#23: Life Plus Volkswagen

And yes, I know what the listener is thinking like we just have an affiliation to our the pirate thing

Lifeless cars

Yes

Well shall we

Yes, let's let's jump right into it. Let's get some diving in the Volkswagen

That's right, Brendan. Yes. Well, if you didn't already catch that there's welcome back to the life plus cars community out there

We are talking about

Volkswagen today. This is a follow-up to our deep dive that we took on

Volvo not too long ago

So check that episode out if you haven't and we're going to do something similar here today where we

Jump in and look at VW. It's history favorite cars notable cars where they are now. Where are they going?

I'm excited to take a dive here, Brendan. Yes, that's good. We're going to talk about

The people's car. That's right name Volkswagen. I'm happy that we're gonna talk about Volkswagen

I've owned a couple of them over the years

I think the most notable one would be as I've talked about before on different episodes is jitters are

Jetta GL5. Oh, I was hoping you'd bring up jitters. Yeah. Oh, yeah

I mean, that was a great car like that

Served us kids great through high school and into college and we've got to love the Volkswagen's

You know to start things off, right? I mean, they've been around for a long time, right? So, I mean, yes

You're founded in

1937 and

German and

They they did they literally came up with the name

Volkswagen as the people's car if I recall correctly you you have man with this

He was a Ferdinand Porsche designed the original beetle the original beetle. Yes. Yes, or Ferdinand Porsche

Yeah, we ended up with the beetle which that is a fantastic place to start with talking about Volkswagen

Because we've talked before about some of the most recognizable cars in the world

Right. Oh my gosh. Yeah, I can't iconic. Well, like you can say like the 6566 Mustang is an icon

Because almost anyone in the world if you showed them a picture of that would know that's a Ford Mustang

It's the exact same thing with the beetle if not more so that if you show anyone a Volkswagen Beetle

Whether it's from the 60s or it's a new one. Yeah, they know that's a beetle like they know that

I mean, that's amazing that speaks volumes about marketing and branding all in and of itself

And I mean, it's it's the beetle really took off

Because Volkswagen designed this car and granted it was an air-cooled

You know motorcycle engine basically in the back of car. They were super reliable

They were inexpensive

Right and yeah, they just they went forever. They went forever. They're so simple. Yeah cute simple little car

And others like read how the American

Car makers just could not figure out the popularity of this beetle because it was so weird compared to anything else that was being made of

Like wait a minute the engines in the back like like people were just baffled

And so much of the marketing was around like it just was about embracing the quirkiness of like yeah

We're aware of like this is not really a handsome car. Like it's it's like it's it's a little bit. It's kind of like an insect

It has the design that it has

Is they actually used a wind tunnel to design it back in the what late 20s and like early 30s

That's why it has all the slopes and everything is because they tried to make it with this super efficient car

And that's what it came out to be which because no one was doing that at the time

No one cared about drag coefficients or being efficient. No one cared about that. But obviously the Germans

Right. Well, yes, they they're known for their just that the ability to over engineer

Their vehicles and everything in it. Yeah

And the fact that putting the engine in the back to help maintain the yeah that

There was such a like a balanced little car. It is such an icon. I mean globally like just you see it

As you said, I mean you show somebody the silhouette of a beetle

they know right away what it is

And that was very much a curated effort on and particularly like the marketing of the beetle and how it's like the lovable bug

and yeah, we

Could talk at length just of the beetle itself

Yes, absolutely. And it is. I mean, I still see them today and I go it's just yep

Like there goes a beetle and you know, what's amazing is I just I have to tip my hat towards

I have the listener knows I'm six six. I'm a big man and I fit in beetles very well

I think that rear engine at least on the older ones makes a big difference for leg room

There's so spacious. Yeah, like I'll never forget like, you know, we talk about the the bradigans beetle you learn to drive on

That's right that car

Like I have to move the seat forward just a little bit from like the full back position

To actually like be able to push the clutch in all the way and everything. It's like that to me. That's amazing

There's no other car. I've been in that. I have to do that with like that's crazy

It is when you think about the scale of it and it's a small car yet you get in and

I keep thinking about like I'm picturing the

Marketing it looks like a schematic and it has four like grown like grown adults

Positioned in the car and they're like look how comfortable we are. I'm like, oh, yeah, you can actually fit four

Full grown adults in the car. Oh, yeah

I think that was another huge selling point that yeah that you could like you could take the whole family with this car

Oh, yeah clowns all over the world rejoiced

Yeah

It was the new era of clown cars

Yep

Yep, they're still used today's clown cars. Good old beetles. Good old beetle

I don't think I've driven one of the new ones. But it's what's the last one you drove. Was it the bradigans? No

I have so I've driven a couple of the new beetles

this was

When I was in college and I was a part of like campus activities board and we helped to organize the homecoming parade

And our little our little logo was what looked like a little beetle. So cab like car

Um, and anyway, so it was a red logo. So we went to the local ports with the or and they lent us a beetle

Turbo and this was my like bright red hard top beetle turbo car that I got to drive in the parade

