VW Introduces 2013 Amarok with More Powerful 2.0L BiTDI and Available BlueMotion Tech in the UK

The 2013 model year Amarok that was first announced in August is now available for order in Britain with on-the-road prices starting at £23,536 for the base 2.0 TDI 120hp (122PS) 4Motion and topping out at £31,098 for the new 2.0 BiTDI 178hp (180PS) 4Motion Permanent with BlueMotion Technology and an 8-speed auto.

Before we get into more details about the changes and upgrades on the 2013 Amarok, it should be noted that from now on, all models for the UK and the rest of Europe are produced at VW's Hanover factory in Germany, instead of being imported from the brand's Argentina plant.

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Herbie Goes to Spain with a Special Edition Version of New Volkswagen Beetle

Special or limited editions are a speedy and cost efficient way for automakers to create some marketing buzz around one of their models and increase sales. More often than not, all it takes is a few cosmetic touches and added equipment features, and presto; your special edition is served.

One such example is the new Volkswagen Beetle Edition 53, a special edition model made exclusively for Spain that pays tribute to Walt Disney Pictures' "Herbie" character, which first appeared on film in 1968 with "The Love Bug" that spawned several sequels over the years.

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BMW Group and Toyota to Each Donate $1 Million for Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts

With a simple press statement, the North American division of the BMW Group announced that it will donate the amount of $1 million to million to the American Red Cross for disaster relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

"This donation will help the Red Cross give aid to the many who are in need in the affected areas," said Ludwig Willisch, CEO and President, BMW of North America.

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Buyers Disagree with Consumer Reports Recommendations, Civic, Passat Sales Soar

You may recall Honda’s 2012 Civic comprehensively hammered last year by Consumer Reports. The publication's verdict was such a big blow that Honda decided to speed-up its next redesign and its CEO took responsibility for its poor performance.

One would expect its sales to slump; but instead, they have gotten through the roof. Civic deliveries have increased this year by 40 percent through September, to 234,029 units and Honda’s compact car is on course to regain the segment crown in the U.S. after finishing third last year behind the Toyota Corolla and Chevrolet Cruze.

This brings up an interesting question: how much does automotive experts’ testing weigh on buyers’ decision when the time comes to buy a new car?

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Fender Brings the Music to New VW Beetle Special Edition, Priced from $24,440*

Volkswagen has released U.S. pricing for its new 2013 Beetle Fender Edition that will arrive in dealerships across the country at the beginning of November with a choice of two engines.

The base model is equipped with VW's 170-horsepower 2.5-liter five-cylinder unit and is priced at $24,440 with the manual gearbox and $25,540 with the automatic, while those looking for more oomph can opt for the 200-horsepower 2.0-liter TSI Turbo model that starts at $28,130 for the manual version and $29,200 for the DSG-equipped model. All aforementioned MSRPs exclude a destination charge of $795.

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Volkswagen Jetta Pickup Truck Builder Looking for Interested Buyers

Massachusetts-based kit car company Smyth Performance is pondering a new project for a pickup truck conversion of the fourth generation Volkswagen Jetta sedan.

The company's founder, Mark Smith, who also happens to be the co-founder of Factory Five Racing, said in a posting earlier this week that he is accepting "orders" from interested clients without a deposit, for one of the 50 kits he plans to manufacture for the Jetta pickup truck.

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