The world's most fuel-efficient couple has done it again. John and Helen Taylor were determined to break the record for the farthest distance traveled on a single tank of fuel. They decided to attempt the record in the U.S. with a stock 2012 Volkswagen Passat SE TDI Clean Diesel vehicle equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. The previous record for the most miles covered on a single tank of diesel was 1526.6 miles, achieved with a VW Passat 1.6 BlueMotion(R) diesel in Europe.

The result? A new record of 1626.1 miles, achieved on one tank of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel under real world driving conditions. That's an incredible 99.5 miles better than the old mark. Over the course of three days and driving through nine states, the couple averaged 84.1 miles per gallon, spending only 4.65 cents per mile. The three-day drive commenced on May 3, 2012 in Houston, TX and ended on May 5, 2012 in Sterling, Virginia. To make the drive as realistic as possible, the couple included 120 pounds of luggage and drove during daylight hours to experience normal traffic situations. Additionally, the couple took turns driving and didn't travel more than 14 hours per day.

"We're excited to have broken the record for the longest distance driven on one-tank of fuel," said John Taylor. "The Passat TDI was the perfect car for the trip. It offers plenty of interior and cargo space, yet is frugal enough to help us achieve this record."

The Passat's 2.0-liter TDI Clean Diesel inline four-cylinder engine produces 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque and with a manual transmission delivers an EPA estimated fuel economy rating of 43 mpg on the highway. The TDI engine is equipped with a Selective Catalytic Reduction System (SCR) that fulfills emissions requirements in all 50 states. The Passat -- built at the world's only LEED Platinum certified automotive factory in Chattanooga, TN -- was named Motor Trend's 2012 Car of the Year.

"The Passat was engineered and designed to be a comfortable yet fun to drive alternative in the midsize segment. The TDI Clean Diesel version unites driving dynamics and fuel efficiency that isn't found in the competitive set," said Rainer Michel, Vice President of Product Strategy, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "We're honored that the Taylors chose the 2012 Passat TDI as the vehicle to set this outstanding distance record. Their record shows just how economical the Passat TDI can be in the right hands."

Prior to the drive, the speedometer and odometer were calibrated by a state certified testing station in Houston, Texas. Law enforcement officers from the city of Houston, Texas oversaw validation of mileage, fuel fill-up, and gas tank sealing at the beginning of the drive. A Loudoun County, Virginia Sheriff's Deputy verified completion of the drive and mileage prior to removing the fuel tank seal.

The Taylors have made a career out of driving efficiently and conducting workshops globally on fuel-efficient driving techniques. They have collected more than 90 world fuel economy and vehicle-related records from drives around the globe.

About Volkswagen of America, Inc. Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen's operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Beetle, Eos, Golf, Golf R, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Passat, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan vehicles through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.

I know what you're thinking: What on earth is SactoMoFo? SactoMoFo is the Sacramento Mobile Food festival brought to you by a group of local Sacramentans aspiring to bring change and yumminess to the community. Currently, Sacramento legislators have placed limits as to how long a food truck can park on the streets--30 minutes! We all know that these food trucks make everything from scratch (and don't you dare call them roach coaches?

Four years ago, when Volkswagen first introduced its CC, this "four-door coupe" was a design standout, unlike anything else on the road-and for that matter, a surprisingly daring look for normally conservative VW.

Now, for the 2013 model year, after the introduction of curvaceous mass-market models like the Hyundai Sonata-or even the new 2013 Ford Fusion-the CC's design fits in much more closely with the mid-size sedan mainstream.

So it doesn't come as a big surprise that VW has positioned the CC more as a luxuriously equipped Passat alternative and less of a edgy niche vehicle than it…

It'ss no secret that Volkswagen's U.S. chief Jonathan Browning is a fan of the sporty Scirocco coupe. He's openly admitted that he'd love to see the car here in the U.S., and now he's given the strongest indication yet that it may be coming here eventually. Speaking with Automotive News (subscription required), Browning said that he is lobbying to start sales of the Scirocco in the U.S. "That's a piece of the lineup that I would dearly love to see here," he said. Browning went on to reveal that the U.S. market is unlikely to receive the current generation of the car, which was first launched in Europe in 2008, though its successor may certainly come. The key reason is a change in circumstances, with U.S. customers now much more accepting of small and fuel efficient cars than they were just a few years ago. Browning also explained that the current Scirocco was launched during a time of global financial stress and was simply too risky to experiment with in the U.S. Now, with Volkswagen charging to become the world???s top automaker by 2018, the time might be right to bring over more models. To achieve its goal Volkswagen has stated that it would need to sell around one million vehicles in the U.S. alone. Other models in consideration include the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack, which was received quite well in concept form at last week's 2012 New York Auto Show, as well as a possible mid-sized crossover positioned between the Tiguan and Touareg. If built, this latter vehicle is likely to be a production version of the Cross Coupe Concept unveiled earlier this year. Pictured above is the high-performance Scirocco R, which features the same 260-horsepower, turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder found in the Golf R but with drive going to its front wheels only.

Filed under: Sedan, Volkswagen

According to Autocar, Volkswagen may be working on a smaller version of the rakish CC four-door coupe sedan. Known internally as the SC, the smaller CC will be a part of the seventh-generation Jetta lineup, in addition to the sedan and wagon models.

The creation of the SC comes after Volkswagen's NCC (New Concept Coupe) received lukewarm response at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. Autocar reports that while consumers do want another variant of the Jetta, a two-door coupe isn't the answer. "Our research suggests there is increasingly a market for a sportier and more stylish version of the Jetta in the mould of the CC only smaller and more affordable. From the feedback we've received so far buyers want an individual bodystyle and the practicality of four doors," a source within Volkswagen told the British magazine.

A more stylish Jetta sedan would likely do battle with the new Mercedes-Benz CLC, set to debut in concept form at the Beijing Motor Show later this year. If the SC does come to market, it will likely launch in Europe sometime in 2015, right around the time the next-generation CC arrives.

Baby Volkswagen CC in the works? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today that two of its vehicles have received top ratings from buyers in Strategic Vision's Total Value Index?? (TVI) in addition to the Volkswagen brand being recognized as the best in Total Value. Volkswagen's Jetta SportWagen received top honors in the medium multi-function category with the Volkswagen CC named as the number one larger car. ???The way you become a Value leader in this economy is to create an exceptional product that is also affordable. Volkswagen has done just that by delivering vehicles like the Jetta SportWagen and the Volkswagen CC that fit into our economic structure with the engineering and performance that make the purchase so very desirable,??? says Dr. Darrel Edwards, Founder and Executive Director of Strategic Vision.

Clearly, Volkswagen's intention here at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit is to demonstrate its commitment to "green" car technology and to give the environmentally minded consumer something to look forward to. Hence, it unveiled the conservative 2013 Jetta Hybrid and the cheeky all-electric E-Bugster concept.

Cars.com's team of experts has named the Volkswagen Passat as the "Best of 2012." Although the competition was fierce, the redesigned Passat marks the next step in Volkswagen's U.S. product revolution. "By delivering a level of value that families demand and the premium amenities and composed driving experience that's come to define VW, the car instantly becomes one of the best in its class," we said of the Passat.

The Volkswagen Golf and its GTI hot-hatch twin might only be six generations old, but the hatchback meant to replace the Beetle is more than 35 years old. That makes it one of the dwindling members of the old-growth forest of car models, standing in the shade of holdouts like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Ford Mustang.

Well, Volkswagen almost didn't make the list. Can you guess what # the 1980 VW Rabbit Pickup was placed?