Few cars are as significant as the original Volkswagen Beetle. We aren't saying that because over 21 million were built, or because it was built continuously for 65 years. It's not even because it essentially did for Germany what the Ford Model T did for the United States, the Citroen 2CV did for France, the Brandon Turkus
"Many Porsche owners like the Beetle. The Beetle is a very good car and it looks like a Porsche a little bit," according to Akira Nakai, the man at the helm of Japanese tuning house RAUH-Welt Begriff. "It is similar, but a Beetle is not a Porsche, so we made a completely new design for this Beetle."
The current Volkswagen Beetle already tries to be a fairly retro-looking ride by cribbing styling elements from the iconic original. However, for the new, limited-edition Classic model, VW is hopping into the time machine to grab even more vintage cues. The company is even cutting the price, perhaps in hopes of turn
Racing driver and Top Gear USA host Tanner Foust is a very busy guy. After all, he's competing in rounds of both Global Rallycross series and FIA World Rallycross Championship, not to mention his TV duties. However, we probably shouldn't fee
Volkswagen has sneakily announced plans to put the Beetle Dune Concept from the 2014 Detroit Motor Show into production in 2016. The confirmation didn't come in a press release as long as your arm (as is the norm among German automakers). Instead, it came as almost an aside during a promotional video for the high-riding Bu
Volkswagen Beetle customers will have a new option package to select when they're not building their cars online. A new Premium Package is being made available for the 2014 Beetle hardtop and Convertible, provided they've been optioned with either the 1.8-liter turbo or the 2.0-liter TDI four-cylinder, that adds a wealth of new goodies to VW's iconic entry.
Earlier this year at the Chicago Auto Show, Volkswagen showed us its latest foray into motorsports, the Beetle GRC global rallycross machine. Now, the Beetle is officially making its public debut, and while it looks a little different, it's
No word a lie, we here at AutoblogGreen are fans of classic cars. What we are not fond of, however, is the pollution that their inefficient engines create, and so it's great to see our old favorites lovingly up-cycled with electric drivetrains. The ZelectricBug is a beautiful example of how new, cleaner life can be breathed into an old Volkswagen Beetle.
Although the existence of the Volkswagen Beetle dates back to the early 1930s, it wasn't until 1949 that the first of what would turn out to be millions would find its way to the US. Sixty-five years ago this month, Dutch businessman Ben Pon, Sr. brought the first Beetle – or Type 1 – to the US, and Volkswagen is marking the occasion not with a special edition, but with a smal
Like many automakers, Volkswagen is in the process of replacing larger naturally aspirated engines with smaller turbocharged ones. That includes the Beetle, which is switching from a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine to a 1.8-liter turbo. Yet VW has kept the price the same despite the engine swap.
Those with long memories will recall that this isn't the first time VW has put its reborn retrocar on stilts.
With its small size and rear-engine layout, the original Volkswagen Beetle was a common donor for dune buggy conversions. In the same vein as the 2000 VW New Beetle Dune Concept, VW is once again looking at the idea of a more rugged, off-road version of the Beetle with this just-confirmed Beetle Dune Concept
Despite all of the positive reviews it has garnered since its introduction in 2011, the Volkswagen Beetle still hasn't hooked me. It's nice to drive, and with a variety of engine choices (including diesel) and two different bodystyles, it's an incredibly versatile little car, ready to meet the needs of a whole host of customers. But personally, I just don't think I could wake up to that happy-friendly (yet Steven J. Ewing
Volkswagen's R lineup currently consists of the Golf R in North America, and the too-cool-for-school Scirocco R in Europe. It hasn't exactly been a secret as to which VW would next get the R treatment; the German manufacturer reportedly confirmed that a hotter Brandon Turkus
Starting with select 2014 models, Volkswagen will offer an in-car assistance system called Car-Net, which comes with safety features such as location-based roadside assistance, automatic crash notification, remote vehicle unlock, destination assistance and more. The system is very similar to General Motors' OnStar, but VW is quick to point out that a subscription to Car-Net gives the owner access
As the presenting sponsor of Discovery Channel's Shark Week for the second year in a row, Volkswagen is upping its game when it comes to helping to provide coverage of the man-eating fish. For us car nuts, VW is following up last year's Beetle Shark Cage by removing the top of its marketing masterpiece to create what is sure
Volkswagen has announced that pricing of its limited-edition 2014 Beetle GSR will start from $29,995, *not including $820 for destination. This throwback to the original 1970s "Yellow Black Racer" first debuted at the Chicago Auto Show and will be limited to just 3,500 units worldwide.
With summer quickly approaching, we're eagerly awaiting some seat time in our favorite droptop models, cars that allow us to take in the sunshine and the warm air afforded by the summer months – especially for those of us who reside in states with bitterly cold winters. And while many Autoblog team members are already happy convertible owners (fun fact: three of us own Mazda Miatas, and there's even a Saab 9-3 Viggen droptop looming in the AB personal fleet), new sales data shows
Volkswagen has pushed up the power for the new half-model year. For 2013.5 (yep, this isn't a 2013 and it's not quite a 2014), the 2.0-liter turbocharged TSI engine offered in the Beetle Turbo, Beetle Turbo Convertible and Jetta GLI now makes 210 horsepower, an increase of 10 ponies over the previous version of the long-running engine. T
