iDriveSoCal

Volkswagen Drive Bigger

You’ve seen the Volkswagen Drive Bigger commercials.   And perhaps you’ve even thought – ah, cool concept.

But check this out.  Volkswagen of America is donating money to public schools.  And YOU can make sure your kid’s class gets some!  No kidding, no strings attached and no games!

“The average public school teacher across the country dips into their own personal pocket to the tune of $450 annually to fund supplies for various school projects. That’s crazy!”

In fact, my friend Randy Halcomb from Ontario VW filled me in on something even cooler.  Your kid’s teacher can go online to set-up the funding request and then you can go fund it for free!

Hear all the details in my podcast interview with Randy or continue reading below.  Either way, go to Ontario Volkswagen ASAP to get the money where you want it to go!

Tom: Welcome to iDriveSoCal, the podcast all about mobility from the automotive capital of the United States, Southern California. Tom Smith here, and I’m at Ontario Volkswagen today with my good friend Randy Halcomb.

We’re talking about the Volkswagen Drive Bigger Event, which ties into the Volkswagen commercial that you probably saw. I want to give Randy a chance to just say hello real quick.

This topic has me fired up a little bit because it’s all about our schools, our public schools, and Volkswagen’s diving in to fund our public schools. But say hello real quick Randy, and then I’m going to rattle off some stuff here.

Randy: Tom, always a pleasure to be here.

Tom: Thank you. The Drive Bigger Event is Volkswagen’s way of really diving in to help our public schools. I don’t know if you’re like me, but I know teachers of public schools.

I’ve always heard that obviously, they’re always working on contracts, they’re always trying to get paid themselves. But what’s outrageous, and this – a statistic. This is outrageous.

At Ontario Volkswagen Donating To Your Kid’s Classroom is FREE!

The average public school teacher across the country dips into their own personal pocket to the tune of $450 annually to fund supplies for various school projects. That’s crazy!

Randy: I think that number is probably low.

Tom: I think it’s low too. That’s an average. That’s what we know. Right? That’s what’s reported. Certainly, the reporting is probably inaccurate.

The Drive Bigger Event is technically Volkswagen of America is partnering up with their local dealers, Ontario Volkswagen, and providing funds for our public schools.

They’re doing it in such a way that my friends that are teachers, your friends that are teachers, Randy’s friends that are teachers, can tell their friends to go into Ontario Volkswagen and help direct where that money goes.

Randy: That is correct, Tom. It’s pretty neat, and I think one of the things that Volkswagen’s trying to do here is really to give back to the community doing more than just selling vehicles, and helping out, and making a difference in our communities, and on our planet.

Tom: But this is a partnership with an organization called DonorsChoose.

Randy:  Yes, they’re the education part of this that ties the donations going to the education teachers’ projects.

It allows any teachers to upload their project, or what they need funding for, versus it coming out of their own pocket. People can go on there and donate to specific classes.

In this particular case, you’re able to come down, we supply you with a donor’s card, and you’re able to apply that to whichever classroom project or school you wish.

Tom: DonorsChoose, it’s basically like a platform, kind of like GoFundMe. Right?

Randy: Correct. That’s exactly what it is, but for education.

Tom: I wonder if GoFundMe didn’t pull their idea from DonorsChoose?  Because DonorsChoose was started by a teacher in the Bronx, apparently in 2000.  So basically DonorsChoose, and Volkswagen of America have partnered up. You as a teacher can go and post your project that needs funding on DonorsChoose.

Randy: That’s correct.

Tom: Then you as a teacher can tell your friends to go into Ontario Volkswagen and request a donation card. This doesn’t cost anything out of the customer’s pocket.

Randy: Just the time to swing on by and pick one up.

Tom: Right. So you could give me a donation card right now if I knew what I was wanting to apply it to.

Randy: Correct.

Tom: These donation cards, the denomination is?

Randy: They’re $20, and we’ve got quite a few of them here to hand out.

So if you’ve got two, three different parents, one per family, or whatever, but you can have aunts, uncles, different people of your family come on in and ask for a donation card, and donate to that project or classroom.

Tom: Okay. We have these $20 donation cards. They cost me nothing.

I come into Ontario Volkswagen. And, I say I heard about the program. I ask you, Randy, or Shant Bashian, or anybody else here at Ontario Volkswagen, “Hey, I want it. I want to get a donation card,” and then what happens?

They can open up the envelope, and we’ll walk them over to the computer, and we’ll walk them through the steps on logging into the DonorsChoose.org, and selecting the project or classroom of their choice.

Tom: Cost me nothing. Right?

Randy: Cost you nothing.

Go to Ontario VW and pick up a card like this.

Tom: No hidden car games in here.

Randy: No. You don’t have to-

Tom: No hanky-panky of any sort?

Randy: No.

Tom: This is literally just-

Randy: About giving back.

Tom: Giving back. Volkswagen’s putting up this money. Ontario Volkswagen’s partnering on it.

VW Drive Bigger Event with DonorsChoose

DonorsChoose is the platform, and all we have to do, ladies and gentlemen, is come into Ontario Volkswagen, ask for a donation card and direct the money.

Randy: Yes, and here’s something I just thought about Tom. Let’s say that you’ve got a grandchild on the East Coast, and you want to donate it to their school, and they go to school in Florida. You’re still able to come in here, get that donation card, and still donate to your grandchild there in Florida.

Tom: That’s a beautiful thing. We’re giving the money, but then also at the same time it’s open currently and all the time to any teachers that want to go onto DonorsChoose and say, “Hey, I need money for this particular project.”

Randy: Correct.

Tom: So right now somebody listening as a teacher can log on.

Randy: I would highly recommend them to do that because they never know who might donate, or come into the dealership to donate to their school. So I would definitely say if I was a teacher, to put whatever I can up on DonorsChoose because people you may or may not know might end up donating to your classroom.

Tom: “Hey, I’m a teacher. I want to get something funded,” or “Hey, I am a parent. I am an aunt and uncle, a grandparent, that wants to get something funded as well for my kids going to school.” It’s a win-win all the way around.

That the thing why I point out there’s no hanky-panky. There are no games. Right?

Randy: There’s none.

Tom: Because usually, you go to a car dealership, it’s like, “All right. All right. How much money is this going to cost me?”

Randy: Yeah. Yeah.

Tom: But in this case, you guys are giving the ability to give money away.

Randy: That’s exactly what it is. It’s their thought of, as all these kids getting ready to go back to school, of helping these teachers.  We want to make sure that we do the best we can to take care of them.

Go to Ontario VW and Support Your Kid’s Education!

Tom: It’s a really good thing. Now, the program is going through the end of September.

Randy: Yes, I believe which is like Labor Day.

