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VW Beetle Turbo S

A Beetle with spunk.

The “New” Beetle appeared in March 1998, after nearly a 20-year absence from the U.S. With that ’99 Beetle, VW brought out a modernized update that looked a lot like the old “Bug” on the outside. But the original was a bare-bones cult car, and the update offers all the modern amenities–from air bags to ABS with a bud vase thrown in.

Lots of emotional charm and memories of the good ol’ days in a vehicle meant to cater to today’s consumer. VW suspected it could sell up to 65,000 Beetles annually. After its late March start, VW sold 55,000 Beetles for the ’98 model year and watched sales rise to 84,000 for ’99. A no-doubt-about-it success, though the focus was on styling rather than sizzle because it offered only 2-liter, 115-h.p. gasoline or 1.9-liter, 90-h.p. diesel 4-cylinder engines. A 1.8-liter, 150-h.p. turbo 4 was added for ’99 for a little more off-the-line oomph, but it was safe to say Beetle still was meant more for show than go. Until now. A 1.8-liter, 180-h.p., 20-valve turbo 4-cylinder is available in the new ’02 Beetle Turbo S.

The prayers of those asking for a little livelier movement have been answered by making available the same engine offered in the VW Golf GTI and Jetta.

Fun to look at and now even more fun to drive. Only available, however, with a 6-speed manual. The 6-speed lets the 1.8-liter flex all of its muscles. If one change could be made, however, sure would like the shift lever moved just a tad forward because it feels like it’s at hip level now.

The Turbo S comes at a good time. While Beetle sales were 84,000 units in 1999, they slipped to 81,000 in 2000 and to 65,200 in ’01. A shot of adrenaline was needed, and that’s the function the ’02 Turbo S serves. What more could VW fans ask for?

The long-awaited convertible promised for 2001. And that’s what VW plans to deliver. Jens Neumann, head of VW’s North American operations, told us (Transportation, Jan. 10) at the Detroit Auto Show in January that the convertible is coming this fall for the ’03 model year.

With the arrival of the Beetle Cabrio, the phase-out of the current Cabrio built off the old generation Golf will begin. It should be concluded within 1 1/2 years.

VW is following the gameplan Chrysler adopted with its retro PT Cruiser. When momentum slumps, bring out a new derivative to renew interest.

VW does that with the Cabrio Beetle this fall, Chrysler with a PT Cruiser convertible (Cars, March 4) in early ’04 to complement the PT flames and woody editions out now.

Beetle has served its purpose, to inject excitement into a brand that had gone dormant.

“It never was intended to be our top seller like it was in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s,” said VW spokesman Tony Fouladpour. “It was our intention to create a car that gave VW some excitement, made people think about VW and served as a magnet for the total brand.”

It has.

While Beetle sales have dec lined, VW sales increased to 220,000 units in ’98, from 138,000 in ’97. They have continued to grow to 315,000 units in ’99; 355,000 in ’00; and 355,700 in ’01.

Its success allowed VW to bring out a new Passat, Golf and Jetta, and soon (May) its first 8-cylinder Passat, as well as the Beetle Cabrio, a BMW 7-Series size luxury Phaeton sedan with 8- or 12-cylinder power in the second half of next year, and at about the same time, a sport-utility vehicle developed with Porsche. The Porsche will be called Cayenne, the VW may be called the Touareg, though insiders say there’s hope the name favored by the Germans may be changed for the U.S. market.