Reading some auto rag today (spent some quality time on the crapper) and saw some pics of the new New Beetle (2nd gen) and must say, it looked good. The tires filled the wheel wells and the top looked a bit chopped, but what actually got me excited was the new, new New Beetle, the 3rd gen. They are looking at putting a boxter 4 from Porsche in it, mid engine RWD. Sounds like it could be sweet.
The problem is, the electronics will crap out worse than an old Triumph.
-
Feb. 4, 2010 11:47 a.m. DrBoost Dork
-
Feb. 4, 2010 11:51 a.m. maroon92 UberDork
Porsche doesn't make a Boxer 4....I think Subaru is the only company that still does...
the boxSter has a flat 6...
a flat 4 new beetle would be fun though...especially if mid engined.
-
Feb. 4, 2010 11:54 a.m. ReverendDexter Dork
Shouldn't a Beetle be rear-engined?
Wouldn't a mid-engined VW be a 914?
And where's the link to some pics so we can all see this thing?
-
Feb. 4, 2010 12:02 p.m. DrBoost Dork
Sorry, here's a pic
Notice the Hoffmiester Kink? Looks better. Porsche is developing a flat 4 for an entry level Boxter and Cayman. Been working on it for a while. -
Feb. 4, 2010 12:02 p.m. bludroptop Dork
ReverendDexter wrote:
And where's the link to some pics so we can all see this thing?
I thought the Thing was the one that looked like a German Army Jeep.
You're confusing me.
-
Feb. 4, 2010 12:23 p.m. integraguy HalfDork
Incredibly, VW was considering "killing off" the Beetle a few years ago.
As for the 4 cylinder Porsche, I wouldn't hold my breath on that one. Yes, Porsche is said to be working on an "entry level" car (funny, they said the same thing before the Boxster appeared) that will use many of the components developed for a new roadster VW is working on...but even that car is a question mark, and not necessarily headed to the U.S. After all, we don't get the newest Scirroco...yet?
-
Feb. 4, 2010 12:24 p.m. stuart in mn SuperDork
It has a face like a Wallace and Gromit cartoon.
-
Feb. 4, 2010 12:33 p.m. petegossett SuperDork
stuart in mn wrote:
It has a face like a Wallace and Gromit cartoon.
+1 ...or the Chevron commercials with the talking cars.
-
Feb. 4, 2010 12:55 p.m. Keith PowerDork
The Beetle sells well in the US, but not anywhere else from what I understand. Europeans look at it and say "the Golf has more interior room, is the same car and costs less money - umm, why?" So I can see how VW would consider dropping it.
How many other cars go from rear engine to front engine to mid engine in three generations? Making the generous assumption that the old Beetle and the, umm, now-old New Beetle were related in any way.
-
Feb. 4, 2010 1:17 p.m. mad_machine PowerDork
Keith wrote:
The Beetle sells well in the US, but not anywhere else from what I understand. Europeans look at it and say "the Golf has more interior room, is the same car and costs less money - umm, why?" So I can see how VW would consider dropping it.
well, if they kill it off for the scirocco... I am all for it!
-
Feb. 4, 2010 1:38 p.m. m4ff3w Dork
The front bumper reminds me of the "up!" concept. It was supposed to get a Flat 3, up to 1.2l, in the rear, driving the rear wheels.
-
Feb. 4, 2010 3:36 p.m. skruffy Dork
While a mid engine rear drive beetle would be cool, I doubt the new-New Beetle will be anything but a golf with a different body.
-
Feb. 4, 2010 4:11 p.m. Joe Gearin Associate Publisher
A mid engine, or rear-engine beetle would be something to get excited about. I've always hated the current car as it is clearly function following form. With a rear-mid engine layout maybe they could do something about that 4 ft. deep dashboard.
Now if they could just can the radiator and water pump.......
-
Feb. 4, 2010 4:25 p.m. billy3esq SuperDork
stuart in mn wrote:
It has a face like a Wallace and Gromit cartoon.
It does, now that you mention it, and that's still better than the stupid grin all Mazdas have now. I say that as a Mazda lover and multiple (4) Mazda owner.
-
Feb. 4, 2010 4:42 p.m. Gearheadotaku HalfDork
gen 3 beetle doesn't look too bad. Hope for the flat 4. Wheels are sized nicely, but look awful. Tone down the giant VW badges!
-
Feb. 4, 2010 4:45 p.m. carguy123 SuperDork
GAWD, that bumper is hideous!
It was the elephant in the room and someone had to say it.
-
Feb. 4, 2010 4:46 p.m. John Brown MegaDork
The wheelbase will grow, there will be another variation of the torsion beam axle, it will be a 2.5L Golf under the skin outside of these facts. The VW logo on the front is about the same size as the one on the Tiguan that is staring at me right now. I would expect the wheels to look like the current Golfs.
-
Feb. 4, 2010 7:52 p.m. Datsun1500 Dork
The New Beetle was never meant to be a long term car. VW went in with the understanding that they would sell a bunch to the nostalgia crowd the first 18 months and sales would stall. It was meant to get people in the showroom to buy Passats and Jettas. On that front it was a huge success. It made people think of VW again. The fact that it is still in the lineup is just a bonus.
-
Feb. 5, 2010 5:14 a.m. ValuePack HalfDork
My hopes aren't high. As a recovering ACVW addict, I was painfully excited in the mid '90s when I first saw pics of Concept 1.
Unquestionably a throwback, looks(in hindsight) like it was penned by a giddy German 20 year old art student, but ever so slightly tastful and daring in it's overall design. Not particularly handsome, makes you twitch a bit.
Fast forward to spring '98,and I insisted upon my family making the 30 mile trek to the nearest dealer(I was 15), laying eyes upon a Techno Blue '98.
Neat and all for the time, but a bit disappointing. The upright, slightly uncomfortable nature, pug face and many entertaining prosposed accessories were gone for the sake of safe sales and cash outlay. And that God-forsaken two liter...
All in all, I like this new concept in terms of a replacement for the current Mk4 chassis car, but production cars are rarely ever as edgy or eye catching as the concepts that caught said eye in the first place. Much of the magic is lost to the cost-cutting room floor.
The new car will sell, but I'd love to see a throwback from Vdub with a heaping great dollop of passion that's ACTUALLY GOOD TO DRIVE like Fiat's new 500. Damn it VW, try. The in-house goodies and eye candy from the new Scirocco R exist, can we have a competitor for the Abarth?
-
Feb. 5, 2010 7:18 a.m. Rusnak_322 Reader
The artist rendering of the new new beetle in Automobile Mag looks great. But it looks more 911 then old Bug to me. The pic of a real VW posted by Dr. Boost - no thanks.
-
Feb. 5, 2010 7:31 a.m. DrBoost Dork
Rusnak_322 wrote:
The artist rendering of the new new beetle in Automobile Mag looks great. But it looks more 911 then old Bug to me. The pic of a real VW posted by Dr. Boost - no thanks.
I agree that the pic in Automobile is great and the one I posted isn't as nice, but it's still a whole lot nicer than the current car. I don't really care about the 2nd gen car (the one in automobile and the one posted), it's just a gussied up Golf. But IF the 3rd gen car (2017) get's a mid mounted boxer engine and RWD, that would get my interest.
