Rolled out in the United States for the 1998 model year, the New Beetle was very well received by people who didn’t know better. After all, the chassis is shared with the Golf IV and the base engine isn’t exactly stellar at 114 horsepower and 122 pound-feet (165 Nm) of torque.
Chassis number 3VWBB61C8WM009790 is a little different, though. A turbo kit from Turbonetics complements a cold-air intake and an exhaust system from Supersprint, translating to pretty wild torque steer for the front-driven bug with a six-speed manual. Currently showing 22,000 miles (35,405 kilometers) on the clock, the car is also fitted with a video game console.
Not the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, oh no! This Beetle is rocking a Sega Dreamcast and an AV selector, which means that you can play Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 on the Alpine head unit. The list of modifications also includes 18-inch TSW alloy wheels, brake calipers from an Audi, wood interior trim, a bolt-in roll bar, MOMO leather seats, and two huge subwoofers.
The Pimp My Ride-esque makeover continues with a V12 class V amplifier, neon lighting for the speaker box, an aluminum shift knob, dash-mounted Autometer gauges, Gatz fog lights, Road Runner graphics, and even a Road Runner horn. Listed on Cars & Bids with five days of bidding left, the vehicle also features an aftermarket rearview camera affixed to the hatch spoiler, a sports suspension system, and a battery tender charging system.
"Unique" may be the best worst to describe this quirky little fellow, which happens to show a few signs of wear and tear. There are stone chips on the front end, scratches on the lower portion of the front and rear bumpers, touch-up paint in many areas, a dent in the driver-side rocker panel, cracks on one tire, a hole in the rear-seat upholstery, and the headliner is sagging.
Prior to the listing, the selling dealer has serviced the one-of-a-kind bug with a new oil filter and fresh 5W-40 oil, a new air filter, and the air conditioning switch has been replaced along with the front right CV axle assembly. At the time of writing, the New Beetle is sitting at $3,500 after six bids.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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