Tom: So anybody can come into Ontario Volkswagen, ask for a donation card, and submit the donation. Now, I understand as well if they don’t have time to do it at the dealership, they could actually take the donation card home and do it as well. Right?

Randy: Correct.

Tom: Again, Volkswagen of America, Ontario Volkswagen, and DonorsChoose. It’s just a fantastic opportunity for teachers to get assistance, for our schools to get assistance, and hey, let’s get real. It’s all about our own families. Right?

So it’s a great opportunity to support our kids’ education ultimately. It’s the Drive Bigger Event. If you’ve seen the television commercials, it ties in obviously to the great television commercials that Volkswagen has recently put out where they show the waterfall, and it’s like, “Oh, that’s big.” But then they show somebody turning off the leaky faucet.

Randy: Leaky faucet because of that a bigger issue of how much wastefulness.

“It’s just a fantastic opportunity for teachers to get assistance, for our schools to get assistance, and hey, let’s get real. It’s all about our own families. “

Tom: I love the one where they show a weight lifter lifting the heavyweight, and then they say, “That’s big.” Then somebody running up a flight of stairs, and helping a mom with a stroller come down the stairs and, “Oh, that’s bigger.” Like that sure is bigger for sure.

Randy: It’s a great campaign. We’re super excited about it, and we love doing things for our community.

Tom: It’s the Drive Bigger Event. Volkswagen of America, DonorsChoose, and Ontario Volkswagen. Come on into Ontario Volkswagen before the end of September to direct the funds as you would like to see them directed, which is just so cool.

Volkswagen’s Drive Bigger Event is easy, free and supports your family!

Randy: Yeah, and a couple of other ways they can share it is by going onto our social media, any of our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and they can share it right from there.

Tom: Well, we’ll repost it on iDriveSoCal as well. My friend Randy Halcomb. Thank you so much as always. Love you guys here at Ontario Volkswagen. For iDriveSoCal, I am Tom Smith.  Thank you so much for tuning in!

The Latest Volkswagen News HERE.

2019 VW Beetle Convertible Review

With this 2019 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible Review, we come to the end of the line for an icon.

Indeed, the final VW Beetle has rolled off the assembly line.  That is to say, the Bug is finito, no mas, nicht mehr – the last one means ‘no more’ in German. ;0)

As accurately predicted in our history of the Volkswagen Beetle podcast, the Bug’s end came in July of 2019.  But this 2019 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible Review is a celebration of life!

Because I recently picked one up from my friends at Ontario Volkswagen for a day-long evaluation.  As a result, I can say with certainty that VW did this Bug right!

You can continue reading my 2019 Volkswagen Beetle Review or click play below to listen to the podcast.  Either way, check out the many pictures of this retiring icon.

And consider if the Beetle ought to be in your future.  Either as a daily driver or to hold onto as an investment.  (Not a bad idea if you can afford it.  Because these last Bugs will increase in value for certain.)

BEST Volkswagen PRICES HERE

The 2019 VW Beetle Convertible comes in 4-different trim configurations.  Each is listed below with its starting manufacturers suggested retail pricing:

As a point of reference, MSRPs are provided in our reviews.

However, there are two reasons you shouldn’t get overly concerned about the 2019 VW Beetle Convertible MSRPs.

You know what car this is just by the steering wheel!

First, you need to get your Volkswagen Beetle Convertible configured to your liking.

Meaning, whatever features you add or subtract will impact the final price of your Beetle.

Ontario VW – Your SoCal Volkswagen Dealer

More importantly, you should simply go see my friends at Ontario Volkswagen.  Because the team at Ontario VW gives you more than just the best deal on the Volkswagen you want.  They’re completely transparent.  So, no games or nonsense that always comes with car buying.

And, tell Randy Tom from iDriveSoCal sent you!

All 2019 Volkswagen Beetle trim configurations come standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine delivering 174-horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.

And having driven it I can state for certain that delivers surprising power and performs very well.

Optional VW wheels can really dance-up your Beetle

Additionally, each of the trims come with a 6-speed automatic with Tiptronic that also offers a fun to drive Sport mode.

And this too adds a surprising performance element to the Beetle Convertible.

Center console w/ Tiptronic

Moreover, no matter which 2019 VW Beetle configuration you choose, you’ll be getting great gas mileage.

For example, all 2019 Beetle Convertibles are rated for 26-MPG in the city and 33-MPG on the highway.

Turbocharged Beetle!

As a result of the 2019 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible being… well, let’s get real.  It’s a Beetle Convertible!

And I’d make a pretty big bet that it’s the most recognized car in the world.  Meaning around the entire planet, more people know what kind of car the VW Beetle is just by looking at it.  More than any other car in the world.

And that factors in both people who know cars and people who really don’t.

And good looking with the top-up.

Of course, this last generation of the Beetle has gotten bigger overall.  For example, it’s longer and it’s wider.  But it’s still 100% a Volkswagen BeetleConvertible!

With unmistakeable swooping fenders.  Plus a front end that seems to always be in a great mood.

Hi, I’m Beetle. And I’m happy!

And a rear-end that has an air of ‘yes-yes we’re going’ but ‘life’s too short so let’s have fun getting there.’

Do-do-do… going somewhere fun.

The 2019 VW Beetle Convertible does have daytime LED running lights.

But if you look at Beetles of the past, the 2019 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible looks pretty darn similar.

I’m sexy and I know it!

Finally, on the exterior of the 2019 VW Beetle Convertible, it looks good!  In fact, it looks especially good – if not best with the top down.  Wouldn’t you agree?

For a convertible, the 2019 Beetle is very quiet.  And that’s a great relief for anyone who wants the option for both top-down fun in the sun and top-up tranquility.

I really love the dashboard infused with vintage styling and accents.  For instance, the exposed red-painted metal areas of the dash are cool and give it that old-school feel.

Old meets new – and it’s super-cool!

Plus Volkswagen tinkered with the instrument cluster and gauges in such a way that gives the Beetle Convertible a retro yet contemporary look.

New technology with a throwback feel.

And you have some fancy accents like available diamond-stitched leather seats.  Also, Volkswagen’s cool interior ambient lighting.

Two adults are very comfortable in the front.  And then you have that backseat.  Suffice it to say that it’s a VW Beetle backseat.  It’s… useful. :0)

Ready to cruise Cali!

However, that’s the coolest place to sit when riding with the top down!

7.1 cubic-feet of cargo space

Finally, regarding the inside, the 2019 VW Beetle Convertible gives you 7.1 cubic-feet of cargo space.  Which is actually impressive when you consider the fact that it’s a Beetle and a convertible.

The technology in the 2019 VW Beetle Convertible is a far cry from its predecessor in the ’60s.

