cms 18 racer car story mission parts quotation

"Hey Dude! You recognize me?! Sure not... I"m the internet star of car racing! Well, perhaps a rising star... I go by the name RM. This is my new car project. I just snapped it from a junkyard. For now, it looks like a piece of junk, but we can make it a gem! I mean, you can. But nobody has to know that right? Are you in with this project?! I hope so. I just want you yo check if it starts up before the first episode... And we"ll think about the rest later! Thanks! We"ll see you on Importube!"

"Good morning. We need an expert opinion. I don"t know what happened. I was planning a family vacation for next week. I started the car yesterday and I was trying to turn on the lights and there was nothing. I thought that maybe the lights were fried. But as it turned out, that wasn"t the problem. Soon after, mu car wasn"t reacting to the key at all. I don"t know what happened. Please check what"s the problem. It would be good if the car was fit for a longer trip. And if it were more reliable. At least the marketed it as such. I"m almost sure that all these indicator lights were lighting up properly. Because they"re supposed to light up, right?"

"Hey. I"m Coming to you with a very sentimental task. This Hellcat is the only piece of my Grandma I have. The condition may not be perfect, but I really care about making it into something that would resemble production condition. Grandpa takes great care of it, but he"s showing he"s age, just like this car. He could use a fresh approach to the subject. I want to surprise him. The condition of exploitation elements should be fine, but the rest... The more difficult to access parts have surpassed the capabilities of Grandpa. Please take care of this classic piece for me. See you."

"Hi. I just got back from a business trip, and you won"t guess what was waiting for me. My beautiful car! I hopped in and set off on an evening ride. From the very start, something caught my attention. The car drove better somewhat. After this lengthy introduction, I will explain. It turned out that my son had a little adventure with my car. I"m impressed by his attitude, because he took matters in his own hands. I must admit that the car never drove better than after your repairs. You"re a wizard! Today, I"ve got my son"s car for you. I want to repay him for making my gem give me even more pleasure from driving. The kid couldn"t afford a renovation. Please make the engine reach perfection and give it some spark. The bodywork also needs some love. Pimp this ride and add a bit more horsepower! Let the kid live a little. See you!"

"Hi! I"m Ana "Sharkee". I"m a professional driver. I got my nickname from the aggressive driving style that I represent. As you may have guessed, the costs are irrelevant to me. At least when it comes to motorsport. The mechanic from my team was overwhelmed by the work and took leave overnight, but the cars won"t prepare themselves. Today I"m coming to you with my private gem. I brought it some time ago, as a sentimental piece. I"m a fan of Asian action films. This Sakura Takumi is a synonym of a Japanese classic to me. It"s a quite rare example, but it"s been through enough. I saved it from a junkyard. Now you have to restore it to working conditions. For now, if I manage to return in it on four wheels, I"ll be satisfied. Then I"ll figure out what to do with it. Thanks, and see you!"

"Good Morning. I"d like someone to take a look at my car. I"m not an automotive fan. The car should serve me to move from point A to point B, or to go fishing. I love fishing trips. And that"s one of the reasons for my visit. Most of all, I beg you, please do something with the car seat and couch. I recently had a whole container with fish tip over in the boot. As far as the smell of fish doesn"t bother me, the amount of water damage is driving me mad. Please take a look under the wood while you"re at it. I know nothing about mechanics, but recently when I was making my way through a back road to the lake, some thingmabob fell off. Since then. the car has been swaying strangely. And do something about the back, when I pack up the whole boot, the wheels are pressing against the wheel arches. Mayber they"re underinflated? Do whatever"s in your power! I"ve got a competition soon!"

"Hey, it"s me again, Johnny! Today I have this... Uhm... Sports Sixon for you! Rust isn"t sparing this model, especially when it"s not kept in the garage. It stood between cactuses, so it looks as if drowned. Even though the bodywork is up for complete renovation, the mechanics don"t look bad. The owner was a fireball who drove it like there was no tomorrow and probably heated up the engine. Of course, he didn"t have the time nor the ambition to take care of it and he abandoned it. Please tidy it up, and I think that we"ll manage to sell it as the perfect example. The mileage will not arouse suspicions. I"m waiting for your call. See you!"

"Hey, my name is Jessica, but you can call me Jess. My friend mentioned that you"ve taken great care of her green "Wormy", I figured that perhaps my car needed some more attention too. On a day-by-day basis, I don"t have time to deal with the mechanics, I think that"s clear. For a businesswoman, every minute is at a premium, and wasting time on crawling around in oil and grease... well, that"s not for me. Please do a detailed checkup. The car isn"t old, but I"ll be honest with you - besides refueling and weekly washing, I wasn"t really bothered by anything else. I"ve had it for a couple of years, and I am getting the impression that it used to be spryer. Please do what you can to restore its past performance. Great thanks!"

At the top of the engine starts emptying the coolant reservoir, you will have to remove everything leaving only the engine heads, intake manifold and the exhaust manifold, The parts that need to be changed are obvious.

"Hey, hey, it"s RM! it"s time to film another episode from the renovation of my car! this time, we"ll be taking care of a comprehensive renovation of the suspension. I think it"s a good idea for a long episode! Let"s roll!"

"Good morning. I was a victim of a road accident. My beloved sports Sixon must have been severely damaged. A little crate drove out of a side street, and I didn"t even have the chance to react. It all happened so quickly. All I saw was a cloud of smoke flowing from under the hood. When I walked out of the car, the situation turned out to be manageable. The Bumper was a bit lifted and the headlamp was damaged. In spite of the strange sound from the engine compartment, I figured I"d go back home. Unfortunately, my plan, to say the least, didn"t work. After driving 100m, everything shut down. I think the car battery was damaged because the car didn"t start at all. Check what happened and do what you can to get it up and running. The parts don"t have to be new, all that matters is that they are good - good for the wallet."

"Good morning. I"m here with a discreet matter. During a business trip, I had a little accident. After the meeting, we had a little garden party that transformed into a longer meetup... I was on my way back to the hotel with the guys from work, and I left the car by the pub. I return for the car in early morning. I must have been a bit sleep-deprived and a little disoriented. It so happened that I snagged on a pole at the parking lot... and a boom barrier. And to top it all off, there was some boor who was in a hurry and forced the right of way. You see... The car isn"t really expensive, but I"d prefer if the management didn"t know about the condition in which I was driving around the company car or what is now left of it... I"d rather cover the costs out of my own pocket. As if nothing ever happened. Please fix what you need to. My career could depend on it. I made some arrangements with the owner of the other car, but as sales representative, I have to have a clean slate at the pizzeria management... I mean the delivery company. Do what you can, I hope that you will keep our little secret. See you."

