New Beetle

[MikeMc]

But, the big question is this: Will guys buy this car, or is it already tainted by Oprah?

The reality is that no dude is gonna cross-shop this Vee-Dub with a Chevy Camaro, Dodge Challenger, or Ford Mustang. But plenty of men purchase the equally cute Mazda Miata and Mini Cooper, each of which have genuine performance credentials among enthusiasts who understand that small cars are more fun than big ones. As long as the New Beetle Sport drives like a GTI with a more vivid personality, and as long as the TDI Clean Diesel can woo green-minded guys who want great gas mileage packaged in something that doesn’t look like a Toyota Prius, Volkswagen (read all Volkswagen articles) should successfully expand the car’s buyer demographic. But with women influencing at least 75 percent of all new car sales in the U.S., maybe it just doesn’t matter.

Edited June 25, 2011 by MIKE THE MANIAC

[george 53]

WAt, so they smooshed it a little. Still looks like a bug to me. I'd by a volkswahen, their quality id pretty good from what i'm told. That or a BMW are the only foriegn cars i'd think of buyin. too much an ol school guy. I've driven american all my life, 'cept for when i traded for a 77 super beetle. Good car, but the heater didn't work caz the floor rusted thru!

[Darin Bastedo]

Meh. I liked the first gen new beetle but this simply doesn't have the same appeal to me. so is this the "New New Beetle", The Newer Beetle" or "The Latest Beetle"?

[62rebel]

following their model succession, they logically ought to have called it the Super Beetle, since the Super was the first MAJOR revision of the type 1....

it's not just "smooshed". it has true hardtop configuration, not a sedan, the windshield is flatter, less "bubble-car" looking, and the haunches look more aggressive in profile than the girly-car NB it replaces.

we're looking forward to seeing them in the metal soon...... they'll have plenty of bodykit additions to doll them up, i'm sure. the NB had them from the git-go.

[Harry P.]

I think it's a nice progression from the previous design. Still looks like a Beetle, but a little more aggressive.

[Rob Hall]

It's a nice evolution. I'd still like to see the new Scirocco in the US, though.

Edited June 25, 2011 by Rob Hall

[The Creative Explorer]

I find the New Beetle

Exactly; Butt-Ugly!

[Danno]

Meh. I liked the first gen new beetle but this simply doesn't have the same appeal to me. so is this the "New New Beetle", The Newer Beetle" or "The Latest Beetle"?

It's officially called "The 21st Century Beetle."

[Zoom Zoom]

The first "new" Beetle is too cute and too compromised. Not very good performance credentials. Lives up to the "girl car" image. We never got the very cool RSi in the US.

The newest one looks much more aggressive; it emulates the proportions of a vintage Porsche 356 in it's roofline, it should be better at interior space utilization, and will undoubtedly be a far better car overall.

Will it matter? I wouldn't consider buying the old "new" Beetle, mostly because of terrible reputation for quality/reliability (I like GTI's but again don't trust quality), but also because of the terrible space utilization (the vintage Beetle you felt like your knuckles were scraping the windscreen when steering, the new one felt like the windshield was a mile up front and nearly impossible to clean). Style over substance...not good. If the new ones get a good reputation for quality/reliability and can live up to substance w/style, I think it would be a cool car to own. No way I'd be an early adopter. Time will tell, but the new car should breathe some life into the car and be somewhat more accepted by male buyers

[Jon Cole]

This pre-production has already been modded in RS trim; but due to its non-certification it cannot be legally driven on public roads. Hope they do not include the flower vase, that would certainly help diminish the 'girly' image the previous model (alledgedly) had.

[Harry P.]

Hope they do not include the flower vase, that would certainly help diminish the 'girly' image the previous model (alledgedly) had.

The flower vase (which was also a feature of the first Beetles way back when) is history.

[Chuck Most]

Sorry... just not seeing anything at all 'agressive' about the new design. I mean, look at hose LED 'halos' around the headlamps, and that smiley face bumper. I think it's even girlier looking than the current New Beetle, which was a girly car to begin with! And from the side, it looks like a tall, stubby Porsche 911. I thought they were going to quit making these, anyway.

[diymirage]

rear end looks great, side profile definalty looks like a porsche (specially in the black/orange pre production model)

but the front still looks too much like a girly beetle

(i guess its the car version of a butterface)

all things considered its much more of a car then the outgoing model...and maybe...just maybe a straight guy could buy this car

[Aaronw]

I don't see the Beetle as any more girly than the Miata or new Mini, none of them really channel their inner longshoreman or steel worker.

[Darin Bastedo]

This pre-production has already been modded in RS trim; but due to its non-certification it cannot be legally driven on public roads. Hope they do not include the flower vase, that would certainly help diminish the 'girly' image the previous model (alledgedly) had.

Hey Jon, back in the day didn't you do a model similar to this one?

[Jeff Johnston]

I'd drive one. but if I were shopping for a car, I'd definitely not make it out of the Chevy dealer without the keys to a new Camaro. So for me the question is moot

[Foxer]

Is there somewhere online I could go for the definition of a "girly car". I suspect, at least, that a manly car is a box like all those old muscle cars and anything with a sensuous curve is a girly car?

My wife has an V6 Audi Q5 with all the S stuff and my daughter has an old Porsche. What makes these girly cars?

I like the look of latest Beetle more than the original, but I haven't seen one for real yet.

[roadhawg]

Well, I'm an old musclecar kinda guy, but I like it! And you say it doesn't have the flower holder? Wow, now I want one. I could actually get a discount through the company I work for, but it doesn't matter....I can't afford a new car anyway.

[Lownslow]

i would drive the new new beetle provided it doesnt get tainted by teen media or at least have a sport or turbo version

[diymirage]

i would drive the new new beetle provided it doesnt get tainted by teen media or at least have a sport or turbo version

i used to have a B5.5 passat with the iconic 1.8T engine in it

i had a company in maryland reprogram the ecu so that instead of 7 pounds of boost it would spike at 17 and hold 15 pounds all day long

that car was a blast to drive, everytime it hit 2700 RPM it felt like being rearended by a semi truck

was a great sleeper, it looks like a upclass family car but it ran like a sleeper

great for putting hondas in thier place

now, if you could put that in the beetle it would definatly make it interesting

[Chuck Most]

Is there somewhere online I could go for the definition of a "girly car". I suspect, at least, that a manly car is a box like all those old muscle cars and anything with a sensuous curve is a girly car?

Can't be defined... you just know it when you see it.

Girly...

NOT girly...

[tabsscale1]

Can't be defined... you just know it when you see it.

Girly...

NOT girly...

That silver thing still looks like a girly car to me!! Don't know why anybody would want rither cart both are kust plain ugly!

[Foxer]

I think you may have shut me up, Chuck.

[Harry P.]

I think you may have shut me up, Chuck.

Ha ha! He said upchuck...

That Suzuki is definitely a girly car (in fact it would also make the perfect clown car), but that other car (Mazda?) is just plain ugly!

[Jon Cole]

Hey Jon, back in the day didn't you do a model similar to this one?

That I did, Darin.