new facility was developed in an-ticipation of continued growth for all four brands in the Australian market. The development was embraced by the company‟s global Board of Direc-tors in late 2007 in order to facilitate the growth plans for Volkswagen Group in Australia.

The new corporate headquarters in-corporates a large combined show-room and reception area, parts and accessories warehouse, workshop, training centre for dealer staff, office areas for all business divisions and a purpose-built café managed by Swiss Deli.

“Our success here in Australia has resulted in an increased need for staff, space, technology and equipment –

necessities that our previous offices and warehouse could not adequately provide,” said Anke Koeckler, Manag-ing Director of Volkswagen Group Australia.

“At Botany we simply ran out of space. We have been growing at a rapid pace in recent years and we have been in-creasing our staff number, while also growing our dealer network and parts and accessories business.

“In 2011 alone we expanded our prod-uct range with 13 models and 2012 is also going to be a busy year.

“We believe we have the right prod-ucts for the Australian market to con-tinue our growth plans. This new office at Chullora provides our staff and deal-ers with the best facilities to ensure our customers are receiving the best service possible,” said Ms Koeckler.

The Chullora site houses a 16,000 square metres warehouse and 5,930 square metres office space. The work-shop and training centre is 4,720 square metres and the new facility ac-commodates over 250 people. All are-as of the facility have been designed to allow for future growth.

The new location covers a total area of 51,000 square metres and is located within the Chullora Technology Park. The facility was designed by Commer-cial & Industrial Property in collabora-tion with the Group‟s corporate archi-tects. The interior design of the office was undertaken by Davenport Camp-bell guided by the Group‟s corporate identity guidelines.

The total investment in the new facility was over $40 million.


ViaWest January 2012

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