And that thing was fun. Oh my gosh. So I mean granted going parade speed

And then but got to drive back to the dealership after the fact and got to enjoy it

So properly quick little car, um, especially with that two liter turbo. That was my last beetle experience

Interesting. Nice. Yeah, I for me. It was I drove a 2016 beetle R line friend of mine

Eric was looking at buying a Volkswagen and he was looking at a golf and they had one of those and so we test drove it

I was that wasn't super wowed, but it was a nice car. That one was an automatic

Yeah, I remember the year prior was which we actually had a turbo beetle convertible

Which was a six speed and remember we had to find

Somebody in the in the group that could drive a stick because at that point I was not confident enough to

Take on a brand new transmission there. So

Yeah, but I remember oh man, I wish that looked so much fun if I only known

Yeah, but yeah the beetle. I mean that is it's just one of the most iconic cars in the world

And uh, yeah, it's Volkswagen and um, it wasn't until

I was there was 1955 when Volkswagen of america was founded or officially formed

And they gave us one of my like I I want to do like we did when we talked about volvos

Is our favorite like old Volkswagen and then our favorite new so for me favorite old

Hands down karmic gear. Oh my gosh. I same that was yes. Oh, I love the run

That was gonna be my car. Yeah, it's a beautiful beautiful car. I mean, it's just so elegant looking

And it's just it's just perfect. It's perfect. It's just the little roadster

And it came out in America as they founded it in 1955 and it's just uh, I love the looks of those cars

Yep, I see one of those going down the road and I'm like, yes

It's got like a little bit of like a Hudson Hornet look to it

It's got nice chrome the swooping back like uh very low slung just sporty right there with you

Yeah, beautiful cars. I mean look at the karmic gear. It's just like it's one of these folks wagons. That's just it's sculpted

It's it has such great lines. Absolutely. Um, whether the hard top or the convertible

Um, you just you take notice that there was one in newport that I stopped and and stared at for a little while

Just because you don't see that many of them. No, it's been that was the first one I'd seen in a long time

So the the well preserved ones are very special

Yes, I and I love when I see one that's a convertible, you know the top down

Uh, just love it. Absolutely love it. It's just that car came out of nowhere and it's just like wait, that's what?

It's a folks wagon

Oh, yeah, whoa

I know it's crazy and you know, they had it around until I think it was like around the mid 70s

They kept doing the karmic gear

But yeah, it's just it is wonderful car. Absolutely hands down my favorite older volkswagen

And I mean, you know, I mean, I like the buses like in the west folly is and all that but

No, nope the the karmic gear. Just awesome. Yep hand-built bodywork by german coach building house karmic

That's right. Well, that's funny. What was the uh, what was the successor of the karmic gear? Was it the uh,

It wasn't it wasn't the eos that well, that's way too new to be the successor

Yeah, because they had beetle convertibles and they had that but like a two-seat roadster

Like oh the was it the cabrio, but then that was a four-seater though

Yeah, because well actually so once in the mid 70s and then

The the rabbit comes out in 1974

Yes, the rabbit you could get that in a convertible

Yes, you could which that came to be known as the the cabrio later on

Yes, the cabrio lay up in the cabrio. Oh, yeah. So the rabbit convertible was offered. Yeah

So in some ways the successor, I mean the the rabbit convertible did not have the beautiful

Flowing lines like the karmic gear because it was not coach built like the yes

Yes were

Well, not not many cars do still have that beautiful work from the 50s and 60s today. That's for sure

Right. Yeah, and that rabbit craze that was a long for that was around for a long time. Oh my gosh

I mean talking well

Yeah, that's just that seems to be Volkswagen style of sorts of like they build long running vehicles that

And I mean I mean it's a testament to them as a brand that they create a vehicle that

Stands the test of time. I mean we talked about the beetle and then the bus and then the karmic gear

I mean we're talking. I think the beetle went in what continued to be produced in places like mexico right through

The late 90s. I want to say like in that same design

Yeah, that's same bill that everybody knows that you could go and buy like a 1995

Bw beetle that looks like a 1955

Which is

It's just wild to me. It is. It's crazy. It is

It's one of the longest running if not the longest running

Manufactured cars. It's it's crazy. Yeah, it's absolutely crazy. Yeah

So I'm glad you said karmic gear that that's that's top of the list for me as far as old Volkswagen's go

Oh, yeah, I mean yeah the beetle like we've talked about just amazing car. Yeah, there's two right off the bat just

Absolutely a door

Yeah, and I would say like this is a good segue into like a my favorite like newer ones

Is jumping to the present. Yeah. Yeah, I mean we'll it will jump to the present

But then we'll go we'll go back and talk more about their history with other stuff they had sure the uh for me

It's the it's the newer generation golf bar

So when I say newer generation, I think my favorite I think was 2016 the last year they did a two door golf bar

I'd have to look it up. I know they definitely had it the two door are

in 2012 2013 14

And then 15 16 would have been mark 7 the mark 7 golf a two door

Golf r and yes, I know what the listener is thinking like we just have an affiliation to r the pirate thing

