VW's new mid-sized sedan
As I mentioned in my tweets – this is a DREAM COME TRUE. For as long as I can remember I have been into and driven nothing but VW products. It all started with my Bus infatuations which led me to create The High Country Bus Festival….. and since then my social life has centered around all things automotive. If this deal happens it will combine my love for the dub with my love for Nascar.
NASCAR needs another manufacturer. Toyota has already taken the bullet for all non-american manufactures; and will make the German Auto Groups entry into the sport much easier. When VW opens their TN plant in 2011 they will be building a yet unnamed new mid-sized sedan for the american market. This is the car VW plans to put up against the Camry and Taurus in sales – so it will be the VW entry for the Cup and Nationwide Series.
VW Amarok
The problem is with the Truck Series. In order to pull this off VW would need to enter the Truck and Nationwide Series for at least a year before fielding anything in the Cup Series. VW does not have a truck offering in North America – mostly due to the insane Chicken Tax that is a relic of the 60′s. VW does sell trucks in other parts of the world. In fact their new truck; the Amarok has just been named the Official Support Vehicle of the 2010 Dakar Rally, bringing Global Exposure to the truck.
With a manufacturing plant in North America – VW could import the truck sans bed – attach or “assemble” the bed of the truck in here in the states and they would avoid the 25% import chicken tax. This is the work-around that Toyota first used to sell trucks in America and that Dodge used with their large Sprinter Vans.
Q4G recently posted about VW overtaking Toyota as the largest volume manufacturer in the world. But it is clear that Toyota is the top dog in the US and Volkswagen wants to take them on. There is not better place than on the track! I am sure I will have more to say as the talks between VW and Nascar continue – but I wanted to get something written as soon as I saw this story come across my twitter.