VW still makes a PickUp

[marvins_dad]

In South Africa...

http://www.volkswagen.co.za/models/m...?model_id=4318

Did anyone else know this or am I late to the game?

[Oyveychris]

I've always wanted to take one of those and make it into a "GTI pickup". Stuff a VR6 into it, put MKII Gti interior bits in it, 1992 cabriolet bumper covers and custom side skirts, lower it a smidge, and but on some nice 3 piece BBS alloys...

[gypsy73]

Does'nt look they changed a thing
since the 80's.

Well, it's sitting a little higher, a different front fascia and the cool roll bar/light bar.

[jdesigns]

Cool!

That site has some cool wallpapers too!

[PhoenixRising]

Originally Posted by marvins_dad

In South Africa...

http://www.volkswagen.co.za/models/m...?model_id=4318

Did anyone else know this or am I late to the game?

Wow, that's cool. Why don't they make this for the states? I mean, come on...the pick up craze is still large here...

[Porkchop]

Originally Posted by gypsy73

Does'nt look they changed a thing
since the 80's.

Actually, that is circa 1991.... my 1991 GTi had the same grille and bumper (although not color keyed back then -just black plastic).

Once again.. a vehicle that would sell like hotcakes in the U.S. that we'll never get

[Oyveychris]

Originally Posted by Porkchop

Actually, that is circa 1991.... my 1991 GTi had the same grille and bumper (although not color keyed back then -just black plastic).

Once again.. a vehicle that would sell like hotcakes in the U.S. that we'll never get

Actually that's not exactly true. That is identical to a 1989 cabriolet grill. (I had one). I don't think the MkI and MkII grilles are interchangeable.

[Slug]

I saw a VW pick-up in Mexico (Cancun) 3 years ago that was based on a Jetta. Didn't pay much attention to it untill I passed it, the one time I didn't have my camera with me! It looked too "factory" to have been a custom car.

[gilligan]

No I have never seen one, yes it is cool.

[larryziegler]

Its called a Volkswagen Pointer. I posted a pic here last year after seeing them all over the streets of Mexico. I have even seen one on our local streets....must have been brought up from south of the border.

[Crazy_MoFo]

On one of my trips to Mexico I inquired at the VW dealer if I could order a Pointer truck with a VR6 engine, the guys looked at me like if I was crazy and said "you're crazy.. the only thing you would need if you got something like that is wings" I told them "that's what I want to do, fly close to the ground" so it was no surprise when they said couldn't be done. Would be nice though...

[macdave]

They also sell the VW Taro in Europe which is actually a Toyota Hilux with VW Badges. They are assembled by VW with Toyota parts.

[Oyveychris]

Nah! You made that up! That's the worst brand engineering I've ever seen!

[PhoenixRising]

Originally Posted by macdave

They also sell the VW Taro in Europe which is actually a Toyota Hilux with VW Badges. They are assembled by VW with Toyota parts.

Really???

I find this...well, it's a bit hard to buy.

[macdave]

Here's a quote from:

http://www.brian894x4.com/Hiluxgeneration3.html

In 1989, Toyota struck an agreement with VW to produce all of it's Toyota pick-ups and sell them in Europe.
The deal was a win/win for both parties. VW never had a decent pick-up and Toyota was having a hard time
selling Japanese made trucks in Europe. To allow the trucks to be manufactured in Europe would help sales
and get by some government restrictions. The trade off was that the trucks would not be badged as Toyotas.
Instead they were badged as VWs. But they were were Toyotas in every sense of the name. The trucks
were nearly identical to their 1989-1997 Hilux counterpart and as with the Hilux they retained the solid front
axle. All of the parts were Toyota designed and many were Toyota made. These VW Taro trucks were sold
all over Europe, including the United Kingdom, France and Germany. In 1998 Toyota introduced an all new
body style and suspension for the Hilux. It was determined not to continue with the VW production and
nameplate because of lagging sales. Today, the European Toyota is once again called the Hilux and
produced by Toyota. It is the same 1998-2003 Hilux found in the rest of the world, except North America.
But sales still lag. Europe is one of the smallest Hilux markets in the world.

Here's a Taro breaching a dune:

[dnyed]

No chit? I'll be damned.

[PhoenixRising]

Huh. That is indeed, far out.

[mezonesxbox]

Go to:

www.vw.com.mx

Thats the mexican cite. They have all kinds of crazy cars, ranging from trucks, busses and even 18 wheelers!! All VW. Lucky mexicans, they have a lot of models to choose from many of which only found in Europe.

I saw the Lupo, sharan, pointer, GLI, and more!!

[larryziegler]

That Sharan mini-van looks like a Chevy mini van from the 80's *finger down the throat action* Realistically, the Mexican auto market isn't huge and I'll make an assumption that some of these models are made in Pueblo and shipped elsewhere, so it doesn't hurt to sell in the local marketplace. The safety and emissions requirements down there are much more lax than here. I do see an occasional VW van chassis w/V6 engines used on some mini motorhomes here.

[Jonboy72]

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising

Really???

I find this...well, it's a bit hard to buy.

stop selling thiese in europe years back! only in the uk for maybe 2-3 years and that was maybe 10 years ago!?

J