Nostalgic Styling Take on 2015 Volkswagen Transporter

Even though the current day Volkswagen Transporter is a descendant of the famous Beetle-derived Type 2 vans, it has never managed to enjoy the same level of popularity among enthusiasts as its predecessors did. One of the reasons why the past two generations of the Transporter (T4 and T5) never caught on as much as VW would have liked, could be that their styling is completely forgettable.

Eduardo Oliveira, a Brazilian designer who you may remember from the 2012 New Beetle study, has come up with a retro styled proposal to fix this issue for the Transporter's successor. Presented here in a variety of models, the conceptual Transporter is inspired by the famous T1 and T2 VW vans. Granted, the renderings need some polishing up but the idea is there. Hit the break for the full photo gallery.

Source / Designer: Eduardo Oliveira

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Volkswagen Launches Rough n' Tough Transporter Rockton 4MOTION

Meet the new Transporter Rockton, the latest member of Volkswagen's extended family of full size vans. As implied by its name and looks, the Rockton is a tougher version of the standard Transporter with increased off-road ability. It is based on the recently facelifted Kombi variant and comes equipped with a Haldex-based four-wheel drive system with a differential lock on the rear axle as standard.

To improve its off-road prowess, Volkswagen's engineers added a reinforced suspension and damping while also increasing the ride height by 30 millimeters. And that's about it for the standard version. However, VW also offers buyers two more options, the Expedition and Protective packages.

The Expedition option adds 16-inch all-terrain tires on reinforced steel rims and a different transmission which the company claims " provides greater pulling power in off-road operation", plus individually sliding and removable seats trimmed in a special fabric inside.

Those that plan to take full advantage of the Rockton off the road, might want to add the Protective Package, which includes underbody protection plates for the engine and transmission, fuel tank, side sills, rear axle and exhaust system. A multi-function container with a desk and a mesh partition for the passenger space is also available.

The Transporter Rockton is offered with a 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine in a choice of two outputs, with 140HP or 180HP. According to VW, in Germany, prices for the standard model start from € 34,545 (plus VAT) and for the "Expedition" from €42,490 (net).

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VW Transporter gets the Low / High Rider Treatment

German tuning firm MR Car Design has released some new goodies for the European market [pre-facelift] VW Transporter. Available mods include an electronically adjustable air suspension kit that allows the driver to raise the van's ride height by as much as 90mm or lower it by 70mm over the standard model. For safety reasons, the ground clearance is automatically adjusted above certain speeds. The suspension kit is priced at €2,500 or about US$3,170.

The tuner also offers a custom-made sport exhaust system for €950 / US$1,204, 20-inch lightweight alloy wheels complete with beefy 275/35 performance tires for €2,150 / US$2,726 per wheel / tire set, and an ECU upgrade boosting the engine's (no word about which powerplant) output to 200-horsepower for €599 / US$760.