Speculative sketchiness: The new New Beetle?
When Volkswagen unveiled the New Beetle in 1998, the buzz was considerable. A smitten public got on waiting lists to acquire the early Bugs, and the cars attracted attention wherever they went. It's now 2007, and over the intervening years, the car's retro styling has gotten a bit stale.
German buff mag auto motor und sport has presented sketches of what it believes the next-gen New Beetle might look like. We're rather fond of the cool-looking little three door with RX-8-like wheel flares shown at right. To these eyes, it blends a little Audi A3 with a touch of TT. It'll be very interesting to see if and how VW will evolve the retro-look of the current Beetle, and this wouldn't be a bad way to go at all. Click the picture to see the full image as well as a sketch of a ragtop version over at auto motor und sport.
[Source: auto motor und sport via German Car Blog]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
luke 11:38AM (2/18/2007)
looks more like another civic:(
either way its ugly and should go back to the drawing board
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Michael 12:06PM (2/18/2007)
Why ugly? I like the designs for the coupe version. I don't see any "Beetle" in it apart from the name, but one can't remain stuck in fond memories forever.
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ezbst 12:07PM (2/18/2007)
How about going back all the way and make the Beetles in their original form? They got it right the first time around.
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Johannes Vinke 12:12PM (2/18/2007)
Guys, your text is all messed up, from "GM memorializes Earnhardt with Web site" all the words are weird
Johannes
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Steveboss 12:48PM (2/18/2007)
May we please just have a Scirocco or Corrado that is stout and agressive looking. Is a 15 year old kid who just watched 2fast 2furious designing VWs these days? Nothing MK5 seems terribly inspired. If not, they should make Neon ground effects OEM.
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asurroca 10:47AM (3/01/2007)
What the hell is that? I know one thing it is not, and that is a Beetle.
Volkswagen wants to go with a smaller, less expensive platform for the next-gen Beetle, but this sketch looks decidedly sporty and up-market. the coupe sketch shares more in common with the Scirocco/Corrado than the Beetle.
I recall Volkswagen planning a small-car platform for the US, and I'm willing to wager that if auto motor und sport's sources are good, this is what they're sketching. Any car looking like that square hatchback sketch would likely not be called a Beetle, but the Beetle would likely share the same platform.
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RPM38 1:21PM (2/18/2007)
Is it really confirmed that these sketches are in fact from VW? They don't have the right feel to them, especially in the context of the rest of VW's line.
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Calguy 9:46PM (2/18/2007)
VW could do well to focus the Beetle into a role of competing with the upscale, sporty MINI Cooper. They are both rooted in the retro asthetic, both have decent function, but trumped by form, and probably both would suffer if either veered too far from the recipe.. so with VW's inheirent talent for making cheap cars seem a notch above, this seems the natural way to make it competitive again.
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GOT 1:49PM (2/18/2007)
"3. How about going back all the way and make the Beetles in their original form? They got it right the first time around.
Posted at 12:07PM on Feb 18th 2007 by ezbst"
Yes, what Ezbst says! The beetle design is timeless for crying out loud! The problem isn't with the style, design or appearance. The problem is with the car and the stupid suits, empty-headed-board-members and committee-dolts at VW and VWOA.
The design of the Beetle is only half of the car. The original VW type-1 was so successful for two reasons. ONE: it's looks (it's timeless and nearly perfect in design) and TWO: it's easiness. The original was easy to maintain, easy to repair and EASY TO MODIFY.
The current Beetle is only half the car is once was. That's why it's become a chick-mobile. Men can't do a thing with it. VW keeps pawing it off to women and they will fail in that (and they keep pretending that the pos Golf/Rabbit is their masculine offering). GM did the same thing with the Camaro and ruined it.
VW is sitting on a gold mine with the Beetle and all they seem able to do is crap all over it.
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David 5:45PM (2/18/2007)
For some reason it doesn't look right... The design is closer to the Golf (which underneath it really is), than to the Beetle.
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Andy 2:57PM (2/18/2007)
The Beetle is old. Time to let it go. If you like the old Beetle, buy one.
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Tal 2:46PM (2/18/2007)
Is the sketch of the red two seater the same VW roadster that was shown three or four years ago(maybe more)?
If not, what ever happened to VWs roadster plans?
Too much in the same ballpark as the Audi TT?
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shrapnel 3:22PM (2/18/2007)
None of you car read. These are not sketches from VW. Take some time to actually read the article before making retarded comments.
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Ben 3:30PM (2/18/2007)
8: If you are talking about the concept R, I think it became the Eos, but I am not sure. If I am wrong soneone will corect me, for sure.
ALSO, does this look like an Astra to anyone else?
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Dan 4:01PM (2/18/2007)
It looks like a nice little hatch, a worthy competitor to the other nice little hatches. It does not look like a Beetle.
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NoNameDenton 5:20PM (2/18/2007)
This should be entertaining to see on the road, especially for those who get a diesel model when it returns
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Jeff Banks 5:38PM (2/18/2007)
"The design of the Beetle is only half of the car. The original VW type-1 was so successful for two reasons. ONE: it's looks (it's timeless and nearly perfect in design) and TWO: it's easiness. The original was easy to maintain, easy to repair and EASY TO MODIFY. "
I think this guy pretty much nailed it. The chick teenage market can only go for so long before falling over and even now buying a beetle seems stereotypical. The car was a phenomenon when it came out in 1998, but people tend to get sick of them really quickly. I am surprised the design made it so far in the first place...it burns oil, is not particularly reliable and is now super-dated.
These sketches look like every single hatchback other on the road.
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NoNameDenton 6:29PM (2/18/2007)
Isn't VW afraid this thing would steal sales away from the Rabbit/Golf if it looks more like the Golf/Rabbit then a cutesy girl car bubble thing
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BOB 6:56PM (2/18/2007)
DEAR VW:___________
1-MAKE IT CHEAP
2-DON'T FORGET THE SQUAREBACK, WHICH YOU NEED WORSE THAN A CONVERTIBLE
3- GO!
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Big jim 7:09PM (2/18/2007)
I want to see a Turbo S version of this design to go head first into the compact supercar market
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