2004 Volkswagen Jetta Tdi Wagon Diesel 1.9l Blue Clean No Rust Garage Kept on 2040-cars

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Touring the Volkswagen Museum in Wolfsburg

Forgive the ribbon up top - this isn't so much of a Read This as a Look At This. Ran When Parked took a tour of the sprawling Volkswagen Museum in Wolfsburg, and while there's a spot of text about the different and unique vehicles on display in the rotating exhibits, it's largely the collection of pictures of odd, one-off VW-badged cars and vans that excites. If you're a fan of the weird and wild, this is a post you'll want to look at.
As RWP points out, this is the larger, but less busy, museum targeted purely at Volkswagen products. The smaller AutoStadt museum, meanwhile, covers a much broader swath, with products from other Volkswagen Group members. Click on over to view the extensive gallery of high-quality images from Ran When Parked.

North American production of foreign marques to jump in 2014

Wards Auto has released its North American Light Vehicle Production Forecast for 2014, and the report predicts foreign manufacturers will increase production on the continent some 3.9 percent by 2014. If accurate, that should see 123,000 additional cars, trucks and vans produced in North America, swelling the total number of units produced both by domestic and foreign manufacturers to 16.9 million light vehicles from a projected 15.6 million in 2013. Much of the increase can be attributed to the fact that Toyota intends to produce another car at its Blue Springs, MS plant as well as a new Lexus model at its Georgetown, KY facility in a year's time.
Likewise, Volkswagen intends to move production of a currently imported model to its plant in Puebla, Mexico. Daimler, Honda, Nissan and Mazda also plan to build additional models on North American soil for the first time. Around two-thirds of the new North American manufacturing will take place in Mexico, helping the country soak up a full 20 percent of the content's automotive production for the first time. You can head over to the Wards Auto site for the full report.

Volkswagen New Midsize Coupe Concept is an aspirational Jetta

Meet the Volkswagen baby CC. Okay, that's not really it's name (VW calls it the New Midsize Coupe Concept), but this sleek, four-door coupe draws more than a little inspiration from the CC while riding on VW's MQB platform.
It's a looker, we think, and is an eye-pleasing departure from the bland styling of the current Jetta. The sleeker front end is complemented by a wider body overall (it's wider than a Passat), while the more sporting roofline and the sharp rear fascia gives the New Midsize Coupe a decidedly sporting character. LED head- and taillights add a bit more personality to this already stylish design.
Thanks to its 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder, it should get along rather sportingly, as well. The run to 62 miles per hour takes just 6.5 seconds thanks to the 217 horsepower on offer. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is also fitted, and contributes to an estimated 37 miles per gallon.