It almost looks fast in red!

For example, the super-smooth operating one-touch button that takes the windows and the top down, and back up!  I mean the functionality was impressive.

Just one touch and the windows roll down.  And the top unlocks from the windshield and automatically folds back.  Brilliant!

Lots of available tech

Furthermore, VW also offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.  Plus you can opt for the awesome upgrade of a Fender premium sound system.

And the 2019 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible even includes driver assistance safety tech penetrating more and more cars these days.

For example:

Don’t forget to reach out to my friend Randy Halcomb at Ontario Volkswagen.  He’s always happy to hear from iDriveSoCal readers/listeners.

And, tell Randy Tom from iDriveSoCal sent you!

Ontario Volkswagen is in the Los Angeles suburb of Ontario, California and at OntarioVW.com.

The Latest Volkswagen News HERE.

If you’re fascinated by history, the Greatest Generation, World War II, and aviation, there’s a good chance you’re already aware of the Lyon Air Museum – Greatest Generation Tribute.  If you don’t know or haven’t yet visited the Lyon Air Museum, add it to your to-do list immediately.

Nestled away in a Santa Ana industrial park, directly on the tarmac of John Wayne Airport, the Lyon Air Museum features airworthy craft documenting many facets of World War II. Not only an aircraft at the museum, but Lyon also showcases various ground vehicles as well – including a parade vehicle that Adolf Hitler rode in.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the Lyon Air Museum is that members of the Greatest Generation themselves – World War II veterans – volunteer as docents, bringing this truly incredible venue to life nearly every day.

Click play to listen below as Mark Foster, Lyon Air Museum CEO, shares more fascinating details in this iDSC podcast. And be sure to check out the amazing photo gallery too.

***Transcript***

Recorded July 31, 2018, in Santa Ana, CA

Mark: We’re the Greatest Generation in an aviation museum, so we focus primarily on World War II veterans and aviation. We’ve got famous airplanes, the rare flyable World War II type airplanes. We’ve got the military vehicles, motorcycles… we even have a very historical car that was originally owned by the evil dictator, Adolph Hitler.

Tom: Welcome to iDriveSoCal, the podcast all about mobility, from the automotive capital of the United States, Southern California. Tom Smith here, and I am in … Where are we technically? Costa Mesa, right?

Mark: We’re Santa Ana, which is really Newport Beach, Irvine, Costa Mesa. It’s all kind of around the corner, and it’s at John Wayne Airport. That’s the thing, we’re not near John Wayne, we’re at John Wayne Airport.

Tom: That is Mark Foster, who is the, what’s your exact title?

Mark: Whatever you want to call me, but President, CEO.

Tom: Okay. President, CEO of the Lyon Air Museum.

Mark: Correct.

Tom: Right down here, literally, I’m looking at Alaska Airlines getting ready, it’s taxiing down the runway right now. Mark, thank you very much for having me and the iDriveSoCal podcast. Again, all about mobility, from the automotive capital of the United States. A big piece of mobility is air travel.

The Lyon Air Museum.

Tom: You have a couple of things going on in the museum currently, but I recently learned about you guys. I guess you’ve been around since ’09, and I recently learned about you guys on KTLA. Saw a quick piece and said, “Hey, I really want to go down there and have a chat,” because you guys do some really, really cool stuff down here.

So, with that strange, kind of totally non-traditional introduction, Mark Foster of the Lyon’s Air Museum, literally right on John Wayne Airport watching planes taxi as we do this interview. Thank you for joining me.

Mark: Oh, it’s great to have you. Thanks, Tom.

Tom: So, high-level. What do you guys do here?

“We’re the Greatest Generation in aviation museum.”

Mark: Well, we’re an aviation museum, and we’re the Greatest Generation in an aviation museum, so we focus primarily on World War II veterans and aviation.

Tom: Okay. For those that don’t, and I think there’s a whole lot of people that aren’t aware of the opportunity to come and check out what you guys have here, but your museum, again, you’re right on the John Wayne Airport tarmac, you can come and see what?

Lyon Air Museum shares John Wayne Airport tarmac.

“The airplanes that are in the hangar here, all of them are airworthy.”

Mark: Yeah. Well, we’ve got the World War II airplanes. We really start with pre-World War II aviation history. We’ve got pre-World War II, like a DC-3 American Airlines type aircraft that’s kind of a late ’30s design, and then we go all the way up through aircraft that would have been used in the Vietnam air war. We don’t have a lot of airplanes, but we have quality. The airplanes that are in the hangar here, all of them are airworthy, and we fly kind of rotationally, but we fly a few of them at any given time.

Tom: That’s the thing. So you know, podcast listener, thank you for listening, the museum is literally a hangar, and right now we’re doing this podcast in July, late July, and the hangar’s quite hot.

Mark: Yeah.

Tom: But all of the aircraft are, as Mark pointed out, airworthy. They have their fluids in them, and I’m sure there’s plenty of planning that needs to go into it before they head out to take a flight, but that’s entirely possible that the hangar doors can open and away you go. Right?

Mark: Yes, correct. Any given time there’s maintenance going on. We have one of them that the propellers are off, and the propellers are in a propeller shop for a regular inspection they have to have, but there’s a couple of airplanes down there that we could, literally, just end the interview, walk down there and open the doors and roll them out, they’re ready to go.

Lyon Air Museum Bikes & Bombers Winner takes Flight.

Tom: A lot of these aircraft are, as you point out, Greatest Generation World War II, so if you watched the HBO series Band of Brothers, a lot of the aircraft that you see there are represented right down here, and airworthy and beautiful and well maintained.

Tom: Mark, please tell me about how the Lyon Museum came about.

Mark: Well, General William Lyon, our founder, saw a need to share these stories with the local community, and particular the school kids. He had a big passion for aviation, with his background dating all the way back to World War II, and he was now flying vintage airplanes in modern times and thought, “I need to really share these with people,” so he was able to secure a lease for space here at John Wayne Airport and build a hangar and establish the Lyon Air Museum.

General William Lyon.

Tom: So it was really his passion for preserving the story of the Greatest Generation?

Mark:  That’s exactly, the best I’ve heard. You said that so well, Tom.

Tom: Thank you.

Mark: I think that’s actually our slogan.

Tom: If not, work on that.

Mark:  Yeah, there you go.

Tom: General Lyon entered the military before the Air Force was, and it was the Army Air Corps. That was pre-World War II?

Mark:  No. Well, it was during the war.

Tom: It was during the war?

“General Lyon started off as a civilian flight instructor training military pilots.”

Mark: General Lyon started off as a civilian flight instructor training military pilots.

Tom: So he was a pilot himself before he started-

General Lyon.

Mark: Exactly.

Tom: … in the military.