"Hey. I just got this little hatch. I brought this car thinking about commuting. I needed something small but something that would give me joy of driving. I bet on Elenti Callope. Small, but agile and fast. Unfortunately. these cars are often victims to young, inexperienced drivers and look bad to say the least. This specific piece must have driven in some races. It has its best times past it, but in general it"s not in the worst condition. You can tap it here and there. You know the drill. I see potential here. Appearance is not key to me. All that matters is that I restore its former driving properties and performance. Good luck."

This work seems easy, looking at the car and the engine does not look like it will give a lot of work, until you remove all the pieces and realize that it still has 6 no discovered and you have no idea what they are, the curse is that they are the rings of the Pistons, not the pistons, only the rings.

"Hello. I"ve been having trouble with driving at night for some time. I"m not sure, but I think that it"s a matter of a weak car battery. The lamps are looking a bit dirty, but it shouldn"t be a problem. Since I"m already here, check if everything"s okay with my car. I"m neither a fan nor an expert. I get the impression sometimes that it starts to lose power on longer rides. Or maybe it"s just this car is already of age. You can also wash it. I park it outside and it"s a bit dusty. Thank. Good luck!"

I hope you have enjoyed the previous mission because you will repeat part of it here again. One more engine to redo, drain the oil remove the gearbox, drain the coolant and disassemble the entire engine, the parts to be replaced in this engine are very symmetric, with the exception of the manifold exhaust, if you think is more practical use the engine stand.

"Hi, It"s Johnny. One of my employees will drop by with another car. I hope you"ll find a moment for him. Don"t be deceived by external appearances. It"s not without reason that it"s set on a chassis. The engine has been completely destroyed. I bought it from an insurer for peanuts. I don"t know how it happened, but the motor is battered. Restore it to the perfect shape. I think an original mileage like this one will make it a tasty bite. Thanks! We"ll be in touch!"

The problem with this is the engine. Drain the oil, remove the gearbox, remove it from the car, place in the engine stand and disassemble the entire engine, nothing that this rust is useful, it is all below 15%.

"Good morning. I was just on my way back with an accidental acquisition... My wife sent me to finally buy the promised car for my mother-in-law. I got back late from work yesterday. I"d been searching for something since morning, but I ended up on an auction anyway. Unfortunately, fatigue began to have an effect. I nodded off before the console and unintentionally won this BEAUTIFUL car. It"s actually not that bad. Perhaps I"m defending my stupid purchase just a bit... I will pay double for it, because here comes your part. Please check what"s wrong with it and get it up and running. Perhaps we"ll manage to get out clean from this misunderstanding. I"ll be waiting for results. Good luck!"

"Hey y"all. I"ve been dreaming of a car like this since I was a child. Pony Car has been my only choice for the longest time. The opportunity came and I became owner of this Bolt Mosquito. The car is not just a gem, but it seems that it has just minor bodywork issues. It looks as if it has suffered a slight pileup. The front and back area bit damaged. But here souldn"t be any surprises. Please check it. See what needes to be replace and I hope that I"ll see you soon and without any surprises."

"Hey. I bought this pickup for work. I needed a packable reliable car. I wanted the body to be in a resonable condition. The rest can be replaced. This specific car was mishandled. The suspension looks as if somebody trated curbs and rocks as a minor obstacle. The rims and exhaust system have also seen better days. The rest also requires a look to see if any minor repairs are needed. I trust you know what you"re doing. I prefer that the parts be new, so that it doesn"t fail me at the most inopportune time."

"Hello. I"ve just recently purchased a car from a friend of my aunt"s neighbor... It looked alright. At first it drove quite nicely. At some point, something cracked... There was smoke and everything shutdown. I was assured that it was all in great condition and the car didn"t require any additional input. It was supposed to be ready and up for driving for a couple more years... It seems that somebody played an unfunny joke on me. I need this car for next week. I must have a functioning means of transport because of my new job. I don"t have time to search for something new now because I"m moving houses soon. Please do what you can so I can drive this car without fear..."

"Hey. I"m Stopping by with a unconventional job, I found this car on an auction. It"s new and at first glance you can wonder what could be wrong with a vehicle like this. The problem is that it was a "donor" car. New, just bought. Without an engine. I tried to get a complete drive unit somewhere, but it seems that this specific model is highly desirable. And that"s how I found myself at your door. Please rebuild the heart of my new acquisition. I know it"s tedious work, but this case it"s profitable. Thank you and see you soon!"

Basically the car was purchased without engine and you need to assemble one for it. It uses the V8 DOHC Supercharged, go to the engine stand. When install the new engine, first remove the place holder (you can sell it for $15) that is in the vehicle and then install the new engine.

"Hi. I heard that you"re a decent professional. I found this car at my great grandpas in an old toolshed. Buried under old things and other trash. I have no idea how long it stood there. I know it from old photos from my grandparents. The once beautiful Salem 1500 needs some love and attention from somebody experienced. From what I remember, it wasn"t really spared by the previous users... In spite of it all, I think that it"s not the worst base for rebuilding this classic piece. Seems a shame to waste such a car. Apparently, it"s a rather rare configuration. Please do what you can to make it look like raw. If all goes well, maybe I will manager to sell it to a museum? We"ll see. Let me know wheen you"re done!"

"Hey y"all. I just got a huge injection of cash after a casino trip. I decided to get a sports car. I awlways wanted something fancy that would get attention. Unfortunately. I trusted my neighbor who"s mechanic. The car"s beutiful, I cannot deny, the only thing that bothers me is driving it. I am getting the impression that something"s wrong. On top of that, despite the power that this GTR is supposed to show, it doesn"t exactly scream sophistication. Please check if everything is as it should be, because I don"t know if I"ll manager to spark a bit more power in this engine, because it gives me zero emotions now. Thanks"

Due to a report from someone on Steam, I"ve become aware that there are websites out there who are essentially reuploading my guide without permission.

