Astonishing the throngs crowded into the auction tent, an immaculate 23-window Volkswagen microbus sold for more money than any of the muscle and classic cars at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Orange County California over the weekend.

Some folks are born to the racetrack and others find themselves there by a less direct route. Driving the latest automotive models about a track designed by, operated for and maintained in the interests of regional car and motorcycle-racing clubs is a rare opportunity for many in the automotive media. High Plains Raceway is just such a place under an hour East of Denver, where the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press provided track time for those attending the second annual Rocky Mountain Driving Experience this week.

Volkswagen has release pricing and drivetrain information on the 2012 Beetle; diesel engines will be available next year.

It's a growing trend among German carmakers: form partnerships with artists and museums to build brand awareness. Volkswagen is the latest to join the artistic fray as it partners with New York's Museum of Modern Art.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced the Volkswagen Auto Group is recalling certain Audi A6, S6 and RS6 due to the fuel tank rollover valve creating a possible fire risk.

Yesterday, the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle was unveiled leading into the Shanghai and New York auto shows and shortly after, the news broke that the high performance Beetle R will hit US shores.

Once again, the SAE 2011 World Congress will provide more than just engineering exhibitors, but a Career Fair which will provide the opportunity for mobility industry engineers and professionals to explore available jobs and network with auto industry and engineering professionals.

Once upon a time, new car debuts were held at auto shows media days previews in front of auto writers and news reporters. Not now, not with the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle--or as VW is calling it, the 21st Century Beetle--which will begin with a linkup to MTV in a global series of events on three continents and include live performances by the Black Eyed Peas and 2manydjs, with the New York event streamed live on the internet on April 18th.

Despite the news from MarketWatch that Volkswagen will recall 71,043 Jettas to fix the wiring for the anti-theft alarm system and horn, VW stock which trades as an ADR in New York under the symbol VLKAY is holding its own.

NADAguides, the leading provider of vehicle pricing and information, has revealed the results of their vehicle comparison for the least expensive choices to achieve better mileage on your commute. Their report identifies the top five non-hybrid, high mileage vehicles under $30,000 that deliver more than you’d expect for the money.

BMW And Volkswagen Auto Group both urged European citizens living in Japan and working for the automakers’ Japanese operations to head back to Germany with the looming danger of nuclear explosions.

Last week, Chrysler announced that they were recalling almost a quarter million Dodge and Chrysler minivans for an ignition problem that could cause stalling and now the Volkswagen Routan – a minivan built by Chrysler for VW – is being recalled for the same problem.

The world's sixth largest third party auto supplier, Faurecia will provide significant parts contributions to the production of the 2012 VW Passat in the Chattanooga, TN plant. These will include exhaust systems, seating and dash elements, as well as lightweight front-end carriers for fan, bumper, headlights etc.

Volkswagen Auto Group acquired automotive design guru Giorgetto Giuigiaro and his Italdesign studio in May 2010 and thanks to a set of leaked computer generated images, we have what appears to be our first look at the Giuigiaro-inspired Volkswagens possibly set to debut in Geneva next month.