Right. We're yeah, we're back to our

Yes

Are

Lifeless cars. Yeah. Oh, yes. Yeah

Gar

The golf art to me is it's like

Like I remember in that like 2012

2015 16 18 range right looking at golf ours. I have my 2006 gto and that's got a 400 horsepower

LS2

And the golf are back in like 2012 2016 had the same zero to 60 time, which is like

Okay, you know all wheel drive this little performance hatched. It's like

Oh, and they're comfortable like I just like oh my gosh. Yeah, it's just for me

That's always a soft spot and it's a good-looking car like

I mean, I really like the newer ones, but like even a golf r r 32

I mean

Oh my god, it's about like the the godfather of the r brand in

Oh, it is that's like to me that it's such a good-looking car

Which is it's funny because

I feel that the I mean that's the mark for generation of that golf and the rest of the golf line

It's like meh nothing really going on here and yet

Then they came out of nowhere with the r32 and just blew everybody away and it's still is just such a standout to this day

Yep. Yeah, 2002 to 2004 the mark for and it had that vr6 the six cylinder engine

Yeah, in the four-motion all-wheel drive in six speed manual and

It's just such a good-looking car that in that dark blue. Oh, yeah, I think it's interlagos blue

I believe is the core name. Yeah, it'd be funny. I mean it's more of an aside just to where

The idea of the r model comes from I mean as an r for racing or what?

I mean this could be a question for both Volvo invokes wagon the idea that okay r that signifies

The performance model. I just find it funny that

Back to back here. We're we're just gushing over the r models of these cars

And for good reason, I mean

They're amazing cars and the fact that yeah, there's this little hatch and like we're gonna throw all-wheel drive at it

We're gonna throw the big vr6 which that alone is that's such a weird engine and yet it somehow works

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah nightmare to work on right. That's not run right fantastic. Oh my gosh. Yeah

Oh, absolutely. And then like the for the current golf are like I do yes to uh, I do have to say that I'm very

Disappointed Volkswagen that you can no longer get a manual. I think that's asinine

So anyone who is listening to this with the love of god like just put a manual back in it and like what are you guys doing?

Yeah, I yeah, I want to continue to be on teams team Volkswagen. I have to admit

They lost me a bit when that announcement came out. I just

I I'm a little I'm a little perplexed. Yeah, that's like, you know, maybe like maybe they weren't selling

A lot of the manuals, but it's like how much does it cost to keep it an option like come on

Well, and I hate when they do like you have like the engineers or the people come in and they're like

Yeah, but but you know from from a practical standpoint, right? Like the automatic shifts faster and better than any person could

And it's like you're missing the point entirely

Of what it is to drive a car. You're missing the point the human

connection with the car

That's yeah, let's let's not forget that that piece of the puzzle. It's too bad

however

You can still I I just looked at this the other day that you can get a brand new

2026 gli with the six speed

For some reason the six speed is still available in the gli jetta

But not the golf gti or the r really that

That's where I'm just I'm just so confused because if if folks why I didn't was to say, okay

We're just gonna get rid of the manuals all together. I'm like fine. I I wish that wasn't the case

But it is what it is

Now you you can still go get the gli with the six speed. So what

Why is it not offered with the gti and the r?

When I would think it'd be the reverse I feel like more people would be opting for the manual in the gti and the r

than the gli

That's just me though. I mean that that's so I was I'm still a bit perplexed

Yeah, I completely agree with you. It's to me. It's mind-boggling. What?

Yeah, and for all the world I feel that that's probably the same transmission that they would put in the golf

Yep

I'm not an engineer, but it seems like that that could happen

Yes, I I agree with you. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, I just I don't understand when companies do that crap, but right

We don't want to get uh to uh down down trodden here on uh Volkswagen, but

Yes, yes

We're very much about

Manual cars very passionate enjoying the drive and you know curating car stories

And you need to do that with a manual

Yes, life plus cars that the human is is that the life

Life portion of that

life plus manuals

Save the manuals folks wagon. Are you listening? Please?

Please bring back the manual and the gti. I will buy one

Oh, yeah, exactly. Even if it's 48,000 dollars

No, you're gonna get a Jeep Wrangler. I'm sorry. He's back on the wrangler

You want folks? I do want I want an older one. I want get me a yj. I know it's weird

It's got square headlights, but you're all right. You'll be just I know I do want a wrangler

Well, there we'll have to do a life plus Jeep episode. Oh, yeah, we'll definitely talk about we'll we'll come back around to that

Exactly. Yeah

Yes, but no, that's good. So I'm glad I'm glad we talked about you know our our

uh favorite

Older ones our favorite, uh, you know newer or more recent ones

You know, I know I'm so happy that we're both on board with the karmagia. Oh, yes

The golf are obviously I mean the golf are it's a driver's car. It's a true driver's car. It's a dream

Well, yes, what people want, you know, or at least it was before they get rid of the manual

Well, yeah, and it yeah, totally. I mean taps into

Um, if you remember their ad campaign drivers wanted do you remember that one for my yes?