This article is about Volkswagen passenger cars. For the parent group, see Volkswagen Group. For Volkswagen vans, trucks and buses, see Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Volkswagen (German pronunciation:VW (motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-World War II by the British Army Officer Ivan Hirst, it is known for the iconic Beetle and serves as the flagship brand of the Volkswagen Group, the largest automotive manufacturer by worldwide sales in 2016 and 2017.China, which delivers 40 percent of its sales and profits.Wagen, translating to "people"s car" when combined.

The growing trend was not nascent; Béla Barényi, a pioneering automotive engineer, is credited as already having conceived the basic design during the mid-1920s. Josef Ganz developed the Standard Superior (going as far as advertising it as the "German Volkswagen"). In Germany, the company Hanomag mass-produced the 2/10 PS "Kommissbrot", a small, cheap rear-engined car, from 1925 to 1928.Hans Ledwinka designed Tatra T77, a very popular car amongst the German elite, was becoming smaller and more affordable at each revision. Ferdinand Porsche, a well-known designer for high-end vehicles and race cars, had been trying for years to get a manufacturer interested in a small car suitable for a family. He built a car named the "Volksauto" from the ground up in 1933, using many popular ideas and several of his own, putting together a car with an air-cooled rear engine, torsion bar suspension, and a "beetle" shape, the front bonnet rounded for better aerodynamics (necessary as it had a small engine).

In 1934, with many of the above projects still in development or early stages of production, Adolf Hitler became involved, ordering the production of a basic vehicle capable of transporting two adults and three children at 100 km/h (62 mph). He wanted a car every German family would be able to afford.ℛℳ (US$396 in 1938)—about the price of a small motorcycle (the average income being around 32 ℛℳ a week).

It soon became apparent that private industry could not turn out a car for only 990 ℛℳ. Thus, Hitler chose to sponsor an all-new, state-owned factory using Ferdinand Porsche"s design (with some of Hitler"s design suggestions, including an air-cooled engine so nothing could freeze). The intention was that German families could buy the car through a savings scheme ("Fünf Mark die Woche musst du sparen, willst du im eigenen Wagen fahren" – "Five Marks a week you must set aside, if in your own car you wish to ride"), which around 336,000 people eventually paid into.

Prototypes of the car called the "KdF-Wagen" (German: Stuttgart). The car already had its distinctive round shape and air-cooled, flat-four, rear-mounted engine. The VW car was just one of many KdF programs, which included things such as tours and outings. The prefix Volks— ("People"s") was not just applied to cars, but also to other products in Germany; the "Volksempfänger" radio receiver for instance. On 28 May 1937, Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH ("Company for the Preparation of the German Volkswagen Ltd."), or GezuvorDeutsche Arbeitsfront in Berlin. More than a year later, on 16 September 1938, it was renamed to Volkswagenwerk GmbH.

Erwin Komenda, the longstanding Auto Union chief designer, part of Ferdinand Porsche"s hand-picked team,Beetle known today. It was one of the first cars designed with the aid of a wind tunnel—a method used for German aircraft design since the early 1920s. The car designs were put through rigorous tests and achieved a record-breaking million miles of testing before being deemed finished.

One of the factory"s wartime "KdF-Wagen" cars had been taken to the factory for repairs and abandoned there. Hirst had it repainted green and demonstrated it to British Army headquarters. Short of light transport, in September 1945 the British Army was persuaded to place a vital order for 20,000 cars. However, production facilities had been massively disrupted, there was a refugee crisis at and around the factory, and some parts (such as carburettors) were unavailable. Hirst and his German assistant Heinrich Nordhoff (who went on to run the Wolfsburg facility after the military government ended in 1949) helped to stabilise the acute social situation while simultaneously re-establishing production. Hirst, for example, used his engineering experience to arrange the manufacture of carburettors, the original producers being effectively "lost" in the Soviet zone.Australia Post. Some British service personnel were allowed to take their Beetles back to the United Kingdom when they were demobilised.

The post-war industrial plans for Germany set out rules that governed which industries Germany was allowed to retain. These rules set German car production at a maximum of 10% of 1936 car production.

The car and its town changed their Second World War-era names to "Volkswagen" and "Wolfsburg" respectively, and production increased. It was still unclear what was to become of the factory. It was offered to representatives from the American, Australian, British, and French motor industries who all rejected it. After an inspection of the plant, Sir William Rootes, head of the British Rootes Group, told Hirst the project would fail within two years, and that the car "...is quite unattractive to the average motorcar buyer, is too ugly and too noisy. If you think you"re going to build cars in this place, you"re a bloody fool, young man."

From 1948, Volkswagen became an important element, symbolically and economically, of West German regeneration.Heinrich Nordhoff (1899–1968), a former senior manager at Opel who had overseen civilian and military vehicle production in the 1930s and 1940s, was recruited to run the factory in 1948. In 1949, Major Hirst left the company—now re-formed as a trust controlled by the West German government and government of the State of Lower Saxony. The "Beetle" sedan or "peoples" car" Volkswagen is the Type 1. Apart from the introduction of the Volkswagen Type 2 commercial vehicle (van, pick-up, and camper), and the VW Karmann Ghia sports car, Nordhoff pursued the one-model policy until shortly before his death in 1968.

The UK"s first official Volkswagen importer, Colborne Garages of Ripley, Surrey, started business with importing parts for the models brought home by soldiers returning from Germany.

By 1955, sales warranted the building of the Volkswagen plant on a 32-acre (13 ha) site on Scarborough"s Golden Mile. To this, a 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) building with administration, showrooms, service, repairs and parts was built in 1957, with storage for $4,000,000 of parts.

Although the car was becoming outdated, during the 1960s and early 1970s, American exports, innovative advertising, and a growing reputation for reliability helped production figures surpass the levels of the previous record-holder, the Ford Model T. On 17 February 1972, the 15,007,034th Beetle was sold. Volkswagen could now claim the world production record for the most-produced, single make of car in history. By 1973, total production was over 16 million.

