Just had a chat with someone that has ties with VW Australia and was told that the new beetle is going to be phased out in Australia.
It has apparently taken on an image of a hair dressers/poofs car. Not the image VWA were after.
So soon enough NB prices are going to be dropped in an attempted to get rid of all excess stock.
XXX-1.8T 路
did u expect it to last its one of those retro cars everyone knew it was going to get phased out just like the monaro soon will be phased out as well
As for being a poofs car no comment馃榾
lulu94 路
well what do they expect, when they get a car that is known for being different and make it the same as every other car on the road, they will have yuppies by them, thinking they are getting something different.
i never considered the new beetles to be a beetle, so i guess i wont be shedding any tears if they disappear
XXX-1.8T 路
me neither i think its an insult calling them beetles!
Im sure they could of made the new beetle (kept the shape) chucked in a air cooled 1916 and kept it rwd and simple
Than have a Golf/A3 dressed as a beetle:repuke
odapbr 路
Well who is going to turn one down if the price drops a few 10,000k? Not me, I'd have one just to keep the VW badge alive. Who knows, VW might oneday realise they should bring back the "Beetle" and please a lot more people than they have with the latest version!!!
Bizarre 路
To be honest there are a few vert NB's round my way lately.
I would have one of them!!
I reckon they look great
typ-fre 路
they have to make more powerful ones like all the other manufacturers u know how they have a ltd edition with like a v8 or v6 innit the only thing they had was a 1.8t wtf is that u cant even do them up properly ohhh well
its a shame
dom
typ-fre 路
how rare would they be in 30-40 yrs
hmm......lol
dom
DoNkEy 路
they only phassed out the old beetles (our friends) cause they no longer meet safety standards...
all little things like...having a fuel tank in the front of a car ..lack of crumple zones...etc...
it us funny with new cars...in an accident the car gets wasted but the driver gets out uninjured..then u get old cars. In an accident the car is basically fine...but the person is not 馃榾
typ-fre 路
yeah thats soooooo true ive noticed that thats y they put seat head rests so if you get wacked in the ass your neck duznt snap nother words all the old vw ppl wachout i know i am lol 馃榾
dom
XXX-1.8T 路
hey man theres nothing wrong with the 1.8T engine i got one:bounce
Just from a chip and exhaust im pumping 160kw, if i was to get a bigger turbo i could get 220kw!
Not bad for a 1.8 馃槈
Now for a beetle the ideal set up would be a aircooled 1.8T 馃榾
lulu94 路
odapbr i still wouldnt buy one even if it was a few 1000 cheaper. you cant change the basic setup of a car and still call it by the old name
odapbr 路
I agree Lulu, the name should have been left alone but there are a lot of non VW people out there who would still see it as a beetle. What would you have called it?
lulu94 路
well i dont know what i would have called it but it wouldnt be a beetle.
that is the job of the sales and designers at vw, i dont think they did there job properly this time
Danielle
typ-fre 路
WELL IF IT WONT BE CALLED A BEETLE ID CALL IT THE OPPOSTE OF A BEETLE WHAT WOULD THAT BE??? any suggestions???
dom
lulu94 路
a blue whale si the only thing i can think of that is the opposite of a beetle and the car is too small for that
XXX-1.8T 路
I reckon they should of kept its original name Concept 1馃榾
fatboy 路
The Jelly Mould !
Herbie 路
Thanks for reducing my Girlfriend , {a New Beetle Owner} to tears with your calous asshole type insults,
Have a brain and respect all the different people who might be part of this forum,
most people dont even consider old beetles to be real cars, but they ussually have the intelligence not to :cussingbe so rude.
lulu94 路
herbie i never once said that the new beetles werent good cars just that i never thought them to be a real beetle which is my opinion (i agree that not everyone shares my opinion) and im really sorry if i upset your girlfriend, as i didnt mean to offend anyone, my coments about new beetle owners was just general and i know not all owners are yuppies.
