Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Volkswagen, Rumormill, Racing
First Toyota, now Volkswagen? According to the boys from Motor Trend, VeeDub is seriously considering entering into the bastion of American motorsport. That’s right, NASCAR. While rumors of VW fielding a Formula 1 team have swirled for quite some time, this is the second time we’ve heard that the German automaker is considering American stock cars and oval tracks.
What may be prompting this apparent interest in NASCAR? As we all know, Volkswagen has its sights set on becoming a much larger player in the American market, going so far as to create a New Midsize Sedan specifically for the States that will be built by U.S. workers in Tennessee. Not exactly Carolina, the hub of NASCAR development, but close enough.
And it’s this upcoming New Midsize Sedan (unnamed as of yet) that would be doing oval duty against the likes of Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford and the previously mentioned Toyota. If the rumors are to be believed, VW will begin talks with NASCAR officials and Roger Penske, who fields one of the more successful teams in the sport, in November after the current season concludes.
[Source: Motor Trend]
Report: Volkswagen joining NASCAR rumors begin to swirl again originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Volkswagen has officially announced plans to construct a new powerplant facility in Mexico. Designed to crank out a total of 330,000 engines a year, the Silao plant will cost the company $550 million to build and will bring around 700 jobs to the area. VW says that the new factory is key to its strategy for expansion, and it will help provide engine components for both the new Jetta, which is built in Puebla, Mexico and the company’s New Midsize Sedan (NMS), which is slated to be built in the company’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant starting in 2011.
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Since the departure of Stefan Jacoby, Volkswagen has been hunting for a new helmsman for its U.S. operations. Word is that VW have found that man. Jonathan Browning, a former managing executive for General Motors and Ford, is set to take over the position Jacoby vacated when taking the CEO spot at Volvo.