The 1961 Type 1 Beetle had a 36 hp 1200cc four cylinder air-cooled flat-four opposed OHV engine made of aluminium alloy block and heads. By 1966, the Type 1 came with a 1300cc engine. By 1967 the Type 1 had a 1500cc engine, and 1600cc in 1970. The air-cooled engine lost favour in the United States market with the advent of unleaded petrol and smog controls. These air-cooled engines were commonly tuned to be fuel-rich in order to control engine over-heating, and this led to excessive carbon monoxide emissions. VW production equipment was eventually moved to Mexico where vehicle emissions were not regulated. Beetles were popular on the US West Coast where the limited-capacity cabin heating was less inconvenient. Beetles were popularised on the US West Coast as beach buggies and dune buggies.

In 1969 the larger Type 4 (411 and 412) models were introduced. These differed substantially from previous vehicles, with the notable introduction of monocoque/unibody construction, the option of a fully automatic transmission, electronic fuel injection, and a sturdier powerplant.

In 1964, Volkswagen acquired Auto Union, and in 1969, NSU Motorenwerke AG (NSU). The former company owned the historic Audi brand, which had disappeared after the Second World War. VW ultimately merged Auto Union and NSU to create the modern Audi company, and would go on to develop it as its luxury vehicle marque. The purchase of Auto Union and NSU was a pivotal point in Volkswagen"s history, as both companies yielded the technological expertise that proved necessary for VW to survive when demand for its air-cooled models went into decline.

Volkswagen added a "Super Beetle"MacPherson strut front suspension instead of the usual torsion bars. The Super Beetle featured a new hooded, padded dash and curved windshield (from 1973 model year on up). Rack and pinion steering replaced recirculating ball steering gears in the model year 1975 and up. The front of the car was stretched 2 inches (51 mm) to allow the spare tire to lie flat, and the combination of these two features increased the usable front luggage space.

In 1973, Volkswagen introduced the military-themed Type 181, or "Trekker" in Europe, "Thing" in America, recalling the wartime Type 82. The military version was produced for the NATO-era German Army during the Cold War years of 1970 to 1979. The US Thing version only sold for two years, 1973 and 1974.

By late 1972, Volkswagen had decided to cancel the nearly finished typ 266, a project for a mid-engined car to replace the Beetle, and to focus on front-wheel-drive, water-cooled cars. Rudolf Leiding, recently made head of Volkswagen, cited noise, heat, and servicing problems with the mid-engine layout, as well as the difficulty of making it a station wagon.

First in the series was the Volkswagen Passat (Dasher in the US), introduced in 1973, a fastback version of the Audi 80, using many identical body and mechanical parts. Estate/wagon versions were available in many markets. In Europe, the estate/wagon version dominated market share for many years.

The pivotal model emerged as the Volkswagen Golf in 1974, marketed in the United States and Canada as the Rabbit for the 1st generation (1975–1985) and 5th generation (2006–2009). Its angular styling was designed by the Italian Giorgetto Giugiaro. Its design followed trends for small family cars set by the 1959 Mini – the Golf had a transversely mounted, water-cooled engine in the front, driving the front wheels, and had a hatchback, a format that has dominated the market segment ever since. Beetle production at Wolfsburg ended upon the Golf"s introduction. It continued in smaller numbers at other German factories (Hanover and Emden) until 1978, but mainstream production shifted to Brazil and Mexico.

Passat, Scirocco, Golf, and Polo shared many character-defining features, as well as parts and engines. They built the basis for Volkswagen"s turn-around.

While Volkswagen"s range of cars soon became similar to that of other large European car makers, the Golf has been the mainstay of the Volkswagen line-up since its introduction, and the mechanical basis for several other cars of the company. There have been eight generations of the Volkswagen Golf, the first of which was produced from the summer of 1974 until the autumn of 1983 (sold as the Rabbit in the United States and Canada and as the Caribe in Latin America). Its chassis also spawned the Volkswagen Scirocco sport coupe, Volkswagen Jetta saloon/sedan, Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet convertible, and Volkswagen Caddy pick-up. North American production of the Rabbit commenced at the Volkswagen Westmoreland Assembly Plant near New Stanton, Pennsylvania in 1978. It would be produced in the United States as the Rabbit until the spring of 1984.Citi Golf, with only minor modifications to the interior, engine and chassis, using tooling relocated from the New Stanton, Pennsylvania plant when that site began to build the Second Generation car.

In the 1980s, Volkswagen"s sales in the United States and Canada fell dramatically, despite the success of models like the Golf elsewhere. Sales in the United States were 293,595 in 1980, but by 1984 they were down to 177,709.Motor Trend named the GTI its Car of the Year for 1985, and Volkswagen rose in the J.D. Power buyer satisfaction ratings to eighth place in 1985, up from 22nd a year earlier.Carl Hahn decided to expand the company elsewhere (mostly in developing countries), and the New Stanton, Pennsylvania factory closed on 14 July 1988.Volkswagenwerk AG was renamed to Volkswagen AG.

Volkswagen entered the supermini market in 1975 with the Volkswagen Polo, a stylish and spacious three-door hatchback designed by Bertone. It was a strong seller in West Germany and most of the rest of Western Europe, being one of the first foreign small cars to prove popular in Britain. It had started out in 1974 as the Audi 50, which was only available in certain markets and was less popular. The Polo entered a market sector already being dominated by the Fiat 127 and Renault 5, and which before long would also include the Austin Metro and Ford Fiesta.

In 1981, the second-generation Polo launched as a hatchback (resembling a small estate car). In 1983 the range was expanded, with the introduction of a Coupe (similar to a conventional hatchback), and the Classic (a 2-door saloon).Volkswagen Scirocco coupe.

In 1983 the MK2 Golf was launched. At the beginning of 1988, the third generation Passat was the next major car launch and Volkswagen did not produce a hatchback version of this Passat, despite the rising popularity of the hatchback body style throughout Europe.Corrado, analogous to the Scirocco, although the Scirocco remained in production until 1992; a third generation of Scirocco was in production 2008–17.

In 1991, Volkswagen launched the third-generation Golf, which was European Car of the Year for 1992. The Golf Mk3 and Jetta Mk3 arrived in North America in 1993. The sedan version of the Golf was badged Vento in Europe but remained Jetta in the United States. The Scirocco and the later Corrado were both Golf-based coupés.

In 1994, Volkswagen unveiled the J Mays-designed Concept One, a "retro"-themed concept car with a resemblance to the original Beetle, based on the platform of the Polo. Due to a positive response to the concept, a production version was developed as the New Beetle, based on the Golf"s larger platform.