Like great ad campaign. That's also okay. That's I did

I didn't have that down, but we need to talk about that

We need to take a quick moment and talk about volkswagens

marketing and advertising department because throughout the years

Volkswagen has had quite possibly some of the best

Advertising ever of a car brand. So right off the bat. I got to talk about one of my favorite

Volkswagen commercials

there's

a

beetle

parked

Like at a house and then it's got like this giant boat on the back of it

And you see like the beetle like tip way up because the boat is too heavy for it

And then the next shot is it's the same family and they go and get a um, it wasn't tig one. What was the what was the

big

Volkswagen suv the twarig. That's it twarig. That's it

And then you see the next shot as they have a twarig hooked up to it and it's just like, you know, ah, that's better

You know, and it's just like that commercial that that's not the only one that volkswagens done it

But I very much

Admire that they will make fun of their own cars

Yes, I love that. They're one of the only brands that would just be like well

That's ridiculous to use a beetle for that or a golf like, you know

Well, let's show it be in the twarig or something bigger

Exactly

They are yeah, probably one of the most self deprecating auto brands out there that they just do like

Of themselves like I've seen old advertisements in the

Showroom where I've gotten my all-track service and it's just I think it just reads like yes

We know it's ugly

Talking about the beetle

And they're just so proud of it too that they're yeah

And I mean, I think that it goes with the kind of that that ethos of volkswagen of old that they just didn't take things

They didn't take things too seriously like they could just you know make fun of themselves and just

Roll with it. Yeah

No, and then the the other one that's also about the twarig

That I just I remember so vividly where they're self deprecating is it's like

It's the one where they're trying to pronounce the name

Oh

Oh, yeah, I got I got a twarig. It's like, yeah, I got a two hour

A two hour egg

It's just tarig

Perfect. It's just so funny

It is I I mean, I think this day I still don't know how to pronounce it correctly

I I've always said twarig, but I maybe that's wrong as well. I who knows I don't think anybody really knows how to pronounce it

Yep, and then there's I'm I'm I'm I'm cheating a little bit. I'm on

YouTube right now and I just found the other one. I was thinking it's also a twarig commercial that is absolutely hilarious is it's

people in a golf

And it's winter time and they're behind a plow truck

And they like come to their driveway and there's a giant berm snowbank

And they try to go over and like their jetta or facade or golf or whatever and they just get

Stuck instantly in it and then the next scene is them

Doing the exact same thing, but a twarig and it just goes right over and through the the driveway

It's just like I just love that because they do they just they make fun of their own cars. It's just so

Wonderful. Yes, there's so much fun and whimsy in vokes wagon of

Yeah, for for much of their history, right? Like I mean

Especially there was some great advertising there. I mean, yeah, the I feel like the twarig really defined some

some of the best

marketing out there for Volkswagen

I'll have to watch those

Oh, yeah, no, I mean they've always had good commercials. I mean they have 60s. They had good ones 70s and some good ones

Yeah, I mean, I think they didn't they have one in like the 80s that was like a

For the GTI

The ones that they're like flying over the crest like to GTI is back to back queen

Yes, I think so and it's like it's golden hour with the sunset and you just see it's a red one and a black one

I think there's a lot like at airborne over these like crested roads

And the things are just flying and ripping around and yeah, yeah

Definitely into that

Yep, it is. I just I like when when auto manufacturers get creative with stuff like that

You just have fun with it. And I mean, that's really what vokeshawing was known for the longest time was just having

Yeah, silly fun making fun of themselves

And yeah, the whole creative spirit in in the brand that was the case for a long time

I'm glad you dredged many of those up. I'd forgotten about the twarig ones

Oh, yeah, a lot of them just just fantastic

Yes

Yep, and they did like you're right like they have like they've had different tag lines throughout the years

Like you remember that one like it's ugly, but it gets you there like I forgot about that one

And then they had like for the love of the car

They've had um, you know, every new one comes slightly used

Um, that's right. Why do we put such big wheels on our little car?

Yeah, it makes your house look bigger. It was like a 60s advert

They have there's one that's just absolutely hilarious that it's a beetle

That's like floating in a lake and it says volkswagen unique construction keeps dampness out

I mean just creative stuff like that

It's so funny and it's like there's another one. It's like ugly is only skin deep and that's the one I know. Yes

Like they yeah, they were just allowed to just run wild with like, you know, how about this idea like yes, let's do it

Yeah, oh my gosh, you're like, let's put a whole like catamaran in the back of a bus and let's turn that into an advertisement. Yes

Yes, exactly

Yeah, yeah, oh my god, you take the whole boat with you

Yeah, so we so we talked so like they're like we

Yeah, I love their advertising love that they're willing to make fun of themselves

That more car brand should do that. Yes. I just very much appreciate that

I do want to go back and talk a little bit about uh performance again like we touched on it with the golf bar, right, but uh,

you know

Volkswagen besides the golf bar like I mean, I always looked at it like they've focused on

