[Frank Lee]

Here is why the original Beetle succeeded:

1) Value- you got what you paid for, and then some. You didn't need a 5-year note to afford it.
2) Economy- cheap on gas, cheap parts, cheap repairs, cheap everything.
3) Simplicity- you don't need a PhD, or special tools from Germany to work on it.
4) Versatility- you can go down the highway, you can go off-road without 4x4.
5) Durability- it wasn't a rotted out pile of poo quite as quickly as everything else. It could take a hit. It could take a roll. It could take off-roading and beg for more.
6) Longevity- the same parts would fit models many years apart. Few parts + parts interchangeability = ease of stocking parts = plethora of suppliers in addition to OEM to choose from = every corner store probably had the parts you need. (I recall buying a cap, rotor, and ignition coil for my Bug at KMart on a Sunday evening when I was 800 miles from home).
7) Design that transcends trends and fads- the 70 year-old version is STILL cooler than the new one- why? Because it's totally honest.

I don't see the new one possessing ANY of these traits. This is because executives and designers don't know what the real world is like anymore.