VW Promises "More Courageous" Design / New Beetle Redesign Still Go

[Billsbug]

Smaller, rounder, cheaper, recycled materials, hybrid.

[silverspeedbuggy]

I've got some drawings lying around here on my version of a new, New Beetle.

Here's my wish-list for a new Beetle:
1. Just call it Beetle (as in 'the Beetle' or 'a Beetle')
2. Keep the same interior space; I think it's perfect
3. Add "suicide" doors to the back, but hide the door handles so it looks like a 2 door
4. Move the entire roof arch back a couple of inches. This will reduce the long dash and improve rear seat headspace. There may even be more trunk space.
5. Push the technology envelope. If VW ever does a Hybrid, this is the first one they should do. Have the Bluetec engine available from day 1. Trounce other manufacturers and offer the first hybrid convertible, or, better yet, diesel convertible (they say the Bluetec has no smelly exhaust)
6. Push the design envelope. This should be the "iMac" of cars. Offer new and exciting interior materials. Heck, instead of trying to reduce shiny materials, play them up! I could see whole cetner consoles in the "iMac/iPod" high-gloss plastic. Offer styling packages so there is some customization directly from the factory (or port).
7. Talk to long-term NB owners. There's a reason we have kept our cars a long time, find out why. I would be ELATED if VW called me and said "tell us about your car."
8. Copy Mini; allow owners to custom order NBs. I know this one is tough, and people have been asking for it for a long time, but find a way to do it VW.
9. Offer a full-glass roof
10. Offer a folding canvas ragtop
11. This may seem a contradiction, but keep the car simple. I am thrilled when I get in my 98 and there are just a few switches and knobs, the radio, and the car. It makes me appreciate all the gadgets in my GLI, but it also makes driving Speed a more simple, basic, and enjoyable time.

[kcfoxie]

I am right with you on many of those points -- keep it simple, yet flexible and make it stand out. Your analogy was perfect -- it should be the iMac of cars, but sadly even iMac lost it's shine and got boring with the times

[Pushing Fifty]

All very good ideas...When ordering a Made-To-Suit Beetle, maybe also have the option of a base model with no A/C, no cruise, no power windows/locks, basic AM/FM radio. But I also realize that if there were not enough buyers interested in a "stripped" version, it could end up costing more to manufacture. I especially love the suicide rear door idea. The Saturn coupes designed this way from 1999-2002 made access to the rear much easier, and as in those, it would only be necessary to have it on one side.

[yelojkt]

My sources say that the new beetle will have more of a Caymen look to it but still very much beetle and will be riding on the Eos plateform.

[SMG]

The EOS is on the new Passat platform, so if this is true, Beetles have moved up a notch.

I doubt it though, the Passat and EOS are both pretty large vehicles.

SMG

[Beetlemania]

The base for them is fully adjustable, from what I was told by the VW reps that brought the EOS prototype to Roswell. So it would make sense!

[Concept1]

Originally Posted by kcfoxie

I am right with you on many of those points -- keep it simple, yet flexible and make it stand out. Your analogy was perfect -- it should be the iMac of cars, but sadly even iMac lost it's shine and got boring with the times

Well to be fair there is only so much you can do with an LCD panel. When CRTs were dropped so was the unique shape of the original iMacs. I thought they were on the right track with the previous flat panel ones though... the ones that had the display on a swingarm and the guts in the base. You can do a lot more with that design that just stuffing everything into the display as they are doing now.

Anyway, all signs point to the next generation New Beetle using the Golf/Rabbit/Jetta platform in order to save money and share parts. Changing the angle/curvature of the front and back windows and increasing the length of the roofline a few inches would retain the basic shape but increase interior room.

[SMG]

So when is the rumoured unveiling of this amazing new New Beetle?

SMG

[PunkinBug]

Originally Posted by silverspeedbuggy

I've got some drawings lying around here on my version of a new, New Beetle.

Here's my wish-list for a new Beetle:
1. Just call it Beetle (as in 'the Beetle' or 'a Beetle')
2. Keep the same interior space; I think it's perfect
3. Add "suicide" doors to the back, but hide the door handles so it looks like a 2 door
4. Move the entire roof arch back a couple of inches. This will reduce the long dash and improve rear seat headspace. There may even be more trunk space.
5. Push the technology envelope. If VW ever does a Hybrid, this is the first one they should do. Have the Bluetec engine available from day 1. Trounce other manufacturers and offer the first hybrid convertible, or, better yet, diesel convertible (they say the Bluetec has no smelly exhaust)
6. Push the design envelope. This should be the "iMac" of cars. Offer new and exciting interior materials. Heck, instead of trying to reduce shiny materials, play them up! I could see whole cetner consoles in the "iMac/iPod" high-gloss plastic. Offer styling packages so there is some customization directly from the factory (or port).
7. Talk to long-term NB owners. There's a reason we have kept our cars a long time, find out why. I would be ELATED if VW called me and said "tell us about your car."
8. Copy Mini; allow owners to custom order NBs. I know this one is tough, and people have been asking for it for a long time, but find a way to do it VW.
9. Offer a full-glass roof
10. Offer a folding canvas ragtop
11. This may seem a contradiction, but keep the car simple. I am thrilled when I get in my 98 and there are just a few switches and knobs, the radio, and the car. It makes me appreciate all the gadgets in my GLI, but it also makes driving Speed a more simple, basic, and enjoyable time.