Having vehicles that are like fun to drive

Like I mean, I've said it forever. I mean, you've known me a long time. You like I've always said it

It's like if I needed a car like tomorrow

And it just I needed something like I'd go buy like a Jetta like the basic Jetta with a six speed

Like in a heartbeat like I think that they make decent cars and they they're fun to drive

Like they have a decent level of performance

at a baseline level

But they're diesels like I have always liked

the diesels

Um, I mean, I remember growing up

There was a guy in town that had a I think it was a rabbit

diesel I think

But I know for a fact that after that car went away, he got a Passat diesel

Yes with the tdi and it was like a 2001 or like a 99 or something

And I'm pretty sure he put like 400 000 miles on that. He was like a doctor. Oh, yeah at the hospital and

You know, he just was like yep like I just went a little five speed like diesel gets like 50 miles per gallon

And he loved that car. Absolutely love that car

It was I was always blown away with just

how

Well, it ran and like he drove it all the time and yeah, it's amazing

Yes, I before I bought the mark 6 gti the 2011. I test drove a

2014

uh tdi sport wagon tornado red

and

That was some of the most fun. I've ever had in a car that thing was so

Zippy like would just take off like a shot just

Handled a lot of yes very very torque. I mean it was I mean it had something only 170 horsepower

Yet it had close to 250

pound feet torque

Nice, so

It was so so torquey and a small little wagon. I remember getting in that loop

Like this is had absolute laugh riot of a car

And so I can definitely

understand the the

connection and love that people have for the tdi

And just yeah putting 400 000 miles on it. I'd certainly get that. Oh, it's crazy. Yeah

At least people had the love for it until 2015

Yeah, but then got in trouble

When uh, unfortunately, yes, they were

What was it? It was the uh, basically the cheat codes

Yeah, it was like they they like they had like a quote-unquote like uh, you know defeat

Thing like built into the computer

So when it did it's a mission test it would like lie basically, but I mean

I I I don't know enough about it to really comment, but right

I mean, I'm sure it's something like the parts per million of exhaust gas that

They put in versus what they said it was doing is like

But I could see people are just upset more on the fact that they just they lied about it. So and I think yeah

That was it was just on principle that

Yeah, this was something that they

Did yeah, I mean people's backs. Yeah, well to be fair to like the us

Is so much more strict on diesel emissions in any other country

So what's fine in the uk or elsewhere?

Is totally different than here. So that's why you just don't see very many diesel cars in the us because it's so much more strict

So there are almost

None, I mean now which is 20 25 crazy to me because yeah, you go outside of our country. They're everywhere

I mean you go over to the uk you go to you know anywhere in europe diesels everywhere

Everywhere, yeah, they are yeah, I mean you're driving Mercedes wagon diesels. Howdy diesels BMW diesels

Everything's got a diesel option everything right and that's often the more popular

Option, yeah, because they get like 40 miles per gallon right like the 25 on a gas job

Yes, that was what was yeah remember with that tdi wagon. I drove that yeah the mileage numbers

I was floored by what like okay. Yeah, I could I could see the appeal. Yeah

Oh, yeah

I mean even in something like you know, it's not it's not a Volkswagen

But like I remember my step sister had a Chevy cruise diesel a 2016

And that yeah, that's right like 48 miles per gallon a little six-speed manual like it was crazy crazy

Yeah, that was a bulletproof car

Well, and yeah, they were very well built so robust and could just take that kind of power and then also make it super efficient

I mean it was this perfect recipe. Unfortunately

That they had the issues with the yeah

The emissions yes, it is it's a shame

The line about it, but it's like right to me the the sad part is

Because that happened that made it so Volkswagen put way less effort into having diesel cars in the U.S.

Which I think we desperately need so

Right, they have completely walked away from it and most automakers in general. Yeah

I mean, I think that Chevy cruise diesel was

I think the last

car in the U.S. That you could get with the diesel if I'm

I'm not mistaken. I mean I can't think of another one

Yeah, you mean like a small like four doors today. Yes

I mean car. I mean, yes, you can go buy a

turbo diesel

Super duty or yeah truck over. Yes

You know, it's smaller diesels and like SUVs and stuff, but yeah, right, but a proper

But yeah, like the car or like yeah going to your Mercedes dealership and saying I want an s-class diesel

They'd be like, nope. You got to move to

Paris

Yeah, go away

Yeah, that really it seems like that that was a

definite shift in Volkswagen in general

I mean post 2015 to where they are now

As far as I feel like they definitely have shifted to much more of the

idea of like

building cars for

mass production

efficiency

Building cars that fit maybe a niche that

Is there maybe it's not like the most standout car

I mean, that's just like my personal take on something like the Volkswagen Taos, which is

More or less a five seat SUV

Yeah, it's it's a dime a dozen car. It's there. Everyone has that car. It's the exact same as anything else. Yes

And I suppose, I mean, I know we were talking a little bit about

Volkswagen where they are now where I hope they go

I mean now I just I I would love to see some more of that

Quirkiness the fun the just playfulness that Volkswagen was known for so long

And so many years starting with the original Beetle

And then everything we've talked about through the decades and now I feel like they've lost that playfulness