Mark: And then he started doing some work with the Ferry Command. They were delivering airplanes for the military all over the country and all over the world.

Tom: So, literally, he was a pilot that was bringing aircraft that would be used in the war …

Mark: Correct.

Tom: … in combat. He was bringing those planes from wherever they were being manufactured in the States to where they needed to be.

Mark: Yeah. That’s how he got into the Army, basically, just becoming a Service Pilot, they called them back then. It wasn’t really a commissioned officer, it was a Service Pilot, which is something that really bothered him for many years until he got his actual Air Force wings post-World War II.

Tom: Okay. The museum didn’t become until … Your first year in operation was ’09. Right?

Mark: Yeah. We opened officially in ’09.

Tom: So, General Lyon, once he got out of the military, he was in the homebuilding business.

Mark: Correct, yeah.

Tom: So some of us in Southern California would recognize the name of some of the neighborhoods that he developed. Yes?

Mark: Yeah. William Lyon Homes, yeah.

Tom: Okay. Now, you mentioned what the museum has to do with the local schools. Let’s talk a little bit about that.

School Tour at Lyon Air Museum.

“We have about 60-something classes coming through the museum each year.”

Mark: Lyon Air Museum is part of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District sixth grade curriculum, so we have about 60-something classes coming through the museum each year. We get new students every year. It’s great. And we have World War II veterans and some other of our docents who work with the students. They’re basically broken up into four sectors throughout the museum, and the students go from sector to sector, and they get to hear the stories of the Greatest Generation from the people who lived it.

Tom: From the veterans themselves.

Mark: Yeah. It’s just a fabulous program. The teachers love it. The school administration, the district loves it. I think we’re in our about the eighth year now doing it, so it’s been [crosstalk 00:07:40].

Tom: Do the kids understand it at that age?

Mark: You know, they do, and I wasn’t sure about that at first. I thought, “Boy, you know, sixth grade, is that really the right time?” That’s what the school had suggested, and we thought maybe it should have been later. We weren’t sure. We had these little history, these little, we call them hero cards. They’re like baseball cards, but they’re for some of the veterans that we have, and we get them, they’re Lyon Air Museum. They’re like collector cards.

Mark: Some of them were passing those out to the students the first time, the first year we were doing this. The students have a free period, after they’ve gone to all four sectors they get this 20 minute roaming period, and I figured all the kids would go huddle in a corner somewhere and just hang out with each other. Well, the kids came back and they stood in line for the veteran who had given them their card to get their autographs on the cards.

Tom: That’s cool.

Mark: When they were walking out they were looking down at the cards, like, “Wow. I’ve got something that’s a treasure in my hand,” as they were walking out to get back on the bus. I witnessed that, and I go, “No, we’ve got something here.” It is impactful. It does make a difference.

“If you’re a World War II buff, it’s an awesome museum. Or if you just like to go see things that fly.”

Tom: Now, tell me a little bit about what you guys have out here, because for really anybody if you’re a history buff, it’s an awesome museum. If you’re an aviation buff, it’s an awesome museum. If you’re a World War II buff, it’s an awesome museum. Or if you just like to go see things that fly. What do you guys have out here consistently? And then, I know you have a exhibit that’s temporary.

Inside Lyon Air Museum.

Mark: Yeah. Well, we definitely check all those boxes that you mentioned, everything from we have the little kids standing up on these platforms we have out there so they can look out the window. Our hangar doors are big glass windows, and there’s like 260 windows, I think, and they look out onto the taxiway and the runway, so they can see the airliners taking off and landing. Some kids just like to do that. That’s always happening here, every day, which is really neat to see airports [crosstalk 00:09:36].

Tom: So they just come to get a great view of John Wayne …

“We’ve got the famous airplanes, the rare flyable World War II type airplanes. We’ve got the military vehicles, motorcycles and so forth.”

Mark: It’s the activity. Best seat in the house. And then we’ve got the famous airplanes, the rare flyable World War II type airplanes. We’ve got the military vehicles, motorcycles and so forth. We even have a very historical car that was originally owned by the evil dictator, Adolph Hitler, and it’s an authentic World War II Mercedes parade car that’s on display here.

Lyon Air Museum shares John Wayne Airport tarmac.

Mark: You had mentioned just people who like airplanes, just the technology. That’s what originally attracted me to airplanes. It wasn’t the history initially, it was just the high performance. These airplanes were really high performing airplanes for back then, and that’s what drew me to it. And then, once I learned about the history, that’s where really my passion went.

Tom: A little bit about the models. For those that know, let’s just breeze over some of the models that you have out here.

Mark: Well, we start off with the pre-World War II, the famous DC-3 airliner. We have an American Airlines DC-3 in here, which coincidentally was converted from a cargo airplane after World War II, and it’s a D-Day veteran airplane, so it’s actually a pretty famous airplane. And then, we got the cargo-

DC-3 Flagship a the Orange County Lyon Air Museum.

Tom: It actually flew troops on D-Day.

Mark: Yes. On D-Day. Yep.

Tom: Men jumped out of-

Mark: On June 6th.

Tom: Greatest Generation men jumped out of that plane …

Mark: June 6, 1944.

Tom: … on D-Day.

Mark: Yeah.

Tom: That is a significant piece of history.

Mark: Yeah. It was with the 440th Troop Carrier Group. They were based out of Exeter in England and took off on the evening of D-Day, so it was actually about 11:00 at night on June 5th, flew across the English Channel, and they were dropping 101st Airborne troops into drop zone Delta in France in the early morning of June 6, 1944, out of that airplane.

Tom: And 101st is, literally, the Band of Brothers, all about the 101st. Right?

“These airplanes, they don’t just sit in the hangar. They get out and do some flying as well.”

Mark: Yeah, there you go. And you mentioned Band of Brothers because we also have the sister ship to that airplane, which is configured as a C-47. It’s a B model, and it was built in 1944, and it’s got the invasion stripes. I mean, it’s painted up just like it would have been back then. That airplane we use and fly out to the local airshows. We’ll be at the Huntington Beach Air Show now, which I think is called the Great Pacific Air Show this year. It’ll be one of the star attractions during that airshow. Hundreds of thousands of people see that flying as it goes up and down the beach there, and over the pier and all that. So these airplanes, they don’t just sit in the hangar. They get out and do some flying as well.

C-47 Skytrain Lyon Air Museum.

“That’s what they used to do the bombing missions over Germany.”

Mark: Some of the other model we have, probably the most significant or famous would be the b- Flying Fortress, which is a four-engine World War II bomber, and that’s what they used to do the bombing missions over Germany. There’s only about a dozen of those left flying in the world-

Tom: Wow.

