Meet the First Modified 2012 Volkswagen Beetle Inspired by the Porsche 911 GT3 RS

We have no doubt that this year belongs to the new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle when it comes to tuning mainstream cars. Just wait and see once the first production models begin arriving in the market this fall. For those of you that can’t linger until September, here’s a first example of a tuned 2012 Beetle.

The 2012 Beetle RS Stage 1 is the creation of the Volkswagen-loving crew at VWvortex who were given a pre-production model by the German firm to work on. Since the vehicle came with no registration and license plates, the team decided to skip on the engine modes for now and concentrate on the styling aspect of the tune, which as you may have already guessed by now, was inspired by the Porsche 911 GT3RS.

Starting with the wheels, VWvortex fitted the new Beetle with a set of VMR710 20-inch alloys with a 35 offset. The rims are finished in orange and are wrapped around in Continental ExtremeContact DW 245-35ZR20 tires. Behind the front wheels is a Brembo Stage II brake kit with 14" front two-piece cross drilled rotors, four-piston radial mount calipers, aluminum mounting brackets, stainless braided lines and pads.

The exterior makeup is limited for now to Beetle RS graphics finished in orange on either side of the car, the blacked out chrome strips on the lower part of the doors and the front grille, plus the 3M Titanium Brushed wrap for the rear VW logo. The team’s next upgrade will include a 997 GT3 RS-style rear wing.

Once VW comes out with the series production model, the plan is to move on with the performance upgrades said to include a turbo and exhaust system upgrade, and a locking torque-biasing differential.

Source: VWvortex

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It Came From eBay Hell: Volkswagen Beetle Limousine...with a Soft Top!

Stretched Volkswagen Beetles are as commonplace on eBay as Pontiac Fiero-based fake Ferraris and Porsche 356 Speedster replicas. So what makes this example so special? Well for one it’s a convertible, and a real one at that, with a canvas roof that’s sure to sag and then collapse from the weight of the water on it when it rains.

It also has a bar made out of the same polished wood as the cheapest of community centre pianos and burgundy leather L-shaped bench seat. It also has burgundy and silver paintwork and a wide body kit, which is sure to make you stand out from the crowd.

The eBay seller is also keen to point out that this is a, “ONE OF A KIND,” car, but then stating in very next sentence that it’s, “ONE OF ONLY 3 IN THE WORLD”. So, um, not one of a kind then. It was also, “BUILT PROFESSIONALLY”, which the pedant in me would like to point out is different from being, “PROFESSIONALLY BUILT”.

And with a Buy It Now price of just US$39,999, you’re only paying like ten times the price you’d expect to pay for an ordinary Beetle of the same Vintage. Then again, nobody said that uniqueness comes cheap...

By Tristan Hankins

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Volkswagen Drops Pricing on 2012 Beetle, Starts from $19,765

We just got our hands on the official pricing list for the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle. US customers can bring home the latest iteration of the retro-penned “people’s car” for as little as $18,995 which increases to $19,765 (about €13,540) if you add VW’s $770 destination charge, for the base model fitted with the 170HP 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. When linked to a five-speed manual gearbox, the 2.5L returns an estimated 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway, while the optional six-speed automatic offers EPA fuel economy ratings of 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway.

Standard features on the 2.5L model include a split folding rear seat, aux-in for portable audio players, a leather steering wheel, 17-inch alloys, and an eight-speaker audio system.

For those seeking more power, VW offers the 2.0L TSI Beetle with 200-horses and 207 lb-ft of peak torque, which is priced from $23,395 or $24,165 (around €16,550) if you include destination charges. It is offered with a standard six-speed manual or an optional DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission, with the latter delivering offers an EPA fuel economy rating of 30 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg city.

On top of the 2.5L’s standard equipment, the 2.0 TSI adds Bluetooth, iPod connectivity, three-color ambient lighting, larger brakes with red calipers, a "kaeferfach" additional glovebox that is similar to that of the original Beetle, sport seating surfaces, 18-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, fog lights, three additional gauges on the dashboard, and alloy pedals.

Volkswagen has not yet announced pricing on the most fuel-efficient version of the new Beetle series equipped with a 140HP 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine expected to return a highway estimate of 40 mpg.

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