Surprising 2012 beetle

[Steve_pnchbug]

Ok so last night Shawntina and I were driving around Bristol, Tn and I had to go the local VW lot, as I always do! Anyways there was a few nice 2012 beetles! A yellow one with flat black rally strips. I believe it was like a modern bumblebee seeing as he was originally a beetle . And for some reason I was drawn to a plain Jane white one. When I got over to it I noticed the final price was 21K, not bad for a brand new car I thought... I looked in the window and there it was! The first MANUAL beetle I've seen! It looks kinda odd because the shifter it's self looks fairly tall. It's nothing like the NB's almost short shifter look. And it looked larger then my GTI's even dose. Anyways I have pictures and I'll try to post them sometime but I'm on autoguide app and it's being ridiculous. Anyways I just wanted to share my excitement on actually seeing a manual beetle! I know several of us had been talking about them. I might have to go back and give that baby a test drive!


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[scarabY2k]

Gettin nice on the recon Steve- good work mang

Good news indeed!

[TennesseeBug]

Cool, Steve! I can't wait to see the pics. For the record my Autoguide iPhone app is acting crazy - and there's actually a thread going on where someone is trying to work on it.

[Steve_pnchbug]

Originally Posted by TennesseeBug

Cool, Steve! I can't wait to see the pics. For the record my Autoguide iPhone app is acting crazy - and there's actually a thread going on where someone is trying to work on it.

I know, I've seen it! It really upsets me because it was working great one day then all of sudden stopped working. And hasn't worked for a while... I was like you when I saw an update in the app store. I was so excited. But still a no go :/


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[Steve_pnchbug]

Photos! Finally.


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[TennesseeBug]

Love those rims on that car! Steve I agree-the gear shift does look tall!

[janitz]

I experienced TOTAL CAR LUST today.

I stopped by the VW dealership to get a part and took a look at the beetles they have on the lot.

Going to take test drive in a 2.5 manual transmission tomorrow, not really interested in that one, looking for a 2013 Yellow TDI with manual.

Good thing they don't have them yet, I might have just emptied out the bank account right there.

Mind you, not sure what that $224.57 in the account would have got me, but I would have totally emptied it right there for a TDI.

[janitz]

Wow! That was surprising, the 2.5L engine had a lot of power. I wasn't certain how it would drive, figured the turbo was the powerhouse so the 2.5 would be kind of lame. Nope, had lots of get up and go.

I'm going to put down a small amount of earnest money on the TDI next week, they can't even really order them yet, but as soon as they can they will.

I had the first TDI here in '98, and I'm gonna try to have the first TDI in '13.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by janitz

Wow! That was surprising, the 2.5L engine had a lot of power. I wasn't certain how it would drive, figured the turbo was the powerhouse so the 2.5 would be kind of lame. Nope, had lots of get up and go.

I'm going to put down a small amount of earnest money on the TDI next week, they can't even really order them yet, but as soon as they can they will.

I had the first TDI here in '98, and I'm gonna try to have the first TDI in '13.

You better hope that Jay Leno isn't around with his flying squirrel suit

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[janitz]

Originally Posted by IndyTom

You better hope that Jay Leno isn't around with his flying squirrel suit

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LENO!

Oh, has anyone heard the horn on the 2012? For a car being sold as a more manly bug, having this horn really hurts it that way. To describe the horn sound to someone who hasn't heard it yet, I would say, "think clown car."

If I make any modifications to the car, I think the first one will be to replace the horn (if possible) with just about anything else. When I want to honk the horn and give someone the finger I don't want them to look around for a car with 40 clowns in it.

[2004NBTURBOS]

Originally Posted by janitz

When I want to honk the horn and give someone the finger I don't want them to look around for a car with 40 clowns in it.

LMAO........too damn funny.
That ought to be your sig.

[Pushing Fifty]

The 2.5 is more than adequate...which is why I'm so baffled that the vast majority of 2012+ Beetle buyers want the far more expensive turbo. If anyone has read any of my other most recent posts, I am very concerned with the lack of 2012 Beetle sales thus far. Since they arrived at US dealerships back in October, only about 6000 have sold as of Jan 31. Being a new redesigned model,sales should be double that figure, even with the production problems in Puebla.

I know many people are waiting for sticks, but I would still think the Average Joe or Josephine would opt for the automatic. I also know others are waiting for the diesel, but if I had to guess, they will cost at least as much as the turbos and the higher price of fuel would negate a 10 mpg advantage.

These are the reasons why I can't believe that so few Base 2.5 autos have sold. They should be flying off lots, and they aren't.....which brings up some speculative questions:

Will VW continue to produce the Beetle if they only sell 18-20k units a year as opposed to the average 30-35k units of New Beetles that ran from 98-10? If they do, that's great, but the water-cooled Beetle community is in desperate need of growth, and if this new model sells poorly, this special group of people will dwindle to practically nothing by the time this decade is up.