Mark: This is one of them. We don’t fly it very often right now, but it’s considered an airworthy B-17 and there’s only about 12 of them left flying.

B-17 Flying Fortress, Fuddy Duddy at The Lyon Air Museum.

Mark: Then we’ve got a B-25 Mitchell bomber. That was a famous airplane that was the type of airplane used in the Dolittle raids, if you ever heard of the Dolittle Raiders. That’s where the 16 B-25s took off of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet and flew to Japan and bombed Tokyo when the Japanese never thought that we could ever get to them.

Tom: Right.

Mark: Jimmy Dolittle led that raid. It was kind of a one-way mission type of raid. There have been movies about it and so forth. 30 Seconds Over Tokyo was a famous movie a long time ago, and then as of lately, Disney did one in the early 2000s that was like a Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett-

Tom: Oh, sure.

Mark: It was a thing called Pearl Harbor. There was a section of that where Alec Baldwin plays Jimmy Dolittle, and they fly the B-25s on that mission as part of the storyline. So you get to see that type of airplane in person here.

Mark: Then, we’ve got some other … We’ve got a forward air controller airplane that represents the Vietnam air war. They used them during the Korean and Vietnam air war. We’ve got the A-26 Invader, which is a really neat airplane because that’s the type of airplane that flew in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, so they take it across three generations of flyers, basically.

Lyon Air Museum A-26 Invader.

“It had 2,000 horsepower per engine, and it’s got two engines on it.”

Mark: And it happens to be the most powerful of the airplanes in the hangar if you go by per-engine horsepower. It had 2,000 horsepower per engine, and it’s got two engines on it, so it’s a pretty amazing high-speed type airplane. So, the stuff’s not old. It still competes. It won’t compete with a modern jet, but it’ll definitely compete with the modern prop planes. They’re pretty amazing airplanes, given the time.

Tom: You mentioned the Hitler parade car that he literally stood in and waved to people. What are some of the other World War II-era vehicles that you have that don’t fly?

Mark: Yeah, and the vehicles don’t fly. Not far, anyway. But yeah, we’ve got the Army Jeeps, which are classics. Right?

Tom: Right.

Mark: We have the old Willys Jeep and all that. We’ve got two of those out there, and we’ve got a big Dodge command truck out there. We’ve got motorcycles. We have some interesting motorcycles. We have a really rare, it was kind of the, I might mispronounce it, but a Rikuo, which is a Japanese motorcycle that was basically modeled after the Harley Davidson.

Kind of an interesting story where Harley Davidson had worked out a deal with the Japanese prior to World War II, and they were building Harleys over there under license, basically, the Japanese were, with Harley. And then, obviously, as tensions began to build, they left, and the Japanese continued to build these motorcycles and the Rikuo, which I think means like road king in Japanese or something. So we have one of those out there. Some of the motorcycles are functional as well.

Bikes Bombers at The Lyon Air Museum.

Tom: Now, let’s talk a little bit about the exhibit that you have right now, the Dan Gurney cars.

Mercedes-Benz at Lyon Air Museum.

Mark: Yes. We have, it’s Vintage Motor Racing, and we’re doing a special tribute to Dan Gurney. This is the year that we lost Dan Gurney, in January, and it was a big, big loss for everybody, and we wanted to, through the Vintage Motor Racing, show a little bit, pay homage to Dan Gurney.

We have on display here nine vintage motor racing cars, three of which are Dan Gurney-related. We have two Dan Gurney Eagles here, the Gurney Eagle, and then we have his Sebring Cobra, which is not the original Sebring Cobra that he raced in 1963, but it’s a highly accurate replication of the one, and it was his personal car until his passing.

Car Exhibit at Lyon Air Museum.

Tom: How long is that exhibit here for?

Mark: It’s going to run through Labor Day, so through September, what is that? September 3rd. So you want to get here and see it. You know, the neat thing about our display, to see the cars among the airplanes is really neat, just, it’s great for photo ops and so forth. And the car exhibit is included with the admission of coming to see the air museum, so if you’re going to come see the air museum, you might as well come while the cars are here.

Tom: That’s where I was getting to next. If you want to come to the Lyon Air Museum, obviously, head down towards John Wayne Airport, which we are right on there, but you definitely want to hit the navigation because you’re not going to stumble across it unless you intend to arrive here.

1933 Duesenberg at the Lyon Air Museum.

Mark: Yeah. It’s easy to find if you know where we are. Basically, on Baker Street, if you’re heading east toward John Wayne Airport, Baker Street dead-ends into our parking lot. It turns into another street called Ike Jones Road, but if you just keep going straight and follow the windy road, it ultimately ends up dead-end into our parking lot. It’s pretty hard to miss as long as you get on Baker and head east and keep going.

Tom: You guys are pretty accommodating in that you’re open most days of the year. Right?

Mark: We’re open seven days a week, every day except for Christmas and Thanksgiving Day, and occasionally a special event if we have to close down, but that’s very seldom. We’re open 10:00 to 4:00 daily.

Tom: Okay. And admission’s reasonable. What’s admission, real quick?

2017 Lyon Air Museum Bikes & Bombers Winner.

Mark: Yeah. I think basic admission is $12, and we’ve got some discounts for veterans and seniors, and that takes it down to $9, and we’ve got some group discounts, 10 or more people show up, I think it’s a dollar off per admission. Then kids are $6 and under five’s free.

Tom: Okay. Do you want to drop the website in?

Mark: Yeah. It’s just LyonAirMuseum.org.

Tom: LyonAirMuseum.org.

Steve McQueen’ s Panther at Lyon Air Museum.

Mark: And all those people who follow on Instagram and Facebook and all that, it’s also it’s just Lyon Air Museum, and Lyon is L-Y-O-N Air Museum, and there’s no S.

Tom: No S.

Mark: Yeah.

Mark: It’s kind of like those fingernails on the chalkboard, and we’re always like, “No, it’s no Lyons,” because so many people say Lyons Air Museum. But no, it’s Lyon. Our founder’s name is General William Lyon, which is interesting because there’s a big guy with Jaguar, which is, it’s a vintage car that we’ve displayed before, and the designer of the XK120 was a William Lyons, so that was really confusing while we had the Jags on display here.

Tom: All right. All kinds of fingers on the chalkboard for you.

Vintage Indian Motorcycle at Lyon Air Museum.

Mark: Yeah, yeah. Exactly.

Tom: All right. Well, Mark Foster, President, General Manager, CEO of the Lyon Air Museum, thank you so much for having me, and for iDriveSoCal, I’m Tom Smith. Thanks very much, as always, for listening.

Air Force One draws attention everywhere it goes, even the retired version at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.

And nearly a half-million visitors a year tour the world’s most iconic aircraft.  Well, one of them anyway.

