2012 Beetle
 

2012 Volkswagen Beetle Makes World Debut

VW like the American manufacturers is making a retromodern car.
This is not the first time VW has tried this.

The "new beetle" that debuted in 1998 certainly captured the simple design essence of the original. You could tell that it was supposed to be a Beetle. However its bodylines...lets just say that the new beetle mostly appealed to teenage girls, retirees and soccer moms who only had one kid left at home so they no longer needed a mini van.

The '98 new beetle had a very narrow demographic.

The "NEW" 2012 Beetle looks amazing. It has a design that sets it apart from anything else on the road yet walks that fine design line that keeps it from being mainstream boring but not so quirky that it only appeals to a few. Masculine enough that a 29 year old guy like myself really likes it but not so much so that women will still swoon over it.

When I first saw the photos of the white car I kind of thought that it looked like a small Porsche hatchback.

I just got called into work so I will add more to this tonight once I get home.:)

Sorry this seemed like the best place for this so moderators if you think its a better fit elsewhere please feel free to move it.

Looks like the audi coupe.

Without a flower vase on the dash it will lose the chick-status...

Hope the cd numbers are better.

I get the impression that the fuel economy improvements come primarily from aero improvements.

I'd like to see them design a rear end inspired by the Porsche 959. I bet it would result in a much sexier looking car with much better aero.

http://www.coches-es.com/fotos/marca...elos/959-3.jpg

The Porsche managed a cd of 0.31 despite the Saab 900 windshield and the body going in deep between the wheels.

The new version looks a lot less girly than before, definitely a good thing..

I think it looks pretty cool...compared to the 1998 "new" beetle anyway. We probably won't be jumping on one anytime soon, but its good to see VW trying new things. Hopefully this car has alot better CD and mpg then the last batch of beetles.

Chopped roof, lower apparent frontal area, good things. Gaudy 19" wheels and hernia-hammer tires, really?

Don't like it.
Looks like a smashed bug.

Aerodynamics are still a mess - turn it around, little doubt it'll be better !

Engine choices are barf.

It's still a VW which means it's still an average product with premium prices for acquisition, parts, and service, and you will be paying them because a) they are in the shop a lot and b) there's a lot of specialty stuff on them that makes it harder to go to independent shops with.

As for the new styling, yesterday I was reading about it and the designer said how he looked to the original beetle for inspiration, not the '98 New Beetle... yeah, right. :rolleyes: Just like the designer for the 350Z said he didn't look at other sports cars. Good gawd they must think we're dumb. :mad:

As far as the redesign, I try to not pass judgement on photos alone as I've learned that I can have quite a different impression of something in real life. That said, I don't find it any more appealing than the last version... yet.

Looks better than the previous generation Beetle. I guess it's ok, but I've just never been a fan of the VW Beetle and for the money I'm I'm sure you could find something much more economical.

Agreed. I still like my "New" Beetle.

Please.

A TDI is all you need to get 50+mpg.

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.

I never got the appeal of the new beetles either, and apparently everyone agreed with me since the only ones I saw were being driven by ultra hip school kids.

...first thing my wife said when she saw it on TV was: "...well, it's sorta cute, but it gets lousey gas milage!.."

BrianAbington -

It looks "ok" for what it is, but I would nix the rear taillights for something that is closer to one of the original rear taillight designs.

I agree with Frank that it's not a "real" Beetle. It's a nostalgia-retro machine.

CarloSW2

And while that is the best option, what happened to the 1.8T gasser?

It's a 2.0 liter engine, just like the TDI went from 1.9 liters to 2.0. More is better, right?

Smaller displacement = less consumed at idle. But, if it's got idle stop, I guess that won't be an issue.

Minus the wheels it doesn't look like something a 16-year old cheerleader would drive. I like the masculine feel to it (although I'd still rather have an original bug).

I remember reading an article about the nissan spec-V when that first came out because everybody was surprised that they decided on a 2.5L engine for the car up from the 2L in the old SE-R. They said that the extra .5 of displacement helps with power but they could also lower the compression a bit to help with emissions issues.

the 2L may be a similar thing were they dropped compression a bit...or it may be for just that last bit more power and remapping the computer that helps with economy with out making it slower.

the new new beetle looks just like the old new beetle.

Not impressed. First car I learned to drive was a 1970 Beetle and it was a part of the family. I loved that car.

This car, like the New Beetle before it, is not worthy to have the nameplate.

If they came with rear drive, flat four powered and affordable, with flat four turbo gas and diesel options ( hey Subaru has a flat four turbodiesel so it can't be that hard ) with styling that is closer to the original Beetle, it would sell out immediately. Why VAG could not look at the BMW Mini and the soon to be released Fiat 500 and beat them at their own game, I'll never know.

Send it back.

...I can remember back in 1964-65, up in Argentia, Newfoundland, Canada, where the VW prices paralleled their engine sizes, ie:

1100 cc = $1,100
1300 cc = $1,300
1500 cc = $1,500

...maybe it was simply a marketing coincidence, but I've remembered those prices ever since then.

What has happened to VW?!!! Yeeesh, it's almost as if they have stopped trying to build things for regular people. OK, that's it. Let's get a group of ecomodders together, go to Germany and crack some heads!:thumbup::p

VW mgmt has forgotten how they got to where they are; they've even forgotten what People's Car means.

And as is typical of just about all business these days, upper mgmt, making 400x more than the rest of the employees for basically partying all day, is completely divorced from the reality that is their customers'. They think that by hiring someone to conduct retarded focus groups and surveys, they then know the customer.

If they were paid $40,000/year, they really would know the customer. :rolleyes:

Good call. Their focus groups amount to little other than crappy interiors, that crayon smell and high price tags.

Although, I will say this: their TDIs are very good on gas. Don't believe me? look at my numbers.

I agree, it looks like a slightly taller Audi TT coupe.
not that its a bad thing, I think it look much better than the 2k era model by far.

without a doubt, the sexiest Porsche ever made (IMHO)

I share your opinion. :thumbup: