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In a keynote speech during vienna’s international motor symposium, martin winterkorn, volkswagen group chairman, announced a strategy to increase fuel economy throughout the company’s fleet an additional 20 percent by 2020. According to road and track, the plan will see VW introduce a new DSG gearbox, a 10-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that will potentially be found in the new 2015 passat. The new gearbox has been solely developed to increase fuel economy, and will be capable of handling up to 369 lb-ft of torque such as VW’s new 236 horsepower twin-turbo units and even the golf R400, which is supposed to produce 332 lb-ft.

source: designboom

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Volkswagen has revealed its new Golf R 400 concept ahead of its debut at next week’s Beijing Motor Show. Using a modified version of the 2.0 liter turbocharged engine found in the standard Golf GTI and R, the R 400 gets a bump in output to almost 400 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. Channeling that power through all four wheels, the R 400 will do 0-62 mph in a blistering 3.9 seconds. Visually, the R 400 occupies a lower, more aggressive stance than its standard counterparts and gets a racy yellow and grey trim to denote its special status. For now, the R 400 remains a concept but it certainly has the potential to reach the market, perhaps in a slightly watered-down form or in strictly limited numbers.

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