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Old 06-14-2008, 05:16 PM   #7 (permalink)
SuperTrooper
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Auburn, NH
Posts: 451

Wicked Wanda - '99 VW Beetle GLS
90 day: 29.59 mpg (US)

Green Monster - '99 Ford Explorer Sport
90 day: 16.73 mpg (US)

Dad's Taxi - '99 Honda Odyssey EX
90 day: 24.23 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by aerohead View Post
Oh they know! The VW California design branch who penned the New Beetle were going for the "look".They sold headquarters on the design because it was free-money for VW.The "shared-platform" from the Golf,and all the expensive hardware already engineered and in production meant that the new bug could be brought to market for a song.It was never about aero,although VW was pleased that they could break below Cd 0.4 (as opposed to the old Cd 0.458) with the new body.And Ernie may have knowledge of the "Herrod-Helper" of which his wing design borrows from,sold in the 1970s for Beattles,to help with the oil crisis.If VW wanted to do the world a favor,they'd bring out a modern version of the Karmann-Ghia,which could also be" bolted "onto the Golf platform.Mileage would go up 46-percent just from the bodywork alone.
They already did that. It's called the Audi TT. If you recall, they had to add an automatic deploying spoiler to stop the things from crashing on the Autobahn. Then they did the same thing with the Turbo New Beetles.
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