Tas,
You are correct on the 99.5 TDI info. I was just being lazy on that little VW TDI detail, but that was actually a mid year introduction. Insurance companies don't seem to care though.
It's just a little VW marketing trick like building 2006 TDI's way past the normal model year cutoff date to avoid complying with the 2007 emissions laws. I understand that both VW hybrid technology and VW diesels will arrive by late '09 as 2010 models. VW also has a turbocharged & supercharged, direct fuel injected gas engine lurking about out there. It has the power of a six with the economy of a three. It electrically shuts off the supercharger when turbo boost builds. Kinda reminds me of Mad Max! I'm not sure if it ever made it here to the US.
I have a DC Motor and a small regenerative air compressor to experiment with some day on my Metro 3-cyl.
THX!
Cowspots