Next Gen New Beetle Rumors

[SMG]

That's a really, really stupid idea. He should get a 1.8T if he wants the old styling...

SMG

[JuggBug]

Originally Posted by Pushing Fifty

A I'm not crazy about the 2006+ fenders, but if it keeps the Beetle alive, I'm all for it.

'06 fenders kick !!!!!!

[Chubs763]

naw, too angular. the bug is all about curves.

[XSuMZX]

I don't really like them either-- or the new tail lights, but maybe it'll grow on me.

[2nd_BugMan]

I just read Auto Week. They said all new modles are on hold. "VW goes back to the drawing board" The say the new VW Chairman Martin Winterman has ordered a review of all new modles.

[hestersu]

Originally Posted by Pushing Fifty

And to a degree, it's working. New Beetle coupe sales for 2006 improved 12% over 2005. I'm not crazy about the 2006+ fenders, but if it keeps the Beetle alive, I'm all for it. There's a guy in my VW club who's actually thinking of buying a 2007 and changing them to < 2005 style. I wouldn't go that far myself. Eventually, they'll grow on me, I suppose........

The idea of trying to change an 06/07 to the "roundness" of the 98-05 is not new but is not practical. You would need to replace 4 fenders, 2 running boards, front fascia, rear fascia, gas filler mechanism probably (06/07 cover is round, prior years were square), all of the wiring for the lights including the license plate lights (different connectors were used), new tail lights, new rear side markers, new headlights, new front blinkers/parking lights, new foglights and assembly, and several "under the cover parts" to get there. You might also need to replace the safety foam under the fascia since the existing parts fit differently than the prior parts. This is not a cheap proposition. If someone doesn't like the look of the 06 and up, then they should look for a good used 05. The cost of changing everything out will run close to $3000 just for the parts alone. This doesn't include incidental fasteners, screws, paint, disassembly and assembly which will probably run another $2000. I'm guestimating the total cost based on my experience of putting a complete Turbo S conversion on an '03 and I spent over $2000 doing that and did most of the work myself. I was lucky in that I found a lot of used parts and salvaged a wiring harness to harvest connectors needed to do the wiring. The TS conversion was quite involved and didn't require changing out the fendors or running boards.

It really makes no sense to try to do this conversion. It will greatly devalue the car to go backwards. You would have a brand new car with a good warranty. All of the electrical work needed to do the conversion would potentially void parts of the warranty. Notice I said parts - not all. Is it really worth doing?

If someone really wants to do this, by all means, go for it. But at least understand what you are getting yourself into before you start. Do your homework and get a feel of the magnitude of this endeavor. It's not impossible, but it won't be easy. There are many unknowns and potential fitment issues since VW made many subtle changes to the new body. There is no quarantee that the old stuff will fit correctly when matched up against the new stuff. It is possible the hood and hatch may not match up right. I've looked at the hood of the '06 compared to an 05. They look the same but I can't say for sure on the hatch.

[Pushing Fifty]

Actually, I believe he has been convinced to just buy a good used 2005 or earlier model. I, too, would never do that myself. I would just buy a 2007 and live with the new fenders.

[JuggBug]

Originally Posted by Pushing Fifty

Actually, I believe he has been convinced to just buy a good used 2005 or earlier model. I, too, would never do that myself. I would just buy a 2007 and live with the new fenders.

'07 fenders kick too!!!!!!!!

[JuggBug]

Originally Posted by Chubs763

naw, too angular. the bug is all about curves.

You say 'angular', I say 'agressive'......

[Chubs763]

agressive? ha ha, i suppose. we must agree to disagree.

now you as a new air-cooled owner should appreciate those classic curves. how's bughole progressing btw?

i think the new front looks pretty GL, but i like the 2 little round backup lights on the pre '06.

[JuggBug]

Originally Posted by Chubs763

now you as a new air-cooled owner should appreciate those classic curves. how's bughole progressing btw?

i think the new front looks pretty GL, but i like the 2 little round backup lights on the pre '06.

No way! That's what I like about the new body style...not so round, and a little meaner lookin'.

Bughole's body is off, so we are just getting ready to pull the tranny out and wait for our neighbor to weld in a new 1/4 pan. But I'm sure the boys are waiting until it gets hot again! lol

And it doesn't help Bughole's progress that the boys are picking up a '73 Fastback this weekend!

[Lmhansen]

Oooh. NSU. Haven't seen one of those in 20+ years. My brother used to have one of those, until the car stopped suddenly and my brother found himself in a dire need of learning to fly. He's ok, though. Going through the windshield almost took an ear off, so there was some stiches needed. Never did learn to fly.

[dunno513]

Originally Posted by Chubs763

i like the 2 little round backup lights on the pre '06.

ya but we got them nifty round amber/clear blinkers... I too wish VW had kept the round backup lights. But as a package I still like it more than the original. Guess I'm kinda partial since I own one tho... but I've never had the will to change anything. I tried to modify my original bud vase to hold a GPS but I botched that pretty bad

[mentalVdub]

i'm with JB on this one

the new beetles original body style is a bit bland and dated... good for late 90s and maybe very very very early 2000s, but all in all it needed a change, and it took VW awhile for it.

i didn't like the new 06 changes at first.
but that's cause it was different from what i had.
and differences can be scarey.

but all in all, the new body style IS aggressive.
VW had to keep up to date with other auto manufacturers, after all.

[SMG]

I don't think the NB is dated at all, it has a timless design and they really hold their own on the road.

Some other 1998 cars:






Are they still looking as modern as the NB, 9 years later?

SMG

[Billsbug]

IMO the new body style should have been a progression of the Turbo S, but let me put it this way; Porsche executives have recently told the designers at VW: "Back to the drawing board boys."

[Pushing Fifty]

I posted this in another thread above this, "VW Promises More Aggressive Design," but nobody has responded. What I said was, that now Bernhard is gone and Piech/Winterkorn are in control, will the New Beetle still exist? I have a theory that if the Bluetec is NOT offered on the NB in 2008, this is probably a good indicator that the model will be dropped from the lineup. I sincerely hope that VW doesn't repeat the same mistake they made in 1979............The Beetle IS Volkswagen. I will be very disappointed if it doesn't live on.

[Concept1]

I don't think the lack of a Bluetec option for the New Beetle next year would be an indicator unless it was the only VW without it. As far as I can tell it's going to be a gradual introduction starting with the Jetta and Tiguan. It is true that there is a big shakeup going on within VW right now and that any model can be cut at any time. They are already rethinking their hybrid initiative which is upsetting as they have their place along side diesels, perhaps one day leading to a diesel-hybrid model. So far (as usual) Europe is getting all the good stuff... TSI engines, Polo, Bluemotion, etc.

[Pushing Fifty]

OK, I didn't know that the Bluetec option would be a gradual shift. I just assumed that every VW would have it by 2008. I did notice that NB sales were considerably down in January
(-25% from Jan, 2006) but it's early, and a month-on-month comparison doesn't really tell anything. There's still 11 months left of 2007 to catch up. We probably won't see numbers like 1998-2000 again, but if New Beetles steadily sell 33-35K units per year, it would be insane to drop the model.

[Dorado]

Many, many times I meet people who have been wanting to get an NB for years now. And they want it just as it is. If the design were to change drastically, they would not even think of buying a VW period.

People have to realize that the economy is not nearly what it used to be and it takes a good while for most people to gather the pennies to purchase a car.

The NB is one design that, once it sticks into your mind, it won't let go and there is no substitute whatsoever. No competition is the key to the NB's sales in the US.