Cars! Cars! Cars!

Phaeton Dreams

We love the Phaeton. We're not thrilled with the VW on the front, but the car itself is gorgeous and sure feels like a tank (which is good if that's your thing).

But thanks to the VW badge, the Phaeton never sold well here in the states, so off it went. Or back it went, we suppose.

Motor Authority now reports that VW is giving a little touch-up to our favorite big VW: Volkswagen’s updated Phaeton.

We've said it before, the Phaeton's biggest flaw was not its price. It was the VW badge on the front. VW should have (and still can) spin off Phaeton as its own brand and sell it as an alternative to the typical German luxo barge. Make a coupe to go with it and you have a brand (Phaeton is the brand and the high-end sedan) that is totally new.

We didn't study business in school. Or writin'. OK, we didn't really study. Mmmm, beers.

Changing O'Guard

Man, cleaning house in the, uh, House and cleaning house in the... this isn't working. So:

Automotive News reports: PSA/Peugeot-Citroen names former Airbus chief as CEO

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen's supervisory board has named Christian Streiff, the former CEO of European airplane maker Airbus, as the successor to departing CEO Jean-Martin Folz.

Streiff, 52, will succeed Folz on Feb. 6, PSA said in a statement. But he will join PSA/Peugeot-Citroen on Wednesday, Nov. 8, to get acquainted with the company.

Meanwhile, The NY Times (registration required) reports: After Power Struggle, Volkswagen Ousts Its Chief.

In a sharp reversal, Volkswagen today ousted its chief executive, Bernd Pischetsrieder, six months after he appeared to win an internal power struggle by signing a new contract.

Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker, gave no reason for the decision by a select committee of its supervisory board, which voted to replace Mr. Pischetsrieder with Martin Winterkorn, the head of Volkswagen’s Audi division. The change will take effect at the end of the year.

Also, what's up with having air dudes running car companies? Think they'll kick some arse?

Good Idea, Jerk Ass!

Kicking Tires reports: VW Unleashes V-10 Diesel Touareg on U.S. Market Today. This is a real brilliant idea. Is everyone insane? $20k more for a diesel?

Look, we're all for using less fuel and we can honestly justify the expense of a Prius (especially when we're offering advice and not using our own ducats!), but to suggest that folks pony up an additional $20k for this diesel is just friggin' insane. Might as well liquify your money and throw it into the combustion chamber.

For the record, that extra $20k pushes the thing near $70k. Looks like this'll be another Phaeton for VW. Now, if VW had spun Phaeton off into its own brand and offered the Phaeton sedan, Phaeton coupe, Phaeton SUV maybe, just maybe we'd give this a pass. But not as it is.

That's a snap of $20k. Form of engine!

Oink

The NY Times (registration required) reports: Volkswagen Rabbit: Less of a Tortoise, More of a Hare.

This represents a significant gain in performance over the outgoing base engine, a 115-horsepower 4-cylinder tortoise, which will not be missed. But fuel economy takes a slight hit with the new in-line 5, which is rated at 22 miles per gallon in the city, 30 on the highway.

Funny, we think it more a pig.

Mmmm Scirocolicious

Edmunds reports: New VW Scirocco news. Oh man, we can't get enough Scirocco news. Yes, it's going to be too spendy and yes it'll probably have strange gremlins in it (certainly the first year), but we'd totally be first in line for this dealie. If this thing comes with the 260 horsepower engine we're just gonna plotz.

Tell us this isn't a beauty. Even if it looks a little like the Audi TT.

Volkswagen Doin' The Cheap

Ah ha! Ah ha! Looks like VeeDub is remembering what the hell its name is! Finally. Sheesh. Whew. Mercy. AutoWeek reports: Dialing it Back.

Volkswagen is abandoning its strategy of moving the Jetta upmarket and will remove content from the vehicle for the 2007 model year, slashing the price $1,410.

Yay!

Hallmark confirmed that 2007 Jetta prices will begin at $17,105, including shipping. The cheapest 2006 Jetta starts at $18,515, including shipping.

Yay!

Hallmark said the base 2007 Jetta will not be a totally stripped model. VW can't remove features such as antilock brakes or extra airbags. Those items are standard in Europe and would cost too much to remove, [Executive Vice President of Volkswagen of America Inc. Adrain] Hallmark said.

Ya... what? VW considered cutting out safety equipment? That makes us wonder if they cut anything else out.

Assuming they didn't cut anything out that makes a VW and VW, this is a smart move for VW. If they want to court the younger buyers (who we think will really like the Jetta), this is what needs to be done. A Jetta for under $18k shipped is potentially a really good deal. And, VW, if you are cutting costs on any other models, don't leave the impression you looked into cutting out safety equipment. That just leaves everyone feeling a little uneasy.

That's a snap of the 2007 Jetta Wagon. Why? We like wagons.

Diesels Done Fer?

Man, the car world is so weird. Here we got Edmunds reporting: Honda to launch diesel Odyssey & Acura MDX in US meanwhile VeeDub's pulling 'em out: Autoblog reports: VW to drop several diesel models next year. It's pollutin' reason, not a demand reason. It's a shame, too, because diesels use less fuel. We hope VW can re-work the engines in order to meet the new emissions standards. So how is that Honda can bring in all these other diesels? They don't spew out the same crappola?

Volkswagen On The No-No Juice

Autoblog reports: Volkswagen Eos starts under $28K, rises to nearly $40K. Come on! COME ON! Look, Veedub, we've talked about this before. We all know you can build a kick-ass car. We loved the Phaeton. LOVE. But folks don't want a spendy VW. The W8 Passat didn't sell, the Phaeton didn't sell. Do you really think a (very sweet, we might add) $40k Eos is going to sell? Now before you start in with the, "But it's only $28k" line, how many of the $28 dealies you going to commit building? Oh, we thought so. Look, it'll be a very good car. But it'll be pricey and that's not what people are looking for from you.

Also, if you could please work on the quality control issues. It's foolish to push into the pricier categories if your cars are still on the more unreliable side (according to Consumer Reports.) Think about the nightmares that might could happen with the complexity of the roof system alone!

Diesels Rise

We are so easily confused. We've read that Detroit claims the price of gasoline won't affect consumers until the price goes much higher. Why then does Autoblog report: Volkswagen diesel sales rising with gas prices. VW diesels were on Consumer Reports list as one of the most unreliable cars out there (not just the engine mind you, the whole vehicle). So, it's funny to see that consumers will go for questionable cars (we love VW, but they are abusive to owner's hearts) rather than pay big dollars for gasoline (and more reliable cars). For the record, diesel fuel isn't any cheaper, it's just that you go further per gallon.

Yum

Autoblog reports: VW Scirocco may go for $28,000. We want. Oh, man, we want. A hot little sports wagon... hatch... thing. Man, we want. We hope this is real and we hope the Scirocco looks like this. And it sure looks like there's gonna be a little war of the sports wagons soon: Scirocco, C30 and throw in the Mazda3 Mazdaspeed for good measure. Good lord, have we turned into the boy racer? It's a danged pity GM didn't see fit to move ahead with the Chevy Nomad, because that little car had a chance at being cool and GM to show it still knows how to be a leader. Poor little Nomad, we hardly knew ye. In fact, we never knew ye. And what is it with Claire* and her police account of "she hardly knew ye... uh, us"? Chicks! *We friggin' passed out when we saw this pic. There must have been so much positive sex energy in that room at that moment that all men died. We sure as hell passed out after seeing that pic. Jesus!