The company"s evolution of its model range was continued with the Golf Mk4, introduced at the end of 1997 (North America in 1999), its chassis spawned a host of other cars within the Volkswagen Group; the Volkswagen Bora (the sedan known as the Jetta in the United States), SEAT Toledo, SEAT León, Audi A3, Audi TT, and Škoda Octavia. Other main models during the decade include the Polo, a smaller car than the Golf, and the larger Passat for the segment above the Golf.

In 1998 the company launched the new Lupo city car. In 1999 they announced the first "3-litre" car, a lightweight version of the Lupo that could travel 100 km with only 3-liters of diesel—making it the world"s most fuel efficient car at the time.

Volkswagen began introducing an array of new models after Bernd Pischetsrieder became Volkswagen Group CEO (responsible for all Group brands) in 2002. The sixth-generation VW Golf was launched in 2008, came runner-up to the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia in the 2009 European Car of the Year, and has spawned several cousins: VW Jetta, VW Scirocco, SEAT León, SEAT Toledo, Škoda Octavia and Audi A3 hatchback ranges, as well as a new mini-MPV, the SEAT Altea. The GTI, a "hot hatch" performance version of the Golf, boasts a 2.0 L Turbocharged Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) direct injection engine. VW began marketing the Golf under the Rabbit name once again in the US and Canada in 2006.

Volkswagen maintained North American sales of 224,195 in 2005. The momentum continued for fiscal 2006, as Volkswagen"s North American sales for the year were 235,140 vehicles, a 4.9 percent increase over 2005, despite a slump in domestic North American manufacturer"s sales. In conjunction with the introduction of new models, the production location of Volkswagen vehicles also underwent a great change. The 2007 Eos, a hardtop convertible, is produced in a new facility in Portugal. All Golfs/Rabbits and GTIs as of 2006 are manufactured in Wolfsburg, Germany, rather than Puebla, Mexico, where Golfs and GTIs for the North American market were produced from 1989 to 1998, and the Brazilian factory in Curitiba, where Golfs and GTIs were produced from 1999 to 2006 (the Jetta has been primarily manufactured in Mexico since 1989). Volkswagen is also in the process of reconfiguring an automotive assembly plant in Belgium. The new models and investments in manufacturing improvements were immediately noticed by automotive critics. Favourable reviews for Volkswagen"s newest cars include the GTI being named by 10 Best" for 2007, Automobile Magazine"s 2007 Car of the Year, as well as a 2008

Volkswagen partnered with Daimler AG and other companies to market the BlueTec clean diesel technology on cars and trucks from Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and other companies and brands. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, four of the ten most fuel-efficient vehicles available for sale in the United States are powered by Volkswagen diesel engines.Turbocharged Direct Injection) engine, which lends class-leading fuel economy to several models. They were a three-way tie for 8th (TDI Beetle, TDI Golf, TDI Jetta) and ninth, the TDI Jetta Wagon. In addition, all Volkswagen TDI diesel engines produced from 1996 to 2006 can be driven on 100% biodiesel fuel.SUV to its lineup, but relented with the introduction of the Touareg, made in partnership with Porsche, while they worked on the Porsche Cayenne and later the Audi Q7. Though acclaimed as a fine handling vehicle, the Touareg has been a modest seller at best, and it has been criticised by auto reviewers for its absence of a third-row seat, the relatively poor fuel economy, and the high vehicle mass. Volkswagen set plans to add a compact SUV with styling influences from the "Concept A" concept vehicle introduced at the 2006 Geneva Auto Show, and on 20 July 2006, Volkswagen announced that the new vehicle called the Tiguan.

Since the discontinuation of the T4 in 2003 and the decision not to export the T5 to the United States, Volkswagen, coincidentally, lacked a van for its North American lineup. To remedy this, Volkswagen launched the Volkswagen Routan, a badge-engineered Dodge Grand Caravan made for the American and Canadian markets, in 2008.

In May 2011, Volkswagen completed Chattanooga Assembly in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Chattanooga Assembly plant marked VW"s first plant since the plant at New Stanton was closed down. The facility has produced Volkswagen cars and SUVs specifically designed for the North American markets, beginning with the Passat B7 in 2011. The company recently announced plans to expand further by investing $900 million to add floor space to the factory.

Volkswagen returned to motorsport in 2018 by unveiling its all-electric I.D. R. At the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Romain Dumas set an all-time course record of just under eight minutes driving the I.D. R.

In September 2018, Volkswagen announced that it would discontinue production of the Beetle (A5) in 2019.Silicon Valley-based solid-state battery startup QuantumScape, becoming the startup"s largest automotive investor and gaining representation on its board.

In November 2020, Volkswagen announced that, trying to remain the world"s largest carmaker in the green era, it has increased its investment in electric and self-driving cars to $86 billion over the next five years.

In March 2021, Volkswagen announced that it would stop developing new internal combustion engines, although it would keep tweaking existing engines to comply with stricter emission rules.Johannes Leonardo, before revealing the move to be a hoax. In a tweet, the company said, the stunt "got the whole world buzzing." However, some news sources considered the announcement to be real, including the Associated Press, whose headline about being fooled stated, "Volkswagen caught lying again, this time about changing its name."

In July 2022 Volkswagen noted the development of the first of their own Salzgitter in Germany, has been termed Mission SalzGiga. The new business unit is focused on all of Volkswagen"s battery activities "from raw materials and the cell right through to recycling", and is part of a €20 billion investment.

Volkswagen is the founding and namesake member of the Volkswagen Group, a large international corporation in charge of multiple car and truck brands, including Audi, SEAT, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, Scania, MAN, and Škoda. Volkswagen Group"s global headquarters are located in Volkswagen"s historic home of Wolfsburg, Germany.

Volkswagen has factories in many parts of the world, manufacturing or assembling vehicles for local markets. In addition to plants in Germany, Volkswagen has manufacturing or assembly facilities in Mexico, the United States, Slovakia, China, India, Russia, Malaysia, Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kenya and South Africa. In 2011, Volkswagen was named in the top 25 largest companies in the world by the Forbes Global 2000.

In January 2016, Volkswagen announced the launch of a new factory in Algeria during a summit between Angela Merkel and Algerian prime minister Abdelmalek Sellal.Relizane, producing Volkswagen Golf VII, Volkswagen Polo, Volkswagen Caddy, SEAT Ibiza and Škoda Octavia cars.

