Volkswagen unveiled the coupe version of the new generation Beetle in April 2011 at the New York Auto Show and at that time, everyone believed that a cabrio version would only be a few months away. However, Volkswagen has decided to make us wait a little bit longer with the new Beetle Cabrio not making its world debut until late 2012. That’s just a little too long to wait so we got to work and came up with this rendering of the future drop top Beetle.
The upcoming Volkswagen Beetle Cabrio will feature a design language similar to that of the coupe version, except, of course, for its soft-top folding roof. This means that the convertible Beetle will be bolder, more dynamic, and more masculine, making it a tad more appealing to the male population. Looking at the new Beetle, there’s a new design line from the front bumper and front air inlet, straight lines of the bonnet edges, a precisely drawn line between the A-pillar and C-pillar, and new styling of the rear lights, all assisting in the new generation’s transformation into a new world.
The engine line-up will also be borrowed from the coupe version and will include one diesel and two petrol engine with power ranging from 138 HP to 197 HP. Every engine will be paired with either a standard 6-speed manual or an optional 6-speed DSG transmission.
While we were all expecting to see the convertible version of the new generation Beetle at the 2012 Chicago Motor Show in February, Volkswagen has decided to keep us waiting a little bit longer and are bringing a TDI version for the coupe instead.
The new Beetle TDI will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four cylinder engine that will deliver about 140 HP and 236 lb-ft of torque. The engine will be mated to a standard six-speed manual gearbox or an optional DSG transmission. This setup will deliver up to 50 mpg, making the new TDI version the most economical Beetle ever. Volkswagen has yet to announce whether or not the new engine will be offered in the upcoming Beetle Cabrio, but we’ll be on the lookout for any new details.
The 2012 Chicago Auto Show will open its doors on February 8th, 2012 so stay tuned!
The launch of the New Beetle has given Volkswagen the opportunity to open its doors with new concept iterations for the car. At the 2012 NAIAS, we’re getting a look at the first of these concepts in the form of the E-Bugster Concept.
The E-Bugster is based on the New Beetle, albeit dressed in a far more aggressive manner than that of the production model. The profile features a lower roofline, wider C-pillars, blacked-out A-pillars, and a new set of fancy 19" alloy wheels.
If you recall back in 2005, Volkswagen introduced a similar-looking concept in the Ragster. That car also came with a low and flat roofline and was being pegged as a pre-cursor to the eventual production model. In the case of the E-Bugster, the German automaker is introducing the concept as a way of showing a new powertrain system that could eventually translate to future production models.
That propulsion system features an lithium-ion battery pack-powered electric motor that will be mounted just under the boot and rear bench of the car. The motor is capable of producing 114 horsepower (85W) with a range of 100 miles while also producing zero emissions. The pack can be charged through a plug that can be found just under the Volkswagen logo with an 80-percent charge being achieved in just 30 minutes.
So while it’s unlikely that we’ll see the E-Bugster Concept past this stage, we could very well see this new "Blue-e-motion" propulsion system in future Volkswagen models.
UPDATE 01/20/2012: Turns out, all of this concept stuff isn’t for show. Volkswagen has announced that the E-Bugster was specifically built to judge the auto world’s reaction and if it’s positive, then V-Dub may be adding a third version to its Beetle lineup: a Speedster model.
"This is a serious proposal for a speedster Beetle and I am sure it will come for production", says designer Mark Lichter, "we just need to find the business case. A Beetle Speedster is the perfect car for the US."
Yep, our morning just got better! Hit us up with your thoughts on a future Speedster Beetle!
The 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show will begin in about a month and we already have the first details on the models scheduled to be displayed. The first details come from Volkswagen who confirmed they will be coming with two new production vehicles — not concepts. Both will be global debuts, meaning they have not appeared at any other motor show.
Volkswagen hasn’t offered any other details on these two new models, but we are pretty sure that one of them will be the Convertible version of the new generation Beetle. The second production car can be one of two possibilities: the next generation Golf - very unlikely - or the facelift version of the Passat CC. Our bets on the Passat CC.
Whichever direction Volkswagen has chosen to go, we should have more details at the 2011 L.A. Auto Show during the media preview on November 16th and 17th.
Volkswagen took the wraps off of their completely restyled Beetle at the beginning of 2011, and they’ve come to the Frankfurt Motor Show to show off one of the new car’s variants. Well, in concept form anyway. The new Beetle R Concept provides a glimpse of the future production model and is the "sportiest Beetle ever."
The new Beetle R concept will be distinguished by completely redesigned front and rear bumpers that gain an extra 30mm from the standard Beetle. The front bumper is designed as a motorsport-inspired splitter and houses three air intakes in a contrasting “Black High Gloss", one supplies the engine with oxygen and the other two cool the brakes. The hood also offers ventilation with its own air vent. The rear bumper features air exhaust vents, a diffuser integrated in the lower bumper area, a rear spoiler that is significantly larger than in the production model, and an exhaust system with two sets of dual chrome tailpipes.
The entire car is covered in a "Serious Gray" color which find its way into the interior, in the form of accents like the brushed aluminum pedal caps. The motorsport shell seats are upholstered in black Nappa leather combined with "Space Blue" on the seats seat seams and piping. The dashboard accents and decorative elements around the gear shift grip are finished in "Black High Gloss" and the entire central instrument cluster has been designed in the Volkswagen’s R-specific: tachometer in the middle, in the style of a sports car. The "R" logo also appears to illustrate that the Beetle R is the more powerful version of the Beetle.