but you have to realise that posting a topic you will get opinionated responses and if you cant handle a them then maybe she shouldnt read them.
i have so many ppl tell me that my beetle isnt a car and i should get something else and i let it roll off my back same as alot of ppl think that vw are only for tree hugging hippies.
cant take offence to everything in life or it will be a very unhappy life to live
Sky 路
Well, I don't personally like the new beetles, for one, the $30K price tag for a peoples car. Obviously thats a bad statement there, they have changed their client market, Each to their own 馃檪
XXX-1.8T 路
hey sorry herbie about ur gf's car didnt mean no disrespect:beer
vw54 路
Well the other month when i was talkiing with the VWA marketing product manager there was no mention of this... only of increased product range
Herbie 路
Thanks for the appology,
I know its hard to find harmony but we must make an effort,
She loves her VW with more dedication than I do with Herbie and she just got offended by the comments,
But all fades into obscurity over time.
Cheers Tony
Astro Boy 路
though i might change the topic slightly as it was getting a bit narky.does anyone know if the new microbus has arrived in oz yet or know when it will.
ps. the new beetle is not the same but has the vw emblem on it and that is good enough for me. we are all here to talk vw, we all have preferences and i'm glad that we dont all drive the same car.
rock on.:thumb
nbturbo 路
I took offence to that piss poor attitude as well.I have a "New Beetle"(the name used by VW so as not to upset all the owners of air cooled ones)as well and some air cooled ones too.I have owned many VW's since my first Oval in 1966,and don't remember any of them being this good to drive.I have a 1.8 turbo and this thing is a real pleasure to own.Am in the process of getting it chipped to put out 200H.P.-so will be even more dangerous-can't wait.I hope those that moaned about them have had their arse in a Turbo on the highway-probably not.That comment about Poofs comes up a lot in the eastern states obout NB owners.Here in SA they climb into Golfs.That may be the reason I don't like the look of Golfs-but I would never shit can them on here.
Flying VW 路
I have a Golf, and I'm not Homosexual.
Lucky my wife drive's it, while I'm driving my big tough BLACK XR8.
mmmmmmmm maybe she is Homosexual 馃榾
jenz58 路
Seen and know of a few people who drive them and they are not the gay hairdresser type...but some don't seem to acknowledge other older VW 's when they see them...or perhaps don't even recognise us馃檨
Not the ones from our community though!! 馃檪
Honestly if I had the money I'd buy one to save driving my two old VW's into the ground with all the driving they do....or to do that long trip a bit more leisurley:thumb
I wish the new convertable did a different colour in their canvas though.....like tan for the champagne beige colour...The black is too much of a contrast for this colour...plus the interior in beige leather......Cost cutting in production I'd imagine馃槧
Flying VW 路
All my mates that have N.B's also reconize older Beetles. But yeah, there are alot of people driving new Beetles who have no idea what a air cooled is.
helbus 路
If I had to get a newer VW to drive I would get a Toureg and thrash the daylights out of it everywhere. I would go to a 4WD test area and give it all it has to the limit.
As for picking on cars. I cop it for having a fleet with an average age of 30 years old.
People pick on us for being hippies for having a kombi - "does it have flowers painted on it?"
The Beetle. "Oh they catch fire all the time don't they?"
The EH. "I'd rather a Ford/ Valiant/ OHC motored car blah blah"
The bikes "They'reeeeeeeee daaaaaaaaangerous. You'll get killed"
Oh well at least I try to be interesting I suppose! 馃榾
jenz58 路
Don't we all!!! 馃槈馃檪:thumb
Hey I love driving my old VW's so much, and we do get a heck of a lot of attention from people in cars who would normally be bored shitless cos all the other cars around them are the same...we do create interest....even if just for a moment... in some peoples lives:sandrine
nbturbo 路
What you said about NB owners is true-but few owners of any new VW products really acnowledge the heritage of what they own.I don't know about the sales people in your VW dealerships,but here in Adelaide,they not only don't know about VW's early years,and it's really hard to draw them into conversation about old Beetles.You will find this one hard to believe-we ordered our NB in early April 02 and were told it would take 10 to 12 weeks to arrive.I wasn't that concerned by mid July when still not here,but phoned the salesman anyway-his answer blew me away-"its really hard to get cars out of Germany at the moment with shipping the way it is" As you can see there are a few things wrong there. I think it sad we have jerks like that in the VW family.Just to show my passion for VW's-our NB was the first water cooled VW I had ever driven.I had seen the standard ones trotted around shopping centres to sell tickets.My wife chose the colour from one of those-so we ordered it over the phone and posted a deposit-when we went to town to pick it up it was the first Turbo we had seen.Not trying to score points-this is my shop ute.
