New Beetle: The small, retro-styled car is likely to be redesigned in 2008!

[Billsbug]

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...14/1041/STATIC

[Moviequill]

excellent... keep the NB going!

[Billsbug]

Probably debuts as an '09 model, hmmmmm, so that's only 3 years of the 'new' new beetle.

[wawalker]

I bet they are wrong on this. If you look at VW history maybe a freshened NBC will stay around a few years, but I doubt they will keep the whole line and it's really unlikely to get redone on a new(er) platform. They might just do a special model in the last hardtop year--an R32 NB perhaps? They tend to do wacky stuff occasionally.

[Concept1]

They are correct. The plan, while still tentative, is to introduce a new hardtop model in 2009 with a convertible following a year or two later. This has been known for quite some time so the Autoweek article isn't really news. It's more of an update on the complete lineup going into the future. What isn't known is the extent of the redesign but it is rumored to be quite major. One possibility is that it will be built alongside the Polo which will be coming to the US under a different name. That means a smaller, more economical New Beetle which was the original intent. Volkswagen's plans change (sometimes at the last minute) but as of right now it looks like it's going forward.

[Fowvay]

I really doubt the New Beetle will see a new platform I envision a slow and agonizing death like the Cabriolet and Cabrio recieved. They stayed long after thier glory days were over and well after thier platforms had been retired. Just as the New Beetle will be. However I would gladly eat my words. I would love to see a lighter, more compact and more efficient Beetle ala the Concept1 but I dont think it will happen.

[Whitacre]

I dont understand why the new beetle goes for 8 years, and people want it to die because the "wrong people" are driving it...but the OB went for many many many more years, with hardly any changes to the body (you could still tell its a beetle, etc) and no one says a thing. I am sure some people said it should die etc but it was only recently discontinued in 03...why so soon for the NB?

[Beeble]

And then there's this from consumersearch.com:

Introduced in 1998, the Volkswagen New Beetle (*est. $17,180 to $22,120) is still in the market, although several reviewers and analysts believe that the New Beetle may be on the way out. In order to remedy lagging sales in the past two years, the 2006 New Beetle received its first true changes in eight years. ... The goal is to increase the number of male buyers. However, auto analysts believe that the New Beetle is considered too much of a female’s vehicle at this point to convert male buyers.

Which proves either that the "auto analysts" are congenital morons or that most male car buyers are testosterone-addled knuckle draggers. Or maybe they're simply dumb enough to have bought into the Mustang/Charger/Ramtruck macho hype and don't know the value of a fun, economical car.

Osama bin Laden rubs his hands together and chuckles.

[Moviequill]

why would people think VW would just suddenly kill off the Beetle? Created in the 1930s, started showing up here around what 1946? and lasting until 1994. Give VW a little more credit on longevity considering the NB has only been kicking it for 8 years now.

[wawalker]

Originally Posted by Concept1

They are correct. The plan, while still tentative, is to introduce a new hardtop model in 2009 with a convertible following a year or two later. This has been known for quite some time so the Autoweek article isn't really news. It's more of an update on the complete lineup going into the future. What isn't known is the extent of the redesign but it is rumored to be quite major. One possibility is that it will be built alongside the Polo which will be coming to the US under a different name. That means a smaller, more economical New Beetle which was the original intent. Volkswagen's plans change (sometimes at the last minute) but as of right now it looks like it's going forward.

All I'm going to say is "Microbus". Yep, those were tentative plans too.

It doesn't make economic sense to do a total redesign for a low volume model when they could keep producing it as is until the sales dwindle to nada--like the Cabriolet and Cabrio did.

[pdoel]

I was a bit leary at first, but now that pretty much all the auto magazines are reporting the same thing, I'm believing it. Autoweek, Motor Trends, Edmunds, pretty much every source you check out mentions the same information about a redesigned New Beetle.

They all have the complete list of vehicles VW is bringing out in the next few years.

[Billsbug]

Gotta agree with pdoel. I think the 'New New' New Beetle will be a smaller and much lower cost vehicle, probably with TDI and hybrid tech engine options, with more of a tree hugger marketing approach. U can forget about any future 'performance' oriented NB's.

[wawalker]

Originally Posted by pdoel

I was a bit leary at first, but now that pretty much all the auto magazines are reporting the same thing, I'm believing it. Autoweek, Motor Trends, Edmunds, pretty much every source you check out mentions the same information about a redesigned New Beetle.

They all have the complete list of vehicles VW is bringing out in the next few years.

Don't forget, they were all reporting the same info about the new microbus too--they only report what VW gives them via press release. I hope they continue, I just don't think it is likely.

[Billsbug]

Believe me, VW has finally realized that the NB is forever tied to the corporate image of VW, i.e. The Peoples Car, and will remain in the line up in one design iteration or another, ESPECIALLY since Porsche now has ownership in the company (they never gave up on the 911).

[wawalker]

Originally Posted by Billsbug

Believe me, VW has finally realized that the NB is forever tied to the corporate image of VW, i.e. The Peoples Car, and will remain in the line up in one design iteration or another, ESPECIALLY since Porsche now has ownership in the company (they never gave up on the 911).

Well, FWIW, I hope you are right.

[Concept1]

Originally Posted by wawalker

Don't forget, they were all reporting the same info about the new microbus too--they only report what VW gives them via press release. I hope they continue, I just don't think it is likely.

Actually they were reporting quite the opposite at times. There were a lot of problems bringing the Microbus to fruition. Cost was the biggest one. The New Beetle still sells well, often better than the Golf/Rabbit here in the US, so there is no reason to kill it. There is however, reason to update it. You have to admit it is expensive for what you get. A smaller, more economical New Beetle makes a lot more sense. That was the original plan but it didn't work out that way.

[Billsbug]

The Microbus was killed by the Phaeton invenstment fiasco, plain and simple. I would have had no problem paying $50K+ for one.

The rest I agree with.

[Concept1]

It was going to cost more than the EuroVan and VW dealers here in the US were complaining. They wanted something more affordable. VW Bus fans complained because it was too modern looking. VW of America had already passed on the redesigned EuroVan because they though they would be getting the Microbus and ended up with nothing to sell. It was a big mess. VW is now working with Chrysler on a minivan. It's a shame because VW got as far as redesigning the front of the Microbus to look a bit more like the original. It was very close to going into production.

[dunno513]

We can only hope that the micro will live again with the daimler/VW mismatch... Anyone have any insights yet..

I posted an article about a chrysler minivan with a VW engine, but I really hope i am wrong...

think... Micro with stow and go..

[Concept1]

You can count on it looking nothing like the Microbus.