GTI
Latest
Volkswagen's 2021 GTI adds a hybrid powertrain and tech-filled interior
Last year Volkswagen unveiled its new eighth-generation Golf, and now for the Geneva Motor Show it's revealing some performance-tuned variants. The good news is that the 2021 GTI has more horsepower inside with an updated EA888 engine that manages 245hp, up from 228 in the previous model. It also includes the Golf's new "Digital Cockpit" that ditches analog dials for a 10.25-inch display and 10-inch navigation system, plus ambient lighting with 30 available colors. The bad news, as Autoblog notes, is that a plug-in hybrid GTE version (and diesel-powered GTD edition) will only be available in Europe. Specs reveal the GTE pairs a 150hp 1.4-liter turbocharged engine with an 85Kw electric motor and lithium-ion battery. Operating together, they're rated for the same 245HP as the gas GTI and can manage up to 37 miles of range in all-electric mode. Naturally, the styling and suspension are updated for these hot hatch models, and now the active damping setting allows drivers to set and store their personal preferences via a digital slider. There's no word yet on pricing, but we expect to see these on sale later this year.
VW's GTI Aurora concept has a hologram-controlled sound system
Trunk-mounted sound systems are often about bragging rights, but VW might have more reason to boast than usual. It's showing a Golf GTI Aurora concept car whose centerpiece is a hologram-controlled audio system accessible from the back. You can push floating buttons, grab 3D sliders and, of course, produce eye-catching visuals. VW hasn't outlined the exact technology at work, but you don't need glasses, gloves or other extras to operate it.
Volkswagen's latest 'Gran Turismo' concept is a 500HP hatchback
For those who think Volkswagen's Golf GTI and Golf R hot hatches just aren't "hot" enough, the carmaker's latest virtual concept for Gran Turismo 6 (PlayStation 3) may be up your alley. The GTI Supersport Vision Gran Turismo offers up more than 500 horsepower in a hunkered-down, all-wheel-drive, two-door hatch that's slightly faster than its real-world inspiration. In fact, the carmaker says this virtual concept can hit 62MPH (100KPH) in about 3.6 seconds.
China Mobile's four new TD-LTE phones: Huawei Ascend D2, HTC One, LG Optimus Vu II Plus and ZTE U9810
We already knew that LG's now jumped on the TD-LTE bandwagon with the demo of a modified Optimus G, but it turns out that China Mobile also announced several devices that are destined for its 4G market, including the 5-inch 1080p Huawei Ascend D2 (D2-TL), the 4.7-inch 1080p HTC One (TD101), the 5-inch XGA LG Optimus Vu II Plus and the mysterious 5-inch 1080p ZTE U9810. Interestingly, our brethren over at Engadget Chinese also spotted a TD-LTE-ready Samsung Galaxy S III at China Mobile's MWC booth (note the "China Mobile 4G" logo on the back of the phone, pictured above), but it wasn't mentioned at the Global TD-LTE Initiative summit at MWC. Obviously, let's not forget ZTE's Grand Era LTE that's compatible with both modes of LTE. Knowing how fresh some of these devices are, it seems like TD-LTE service will be available to the Chinese public well within this year, which will match what China Mobile announced back in January.Also announced alongside the aforementioned phones were four TD-LTE mobile hotspots, including Huawei's E5375, ZTE's MF91S+, China Mobile-badged CM510 plus CM512. These all feature battery lives between six to eight hours, and can handle up to 10 devices simultaneously. Some even support the more common FDD LTE, with Huawei's already capable of Category 4 LTE at up to 150Mbps.
