The VW Beetle is a cult favorite here in the States, but in Germany, it's not so well loved. That could be part of the reason why Volkswagen has been slow to produce a successor to the new Beetle, but word from Motor Trend is that two models could be coming shortly. The first Beetle will be based off the Gen-VI Golf and will hit production in 2010 or 2011.
Word out of Wolfsburg is that a second Beetle could be on the way as well, but this one would be based off the up! minicar. That would give VW a sub-brand Beetle lineup, kind of like what Toyota has with Scion, but with an eye on MINI buyers. The smaller up!-based Beetle would also be more true to the original Bug, which was a cheap and efficient "People's Car" with the engine out back (supposedly). Quality problems and a weak dollar have lead VW to struggle in the U.S. over the past few years, but an inexpensive, reliable car with top-notch fuel economy would go a long way toward reversing that trend.
The March Men's Vogue recently asked if the Smart fortwo is manly enough, and while we're not exactly lining up to buy one, we also wouldn't rip a friend (too much) for picking up the fuel-sipping two-seater. If our pal's fortwo had a Windup Key, however, all bets are off, and a Charley Horse or three may be in order. The Windup Key is a 22-by-10 inch faux windup key made of powder-coated 6061 aluminum, and it can be customized with different shapes, colors or even chrome coating. If you really want to attract stamp collectors, Star Trek fans and adults with authentic Lord of the Rings costumes, opt for the 12v motor, which makes the Windup Key actually spin when the vehicle is in motion.
The Windup Key is also compatible with the Scion xB, PT Cruiser, New Beetle (shown), and MINI Cooper, among other cute-mobiles, and prices start around $100. Amazingly, the Windup Key is currently on back-order, which means there is actually demand for these ridiculous little gadgets. The sad thing is that while Virginia wants to ban Truck Nuts, the testosterone-free Windup Key will likely be accepted with open arms.
click above image to view high-res gallery of VW New Beetle renderings
It's one of the hardest tricks for a designer to pull off: redesign a retro car that takes its styling cues from an iconic classic. Volkswagen has already refreshed the design of its New Beetle once, though the redo was kept to a minimum and included things like new headlights, slightly more creased fenders, and new taillights. The time will come, however, when the New Beetle needs a new look, and according to Brenda Priddy's illustration artist, the next-gen people's car will be inspired by VW's series of up! concepts that have been trotted out at recent auto shows around the world. And truly, doesn't it make sense? Adding the up! bumper to the New Beetle gives its face a cheery smile that one would expect from a car that comes standard with a flower vase in the dash. The same goes for the rear bumper that gives a grin to passerbys as if to say, "Make love, not war!". Even the new head and taillights in these renderings look more like actual eyeballs than on most cars. Whether or not these illustrations have a grain of truth to them remains to be seen, but the fact can't be denied that VW needs to somehow update the New Beetle's design without losing any of its inherent charm.
So far this year, the New Beetle coupe is down 9.8% in sales while the convertible is off -19.7%. What will help a redesign gain traction with buyers are new features being planned for the next-gen Bug, including availability of a DSG gearbox and even a speedster model that could hint at a performance variant. Hmmm... kind of looks like Walt Disney's version of a Porsche Boxster.
BusinessWeek has trolled the NHTSA files to find out which automakers have had to recall their brand new 2007 models the most, and the winner is Volkswagen thanks to a recall of just over 1 milion 2007 New Beetles because of potentially faulty brake light switches. Of course, Ford announced a major recall of 3.6 million vehicles earlier this month for defective cruise control switches, but none of the vehicles affected were 2007 models and so don't count for this list.
We've complied the rest of the data for you in a handy list after the jump, because we hate having to click through BusinessWeek's 15-part slideshow, and we suspect you might, too.
While it was much more fun to think of the little hover-droid flying around New York City waiting to snap pictures for you of the surrounding city-scape, the reality is a bit less interesting, although more realistic. The vehicle you see in the picture above is one of Immersive Media's camera wielding cars, a Volkswagen New Beetle to be exact. These are the cars that Google is using to populate their new Street View function with pictures of major cities, or as Immersive Media themselves refer to it: 360° georeferenced spherical video. Ummm... yeah.
Since I just ruined John's fantasy of the little hover-droid, I propose this stunning possibility: Maybe this is the real Bumblebee from Transformers! He's no Camaro, he was a Bug all along. He's come to earth in an attempt to map out possible... alright, nevermind. I'll just go back to thinking of the hover-droid.
Apparently Volkswagen and Ford were thinking alike. Red sells. Color, however, is about the only shared character trait of the GT500 Red Stripe and the New Beetle Cabriolet Red Edition.
