The original VW Beetle is one of my favourite cars. It might not have huge horsepower figures or a sleek, sloping roofline but overall in my eyes, the car is nice to look at; something that is cool to drive. When Volkswagen released the New Beetle, I had mixed feelings about it. But eventually I had to accept it as time always bring about changes.
Although Volkswagen released a powerful version of the New Beetle equipped with the 3.2 litre VR6 engine, the local dealers did not bring it in. One of the reasons I heard on why it didn’t land on our shores is because it is only available in left hand drive.
I don’t know how true is that but anyway, when I saw the new generation Beetle I was captivated by the retro styling. Now my love for the car has increased even more when Volkswagen released the Beetle Turbo.
The first thing I noticed about the new generation Beetle is that is looks significantly longer and wider than its predecessor. From the front, the round headlights and long grille on the front bumper gives the car a smiling appearance. The front plunging bonnet adopts the similar styled bonnets of the previous two generations.
At the rear, a spoiler and dual exhausts gives the car a sporty presence. Red callipers and 18 inch wheels cover all four corners of the car’s big and flared wheel arcs. Interior wise, VW has fixed a flat-bottomed steering wheel, bolstered seats and a large speedometer which adds towards the car’s performance theme. The DSG-equipped version has buttons on the back of the steering wheel which is probably used for gear shifts.
The Beetle Turbo uses a 2.0 litre turbocharged engine, delivering 200bhp at 5100 rpm and a torque of 280Nm at 1700rpm. The car has a curb weight of 1380kg. Not bad for a car with that amount of weight.
The new generation Beetle retains its retro styling and with additional power, it will attract those who prefer to drive their Bug really fast. But I feel that this won’t be the last and only performance sub-model of the Beetle as Volkswagen previously had shown us the Beetle R Concept and I hope that they are serious in releasing a much more powerful version of the car.
Photo credit: Auto Blog
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