Continue reading below or listen to the podcast during my private tour of Air Force One!

***Transcript***

Recorded February 12, 2018

John: It technically flew seven different presidents. President Reagan put the most mileage on it.

I don’t know what the exact number of that mileage is, but he definitely flew a great deal on this plane much more so than any other president. This was the aircraft that took him to Germany for the famous “tear down this wall” speech.

Anything that was classified or I guess you’d call “secret” that was all removed prior to our obtaining the aircraft. There are no escape pods. Additionally, there are no hidden guns or bombs or anything else that can be released from the aircraft, so there’s nothing like that and a lot of that are the fantasies in Hollywood that they portray in movies.

Tom Smith: Welcome to iDriveSoCal, the podcast all about mobility from the automotive capital of these fine United States – Southern California. I’m Tom Smith, and in honor of President’s Day, we are sitting underneath Air Force One at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

John: Correct.

Tom: Okay. And that is John Lehne who’s the building facilities manager here for the Ronald Reagan Foundation, which runs the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

John: Correct. We are part of the library… the foundation actually supports the library. It is actually run by the government, National Archives Administration. The Air Force One pavilion, which we are sitting in right now with the Air Force One plane, is operated by the foundation. So this is a little unique part of the library.

Tom: So there you have it for the specifics. But what the exciting part is, literally I’m looking up at the belly of Air Force One and it’s a pretty cool thing. We got some really neat pictures. John was nice enough to walk me through the plane, little private tour, got a couple of pictures. I wasn’t able to sit in President Ronald Reagan’s office chair, but I did sit at the conference table and that was pretty darn neat. So, John, thank you so much for that.

Tom Smith sits at Conference table aboard Air Force One.

John: You’re very welcome.

Air Force One at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Tom: How did this plane get here? When you come to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and the Air Force One pavilion, you can see a cool pictorial story that’s told on how actually the building was kind of built around the plane.

“It was almost like the ultimate ship in a bottle type of construction.”

John: They put the superstructure, the building up. The plane had flown in a little prior to that, and they disassembled the plane, towed up here in pieces, except for the fuselage was one solid piece.

They did the superstructure of the building, pulled the plane and the pieces into the building and literally put the plane back together inside the building. Stripped the plane, repainted it, shrink-wrapped it, and then they finished the building around the plane.

When they were done with the building, they unwrapped the plane, cleaned it up, polished it up, then put it on display. It was almost like the ultimate ship in a bottle type of construction.

Tom: And the plane landed actually at San Bernardino International Airport.

John: It flew out from Andrews Air Force Base and landed here in California and then it was trucked from that airport, from the San Bernardino Airport to Simi Valley and ultimately here to the Reagan Library.

Tom: There’s a cool picture where you see the fuselage of the plane next to the wings of the plane next to the dirt mounds that are going to be the building being built.

John: It basically was brought up and the pieces of the aircraft, the fuselage and the wings and all the major pieces and components were put in a dirt area that is now the parking lot behind the building.

Tom: The tail number of this plane that we’re sitting underneath is 2700.

John: Thousand.

Tom: I’m sorry, thank you, 27,000 is the tail number and there is actually a number of other planes that were used as kind of Air Force Ones but the other…this one didn’t actually fly Kennedy?

John: No.

Tom: Twenty-six thousand flew Kennedy.

Presidential Seal on Air Force One at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

“All the aircraft that were called Air Force One because Air Force One is a call sign.”

John: Correct. There was another… This is a Boeing 707. And it is, as you said, tail number 27000. It went into service in 1973. The first president to fly on board was President Nixon. However, the previous 707, which is infamously the one that flew Kennedy back from Dallas, was tail number 26000.

That aircraft is on display at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. And if you come to visit the Reagan Library in the Air Force One Pavilion, we have a huge mural that, actually, we’re sitting right across from right now, that has a pictorial history of all of the Air Force One aircraft or I should say the other way around.

All the aircraft that were called Air Force One because Air Force One is a call sign. It’s not a particular aircraft. So any aircraft that the president is flying on that the military is operating is Air Force One. Anybody who’s listening who is in another branch of the military, yes, that’s true. If it’s run by the Air Force, it’s Air Force One. However, if it’s run by the Navy, it’s Navy One and so on.

Tom: Okay. So this probably never happened but trivia question, sitting president happens to hop on a Cessna in somebody’s ranch in Montana and fly not too far or whatever, what’s the official call…?

“President Nixon flew onboard a ‘commercial flight’ to prove that he didn’t have to use Air Force One and spend all the extra fuel and time and everything.”

John: Well, you’re right that wouldn’t happen, but there is actually on the mural there’s a very small DC10 up there United DC10 and everyone always asks, why is there a commercial aircraft up there? During the energy crisis back in the 70s, President Nixon flew onboard a “commercial flight” to prove that he didn’t have to use Air Force One and spend all the extra fuel and time and everything.

That was probably one of the most secure commercial flights ever happened, but it could happen that he was on any other aircraft other than an Air Force aircraft, they would probably use if it was a commercial aircraft would probably use the call sign Air Force One. I don’t know that for a fact.

However, I do know when President Bush landed onboard the aircraft carrier for his famous Mission Accomplished speech, that was Navy One because it was a naval aircraft.

Tom: When it comes to an expert on Air Force One here at the Reagan Presidential Library, that person is you.

John: There are probably a couple of us we could put the word expert on. However, since I am the building and facilities manager for this building, and the plane is in the building, I take a certain amount of pride on making sure I know a lot about the plane as well.

Tom: Let’s go through the presidents that have flown on this plane.

John: President Nixon.

Tom: Then who flew on it?

“This was the aircraft that took him to Germany for the famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech.”

John: It flew the entire…it was retired in 2001 and George W. Bush was the last president to fly on board. So it technically flew seven different presidents.

President Reagan put the most mileage on it. I don’t know what the exact number of that mileage is, but he definitely flew a great deal on this plane much more so than any other president.

This was the aircraft that took him to Germany for the famous “tear down this wall” speech.

President Reagan on Air Force One.

Posing as President Reagan on Air Force One.  (Super-cheesy, I know.  John wanted me to do it.)

Tom: A lot of history right there.

John: There is there is a lot of history behind it, and I like to tell people that you know this is a historical aircraft. It’s a historical military aircraft. We do not own it. It is on loan to us by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force so the Air Force does own it, and they’ve given it to us on permanent loan. If you’re into aircraft or you’re into historical presidential travel, whatever it might be, this served a lot of different presidents. It wasn’t President Reagan’s plane, but he’s the one who put the most mileage on it if you want to put it that way.

Tom: How many Air Force Ones are in other presidential libraries?

“We are the only presidential library that has an Air Force One. There aren’t many Air Force One planes available period.”

John: We are the only presidential library that has an Air Force One. There isn’t many Air Force One planes available period. However, there are few in some other aviation museums around the country, but there are very few Air Force One aircraft that are still in decent condition that can be put on display.

Tom: And again, we’re in the pavilion so let’s just talk about all the different… We have Air Force One, and there’s Marine One. Additionally, we have a presidential limousine. Take us around the horn.

“We have three aircraft. There’s three motorcycles. Also, we have three vehicles. Additionally, we have the obviously, Air Force One jet”

John: It comes in threes. We have three aircraft. There are three motorcycles. Also, we have three vehicles. Additionally, we have the obvious, Air Force One jet. Plus, we have Marine One helicopter which is an older model A model helicopter that was built back in the 60s.

Interesting side note, the current Marine One helicopters that President Reagan actually flew on are still in service. So hopefully, those will get retired one day, and we hope to get one. That would be a treat for us.

Tom: So he did not fly on that?

John: No he did not fly…

Tom: I’m pointing to Marine One right now.

John: The one that we have he did not fly on.

Welcome Aboard Steps of Marine One.

Tom: Did any president fly on it?

John: We know that President Johnson flew on it but that’s the only confirmed presidential use that that aircraft had. And then we have an F14, which is outside, that you probably saw as you came in. That represents the two F14s that were involved in an incident in… I believe that was in 1986 I believe it was.

Yes, it was 1986 where they shot down a couple of MiGs. That’s not the actual aircraft because the two aircraft that were involved in that incident were destroyed. One was involved in a crash. The other one was chopped up for scrap.

Marine One tail at Ronald Reagan Library.

That one is the right model; it’s an F14-A model. We painted it to look like a Fast Eagle 102 which is one of the aircraft that was involved in that incident.

Then we also have, as you mentioned, we have a motorcade on display underneath the wing of Air Force One. Plus, there’s an LAPD cruiser, two LAPD motorcycles.

Those were donated to us by the LAPD Historical Society. Additionally, we have one of the limousines that are on loan to us from the Secret Service.

It is an actual limo that was used during the Reagan administration and then we have the chase car which is also on loan to us from the U.S. Secret Service. That is the follow-up car that would have been in the motorcade as well.

Tom: And now the limo, did Reagan ride in that?

John: I believe he did. I don’t have an actual manifest that shows that he did, but it was in service during his presidency.

Tom: And the presidential limos that we see while on the roads if you’re lucky or in documentaries, they’re more like tanks that are made to look like a vehicle. This actually looks like a look a, what does that, a Cadillac?

“It is based on an actual car heavily, heavily modified for armorment and bulletproof glass and the whole bit.”

John: Yes it is. It’s actually based on a Cadillac frame. 1983 Cadillac, and it was first used in 1984. So it is based on an actual car heavily, heavily modified for armorment and bulletproof glass and the whole bit.

The current limousines that they use are truck-based and they nicknamed them the beast for a reason. They’re huge.

Most of that’s probably classified anyways. There are numerous documentaries and there’s probably a lot on the Internet that you can figure out what goes into those.

Tom: And then the chase car back here that we have, it’s basically a Suburban?

John: Yeah, it’s an ’86 Chevy Suburban Silverado. Very minor modifications on that. It was mainly set up to house the security detail that went along with the motorcade.

Tom: And that was actually used as well?

John: It was, yeah.

Tom: So I asked John repeatedly off mic, but I’m going to do it again now that we’re on mic, the secret compartments on Air Force One, the secret technology on Air Force One?

“Well, anything that was classified or I guess you’d call “secret” that was all removed prior to our obtaining the aircraft.”

John: Well, anything that was classified or I guess you’d call “secret” that was all removed prior to our obtaining the aircraft. There are no escape pods. Additionally, there are no hidden guns or bombs or anything else that can be released from the aircraft, so there’s nothing like that and a lot of that are the fantasies in Hollywood that they portray in movies.

Tom: We are in that town, aren’t we?

John: Yes we are.

Tom: Thank you so much for having us, having me. It was really neat. If you’re listening to the podcast, check out the pictures on the website. I feel pretty special to have been able to sit in Air Force One and, John, thank you again for…

“You’re welcome up here to the Reagan Library and we welcome all your listeners, too.”

John: You’re welcome up here to the Reagan Library and we welcome all your listeners, too, as well. Check us out at reaganlibrary.com or reaganfoundation.com, either one, and check out the site and you can see the events that are coming up and what are available.

Tom: You have different exhibits that come and go throughout the year?

John: We have a lot of special exhibits up here. Famously, the Titanic exhibit just ended. Next week, we’ll be opening up a fantastic exhibit on Genghis Khan, and that will be here for a couple of months, and then I don’t know what the next exhibit in line is, but we invite everybody to come up and check out this exhibit.

Tom: John Lehne, thank you so much again. The building facilities manager for the Ronald Reagan Foundation here at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. Podcasting from underneath Air Force One, which is just really cool to say and really cool to look up and be actually here, I’m Tom Smith. This is iDriveSoCal. As always, thanks for listening.

2019 Volkswagen Arteon Review

The 2019 Volkswagen Arteon has landed at Southern California VW dealerships.  And the Arteon’s arrival is a big deal for a few reasons.

For instance, the Arteon is VW’s new flagship sedan.  Additionally, as often is the case with new vehicle rollouts, the Arteon encountered delays.

As a result, that heightened anticipation for its arrival.  Most importantly, the 2019 VW Arteon brings with it a very new look.  And, um, wow!

“It sort of slaps your mind ahead a few years while your brain catches up to what your eyes are telling you.”

It’s classy but bold.  And yet, it’s elegant but sporty.  To be sure, it’s definitely cool.  In fact, a very cool looking all-new Volkswagen that still maintains it’s VW heritage.

And, with all that in mind, the 2019 VW Arteon is obviously in high demand.  But, even so, my good friends at Ontario Volkswagen put me in one for a day of pure driving pleasure.

Continue reading for my complete report and see for yourself what a sexy-beast VW is now offering.

There’s more than a double-take involved when you first set eyes on the 2019 VW Arteon.  That’s because of the futuristic styling.  In fact, it sort of slaps your mind ahead a few years while your brain catches up to what your eyes are telling you.

’19 VW Arteon driver front

“…the grumpiest of all arm-chair-design-quarterbacks are very hard pressed to find a bad angle on the 2019 VW Arteon.”

2019 Volkswagen Arteon driver profile

To clarify, there’s no question that you’re looking at a Volkswagen… but there’s also no question that this one is new.  And with many things new usually comes some criticism but that’s hard to find with Arteon.