Oh, so much in almost everything they make like they just there's a lot of sameness

They're still well built. I mean

Yet they just I don't know. Yeah, you just they're the cars they make right now

They they just don't stand out to me like the fun stuff

Yeah, they don't have well, they don't have anything that sets them apart from the competition

Right, and they just they look like a dime a dozen car

Yes, they just there's nothing like you said you hit the nail in the head like it's not creative

I mean like I just pulled up their site and they've got I'm looking at all the models

They have the id for the atlas the atlas cross sport the tiguan the taos

The jeta jeta gli golf our golf gti and then the id buzz which is their new bus

Right, and it's like looking at all of them the only ones that I think actually really look good are the golfs

Yeah, but I mean even like the new jettas and it's like then the suv is like they're just blah

It's like come on guys a lot of

Blah

Yeah, it's like and I miss the passat like I know

Been dying in the u.s. But it's like come on

It's like that's what volkswagen should do. It's like release. You know gm will never do it in forward

Well, it's like release a passat put a v8 and you guys still have your v8 technology and give it a six-speed manual

You probably sell a million of them. Yeah, I mean actually you could get a

w8 passat back in like the early 2000s with a six speed if you remember that one now

That's a special car right there. That is a special car. That's another one that I'd like to have someday

And that is great. I'm glad you brought that up because along with the w8

One of my absolute favorite of all time volkswagens like is that w12

Oh my gosh. Yes talk to us

About the w12 fade. Yes

I just like the fact that it's a 12 cylinder volkswagen. That's the thing I like most about it

But I also love I I mean, you know, we grew up in that era

and

And uh, I just like the idea that they had that they created that motor

And they did that nardo concept that like race car that thing was crazy looking is so cool like 2002 or 2004

Whenever they came out with that right and then at the same time they did this this faton w12

And it was like there, you know, it was their s-class competition there

Their, uh, you know BMW 7 series competitor and it was that w12 engine

And they made it and what the us went like 2004 2005 somewhere in that range. That's right

I mean, they're they only brought in like I mean, I want to say it was like 500 or

A thousand of them or something into the us w12. Yeah, like there was not many not many no us at all

They're very hard to find. Oh, yeah, I mean, I'd love to have one, but yeah, it's just

They're just such a cool car

I'll always remember seeing it on top gear with jeremy clarkson. He's like

He's like this car was designed to keep the interior cab at 72 degrees no matter what

It's like no matter what awesome

awesome

Yeah, and I mean, what an engineering marvel that engine

I mean, we talked about the vr6 already and then how they took that technology

and

doubled it

In it is it is an engineering marvel. Yeah

Yep, they did so they took yeah, they took the the two

vr6's and it they turned it into a w

configuration

Right, so that's just so funny

I know. I mean, do you know the logic behind that as far as

I mean, what inspired that?

um, I mean, I guess the reason you would do that is if you took two

vr6's which are two like it's a motor that you're already producing and you already have all right

You know schematics and all the engineering behind it and you put two together

It would make it so it'd be easier to create other parts for it like

crank shafts

camshafts

Pistons right things like that. So let me see

What does volkswagen say about it the reasoning behind this design of the w12 was it was

smaller and more compact than a conventional v12

Allowing it to fit into a much wider variety of vehicles

So that was the whole idea

Why volkswagen did the w instead of the v is because it was just more compact which makes sense because if it's a

72 degree angle for the the pistons then the combustion chambers, right? It's like okay

Yeah, it would be smaller. So when you think about typical v12 car and the long hoods

That I mean that the proportions that that requires as compared to this more compact w12

Arrangement makes sense

Yeah, I actually I didn't I didn't know I can't believe they're pretty stout motors like they did the

That they're six liter

W12 was like 440 horsepower and 410 pound feet of torque

And then wow use that motor

Uh a turbocharged version of that motor in like the bentley continental gt

Yes, they also put that they also put it. I think it in the

Did they put in the s8 of that era too?

The a8 got the w12. Yeah

Yep, the a8 and then yeah, they did the uh the the nardo concept had the w12

And then they also did a golf gti w12 concept car concept car

Which that's which to me is like that would be crazy think about that

Can do you imagine if you could buy a car the size of a golf today with a 12 cylinder in it? It'd be like

Oh

What yeah, I forgot about this car

You have very cool concept car

Oh my gosh. Yeah, how wide they got the wide body kit with the detroit alloys

Yes

Yes, oh the best wheels ever to come on a gti

Hands down. I will I will say that right now. Wow. Yeah, I had forgotten about this one

It's insane

A w12 and a gti

Who does that? I know isn't that awesome?

