Volkswagen is reportedly taking final orders on the New Beetle, which really isn’t that ‘new’ anymore. It has been around since 1998 with only one very minor refresh over those twelve years.
The New Beetle will be riding into the sunset quite soon, but all you Beetle fans don’t need to worry. Volkswagen is working on a replacement which should make an appearance sometime around 2012. It is expected to retain a similar shape, however it will likely have a flat roof a la Mini Cooper, and is expected to be a bit more sport oriented.
I was never a huge fan of the New Beetle. The only version that ever peaked my interest (aside from Herbie when I was a young lad) was the Turbo S model pictured above. The Turbo S had the same 1.8 litre engine except it produced 180 horsepower and 174 pound foot torque at only 1950 rpm. Mate that to a 6 speed manual along with some bigger and grippier tires and you had yourself one hot little bug.
