THE NEW BEETLE

In the wake of Porsche raising $7.1 billion to complete its merger with Volkswagen AG, the “new” sporty VW Beetle has just been announced.

This car has one of the most recognizable shapes in the world. Between 1938 and 2003 the original “Bug” sold nearly 5 million copies in the U.S. alone, with over 22 million built. It was developed by Ferdinand Porsche as the Type 1 Volkswagen – which literally means “people’s car.” The second-generation Beetle was designed by J. Mays and R Gruppe co-founder Freeman Thomas at the company’s California design studio. Since 1997 this very rounded design has become a popular choice for city-dwelling females.

This latest Beetle, which VW is describing as “more power than flower,” is more masculine in appearance while still retaining some of the previous shapes. It’s wider, longer, and the front windshield is shifted further back with a more aggressive angle. In the U.S. the new Beetle is being offered with a 40 highway mpg turbo-charged “Clean Diesel,” a 2.5L normally aspirated gas motor, and turbo-charged 2L with 200 HP.

A premium audio system is also being offered as an option with integrated CD changer, SD card slot, touch screen, an additional subwoofer and 400 watts of output power. Also for the first time, Volkswagen is bringing keyless access to the Beetle, letting owners open the doors and start the engine remotely. The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle is scheduled to launch in the U.S. in September or October.

(Photo courtesy Volkswagen)