I once firmly believed that the Beetles built from '98 on (and including any new designs from '12 and up) would one day become as iconic as the classic air-cooleds, and many thought I was nuts. The way things are going, they may have been right after all. I love the modern Beetles, far more than the old air-cooleds. But if they become as rare a sight as a Packard or a Studebaker, I'll have to switch to being a Passat guy.

[fst bug]

Those things are nice I saw a black one with TURBO lettering on the door it looks sick!

[MNka]

With all due respect! Did you hear the horn of Touareg 2012 and its' "locking beep" ? My Glücklichs' horn has more bass than my hubbys' Touaregs' horn and Touaregs' "locking beep" sounds like killed mouse. We've just compared.

[ltlbeetle]

Wife owned a mid 70s beetle and loved them ever since. Just bought a 2010. She doesn't like the '12 and says it has no beetle-appeal!! I agree....looks kinda like a '40 ford with the squared nose and stretched body. We both think VW design failed on this one and the numbers are showing...the general public agrees. Only die hard beetle fans are buying them? May have shot the New Beetle down.

[Capstun]

Originally Posted by ltlbeetle

Wife owned a mid 70s beetle and loved them ever since. Just bought a 2010. She doesn't like the '12 and says it has no beetle-appeal!! I agree....looks kinda like a '40 ford with the squared nose and stretched body. We both think VW design failed on this one and the numbers are showing...the general public agrees. Only die hard beetle fans are buying them? May have shot the New Beetle down.

That's where I'll have to disagree with you. The 2012 looks MUCH more like the original Beetle in profile. I've been getting tons of comments and compliments from strangers all around. Personally, the 2012 design is what convinced me to get a Beetle.

[Pushing Fifty]

Originally Posted by Capstun

That's where I'll have to disagree with you. The 2012 looks MUCH more like the original Beetle in profile. I've been getting tons of comments and compliments from strangers all around. Personally, the 2012 design is what convinced me to get a Beetle.

I agree that the 2012 looks more like the original air-cooleds than the 98-10 generation, but the sales of the latest Beetles are very disappointing. Yes, there are delays in Puebla with sunroof models, but I would have thought that even in base form, the newest Beetles would be flying off lots, and they aren't. This time around, everyone seems to want $30K fully-loaded turbos with nav, sunroofs, xenon lights, 19" wheels, etc. Based on this, and the fact that plain 2.5s are sitting unsold, I believe this will decimate the water-cooled Beetle community to practically nothing. I've received quite a bit of flak for making this comment, but think about it:

When the NB came out in 1998, there were waiting lists up to a year and a half long. They sold like hotcakes. Granted, it was the first time in 19 years that the US had a Beetle again, but even after the novelty wore off in a couple of years, they still sold 30-35K units a year until it really dropped around 2009 down to about 14K units. Then it shot up again when it was announced that the 2010 would be the last New Beetle. Now, at the current rate of 2012 sales, this yearly figure will shrink to about 15K, and of those, the vast majority of buyers want a hot-rod instead of a modern version of the "People's Car." Those who bought 98-10s don't like the 2012 as much, for if they did, even the 2.5s would be selling well.

What will result in the next few years is this: As the NBs of 98-10 age, only a fraction of owners will replace their cars with 2012+ Beetles. You'll still see NBs from 98-10 at shows, but they will become an even more rare sight than they are now. In the meantime, the 2012+ Beetles will cannabalize the GTI crowds and thus become something that a Beetle should have never been...A niche car that sells a few units a year for a small group of enthusiasts. It will be like a Plymouth Prowler or a Dodge Viper instead of an updated version of the iconic Bug. Instead, you'll see Mini Cooper clubs and Fiat 500 clubs to replace the NB mindset. If the UP comes to the US, maybe you'll even see UP clubs. But the Beetle as we know it appears to be fading away to a memory. And with it, the community.

[2004NBTURBOS]

My take on it is that most people kinda wait till the new model year is in it's second year of production. That way a lot of the kinks get worked out.

[miffmole]

Plus, if you wait a couple of years, you can wind up with a low-mileage Beetle for about 60% of the original price...$21-30k isn't chicken feed, as they say.
I'm still bothered that VW can pay workers $15-$52 a day (or 1/7 of what its US workers make) to build these cars, and yet be more expensive than any car in their class.

[TechnoTrix'd]

Pushing Fifty -> you are dead on with your comments sir. VW has made a huge miss with the current beetles. Marketing did not support high volume sales of base models. They focused on the 8 percent of drivers who like turbo's, big rims and moon roofs.

I believe you've stated it wonderfully. It is still sad, but IMHO spot on sir!

And to add my 2 cents, I drove a turbo model within the first month of launch, and left the lot in the car I drove in with.

Back in 00' that was not the case ;-)


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