Yeah, all those. LOL and stop using that rubbery crap that peels off of EVERYTHING. More wheel choices from the factory. The EDAG looks awful, whats with the crackly paint? Blech.
I'd like to either see it more modern, as above, or more retro without looking cheap. Or a RWD model, snicker! I'd like to see a technology package too, with bluetooth phone goodies, and a realtime MPG panel esp. on anything diesel... More buttons! More shiney stuff! Scented cabin air filters, etc!

[SMG]

EDAG is the name of the design house that created that monstrosity, VW had little to nothing to do with it, believe me.

I think you should be able to get a VW (as an option only) on factory-equipped coilovers (badass).

Technology would be really cool though. Keep in mind the car we're all driving was cutting-edge in 1998, and 9 years later it's basically unchanged, even the 06/07's are old technology, sorry 06/07 owners.

SMG

[silverspeedbuggy]

I was thinking more about this last night. Here's two more things I would love to see on the next NB:
- An option for no radio, but still have speakers. I would love to just lock my iPod in a space on the dash where the radio traditionally is. That way I could use full iPod controls right on the player (On my Jetta if I have an iPod connection installed you can only have like 4 or 6 playlists, it is controlled through the radio, and the song name, artist, and even the playlist name DOES NOT appear on the radio). VW could even offer NB branded iPods as optional equipment.

- A fold-flat passenger seat as well as a easy-to-fold rear seat. This would make transporting larger items a snap. Mazda has one of the best forlding rear seats out there on 6 wagon and hatchback as well as the new CX-7. Open the rear hatch and there are two handles on either side of the cargo area. Pull the handle (the look much like car door handles, but there is no door there) and the seat folds flat on its own. You don't have to remove the headrests or swing the seat cushion up, it just folds down.

[Concept1]

Originally Posted by SMG

So when is the rumoured unveiling of this amazing new New Beetle?

SMG

It's supposed to be sold as a 2009 model so they would probably unveil a concept late 2007 or early 2008 I would think.

[SMG]

I graduate in 2010, so a 2009 release sounds like a plan.

I hope the next generation NB gets more respect from the VW scene.

SMG

[DR.billZ]

The one picture of the TIguan I saw did nothing for me. If they ruin the Beetle I'll be driving something else.......


If they do a "hybrid" please call it something else. I don't want to be associated with any Prickus owners.......

[Dorado]

Originally Posted by Color-rado

they need to make the car on the polo chassis, and they need to put a big motor in it like the 2.0fsi... then it would be faster than the GTi and that would be sweet

First time I hear that, and it's not a bad idea. Instead of going up in size to Mk5, make it based on the next size down, reducing weight and price, and improving fuel economy and performance. I would like a roomier NB, but if a slightly smaller one makes more business sense for VW, that's OK. Just engineer the interior to feel as roomy as the current one, and make the doors big and the hatch big and practical.

That way they could make the NB the highest milage VW in the US, market it as a fuel efficient commuter coupe, and use it as Honda does the Insight and Toyota the Prius, as a Green marketing tool.

No doubt, the NB will sell more if the price is lower and the mpg's are higher, keeping the performance the same.

[Beetlemania]

Wasn't that the original plan for Concept 1, putting it on a Polo chassis? Ooh, Concept 1... it's not too late!

[silverspeedbuggy]

That was the original plan, but they scrapped the smaller New Beetle in favor of the larger, roomier, more profitable Golf/Jetta platform. The Polo that was out at that time would not have passed 1998 US safety standards. Since then the Polo has been redesigned; this fresh model was engineered to US standards, so this could be done....

[Beetlemania]

Very interesting...

[silverspeedbuggy]

In fact, one of the reasons the dashboards are so long in the car (besides to keep the famous arch) is so the mounting points for dahsboards could be the same in NBs, Golfs, Jettas, and TTs. That's why it so (relatively) easy to swap a TT dash into a New Beetle.