Driver's Seat: 2008 Volkswagen Touareg2

The original VW Touareg was meant to be anything but a me-too offering. Developed in partnership with Porsche - which brought to market its own adaptation, the Cayenne - VW's version was stylish, sophisticated and costly, starting in the high $30,000 range and running well into the eighties for a full-equipped V-10 TDI diesel model. But for the short-lived Phaeton, it was the most expensive product the automaker ever offered.

So, we were more than a bit curious to see what the designers and engineers at Volkswagen headquarters, in Wolfsburg, might have in store when we received an invitation to visit Barcelona, on the Catalan coast of Spain , for the launch of the Touareg2. The 2008 is an update instead of a complete remake, but with a list of some 2300 changes covering things mechanical, as well as cosmetic, we determined it worth the long flight.

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THIS WEEK'S CAR NEWS

2008 Honda Accord Sedan: Spied! (5/13/2007)
The first pictures of Honda's new four-door surface.

2009 Saturn Aura Spied! (5/13/2007)
Uncovering the fourth-generation Opel Vectra, nee Saturn.

2008 Volkswagen Touareg2 (5/13/2007)
Revamped, retooled, and refined.

VW Reshuffles Product Deck (5/10/2007)
Minivan almost cancelled; CC coming soon.

2009 Audi A4: A New View (5/10/2007)
Illustration shows shape of Frankfurt-bound A4.

Mulally: Ford Making Steady Progress (5/10/2007)
Shareholders rip company at annual meeting.

Magna Takes On Partner; Chrysler Next? (5/10/2007)
Russians involved in latest Chrysler angle.

Ask A Mechanic: May 10, 2007 (5/10/2007)
Idle concerns, flushing too often, and ethanol use.

Car Trivia: May 10, 2007 (5/10/2007)
Caribbean car, Bond's AMC, and drag-racer zoomies.

Smart to Stoke Interest with Tour (5/9/2007)
Interactives, test drives key to setting up brand in U.S.

More Ethanol from Less Corn? (5/9/2007)
MSU develops new grain with more fuel in it.

Next Land Rover Lighter Like Jags? (5/9/2007)
Autocar reports on aluminum-bodied Landie.

Toyota Says Growth is Slowing (5/9/2007)
Record profit for fiscal year nonetheless.

Volvo Twin-Turbos the S80 (5/9/2007)
New T6 edition coming with 285 hp.

Sen. Comm. Approves 35-MPG CAFE (5/8/2007)
Will a full bill reach the President?

GM Joins Climate Action Group (5/8/2007)
First automaker to sign up for CO2 duty.

Four Million Land Rovers Built (5/8/2007)
British brand celebrates big milestone.

GM May Axe Mid-Size Utes (5/5/2007)
Fuel-economy concerns are pausing, stopping vehicle programs.

Weekly Car Guide: Hyundai Veracruz (5/4/2007)
Hyundai Veracruz, Corvette SS, Ford F-Series and E-ZPass.

ASC Files Chapter 11, Awaits Saleen (5/4/2007)
Investment firm combining tuner, sunroof inventors.

McLaren Convertible Bows, From $700K (5/4/2007)
Pricey ragtop is one of world's fastest.

Roush Gives Ford GT A 600-HP Boost (5/3/2007)
New 600RE finishes off supercar run in the U.K.

Art Center Hosting Annual Car Classic (5/13/2007)
Talbot Lago among cars on display at design school.

Lundberg: Gas Prices At All-Time High (5/7/2007)
Federal numbers cite different figure, but it's close.

911 Turbo Flips Its Lid (5/7/2007)
Porsche prices 911 Turbo Cabrio from $136,500.

Porsche Preps Limited-Edition Boxster (5/7/2007)
Styled-up roadster coming in 500 copies.

Obama Takes Detroit to Fuel-Econ Task (5/7/2007)
Candidate says American car companies are lagging.

Ford Shuts Casting Plant, Idles Another (5/7/2007)
"Way Forward" ripples hit engine capacity.

Renault Leaks More Laguna News (5/7/2007)
A steady drip of information - and a tease.

From TheCarConnectionBlog

Are Our School Buses Safe?
No seatbelts, outdated engines-what's your child riding in, anyway?

Dogs Gone Wild - in Cars!
Mass. may make belts mandatory for pooches.

When Charged with DUI, Hit the Right PR Note
Stars, take a lesson from Ty Pennington.

DISCUSS: Obama Steps into Fuel Economy Debate
Presidential candidate takes Detroit to task, but rightly?

PODCAST: Motorists Rave for GM's Minicar "Triplets"

GM executives may be stunned, but it's no surprise to anyone else that the automaker has scored a big hit with the three minicars it unveiled at the New York Auto Show, last month, the Chevrolet Beat, Groove and Trax. So, will the automaker actually get it right this time and, with fuel prices soaring, give the go to put one or more of the "triplets" into production? Listen to this podcast from TheCarConnection.com:

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

You do realize Marty is a dysfunctional Bushie. He is a frightened damaged human like all people of his ideology. Marty and people like him are a threat to our willingness to change and ultimately to our existence.

Dave

Cargirl: On CO2, Something's Gonna Give (5/9/2007)
The CO2 argument is moving, like it or not.

Car Trivia: May 10, 2007

1. Who wrote Wheels , the 1971 book about the car industry?

2. James Bond drove this AMC model in The Man With The Golden Gun .

3. Which U.S. carmaker offered a 1955 convertible model called the Caribbean?

4. Which new 1971 model was the subject of "The Little Car That Grows On You" ads?

5. Which GM division offered a 1958 Yeoman station wagon?

6. In the 1960s TV series, what was the Green Hornet's car called?  Who drove it?

7. What did Austin Powers drive in the 1997 movie "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery"? What paint design did it have?

8. How long has Goodyear been using a promotional blimp?

9. What brand of car was driven by "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena"?

10. To a drag racer, what are zoomies?