I mean again like Volkswagen what happened you were doing like these ludicrous projects like this

Oh, yeah

Oh, man, but I mean really think about that a car that size with like 450 horsepower

Holy crap because think about how much performance those cars have with 300 horsepower

Right

Oh, the thing is insane. Oh, I'm glad you mentioned it. Totally forgot about that car

Because I remember when that like concept came out. I think I actually had a model car of that concept. Yes

Yeah

Oh, that is awesome. Wow. It's stuff like that like that's yeah

Like you said, I I love it when auto manufacturers do stuff like that and like that's that's one of my favorite things

Volkswagen's ever done is that w12

Yes, I mean and like automakers have done that for years. I mean like gms done it before forged on it

We're like they have a v8 and they're like, well, let's make a v16

And they'll just like meld the two engines together and it's like yep like great. We've got it now

It's like, oh, yeah, let's do that. Let's yeah, let's make that happen

Now we just need dodge to take their their v10s and just you know, do two of those together. Let's get a v20

I don't has anybody ever done a v20

That's actually that's a really good. I was kind of being now, right

But now I'm gonna look it up v20

cylinder

I mean there might be in like maybe big trucks are like huge

Right huge stuff, right?

Yeah, there we go. Look at that in the 1930s Mercedes Benz made a v20 diesel engine for marine applications

Okay, yeah, I can see that so like I could definitely exist if you say like a 20 cylinder motor

I could see that for big stuff like we just said like marine or huge equipment

Yes for like car or like

Even like a semi truck like that would be insane

Right since most of these big rigs are turbo inline six cylinders

Yeah, think about how long massive

That would absolutely have hot wheels proportions

Yeah, yep, it'd be awesome. That would be something a hot wheels would look like the v20 concept. Oh, yeah

Oh

Yep, so yeah, so that's with Volkswagen. Yeah, that's uh

Yeah, they're

Gotta give a nod to their creativeness from their engineers and the w12 and like I just I love that faton

I always

Keep an eye out for that faton w12 for sale because I would like to have one someday

And they're not super expensive like I actually know started this episode

I did a quick google search to see if anywhere for sale

And there's a couple for sale with under a hundred thousand miles in the u.s. For right around that like

12 to 18 thousand dollar mark, which

Honestly doesn't seem that bad because the car was like a hundred grand brand new so right that's a lot of car

I mean you got to be prepped for the maintenance it may need that said

For the experience alone seems like a worthy buy. Oh, yeah

But most of the faintings you see are the eight cylinders. So

Right

Yeah, those w12s are a rare

find

Fainting was only four model years right o3 to o6 for the us. Yeah, yes

Yeah, so, yeah, so I mean Volkswagen. Uh, I mean we covered quite a bit in

We did I had one more car. I wanted to mention which

Speaks to Volkswagen's just creativity and off the wall kind of

Let me guess let me guess

Is it

the thing

Oh

Great guess, or is it the shirako?

Neither actually

Those are both we we could actually take a moment to

Talk about those two which I mean, yeah, that's it just well. We've talked a little bit about it

It's like it's Volkswagen's like their ability to try new things different cars, right? Yeah. Well, it was this little like troop convoy

convertible

Jeep thing and literally they just said well

Nobody knows what else to call it. So let's call it the thing and it actually just became

The Volkswagen thing the thing. Yes. It actually is the name is

Cars and coffee and again, I stopped like oh my gosh

Two things in one place

amazing

And they're so basic. I mean that this little like beach buggy type thing with like the hard

Riveted doors and it does look like it looks like a little like military jeep almost and but they were painted in these bright colors

yellow orange greens

Um, I think they were all convertibles if I'm not mistaken

and

Yeah, I that that I don't I didn't do any research on the thing

um

But I knew I know it was just sort of a happenstance kind of like well

We have this car and we can make it

and

Oh, and behold it became

A thing

The Volkswagen thing if the Volkswagen thing. Yep. Oh, absolutely man

I'm glad you brought it up because it is like they've just Volkswagen has done crazy cars over

Decades and yep the thing gotta love the thing

It's just like again

It's another one of these Volkswagen's where you just smile and I feel that so many of their cars

Have that quality that you look at them like oh, that's just fun like that's just fun

Absolutely, absolutely

Mm-hmm. I mean and why not right? I mean think about how much time you spend in a car at least most americans do

Well, I don't have it be fun exciting and you know having a bit of fun with it with the naming and

Yeah, oh truly. Yeah

So the other car I was going to mention

which was just

a small little run of cars

One that just makes me smile to think about it is the

VW golf

Harlequin from 1996

And they only made 264 of these cars

Okay, hold on. I gotta get an image of that. Well, is that the the calico colored one?