byronbus 路
:thumb I would like a V6 Bora 馃榾
ibmoknegawsklov 路
Hi to everyone at AUSSIEAIRCOOLEDVEEDUBBERS.............mmmmmm hang on thats not right.
Vee dubs come in all shapes and sizes, we own a country buggy, a new beetle and a 74 datsun powerd kombi oh yeah and a pop top for parts. We love them all but i have to say that the new beetle makes long trips a dream not an adventure. Don't be one eyed, henery ford passed on volkswagen after the war because he couldn't see the point ( maybe he thought it was a hairdressers / poofs car ) Technology moves on Ferdinan only built the beetle that way due to cost constraints, it could have been way different.
oh yeah bye the way even if it has a radiator its still air cooled !!!!!
馃檪
typ-fre 路
i cant believe that v dub ppl on this forum that obsess over vdubs and they call some cars poofs cars or homo cars id be embarrest to say that the car brand i like has homo sexual cars
dom
(no offence to homo ppl)
typ-fre 路
polos are poofs cars ne way lol馃榾
dom
typ-fre 路
ohh yeah i wanna w8 passat 馃槈
dom
typ-fre 路
Herbie wrote:Thanks for reducing my Girlfriend , {a New Beetle Owner} to tears with your calous asshole type insults,
Have a brain and respect all the different people who might be part of this forum,
most people dont even consider old beetles to be real cars, but they ussually have the intelligence not to :cussingbe so rude.
i neva sed ne thing bad about the new beetles i like them
my dads bos has a new beetle race team
he won the championship wih it
I am the very proud mother of a new beetle cabriolet. I am also the very proud mother of a 1965 beetle which is currently sitting under my pergola waiting for restoration. I love all beetles no matter what year they were born. I am neither a poof nor a hairdresser. Does that make me half a yuppie ?
typ-fre 路
nah your mad!!! (in a good way馃榾)
fatboy 路
Ne1 one know the price of an NB convertable is here compared to buying one at the factory in germany ?
Yogie 路
Well we have just ordered the new beetle convertible. It will go along with our 68 beetle and our 72 karmann convertible and 72 karmann ghia convertible.
My wife thinks it is not a "real" beetle because it has the engine in the front and a dashboard but it is a good modern update of the original.
We are both looking forward to taking delivery of it though as we are "VW" people and like the heritage.
It will be interesting to see if we get any more waves back from other new beetles in the new car though as we don't get many from them when we are in the "classic" cars.:bounce:bounce:bounce
mscabrio 路
Me mad ????? Hmmmm ?????? A lot of people tell me that and I haven't figure out why ??????
The price of the NB Cabrio:bounce is around $46,000 depends on the deal you get !
I ALWAYS wave to fellow VW drivers, regardless of what they are driving, if the car has a VW badge then they get a wave, maybe that is why people think I am a nutcase ?????????????:bounce
HotRodMatt 路
From memory VW always said it was going to be a shortlived model.
T25Turbo 路
I am with Herbie. No wonder you purists alienate all the other people who are interested in VW stuff, you constantly diss watercoolers (or just leave them out) and hack on anyone who drives a newie. Well I have mates who are into Holdens and Fords who show more respect to my VW fanaticism than the aircoolers show the water pumpers (and probably vice-versa). We can all get along, I love nothing more than seeing a wicked-nice old Kombi, Type 3 or Beetle cruising along in all its glory.
