Volkswagen personnel at the LA Auto Show is intently studying reactions to a Beetle with possibly 270 hp. After all, it was public reaction at the 1994 NAIAS that brought the New Beetle to life. Originally, it was meant as a lark, but enthusiasts pounded the table until the car was made. It suffered the fate of cars powered by enthusiasts: An initial pop, then declining numbers. On display in LA is what they call the “Beetle R Concept.”
Careful: This is NOT the 2012 Beetle Turbo as tested by Jack Baruth. If they ever build the Rrrrrr model (and the ooohs and aaahs in LAhhhhh will influence that), it will come with an impressive added oomph. Nothing is known about the motorization of the brawny bug, but Volkswagen’s press department offers-up enough material for educated guesses:
“At Volkswagen, the letter ‘R’ as an added identifier promises top-notch performance. Currently, this claim is being validated with turbo pressure by the Golf R with 199 kW / 270 PS of power and the Scirocco R (currently only in Europe) with 195 kW / 265 PS. As an ‘R’, the Beetle could demonstrate a performance potential similar to that of the Golf R and Scirocco R.”
Well duh, all three are based on the same platform. All it needed were extra air intakes for the blower and a rear spoiler that is “significantly larger than the one on Beetle production models with up to 200 PS in power” to generate the required “ideal downforce values.”
270? Why not 325, Volkswagen?
Brrrrring it!
VW just needs to see how the public consumes the Golf R and the Beetle Turbo before making the jump. 4 turbo small cars at once on US lots might be overkill. unless the sales numbers are there.
Another attempt to make the new Beetle more manly. Sorry but my manhood requires me to haul the kids and stuff around and so would rather have a nice hot hatchback.
So you don’t consider the Beetle a hatchback?
Agree with fredtal. VW is trying to make the Beetle the everyone car again, but seriously, no man can forget the flower vase on the dash and the bugs with the stupid flower appliques on the head/tail lights. It’s the US equivalent of the Hairdresser car.
For the love of everything holy, why can’t the US have the Scirocco R, instead of a hopped up, chick car?
The new Beetle’s styling is looking more and more to me like a mashup of a Porsche 356 and late 60s 911 with Beetle fenders grafted on. But I like it. Now if VW can beef up their reliability a bit… I wouldn’t be averse to owning one.
Yep… the new Beetle has been panned by every reliability survey in existence… kinda ironic, since the original Beetle was probably one of the MOST reliable vehicles ever made!
270HP is nice… but how many flower holders does it have?
At this rate, they’ll be replacing the flower vase with a nitrous kit.
“…reactions to a Beetle with possibly 270 hp.”
My reaction: I giggled.
I’ve always appreciated the charm of turbocharged Beetles, both New and newer.Sadly, if the regular Turbo car is unavailable in brown with the retro-styled wheels, I assume we can forget about this one. White’ll do.
I thought at first glance (from a well-placed shadow) that it had an inboard front signal, like the old Turbo S did – would’ve been a neat, albeit pointless, homage.
I really enjoyed driving a Beetle Turbo DSG. I’d imagine an R would be even more fun.
I think if it didn’t have round headlights and weren’t a VW Beetle, we’d all be talking about how muscular this car looks and how it hearkens back classic, pre war design. But it’s a Beetle, so we’ll make flower holder jokes instead.
Which war are you referring to? Because that’s a can of worms for this company if ever there was one.
Tach in the middle, tiny 300km/h speedo to the left. Interesting.
That’s my favorite part of this car.
I do like the new Beetle, but I’d prefer the base model with the TDI when it comes available – preferably in yellow, that pale blue, or brown. Fits the ethos of the original better. Hopefully they’ll bring back Harvest Moon Beige.
This will be AWD? 270 HP is about 50 too much for a FWD small car.
It’s not a Beetle– it’s a high-roof TT for those of us who sit tall in the saddle!
Put 270HP into the rear-end of a lightweight, bare-bones Rear Engined VW and its nothing but fun.
Put it in the new New Beetle with a ton of weight and an FF set-up, you still get a car thats forgotten its frugal basic roots, drives like a tank, and cannot achieve a simple 30mpg.
The Beetle was never meant to be a performer, nor play your mp3s, it was meant to be simple and to get you around but unfortunately that doesn’t seem to sell anymore.
One Labor Day @ Lime Rock, I saw an olde bug sand rail with a watercooled I 4 hanging off the trans axle It was street legal with NY plates on it. Sort of a poor man’s Ariel Atom.
Tres butch!