For everyone who has been waiting anxiously for the new fifty state legal Volkswagen Jetta TDI to arrive at U.S. dealers, it appears things are inching a little closer. A reader the other day spotted a transporter filled with Jettas festooned with TDI signage headed northbound on a North Carolina freeway. Andrew called a local VW dealer who confirmed that these were actually among the first batch of TDIs that will be available for test drives at dealers around North America for the next couple of months before they go on sale later this summer. We first reported on VW's plans back in February at the Chicago Auto Show. From the initial batch of 1,000 cars, each dealer will get one car initially and more will arrive through the course of the summer. Volkswagen expects about half of the 15,000 Sportwagens for 2009 to be TDI powered with about 30-40 percent of the sedans. Keep your eyes open for the new Jetta TDI and if you can snap some photos put them up on Flickr or some other site and send us a link. In the meantime check out the driving impressions of the gas-powered Jetta SportWagen.

[Source: reader Andrew]

Since the first Jetta TDI cup race is going to be broadcast on Speed TV next Saturday don't follow the jump if you don't want to know who the winner was...


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Our travel and lodging for this media event was provided by the manufacturer.

At the International Vienna Motor Symposium, which starts today, Volkswagen is announcing that its next-generation turbo diesel engine, BlueTDI - developed especially for the North American market - will initially be available in the U.S. version of the Jetta. The Jetta BlueTDI will come to North America sometime in the middle of this year, followed at some point by the Touareg BlueTDI.

BlueTDI is the cleaner version of the already pretty clean TDI engine that VW uses in its European diesels (starting with the Tiguan last year). TDI meets the Euro-5 standard and BlueTDI is ready for the stricter Bin 5, Level 2 standards that are in force in five U.S. states, including California. Not only does the BlueTDI engine have the low emissions, but VW's director of powertrain development, Dr. Ing. Jens Hadler, said in a statement that the Jetta BlueTDI can get up to 60 mpg in highway driving. Perhaps that'll ease the pain of the Golf TDI hybrid's failure to launch. The BlueTDI displaces 2.0 liters and generates 103 kW/140 PS with 320 Nm of torque. More details after the break.

Diesel racers have had a lot of success in the recent past. But what happens when you have diesel racing diesel? We'll find out soon. For 2008, Volkswagen is replacing the current GTI cup with the Jetta TDI Cup. As the name implies, the new series will use the new Jetta TDI diesel sedan. For racing purposes, the 2.0L diesel will be rated at 170 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque pumping through the standard six-speed DSG gearbox. The suspension and brakes will be beefed up for track use and all the usual racing safety equipment will be included. Take a look at the schedule here and the complete list of contenders here. We'll be on-hand at one of these upcoming races, so expect to hear plenty more on this particular topic on our pages.

Ready for more? Here's Number 3.

This past weekend, Volkswagen held their driver selection event for the inaugural Jetta TDI cup series out at Firebird raceway in Phoenix, AZ. Volkswagen evaluated 54 potential participants based on their driving skills, but other factors were taken into account as well. Since the drivers are also expected to help promote Volkswagen and their diesel technology, they had to demonstrate their communication skills and ability to work with the media. In the end thirty drivers aged 16-26 were chosen to run over the six racing weekends starting later this month at Virginia International Raceway. They will have to pay up $35,000 for the season and they can have up to two sponsors for their car. The cars will all be prepared by Volkswagen with 170hp 2.0L TDI engines and six speed DSG transmissions as well as all the necessary safety equipment. The driver that wins the series championship after the Petite Le Mans race weekend in October at Road Atlanta walks away with $100,000. If the champ hooks up a professional drive for 2009 within six months of the end of the season, VW will kick in an extra $150,000.

[Source: Volkswagen]

For those aspiring racers interested in competing in the new Volkswagen Jetta TDI cup this year, you only have a few weeks left to register. VW has set a February 29 deadline for 16-26 year old drivers to sign up for the inaugural running of the series using identically-prepared diesel-powered sedans. Volkswagen will be reviewing the registrations and those that qualify will be invited out to Phoenix, AZ during the first weekend in April for a runoff. Of those who attend thirty drivers will be chosen to participate in the series. The series schedule will be announced on February 11. Start lining up your sponsors and get ready to race!

[Source: Volkswagen]