Nope, it is the

Multicolored

Oh, yeah, yeah, okay. I've got a picture here. Yes, the multi every panel is different. Yep. Mm-hmm

So yeah, I'll tell you I think I've seen one of those in real life. I had just I just thought I was like

Oh, I guess that someone had an accident. They just needed to piece that car together

But it's like for the listener like this is you should you know the listener should obviously google it

but the harlequin golf is it's a

Golf that is specifically

Multicolored like the hood's different color each fenders a different color the bumpers a different color everything's a different color

They yes, so it was a runoff. It was a one-off for like I'm reading here on the VW website here that

It was for the 1995 auto show circuit and there were 264 cars made where they actually started off with

The origin like the golfs and they took them apart and switched all the body panels

So it's tornado red chagall blue

Ginster yellow and pistachio green those are the four colors and I've read that like the rear

The rear quarter panel there

That's the original. That's the color of like the original car before they swapped the rocker panel that leads up to the quarter panel

That yes the original car color and everything else has been swapped. Yes

I assume the roof is also the same color as the

Quarter panel in the rocker, but yeah the doors so all four doors

Both fenders the front grille the hood and the bumpers are all changed

Oh my gosh

And I've I've only seen one of these in person and I just was beside myself like oh my gosh

It's a harlequin

I mean again

This one is just peak vokes wagon silliness the fact that these were made

From the factory then you could go and buy one of these

I know it's crazy. Oh my gosh. Yes. So yes had to had to just mention the harlequin

Briefway here as part of the the whimsy of vokes wagon and just off the wall

As they did there in the mid 90s

Oh, yes. Yeah, and I mean that like I mentioned it, you know, we talked about the thing we talked about

I mentioned shirako and all that and uh, I will say that the the mark two

shirako

Like it's just it screams 80s

Very and I actually I just I really like the design of that car

Like I just you know, I mean it is it's pure 80s. It's the wedge, right that wedge. Yes. Yes. It is. It is a wedge

But I just I love it. I absolutely love it

But I do there's something about the look of that car. Yeah, I just I forgot about that one

Yeah, it's just I think it's just gorgeous. Like it's very

It's very oudie-esque, right and like that's one thing we didn't talk about but like oudie or vokes wagon owned oudie

And uh, at least at one point you can see there was a lot of back and forth between

R&D being shared between both companies. So you see a lot of oudie in that shirako

Yeah, I mean you can see a lot of the oudie fox that was

I think one of the first oudies to come to the us and I can definitely see

The influence there

Oh, absolutely great choice

Yes, so that's I mean just you know, it's a unique Volkswagen that that's up there for me. I just think they're so cool

Oh, actually, I uh, I wrote about one of these

shirakos in my brief time at bring a trailer actually. It was a tornado red

Um mark 2 shirako

Very cool. I didn't know that. Mm-hmm. It just brought to mind. Yeah

See if I can look it up here. Yeah, it was a uh bright red

Volkswagen mark 2 shirako

Awesome. Yeah, so that was a fun listing to put together and it was a pretty cool little car

Gotta love it. Gotta love the oil. Yeah

Speaking of shirako. Yeah, I had a little experience of that with my with one of those listings

Very nice. Very nice. So yeah, so that is quite the dive into Volkswagen

I think so we covered a lot here brendon going from the

earliest days of Volkswagen to

Volkswagen arriving in america and how much that that changed things and what they brought here with their cars and

our favorites

The quirky the the fast the performance models. Oh, yeah, all of the above

Yeah, what we'd like to see from Volkswagen in the future. Mm-hmm. Oh, yeah, all of it. Yeah

Yeah, exactly

And uh, if we missed anything which i'm sure we did we can only do so much in our of course 45 minutes here

So, uh, if you have a life plus Volkswagen story out there listener

We always love to hear them and send them along to

Are they sending them brendon? You're gonna want to send that to life plus cars at gmail.com or

You can check us out on instagram. That's right. We're all over the place. All you have to do is look

It's that magical search bar on the web browser of your choosing exactly those cars

That's the one you heard it there folks. Yep, you just hey siri

Hey, siri

Hey, siri play life plus cars

Yes, try it see what happens

Yep

So yes, uh, all kidding aside. Yes, you can find us. It's life plus cars all one word life plus cars dot com

keeping it simple for you all out there

And we appreciate you tuning in

We have a lot of fun with these deep dies. We have more to come. Uh, so

Uh, I don't know which one do you think brendon? What's what's next anything in the works?

Oh, I mean you mentioned it. I'm I'm I'm I'm thinking jeep

Oh, that's true. That did come up today. Yep, because you need to buy a jeep. Yeah, so I can drive it

That's right. Yes. Come on. We're being so cheap holidays are coming up. Be a great christmas present

Yeah, great christmas present to myself. You buy a brand new wrangler. I'll buy a yj. There you go

You get the yj. How do this seems bad? Oh, come on

I want one that's painted up like Jurassic Park

Okay, that now that makes sense. I can get behind that. Yeah, see if I can get sam neil to make an appearance

Dr. Grant

Must go faster. Yeah, you must go faster. Yeah, Jeff goldblum. Yeah

Oh

Yeah, well, we'll save that for the life was jeep episodes. So yes listener tune in

Soon for that episode brendon and I are having a lot of fun with these deep dive

Episodes here. There'll be another one here very soon. And in the meantime, we thank you for joining us

And as always and we look forward to seeing you on the next drive

You

#23: Life Plus Volkswagen

About this episode

Volkswagen GLI

Volkswagen TDI SportWagen

Request an Explanation

Want to learn more?

Help improve this episode

More from Life Plus Cars