integrity vw: March 2007

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Fahrenheit GTI

If you like to know where your children are, buy them this magma orange GTI. Named 2007 Automobile Car of the Year by Automobile Magazine, this car not only has it all - DSG, 2.0T, Leather, ESP - only 1,200 will be available in the United States, so the likelyhood of seeing another Fahrenheit driving around is rather slim.

Buy this VW GTI for $28,680 (the one on the right ;-).
Includes Power Sunroof, Satellite Radio Service, partial Leather Seating, Top Front Sport Seats, Dual Zone Climatronic and Cold Weather Package (heated front seats and window washer nozzles) 18" 'Charleston' Alloy Wheels with ALL SEASON Tires.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP)

The Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) in Volkswagens is an anti-skid or traction control system. Most VWs have it standard, however it is optional on some base Jettas and Rabbits, which only have the Anti-Slip Regulator (ASR) standard.

The ESP system basically detects when the vehicle is in danger of spinning and compensates to maintain lateral control. Having ESP is very useful when driving hard through corners, bad weather, and especially in emergency stopping situations.

ESP should always be on. It actively uses the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and engine management to prevent loss of control and maintain the vehicle's direction of travel. It constantly monitors steering angle and the longitudinal and traverse acceleration rotational rate sensors. It is helpful to correct any understeer during hard cornering.

If the vehicle is about to understeer (the nose sliding to the outside), ESP applies the rear brake on the inside corner. If it oversteers (the rear of the car sliding to the outside), it applies the front passenger ABS brake.

The Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) is operational up to 25 mph while ASR and ESP are operational at all speeds.

Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG)

Volkswagen's Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) is really a manual transmission designed to function like an automatic. The DSG is composed of two parallel gearboxes, featuring 2 clutches, 2 input shafts and 2 output shafts. The next gear is always permanently engaged and ready for activation. There is no loss in traction during shifts. This translates in better fuel consumption than a manual in some cases, better performance, and shortest shift times (4/100th of a second). This transmission shifts faster than either the BMW or Ferrari's paddle shifts transmissions. VW is two years ahead of the competition on gearboxes and world manufacturers are attempting to catch up as this is the best gearbox design to date.