Back to the California desert, this time testing the effectiveness of the air conditioning in the Dodge Caliber SRT4 in the Automotive Traveler garage this week. And what did we find as soon as the thermometer hit 120 degrees? Two lightly disguised Volkswagen Golf Plus 2.0 TDIs. (The MK V-based Golf Plus is not sold in the US and according to some reports, has not sold as well, worldwide, as VW originally hoped for.) There's no camo on the tail so they're not hiding anything there but the blocker in the Nissan SUV is doing all he can to stop me from getting a good, clean shot of the front; obviously there's something there they'd prefer I not see.

The gauntlet thus thrown, we had to pull out a few stops, literally and figuratively, in an effort to get a clearer shot of the new front hiding behind the camo. This required staking out a location with an enforced 25 MPH speed limit, thus we were able to grab this shot as the caravan of the Nissan SUV, the two Golf Plus TDIs and the trailing Toyota Camry drove by.

While I was getting this shot, another member of the test team was admiring my Caliber SRT4, snapping a photo of my back plate. (Note that the price of gas at this station in the California high desert is $5.91/$6.17/$6.32 per gallon, diesel is $6.27...something that we all might have to get used to soon. Thankfully the Caliber SRT4's engine runs quite well on 87 octane regular.) Obviously we've lost the element of surprise but quite honestly, if there's a shot we want, rest assured that ultimately we'll get it. All it takes is a bit of patience.

While VW tests non-US market cars in California, given our current preoccupation with downsizing and fuel economy, might VW be considering the Golf Plus as an addition to its 2009/2010 US lineup?

Post script from Rich: To me, the whole "spy photo" thing is something of a game to me, something that as a life-long auto enthusiast as well as a photographer, that I really enjoy doing. I'm not a hunter -- I don't believe that it's fair shooting unarmed animals -- but I imagine that hunting a prey is something like shooting prototypes. As I approach spots that I know the test engineers congregate, there's a sense of anticipation, a real adrenalin rush, which I felt yesterday just as the two VW prototypes pulled in front of me just as I was getting ready to move on to another location.

That being said when I woke up this morning, after spending all day in the desert where the temperature was as high as 126 degrees, then driving home 250 miles last night, I was exhausted. Then I thought that these engineers spend weeks at time in these challenging conditions, that I have a newfound respect of what they endure so our cars are as reliable in all conditions, as humans can make them.

In grabbing these shots I try hard not to actively interfere in their activities as I take a passive approach of waiting, normally at a distance to catch them unaware. After all the cars are cloaked and they are either driving on public roads or are parked at public facilities such as gas stations or rest areas.

It's something of a game of cat and mouse and I try to remember that they are working and that it's not my job to make theirs harder, just to grab a shot that will be viewed by thousands of passionate enthusiasts.

I've always thought, to see the process from the other side, that it would be great to take part as an observer on a test session, and publish the story only when the manufacturer lifts the embargo or otherwise permits its publication. It seems that the British titles do this occasionally -- the best example that I can remember was when evo published a story a few years back on the last-generation Porsche Boxster's final shakedown, which was occuring in California while I was attending the long lead launch event for the Boxster in Austria. So if you're a manufacturer reading this, and want to extend me an invitation, please contact me. It would make a great story.

These and additional higher resolution images of the 2010 Volkswagen Golf Plus 2.0 TDI can be found in the Automotive Traveler image gallery  (Registration required to view or download full-size images.)

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