Volkswagen has always had a close relationship with Porsche, the Zuffenhausen-based sports car manufacturer founded in 1931 by Ferdinand Porsche, the original Volkswagen designer and Volkswagen company co-founder, hired by Adolf Hitler for the project. The first Porsche car, the Porsche 64 of 1938, used many components from the Volkswagen Beetle. The 1948 Porsche 356 continued using many Volkswagen components, including a tuned engine, gearbox and suspension.

On 4 March 2005, the European Commission brought an action against the Federal Republic of Germany before the European Court of Justice, claiming that the Volkswagen Law, which prevents any shareholder in Volkswagen from executing more than 20% of the total voting rights in the firm, was illegally restricting the flow of capital in Europe.Advocate General Dámaso Ruiz-Jarabo Colomer submitted an opinion to the court in support of the action.European Court of Justice ruled in agreement with Ruiz-Jarabo and the law was struck down.European Court of Justice ruled that the VW law was illegalprotectionist. At that time, Porsche held 31% of VW shares – although a smaller proportion of voting rights, due to the Volkswagen Law – and there had been speculation that Porsche would be interested in taking over VW if the law did not stand in its way. The court also prevented the government from appointing Volkswagen board members.

The brand introduced its first crossover SUV in 2002 starting from the Touareg, a full-size luxury SUV. The brand SUV expansion continues with the release of Tiguan, a C-segment mainstream SUV in 2007. In the mid-2010s, the company has decided to an SUV in every class of car that can justify one, which the brand called the "SUV offensive".B-segment, C-segment, and D-segment SUVs which include global models and regional models. Volkswagen also started producing derivatives of its SUV models with a rear sloping roof marketed as coupé SUV which had gained popularity in China, the largest single market for the brand.

The brand has a notable history in Brazil. Volkswagen"s relationship with Brazil dates back to the early 1950s. In 1956, Volkswagen began by building a plant in São Bernardo do Campo, near São Paulo as its first manufacturing plant outside Germany as a response to the Brazil"s ban on the import of completely assembled vehicles in 1950.Kombi model – 370 cars at that time, with a 50 percent local content component share. Of 81 million vehicles produced over six decades in Brazil, 23 million of it was built by Volkswagen, which was produced by four passenger car factories in the country. In 2018, Volkswagen accounted for close on 15 percent of the Brazilian car market.

Volkswagen do Brasil produced and sold pure ethanol-powered (E100 only) vehicles in Brazil, and production was discontinued only after they were supplanted by more modern Flex Fuel technology. As a response to the 1973 oil crisis, the Brazilian government began promoting bioethanol as a fuel, and the National Alcohol Program -Pró-Álcool- (Portuguese: Programa Nacional do Álcool) was launched in 1975.1979 energy crisis, and after development and testing with government fleets by the CTA at São José dos Campos, and further testing of several prototypes developed by the four local carmakers, including Volkswagen do Brasil, pure ethanol vehicles were launched in the Brazilian market.hydrous ethanol characteristics and changes included compression ratio, amount of fuel injected, replacement of materials that would get corroded by the contact with ethanol, use of colder spark plugs suitable for dissipating heat due to higher flame temperatures, and an auxiliary cold-start system that injects petrol from a small tank in the engine compartment to help starting when cold. Within six years, around 75% of all Brazilian passenger cars were manufactured with ethanol engines.

Owing to the success and rapid consumer acceptance of the flex-fuel versions, by 2005 VW had sold 293,523 flex-fuel cars and light-duty trucks, and only 53,074 petrol-only automobiles,

Volkswagen and Sanyo have teamed up to develop a battery system for hybrid cars.Martin Winterkorn has confirmed the company plans to build compact hybrid electric vehicles. He has stated "There will definitely be compact hybrid models, such as Polo and Golf, and without any great delay", with petrol and diesel power. For example, Golf is the ideal model to go hybrid as the Golf 1.4 TSI was recently awarded the "Auto Environment Certificate" by the Oko-Trend Institute for Environmental Research, and was considered one of the most environmentally friendly vehicles of 2007.Braunschweig R&D facilities in Northern Germany is a hybrid version of the next-generation Touareg.

VW intends all future models to have the hybrid option. "Future VW models will fundamentally also be constructed with hybrid concepts," VW head of development Ulrich Hackenberg told Automobilwoche in an interview. Hackenberg mentioned that the car based on the Up! concept seen at Frankfurt Motor Show,plug-in hybrid options.

In November 2009, Volkswagen announced it has hired Karl-Thomas Neumann as its group chief officer for electric traction.hydrogen fuel-cell cars are not a viable option.

As of May 2016Volkswagen Group offers for retails customers nine plug-in electric cars, of which, three are all-electric cars: the Volkswagen e-Up!, e-Golf and Audi R8 e-tron, and six are plug-in hybrids: the Volkswagen Golf GTE, Passat GTE, Audi A3 Sportback e-tron, Q7 e-tron quattro, Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid and Cayenne S E-Hybrid.Volkswagen XL1 (250 units) and the Porsche 918 Spyder (918 units).electrified cars since the start of their respective production is expected to reach about 103,000 by the end of 2016.Volkswagen ID.4 was launched in the U.S. in September 2020.

In order to comply with increasingly strict carbon dioxide emission limits in major markets, the VW Group expects to sell about one million all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles a year worldwide by 2025. The Group plans to expand its plug-in range with 20 new pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars, including two cars to compete with Tesla, Inc., the Porsche Mission E all-electric car and the Audi e-tron quattro, which is expected to become the brand"s first mass-production electric vehicle. According to Thomas Ulbrich, VW brand production chief, the carmaker has the capacity to build as many as 75,000 battery-electric and plug-in hybrids a year if demand rises. Volkswagen announced in October 2015 that "it will develop a modular architecture for battery-electric cars, called the MEB. The standardised system will be designed for all body structures and vehicle types and will allow the company to build emotionally appealing EVs with a range of up to 310 mi (500 km)."

Volkswagen was named the fourth most influential car of the 20th century in the 1999 Car of the Century competition, for its Volkswagen Type 1 "Beetle" model. It trailed only the Ford Model T, BMC Mini, and Citroën DS.

