IN THE WORLD OF MOTORS
The column materials were prepared by Mikhail GZOVSKIY and Alexey VOROBYEV-OBUKHOV
"CALIFORNIA"
Volkswagen CALIFORNIA
This car name is already hinting at something unusual. And indeed, this is called a camper - a motor home. Apparently, its creators dreamed of long journeys, bending over the Kuhlmanns. Let's look, however, into the salon. The fashionable “wall” made of maple is designed not only for all kinds of containers, which contain useful and useless things on the road. A set of the most modern equipment is mounted in it: a two-burner gas stove, a sink, a water tank and a drain tank. Of course, there is a fridge / freezer with a capacity of 40 l, providing, if necessary, a temperature of -18 ° C.
Upstairs there is a “bedroom” for two with a soft bed 1940 mm long, and even a double seat in the cabin is laid out for those who did not have enough space there. The “household” energy is provided by an additional rechargeable battery with a capacity of 80 A. h or an external power supply network, and an independent gasoline heater will help warm lovers of winter holidays.
The problem of a joint meal is curiously solved. If there are four of you, the front seats rotate 180 ° and everyone is sitting facing each other at a common table.
In 2001, California will acquire new, more powerful engines. It will be a six-cylinder V-shaped gasoline engine with a capacity of 150 kW / 204 liters. with. with an impressive torque of 245 N.m, starting at 2500 rpm. Fans of diesel traction will be able to choose a 2.5-liter TDI with a capacity of 111 kW / 150 liters. with. And to facilitate the life of the driver on long hauls will help automatic transmission and electronic system to stabilize the trajectory.
The owner of "California" does not need to open a special permit in the "rights": the total weight is limited to 2890 kg, while the payload accounts for 550 kg. But this is not all: travel enthusiasts with a “full layout” can take a trailer weighing up to two tons, and the ABS system even allows in this “extreme” case to go along the highway at a speed of up to 100 km / h!
Who makes the tourist's dream come true? Think Ford or GM? And here it is - California is the brainchild of the German Volkswagen.