While other automakers ponder a retro revival project or niche car once in a while, Volkswagen went ahead and did it... over and over. Cars like the Beetle, Scirocco or Eos may not be the best in the world, but they feel different and difficult to define.
While we have the biggest soft spot for the Scirocco, the Beetle is nice too, especially the last one that just went out of production. Its designers really went the extra mile with complex shapes, sharp creases where you wouldn't expect, and classy proportions.
At a glance, it still looks girly, not that there's anything wrong with that. But if you look closely, you'll find the flatter roof shape, the spoiler of the Turbo model and other special editions and some of the best factory wheels of any compact car.
It's no that sporty, though. The handling is dynamic and inspires handling, but also slightly safer even than a GTI. I suppose that makes sense, considering who the buyers were. While Volkswagen never got round to making a hardcore version, it was testing a Beetle R that was supposed to get a 280 horsepower engine.
In any case, the Beetle build of the day is a little troll. An amateur photographer and enthusiast from Belgium decided to have a Gulf Oil Racing livery on his car. This is in line with a few old Beetles that raced wearing those colors.
The funny thing is we don't think it's a full wrap. The Beetle already had a shade of sky blue that was close to the livery color. We think this is Denim Blue, part of a special edition pack.
Regardless, the Bug also sports the "Eurolook" universal widebody kit from Clinched. This adds 100mm (4 inches) to the fenders in exchange for $320 and makes room for some big Work ST1 10x19-inch wheels wrapped in skinny racing tires. Also, we couldn't help noticing the yellow wrap on the headlights, probably an illegal feature, but definitely cool.
At a glance, it still looks girly, not that there's anything wrong with that. But if you look closely, you'll find the flatter roof shape, the spoiler of the Turbo model and other special editions and some of the best factory wheels of any compact car.
It's no that sporty, though. The handling is dynamic and inspires handling, but also slightly safer even than a GTI. I suppose that makes sense, considering who the buyers were. While Volkswagen never got round to making a hardcore version, it was testing a Beetle R that was supposed to get a 280 horsepower engine.
In any case, the Beetle build of the day is a little troll. An amateur photographer and enthusiast from Belgium decided to have a Gulf Oil Racing livery on his car. This is in line with a few old Beetles that raced wearing those colors.
The funny thing is we don't think it's a full wrap. The Beetle already had a shade of sky blue that was close to the livery color. We think this is Denim Blue, part of a special edition pack.
Regardless, the Bug also sports the "Eurolook" universal widebody kit from Clinched. This adds 100mm (4 inches) to the fenders in exchange for $320 and makes room for some big Work ST1 10x19-inch wheels wrapped in skinny racing tires. Also, we couldn't help noticing the yellow wrap on the headlights, probably an illegal feature, but definitely cool.