T25Turbo 路
And to ye who say the 1.8T is a crap motor, shame on you!! This is one of the most awesome VW motors at the moment due to its affordability, built in ultra-reliability and its potential for performance. Notice I said Potential, because they've got the wick turned down so far on these things, you can really make em scream with a little $$$. And to the guy who said the beetle needs a V8, are you crazy??!! Then VW would be the same as all the others, I think what you meant to say was W8, right?! VW has always been known for its innovation, and with vehicles like the Touareg, we are just falling in line behind Toyota and all the other Barges out there.
sorry for the long post, much respect to you all and lets sort out this problem. Lets tell VW GMBh what cars we actually want instead of letting them produce Toyota clones!!!
fatboy 路
So how much direct from the factory - as in germany.
VolksFolks 路
Hello People, I Have A VW Passat S, V6 2.8, Pulls 147kw, A Great Car And Love It, We Also Have Gwendoline, Our Type 3, Theres Nothing Like It To Drive Down The Beach In It And Open The Quarter Lights And Feel The Air And Here The Motor Plod Along,Mot To Mention The Smell Of Vynal Seats In The Sun, Think We Use Both Equally, I Love Vw And Will Always Love Em, The New Beetle Dos'nt Appeal To Me But I Have No Quarms With Them, Still They Are Vw's, As ibmoknegawsklov Said A Vw Is A Vw No Matter What Type It Is, Bla Bla Bla.....
Andy
blutopless2 路
Just thought i would add my own comments into this discussion/argument/debate/whatever you wanna call it. Why is it that people with "old" beetles feel they have to put the "new" beetle down? As a Volkswagen person cant you appreciate the car for what it is??? The car is not meant to be a replacement but merely an updated version?? after all, does this mean that the "oval" brigade dont talk to the "splittys" simply because they are not the "original" beetle???? come on and get serious.... we are all here to love the volkswagen brand and what their cars are all about. Isnt it better to be united as a manufacturer than to have 30 different clubs for each state because of little alterations made to each model and year? If this is going to be the attitude of people then why did I bother joining a club??
Y2K 路
Im am getting really pissed off with the people on this forum who disrespest the "New Beetle" (not beetle). Myself, along with alot of the other watercooled drivers, feel ashamed and disgusted to even be recognised with the same badge as you dickheads.
If you dont like the New Beetle, keep it to you bloody self. I get extremely upset when something is said. I love cars any shape and size, old and new. So what if its not aircooled, vw are just updating with the times and technology. They are just improving on what went wrong with the beetle and trying to sort out some hick-ups. And they're still doing that now to the new beetle.I thought the badge was all that counted.
The New Beetle was the best thing ive ever bought. I've owned a Mitsubishi Lancer and a Mazda 626 before that. I was born in to a car crazy family and i love every minute of driving my car. I was going to update to the turbo model this year but since this news i might not trade but get the 1.8T as an extra car.
YES I AM YUPEE and i love every dollar of it(and only 24years old)
Y2K
Y2K 路
Yep love your comments Blutopless2 :thumb
VolksFolks 路
Lend Us A Dollar, HeHe, Good On Ya Matey
ANdy
Y2K 路
He he he heres some Andy $$$$$$$$$$$$$$馃榾
Cheers
Y2K
VolksFolks 路
Looking At Your New Beetle Kinda Looks Like My Passat Only Smaller LoL
Y2K 路
Mmmmmmm Passatttttttt (drool like homer simpson) love them too.
Flying VW 路
nbturbo wrote:this is my shop ute.
Yeah I really like the BA Falcon, it's So much more better looking than the AU. 馃檪
VolksFolks 路
Drool Away Y2k
Rota_Motor 路
wow, i only just found this thread, and I'm afraid I may just upset a few people.