Volkswagen has produced five winners of the United States Motor Trend Car of the Year award – the original Car of the Year designation, which began in 1949.

In 1963, Formula Vee circuit racing, with cars built from easily available Beetle parts, started in the United States. It quickly spread to Europe and other parts of the world. It proved very popular as a low-cost route into formula racing.

In 1981, now based in Hanover, VW took a new direction into rallying, with the launch of the first-generation Golf, and Sweden"s Per Eklund, Frenchman Jean-Luc Thérier, and the Finn Pentti Airikkala. The final chapters in Volkswagen Racing UK"s rallying story were the "one-make" Castrol Polo Challenge, and the Polo GTI "Super 1600" in 2001.

Finland: In 2002, VW won the Finnish Rally Championship in a7/(F2), with a Golf Mk4 KitCar, with Mikko Hirvonen. In 1999 and 2000, VW won the Finnish Rally Championship in a7/(F2) with a Golf Mk3 KitCar. In 2000, 2001 and 2002, VW won the Finnish Racing Championship in Sport 2000 with a Golf Mk4.

Tooze notes: "Even if the war had not intervened, developments up to 1939 made clear that the entire conception of the "people"s car" was a disastrous flop." Tooze (2006) p.156.

"Economic Superpower: Chinese Expansion Has Germany on the Defensive". Spiegel Online. 24 May 2018. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.

Miller, Elan (13 September 2009). "Was Hitler"s Beetle designed by a Jew?". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.

"Volkswagen Faces Suit Over Jewish Slave Labor". The New York Times. 13 June 1998. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2011.

Wilkins, Gordon (December 1972). "Volkswagenwerk plans new cars and engines". CAR. Vol. 16, no. 11. Cape Town, South Africa: Ramsay, Son & Parker (Pty) Ltd. p. 11.

"Fuel Economy of New Diesel Cars". Fueleconomy.gov. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2012. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2012.

By Charlie Osborne, ZDNet. "Volkswagen launches new cybersecurity firm to tackle car security Archived 16 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine." 15 September 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.

Silvestro, Brian; Perkins, Chris (13 September 2018). "Volkswagen Is Cancelling the Beetle in 2019". Road & Track. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.

McGee, Patrick (11 January 2019). "German carmaker Volkswagen ends 2018 with record group sales". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 13 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019.(subscription required)

World Intellectual Property Organization (2020). World Intellectual Property Indicators 2020. www.wipo.int. World IP Indicators (WIPI). World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). doi:10.34667/tind.42184. ISBN 9789280532012. Retrieved 26 August 2021.

"Volkswagen to take a 42.0 percent stake in Porsche AG". Taume News. 14 August 2009. Archived from the original on 18 August 2009. Retrieved 22 January 2009.

"Volkswagen to stop making gas-only cars for Brazil". Automotive News. 23 March 2006. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2008.

"Volkswagen lança Golf Total Flex 1.6" (in Portuguese). ParanaOnline. 30 March 2006. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2008.

"VW completa 55 anos como maior montadora do País" (in Portuguese). Norpave VW. 25 March 2008. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2009.

"Volkswagen atinge 2 milhões de carros Flex produzidos no Brasil" (in Portuguese). Noticias Automotivas. 24 March 2009. Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2009.

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Germis, Carsten (18 October 2016). "Osterloh besteht auf Bau einer Batteriefabrik". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.

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Walton, Jeremy (January 1977). "Lola Super Vee". MotorSport Magazine. 18-20 Rosemont Road, London NW3: MotorSport Archive. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2019. SuperVee, which amounted to building a much more recognisable racing car, without the inclusion of so many standard VW parts, had its first Championship year in 1971, both America and Europe organising lucrative series with VW backing.link)

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These protections apply whether the religious beliefs or practices in question are common  or non-traditional, and regardless of whether they are recognized by any organized religion.[7]  The test under Title VII’s definition of religion is whether the beliefs are, in the individual’s “own scheme of things, religious.”[8]  Belief in God or gods is not necessary; nontheistic beliefs can also be religious for purposes of the Title VII exemption as long as they “‘occupy in the life of that individual “a place parallel to that filled by . . . God” in traditionally religious persons.’”[9]  The non-discrimination provisions of the statute also protect employees who do not possess religious beliefs or engage in religious practices.[10]  EEOC, as a federal government enforcement agency, and its staff, like all governmental entities, carries out its mission neutrally and without any hostility to any religion or related observances, practices, and beliefs, or lack thereof.[11]

The number of religious discrimination charges filed with EEOC has increased significantly from fiscal years 1997 to 2019, although the total number of such charges remains relatively small compared to charges filed on other bases.[12]  Many employers seek legal guidance in managing equal employment opportunity (“EEO”) issues that arise from religious diversity as well as the demands of the modern American workplace.  This document is designed to be a practical resource for employers, employees, practitioners, and EEOC enforcement staff on Title VII’s prohibition against religious discrimination.  It explains the variety of issues  considered in workplace-related religious discrimination claims, discusses typical scenarios that may arise, and provides guidance to employers on how to balance the rights of individuals in an environment that includes people of varying religious faiths, or no faith.[13] However, this document does not have the force and effect of law and is not meant to bind the public in any way.  It is intended to provide clarity to the public on existing requirements under the law and how the Commission will analyze these matters in performing its duties.

Title VII prohibits covered employers, employment agencies, and unions[14] from engaging in disparate treatment and from maintaining policies or practices that result in unjustified disparate impact based on religion.  Historically, courts and the Commission characterized denial of accommodation as a separate cause of action.[15]  In EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores, Inc., the Supreme Court stated that there are only two causes of action under Title VII:  “disparate treatment” (or “intentional discrimination”) and “disparate impact.”[16]  It treated a claim based on a failure to accommodate a religious belief, observance, or practice (absent undue hardship) as a form of disparate treatment.[17]  The Commission recognizes that harassment and denial of religious accommodation are typically forms of disparate treatment in the terms and conditions of employment.  Different types of fact patterns may arise in relation to Title VII religious discrimination, including:

