R36 Press Car(s)

[Wolves1877]

Does anyone know if or when VWA are making a R36 press car available?

If there are cars arriving in the country next week then hopefully there will be a press car or two in amongst them and we will start to see some reviews before long?

[Vene]

From what I've heard.....dealers should get a demo car in the first shipment, i.e. mid June.

[JDubber]

G'day I contacted VW Aust to get the official answer last week, or even to see if there was a show car I could visit after missing the motor show. They had no idea where the show cars were and when the dealers in Sydney might get a car.

I hoped they would have had more info than what I got

[Wolves1877]

OPVW, any inside information about press cars or demo cars, particularly as there were a bunch of cars dropped in Melbourne last week?

[OPVW]

There are R36's in the country that's 100% confirmed but they will kept under embargo for who knows how long.

We've not heard if/when we'll receive stock or demos but given the way that VGA have handled the Tiguan I can guess how it will unfold. They'll say when the embargo ends, they'll send cars to us a few days before. We picked up our Tiguans yesterday, getting two licensed today and be driving them tomorrow. There's so much conjecture about the R36 release date that it's hard to know what's happening.

FYI -- the two R36's that were sent around the country were on loan from Volkswagen (international) and I'm told have been sent back to Wolfsburg to be crushed....yes...CRUSHED! No one has told me why that was happening but reliably sources say that's exactly was was to happen to them.

As for press cars.. damn good question. We supply the press with cars from here time to time. I'm guessing that for pre-launch test drives they would be arranged through head office and therefore kept unknown to dealers.

If I hear anything, this will be the first place I head to with details.

Iain

[Wolves1877]

Is anyone starting to get the feeling that there's potentially something not quite right with these cars??

• Cars being delivered to a country with absolutely no indication of an official launch date.
• Press cars being returned and crushed.
• no press coverage available in any country around the globe.
• no test drives or pre-launch test drive reports from anywhere around the globe.

What aren't they telling us?

[Vene]

This is bordering on stupid.....I'm not sure when to sell my car now. I don't want to have to finance two cars if I don't have to.

Why would VWA order the cars and have them sit in a storage facility? Doesn't make sense......

[gareth_oau]

This is bordering on stupid.....I'm not sure when to sell my car now. I don't want to have to finance two cars if I don't have to.

Why would VWA order the cars and have them sit in a storage facility? Doesn't make sense......

coz they WANT you to pay the luxury car tax

[Wolves1877]

coz they WANT you to pay the luxury car tax

but luxury car tax doesn't go to VWA, it goes to the Krudd government.

[RWK]

but luxury car tax doesn't go to VWA, it goes to the Krudd government.

I guess they just wanted to pixx you off

[OPVW]

The only answer I can give you that may shed some light on the matter is this. With the launch of the last two new models, Volkswagen has struggled with supply. With the Eos, the initial stock was sold out almost instantly and wait times for new orders jumped to 10 months from 4 months once the cars were here and there was a spike in new orders. Although we're a strong niche brand, we're not the Ferrari's of the world where people expect that as the minimum wait time. The same has happened with the Tiguan. It's sold out across Europe and we're just about sold out here in Australia too and that's before one has even left the showroom! As soon as we have these cars to test drive, the orders are going to shoot through the roof but supply will remain the same and hence long wait times. So from one point of view I guess on a logistics level it makes sense to hold on to the launch. Don't forget, we weren't aniticipating these cars being ready for delivery until the end of the year when they were first announced. I know its frustrating knowing the car is but a whisker away and you can't have it but surely just as I have with my customers you were told to expect delivery late in 2008??
Its harsh to suggest logistics come into it but its potentially a reason.
Another would be marketing. Consider the competition the R36 has and when it would suit being added to the model lineup. Another reason could be final ADR checks. The R50's all HAVE to come via Sydney but no one has told me any other reason than that there's something that can only be done there. Maybe there hasn't been a final ruling from Aust. standards as to what compliance issues are facing the R36. Perhaps it's a case of wanting to have a unified

I guess from my point of view its strictly a beaurocracy thing more than a potential problem with the car. The factory wouldn't be releasing cars from the factory if there was a problem with them.

Be excited...those of youwith R36's are going to have a sensational car. It's just a matter of time

[Northy]

my issue is that yes it was originaly Sept release, then i was told july and now mid june...I have sold my car to make one for a new one and if its now going to be to sept im not going to be impressed one bit. If the dealers had no ****ing idea they should have said so, not just string us along....

[Steve]

Volkswagen themselves are telling us it's due in June - just look at their website!

[R36 Dreamer]

my issue is that yes it was originaly Sept release, then i was told july and now mid june...I have sold my car to make one for a new one and if its now going to be to sept im not going to be impressed one bit. If the dealers had no ****ing idea they should have said so, not just string us along....

Northy, I dont know what is going on either, lots of different version of events.

What i do know is that my dealer has promised delivery by 20th June. If car is not delivered by then, they have given me an undertaking in writing that they will supply me with a loan car until delivery.

They must be pretty certain that the car is not being delayed until October, as I am pretty sure they wont want me fanging their car until then.....

[OPVW]

my issue is that yes it was originaly Sept release, then i was told july and now mid june...I have sold my car to make one for a new one and if its now going to be to sept im not going to be impressed one bit. If the dealers had no ****ing idea they should have said so, not just string us along....

You're absolutely right.
My guess is that your dealer was keeping tabs on your car to be able to give you updates. It showed up on this system as arriving MUCH sooner than they anticipated and assumed it meant the launch was being brought forward. I've never heard a confirmed date but sometime in September seems likely. Lets all hope it's sooner.