Undoubtedly in the design department.  That is because even the grumpiest of all arm-chair-design-quarterbacks are very hard-pressed to find a bad angle on the 2019 VW Arteon.

The Arteon’s bold new design looks fantastic no matter what trim level you decide on.   And Volkswagen is offering the 2019 Arteon in 5-different primary trim levels.

Below you can see starting manufacturers suggested retail pricing for each configuration.

But, two reasons not to be overly concerned about MSRP.  First, you need to get your Arteon equipped to your specifications.

More importantly, go see my friends at Ontario Volkswagen in Ontario, California.  Because I trust them completely, they are transparent and no pressure.

Arteon R-Line badge

Specifically, contact my friend Randy Halcomb.  Tell him Tom and iDriveSoCal sent you and he’ll take care of you like family.

Though this is often stated in the automotive business it is entirely true with my friends at Ontario VW.  Randy’s cell phone is 909-772-1728.  His email is RHalcomb [at] OntarioVW [dot] com.  Or email me and I’ll personally introduce you.  :0)

Volkswagen packs all trim levels of the Arteon standard with its powerful 2.0-liter TSI turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine.  In fact, it puts out 268-horsepower with 258 pound-feet of torque.

In addition to a powerful engine across all trim levels.  Also, VW bestows all Arteon trims with its 8-speed automatic transmission.  And that transmission includes the fun to drive (semi-manual) Tiptronic shifting option and Sport mode.

4MOTION exterior badge

Another great feature Volkswagen gives the Arteon, in case you missed it in the above listing, is 4MOTION across all trim levels – except the SE.

Adding to the Arteon’s already sure-footedness, 4MOTION is Volkswagen’s branded all-wheel-drive system.

Yet, even with all that horsepower, torque, and all-wheel drive, the 2019 Volkswagen Arteon’s MPG is still impressive.

That’s because it’s rated at 20-MPG in the city and 27-MPG on the highway.  And if you opt for the base trim level, the SE, you’re getting even better mileage.  In that case, you’re at 22-MPG in the city and 31-MPG on the highway.

With Audi being the luxury sibling to VW I’d imagine there were some heated debates about the Arteon amongst senior executives.  Specifically, Volkswagen elbowing it’s way into Audi’s turf with the Arteon.

The exterior styling simply has that much curb-appeal.  And actually, the interior design and equipment do too.  But, I’ll get to that in a minute.

2019 VW Arteon driver rear

Back to the exterior, VW’s Arteon is beautifully designed from every angle.  From the bold grill to the classy rear end.

Plus the profiles and both the front and rear three-quarter views.  Nicely done VW.  Very, nicely done.

Volkswagen Arteon passenger rear

And, in addition to the phenomenal design is LED headlights, taillights, and daytime running lights.

Not only do they illuminate better for both sight and safety, but they look great!

Optional 19″ or 20″ wheels

Plus, I can’t forget the availability of both 19 and 20-inch wheels.

Sliding into the driver’s seat of the Arteon is a pleasure.  Again, the Arteon interior must have been a source of debate between Audi and VW executives.

2019 Volkswagen Arteon dash

That’s because it’s all there.  Everything a fully loaded luxury car is going to have is in the Arteon. (Okay, minus the seat massagers and over-the-top type stuff but, come on.)

The available Nappa leather, the available ambient lighting that’s totally customizable.  Also, the Dynaudio Premium sound system.  (Fun fact, that’s the same brand audio system in Bugatti.)

Optional Dynaudio System

And the available panoramic sunroof.  Heated and ventilated seats, multi-climate controls… it’s all there.

’19 VW Arteon center stack & console

In addition to all of that.  Arteon is extremely spacious inside.

2019 VW Arteon backseat

Five adults are comfortable for city trips.  Four adults for longer/highway drives.

Fastback design offers ample cargo spaceAnd the ’19 Arteon offers huge cargo capacity with 27.2-cubic feet of space.

A super-crisp looking and functioning 8-inch touchscreen comes standard in the 2019 Arteon.  And that screen is perfect to connect your Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

2019 VW Arteon dashboard

Plus, that perfectly complements the available, Volkswagen Digital Cockpit.

With the ability to store up to four different driver profiles, the digital cockpit is something I’m betting becomes as standard as the seatbelt in years to come.  And it’s awesome.

Volkswagen Digital Cockpit

Here’s why; the digital cockpit allows you to customize each of the profiles to whatever suits each driver’s personal preference.

Including putting your navigation, or in this case, radio, view smack-dab in the middle what would normally be your instrument cluster.  Very cool, and convenient.

And, of course, the 2019 Volkswagen Arteon can come with all the latest driver assistance safety technology.

Features like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane assist, park assist, etc.

“…VW equips Arteon with a couple of standout safety features that factor what happens immediately after a collision.”

Plus VW equips Arteon with a couple of standout safety features that factor what happens immediately after a collision.

’19 Volkswagen Arteon passenger front

For instance, in the airbags deploy then the Intelligent Crash Response System activates.  And when it does it can turn off the fuel pump, activate hazard lights and unlock the vehicle’s doors.

In addition, there’s the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System.  Just like it sounds, this comes into play to assure the car comes to a complete stop after an impact takes place.

Easy access backseat child safety seat latches

Finally, my favorite.  It’s old-school and it’s simple.  But it helps protect our most valuable cargo.

The low-tech, easy access child safety seat latches in Volkswagon’s will forever garner my appreciation.  It’s just well-thought-out protection of what we love most. :0)

The 2019 Volkswagen Arteon drives like a luxury sports sedan made by a German automaker that meticulously pays attention to details.

Passenger profileAnd those details provide a silky smooth, technologically advanced drive.  To be sure, the Arteon performed very well – especially when taking corners.

To clarify, I like to drive and am confident in driving skills.  But the Arteon made me a little more confident – it drove that well.

And one more thing about 2019 Arteon is Volkswagen’s People First Warranty.  6-years/72,000-miles bumper to bumper is very significant coverage.  Additionally, that warranty comes with all new VW’s.  Indeed, it’s one of the longest, most complete coverage plans in the automotive industry today.

Because of that, I can’t help but wonder how long Volkswagen will continue offering it.

Now, if you’re considering buying a 2019 Volkswagen Arteon, shopping sooner rather than later is a good idea.  And that goes for any car or SUV that VW offers.

Arteon rear badgingMost importantly, the best place to do that in Southern California is Ontario Volkswagen.  Because there are no old school games at Ontario Volkswagen, forget about the silly pressure tactics.

The team at Ontario VW simply loves what they do.  And they love serving their Volkswagen customers.

Contact my friend Randy Halcomb @ Ontario Volkswagen:

’19 VW Arteon from Ontario Volkswagen

The Latest Volkswagen News HERE.