Only for its European customers, VW dresses up the New Beetle Cabriolet Red Edition with red top, seats, door panels and a few other interior bits. The red-crowned VW can be had painted in beige, white and, our favorite, black pearl.
One of the coolest touches to the crimson Beetle is the Limited Red Edition tag running vertically above the car's right rear bumper much like in previous generations. You can see a photo of it in the gallery. European customers can purchase the New Beetle Cabriolet Red Edition starting at €26.950 for the 1.6 liter engine and manual tranny, while the top-end gets a 2.0 liter and automatic transmission for €31,200. Pricing was not immediately available for the TDI version. We'll just have to make do with our Triple White edition.
Check out the gallery for more photos of the New Beetle Cabriolet Red Edition.
Volkswagen has discovered that a previous recall of 362,000 vehicles (1999-2002 Jettas and 1998-2002 New Beetles) for a defective brake light switch actually affects a much larger range of vehicles. The German automaker is extending the recall to an additional 790,000 vehicles that include 1999-2006 Golf and GTI models, 2001-2005 Jettas, 2001-2007 New Beetles and the 2004 R32. The possibility exists that brake light switches in these vehicles may have been installed wrong, which could lead to their remaining on all the time or not working at all. In an extreme possibility, some vehicles with automatic transmissions might be immobilized if the brake light switch can't be activated so that the transmission can be shifted out of Park. When the new recall begins in April, VW dealers will install a new brake light switch free of charge for owners of the affected vehicles. If you think your vehicle is included in the recall or have any questions, you call VW at 1-800-822-8987.
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.
At some point in the future, automakers will engage in a hood ornament war to see who can build the car with the biggest badge. We've seen into the future and Volkswagen will win this war in 2054 when it unveils the New2 Beetle that features the company's famous logo laser etched across both of its doors. Actually, this is really a nice piece of concept art done by Carlos Agell, a Venezuelan designer who has got quite an imagination. In his mind, VW will drop the Darth Vader's helmet look of the current New Beetle sometime between now and mid-century, going instead for the tipped-over-cylinder look. The diameter of the New2 Beetle is 7.38 feet, though its length is a little over ten feet thanks to a protruding fish tail that presumably houses the NeoPlasma Magnetic engine and Laser Gyroscopic stabilization. It's also only 4.6 feet wide, so it'll be easy to park in the future where nearly all parking lots are full all the time (oh wait, that's today). Agell also envisions a NeuroDrive Guide System to replace those low-tech sat navs and a NeoCrete Liquid Metal Body that we presume doesn't need waxing, like, ever. The New2 Beetle can also accelerate to 62mph in a scant five seconds while on its way to a top speed of 186mph. Don't worry about it tipping, either; too many top heavy SUVs led the government to bank all turns nationwide in the year 2032. Sweet.
VW has released a new photo set that shows its new US special edition models -- Fahrenheit, Wolfsburg, and Triple White -- in greater detail, and we're able to learn a few more things as a result. First of all, the Triple White Beetle Convertible does not have a white top, which is what we theorized when the initial press release came out. For it to be truly "triple white" the roof boot must be fitted when the top's down. Another nice detail is the embossed Beetle Convertible icon on the driver and passenger headrests.
The two Fahrenheit editions are nicely done, with their namesake colors (orange for GTI and yellow for the GLI) appearing on door, dashboard and steering wheel inserts, as well as in the contrast stitching on the leather wrapping the handbrake, steering wheel and shifter boot. The insert on the bottom steering wheel spoke is emblazoned with the Fahrenheit logo and shows which number of the 1,200 cars made you're sitting in.
Finally, the Wolfsburg Edition Jetta looks just like a fairly nicely appointed Jetta. Heavy-duty floormats, leatherette seating, and open-spoke five-star wheels are the package highlights, so-to-speak, but if this wasn't wearing the Wolfsburg badging, it wouldn't stand out from any other 2.5L Jetta.
So while we'd pass on the Jetta Wolfsburg, we'd gladly welcome either Fahrenheit into the driveway. And while Triple White (with the roof boot on) Beetle ragtops clearly aren't for everyone, this attractive package is sure to appeal to Beetle aficionados. VW was obviously looking for a way to mix things up a little, and for the most part, we like the results.
Check out the photo gallery after the jump for all the new pics.
The March Men's Vogue recently asked if the Smart fortwo is 
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.
Officially Official: 2010 Ford Mustang!
2010 Ford Mustang revealed early on Ford's own website!
2009 Nissan 370Z rolls out early in So. Cal
VIDEO: 2009 Nissan 370Z revealed early in So. Cal.
BRABUS begins business of tuning the Tesla Roadster
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 HUMMER H3T Alpha
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Mercedes Benz C63 AMG
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Hyundai Genesis
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Chevrolet Traverse LT