Ergo Electronics outs trio of budget-friendly GoTab GTi slates in the UK
It would appear that a handful of tablet manufacturers want to take a piece of Apple's marketshare pie by tempting consumers with low-priced slabs. And, well, such is the case with small UK company Ergo Electronics. The Euro outfit recently introduced a trifecta of relatively economical GoTab GTi tablets; two of which come pre-loaded with Ice Cream Sandwich and one with Google's 4.1 treat. For starters, the top-of-the-line, Jelly Bean-loaded GTi97 boasts a 9.7-inch, IPS display alongside a dual-core, 1.6GHz RK3066 CPU and 1GB of RAM. Meanwhile, the GTi8 (8-inch) and GTi7 (7-inch) are both designed to be "super portable and lightweight," though the GTi8 packs a heavier punch thanks to a "high resolution" 160 ppi screen, same amount of RAM as its GTi97 cousin and a single-core, 1.2GHz CPU. Ergo Electronics is pricing these starting at £79 (around $128), with availability expected to be later this holiday season across the United Kingdom.
Volkswagen launches free version of Real Racing to promote 2010 GTI
Volkswagen knows something other car manufacturers don't: they needn't spend millions of dollars on commercials, billboards, and product placement to launch a new car. They just need to make an iPhone application, like Volkswagen has for their latest model, the 2010 GTI, and the money will follow. OK, so the commercials and stuff will probably come later, but for now, the VW GTI is taking off through a free version of Real Racing, called Real Racing GTI [App Store link], available as of today. Real Racing GTI is a pared-down version of Firemint's Real Racing that Firemint itself has altered: the GTI version of the game has only GTIs to drive and fewer available tracks, but the game mechanics remain the same. There is a heavy social media aspect to the game with the integration of Cloudcell profiles (the same ones used for other regular versions of Firemint games) that allow you to trumpet your GTI-racing abilities on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. All I've been able to glean from the game so far is that GTIs are fast, but will cause you to run into walls a lot, and other GTI drivers are jerks who will ram into you if you try to pass them. No, I'm not just a bad driver. OK, maybe I am, a little. Along with the launch of the app, Volkswagen is giving away 6 "ultra-special edition" 2010 GTIs, which have special embroidery and carbon fiber accents on the doors and interior, every week for the next 6 weeks. Winning the giveaway has nothing to do with being good at Real Racing (phew!). You can enter via the "Winner's Circle" section on the app, or on Volkswagen's website here. Happy driving!
Volkswagen abandons traditional marketing in favor of iPhone game for GTI launch
A car manufacturer using a video game as a promotional tool is nothing new; Toyota generated a lot of buzz with its laughably bad (but free!) Yaris on Xbox Live Arcade two years ago. However, Volkswagen is taking the adver-gaming concept a huge step forward, by releasing a free iPhone game in lieu of a traditional advertising campaign. Don't expect to see any television commercials for the 2010 GTI -- for now, Volkswagen is committed to promoting its new vehicle exclusively through its App Store game.Real Racing GTI should be available for download right now, and thankfully, it's no Yaris. Instead of crafting an entirely original game, Volkswagen collaborated with developer Firemint to release a free "lite" version of its popular Real Racing game that exclusively features the new GTI car."Launching the all-new 2010 GTI via the Real Racing GTI App allows us to connect with this savvy GTI consumer within his or her everyday life in a way that no 30-second spot ever could," Tim Ellis, Volkswagen's VP of Marketing, said in an advance press release. While it's true a free game will give individuals lengthy exposure to the brand, we still have our doubts about its reach. Ellis assured us that Apple was an ideal partner to work with, and that while alternatives (like PlayStation and Xbox) were considered, an exclusive arrangement with Apple ensured that the app would be prominently promoted, not to be lost amongst the dozens of fart apps that litter the service. Volkswagen hopes that through word-of-mouth alone, Real Racing GTI will be able to garner at least two million downloads. Considering the comparatively low cost of this promotion, coming shy of that benchmark probably won't be too devastating.You can check out a video of the original Real Racing after the break.%Gallery-76202%
Konami announces GTI Club remake for PSN, out this November
Konami has announced at Leipzig (via GamerByte) that it's going into the vault and preparing to spruce up its 1996 racer, GTI Club, exclusively for the PlayStation Network. The game, now called GTI Club+, will feature a visual overhaul, eight-player online multiplayer and support for the PS Eye (because what we really want is to see our fellow racers while we make sharp turns), along with the usual remake details of new cars, new tracks and new gameplay modes. It is being developed by Sumo Digital (Outrun, Driver 76) and is due out in November.
