Toyota is not really that far beyond. The Japanese carmaker’s figures are also very significant but their 4 million vehicles since January is not fit to defend their position against Volkswagen.

The survey was released by the IHS Global Insight. They see that the laws being implemented by the governments of Germany, the United Kingdom, and China are reflected on the performance of the German automaker.

The group further explains that the call of Toyota to cut their production by as much as 50% during the first quarter of 2009 has affected their position in the market and helped how VW faired. Toyota’s output plan is just to produce 7.24 million units until the end of the year compared to their production in 2008 reaching 9.24 million vehicles.

Last year, it was Toyota that stole the reigns from American company General Motors. GM held the title for 80 years.

In another story, Qatar Holding which is the investment arm of the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar sold 50% of their in Volkswagen. The investment firm quickly added $2.4 billion in their financial columns.

The downsizing of engine is all over the auto industry giving cars like the Scirocco R more power without sacrificing fuel efficiency. The lighter engine that also has lower carbon emission provides a better driving experience for car owners.

The next VW Golf following the R32 due for release in the United States early 2010 will be sporting a turbocharged 265 hp 2.0L engine. The four cylinder powerplant is also the heart of the Scirocco R. The previous generation of the R32 runs on a 250 horsepower naturally aspirated powerplant.

The engine of the new gen of Golf R32 is part of the EA113 Volkswagen engine lineup. The Golf GTi, on the other hand, uses the 2.0L engine similar to the basic Scirocco release which uses an engine from the EA888 line.

Aside from the additional kick on the road the new engine also brings in additional 22 lb-ft of torque. The maximum torque for the new Golf R32 will be at 258 lb-ft. The top of the line R20 of the Scirocco range registers a top speed of 155 mph with a fuel mileage of 28.6 mpg. It screeches from 0 to 62 mph in just 6.5 seconds.

The new Golf R will also come in either six speed manual configuration or on an option of gearbox with dual-clutch.

Toshiba is like the General Electric of Japan. The company has been producing simple gadgets to laptops, and exploring other energy resources like solar, hydro, and nuclear.

In line with their thrust, Toshiba has long been looking at the hybrid car market and the electric car potentials. The Japanese company has been developing SCIB or a supercharged ion battery that can power a laptop or can be used by cars.

The company is under negotiations with a US car manufacturer which will collaborate with them. Toshiba is said to allot around $331 million of its budget to construct their SCIB plant.

Toshiba foresees the SCIB technology to be a household name in different industries including the automotive sector.

Now enters Volkswagen. The batteries being developed by Toshiba might be a perfect fit for the Volkswage Up!. This new car from VW might be the next Beetle of the brand given its iconic styling and specifications.

The VW group is known to be interested with alternative fuel technology in the recent years. They have been pouring their efforts on the BlueMotion Technologies but have yet to explore the EV market. The Toshiba partnership will be a perfect opportunity.

The SCIB is forecasted to have a 90% charge in about 10 minutes. Considering all the technical aspects, safety will be a major concern when consumers will handle the charging of their own vehicles.

Volkswagen is determined to be the first car manufacturer to mass produce electric vehicles in about ten years.