VW to Return to Super Bowl with New 60-Second Ad on the 2012 Beetle

There's no doubt that this year's Super Bowl XLV played host to some original commercials but the one ad that stood out more than the rest was "The Force" from Volkswagen, the official YouTube version of which has garnered over 45 million views since it aired on February 2.

Volkswagen actually aired one more commercial during the game, the “Black Beetle”, which has been seen by more than 5 million viewers on the German firm's channel.

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Euro NCAP: Two Chinese Models get 4 Stars for Safety, Malibu and Beetle Awarded with 5 Stars

The results are in for Euro NCAP’s fifth and last launch of 2011. A total of 14 cars were tested including two Chinese newcomers, the MG6 and the Geely Emgrand EC7, both of which achieved a four star rating, proving that at least some Chinese brands are starting to take safety seriously.

Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP Secretary General commented: "These results mark a milestone for the Chinese automotive industry. It is a clear sign that Chinese car makers are building on recent experiences and rapidly investing in better vehicle safety. Even with the upcoming increased demands, five stars are expected to be within reach soon."

Four more vehicles that are new were given a four-star rating, including the Fiat Panda, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jaguar XF and the EV Renault Fluence ZE.

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Rumors: VW's 2.5L Inline-Five to be Replaced with New 1.8-liter Turbo in the U.S.

With such a large arsenal of turbocharged gasoline engines in all sorts of sizes and states of tune, one could only wonder why Volkswagen is still holding on to the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-five in the States – especially since even GM and Ford have gone ahead and introduced smaller displacement force-fed fours.

It appears that VW also believes it's time to replace the old-school five-pot with a more modern turbocharged four. Citing two sources from within the German company, Car&Driver reports that the 2.5L unit will soon be dropped from Volkswagen's U.S. range with a new 1.8-liter TSI four-cylinder engine taking its place.

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Spicy VW Beetle R Concept Makes its U.S. Debut at the 2011 LA Auto Show [Updated Gallery +Video]

Officially, it’s just a concept, but the wording on VW’s press release hints at a production version of the Beetle R that was first shown at the 64th IAA in Frankfurt before it made its North American debut today at the LA Auto Show.

Developed by Volkswagen R GmbH - that is, the same people responsible for the Scirocco R and Golf R models, the Beetle R is said to show “the potential for an ever sportier version of the Beetle”.

The company also claims that the 200HP turbocharged 2.0-liter of the Beetle Turbo “could offer even more performance, similar to that of the Golf R and Scirocco R”.

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