Title VII defines “religion” to include “all aspects of religious observance and practice as well as belief,” not just practices that are mandated or prohibited by a tenet of the individual’s faith.[18]  Religion includes not only traditional, organized religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism, but also religious beliefs that are new, uncommon, not part of a formal church or sect, only subscribed to by a small number of people, or that seem illogical or unreasonable to others.[19]  Further, a person’s religious beliefs “need not be confined in either source or content to traditional or parochial concepts of religion.”[20]  A belief is “religious” for Title VII purposes if it is “religious” in the person’s “own scheme of things,” i.e., it is a “sincere and meaningful” belief that “occupies a place in the life of its possessor parallel to that filled by . . . God.”[21]  The Supreme Court has made it clear that it is not a court’s role to determine the reasonableness of an individual’s religious beliefs, and that “religious beliefs need not be acceptable, logical, consistent, or comprehensible to others in order to merit First Amendment protection.”[22]  An employee’s belief, observance, or practice can be “religious” under Title VII even if the employee is affiliated with a religious group that does not espouse or recognize that individual’s belief, observance, or practice, or if few – or no – other people adhere to it.[23]

A Catholic employee requests a schedule change so that he can attend a church service on Good Friday.  A Muslim employee requests an exception to the company’s dress and grooming code allowing her to wear her headscarf, or a Hindu employee requests an exception allowing her to wear her bindi (religious forehead marking).  An employee asks to be excused from the religious invocation offered at the beginning of staff meetings because he objects on religious grounds or does not ascribe to the religious sentiments expressed.  An adherent to Native American spiritual beliefs seeks unpaid leave to attend a ritual ceremony.  An employee who identifies as Christian but is not affiliated with a particular sect or denomination requests accommodation of his religious belief that working on his Sabbath is prohibited.  Each of these requests relates to a “religious” belief, observance, or practice within the meaning of Title VII.  The question of whether the employer is required to grant these requests is discussed in the section below addressing religious accommodation.

Morgan asks for time off on October 31 to attend the “Samhain Sabbat,” the New Year observance of Wicca, her religion.  Her supervisor refuses, saying that Wicca is not a “real” religion but an “illogical conglomeration” of “various aspects of the occult, such as faith healing, self‑hypnosis, tarot card reading, and spell casting, which are not religious practices.”  The supervisor’s refusal to accommodate her on the ground that he believes her religion is illogical or not a “real religion” violates Title VII unless the employer can show her request would impose an undue hardship.  The law applies to religious beliefs even though others may find them “incorrect” or “incomprehensible.”[35]

Like the religious nature of a belief, observance, or practice, the sincerity of an employee’s stated religious belief is usually not in dispute and is “generally presumed or easily established.”[40]  Further, the Commission and courts “are not and should not be in the business of deciding whether a person holds religious beliefs for the ‘proper’ reasons.  We thus restrict our inquiry to whether or not the religious belief system is sincerely held; we do not review the motives or reasons for holding the belief in the first place.”[41]  The individual’s sincerity in espousing a religious observance or practice is “largely a matter of individual credibility.”[42]  Moreover, “a sincere religious believer doesn’t forfeit his religious rights merely because he is not scrupulous in his observance,”[43] although “[e]vidence tending to show that an employee acted in a manner inconsistent with his professed religious belief is, of course, relevant to the factfinder’s evaluation of sincerity.”[44]  Factors that – either alone or in combination – might undermine an employee’s credibility include:  whether the employee has behaved in a manner markedly inconsistent with the professed belief;[45] whether the accommodation sought is a particularly desirable benefit that is likely to be sought for secular reasons;[46] whether the timing of the request renders it suspect (e.g., it follows an earlier request by the employee for the same benefit for secular reasons);[47] and whether the employer otherwise has reason to believe the accommodation is not sought for religious reasons.

Overview:  Title VII coverage rules apply to all religious discrimination claims under the statute.  However, specially defined “religious organizations” and “religious educational institutions” are exempt from certain religious discrimination provisions, and the ministerial exception bars EEO claims by employees of religious institutions who perform vital religious duties at the core of the mission of the religious institution.

Title VII’s prohibitions apply to employers, employment agencies, and unions,[53] subject to the statute’s coverage.[54]  Those covered entities must carry out their activities in a nondiscriminatory manner and provide reasonable accommodation unless doing so would impose an undue hardship.[55]  Unions also can be liable if they knowingly acquiesce in employment discrimination against their members, join or tolerate employers’ discriminatory practices, or discriminatorily refuse to represent employees’ interests, and employment agencies can be liable for participating in the client-employer’s discrimination.[56]

Where the religious organization exemption is asserted by a respondent employer, the Commission will consider the facts on a case-by-case basis; no one factor is dispositive in determining if a covered entity is a religious organization under Title VII’s exemption.

Scope of Religious Organization Exemption.  Section 702(a) states, “[t]his subchapter shall not apply to … a religious corporation, association, educational institution, or society . . . with respect to the employment of individuals of a particular religion to perform work connected with the carrying on . . . of its activities.”[64]  Religious organizations are subject to the Title VII prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin (as well as the anti-discrimination provisions of the other EEO laws such as the ADEA, ADA, and GINA), and may not engage in related retaliation.[65]  However, sections 702(a) and 703(e)(2)[66] allow a qualifying religious organization to assert as a defense to a Title VII claim of discrimination or retaliation that it made the challenged employment decision on the basis of religion.[67]  The definition of “religion” found in section 701(j) is applicable to the use of the term in sections 702(a) and 703(e)(2), although the provision of the definition regarding reasonable accommodations is not relevant.[68]

In Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC,[81] the Supreme Court “unanimously recognized that the Religion Clauses [of the First Amendment] foreclose certain employment-discrimination claims brought against religious organizations.”[82]  The Court held that the First Amendment safeguards the right of a religious organization, free from interference from civil authorities, to select those who will “personify its beliefs,” “shape its  own faith and mission,” or “minister to the faithful.”[83]  This rule is known as the “ministerial exception,” apparently because “the individuals involved in pioneering cases were described as ‘ministers,’”[84] but as discussed below, the exception is not limited to “ministers” or members of the clergy.  The rule provides “an affirmative defense to an otherwise cognizable claim, not a jurisdictional bar.”[85]

The exception applies to discrimination claims involving selection, supervision, and removal against a religious institution by employees who “play certain key roles.” [86]  “The constitutional foundation” of the Court’s holding in Hosanna-Tabor was “the general principle of church autonomy.”[87]  “Among other things, the Religion Clauses protect the right of churches and other religious institutions to decide matters ‘of faith and d