IMO the new beetle probably shouldnt have been made, or for that matter, the new (not so) mini, the new (alledged) monaro, at least monaro and mini stayed true to the old models, V8 2 door version of the family car, and small FWD car, although the mini isnt so small anymore, pity. just like the new beetle, not saying they are a bad car, I believe they are probably quite good cars, just keep the golf body on them, and dont try to sell cars with the name.
old beetle - cheap, economical, simple, easy too look after/maintain, rear engine, rear wheel drive car.
new beetle - not cheap, not simple, FWD, dealer only serviceable, economical car.
apart from the general shape, and the economical running (possibly, unsure) they dont have alot in common with the old cars do they.
BTW, you would have noticed I like rotaries, I am happy mazda made an RX-8, but they didnt badge it as one of the classics to sell more, and I am still waiting for a small affordable mazda rotary based on one of the runaround models, which would bring back the real spirit of RX cars.
sorry if I offended anyone, or if I rambled on a bit, just telling you what I think, I would possibly buy a new beetle, but only on the cars own merits, not because of the name.
Oasis 路
I pulled up next to a new beetle the other day that was the exact same colour as mine. The whole scene looked fantastic. We both waved furiously at each other. There was 34 years difference, but still a whole lot of mutual pride expressed, and I was smiling all day. I've also waved at other aircooled VW owners who don't know what the hell I'm waving at them for. They don't even care about the car they're driving. I've also chatted with a guy with a Porsche Speedster and an Austin Healey owner on the side of the road. Waved at a guy in a Bolwell who liked my car as much as I liked his. All that matters is that the owner has pride in their own car . Aircooled beetles may have been innovative, different and economical in their day, but they were slow, had swing axle suspension etc..... A 1934 Citroen Traction Avant on the other hand (just as an example) had IRS suspension, front wheel drive and monocoque construction. The 1955 Citroen DS was amazing in its day. The Jensen FF in 1966 was 4WD and came with ABS 20 years before any other car did. In 1958 E-Type Jags introduced disc brakes to common cars. Almost every car has something special about it. Fiat 500, Mini, 246 Dino, Lamborghini Miura, Alfa and Bugatti introduced OHC engines in the 1920s. I could go on... just ask my wife. My car on the other hand has been grossly modified so that it goes about as fast as a modern beetle, but it makes 10 times the noise of a new beetle and doesn't have air conditioning. It does have personality though and enough rust to occupy a small European country. I think you get my point. Some of my friends think I'm an idiot to have such a car. I don't care. All that matters is that I love it. 馃榾
buzzbug 路
Oasis,
I don't think that it could have been said any better.
I was stoked yesterday to get my first uninitiated wave from a NB owner and it took me by suprise, but i waved back at him like a raving mad lunatic.
Its all about pride in your chosen car and respect for every one else.
nbturbo 路
Well said-I think you have nailed it.I am more than twice your age and it is gratifying to see some one so young with the passion.Pity there aren't more around here like you.
mscabrio 路
Boy oh boy this debate is getting bigger !!! Y2k .... is that your white beetle in the pic ???? It is gorgeous !!!! Topless blu what on earth are you talking about ? you own an old beetle !!!!!!!
Of course everyone is going to have their favorites but like it has been mentioned VW has moved on with technology etc, it is like the owners of vintage holdens vs modern holdens ..... I think that all beetles are great, regardless. I even have a place in my heart for the new POLO. Where are all you wavers ??? If you see a young girl in a new beetle cabriolet (pale blue) in Melbourne then it is probably me and I promise that I will wave to you !!!!!!!!! (unless you drive a holden then I will cry with you !!!!!):sandrine
mscabrio 路
Oh and forgot to write !!!!!!
I agree with you Y2K I also have had a number of cars. I have owned Fords, Mazdas and even a Suburu WRX and nothing has made me smile more than my new beetle. It has been the best thing that I have ever bought and although it cost me a lot of money the pleasure it gives me is more than worth it. The only other car that made me ever smile was my first car a 1968 beetle which used to break down all the time. No matter what you all say, the new beetle although doesn't look or behave like the old one still has the same cheeky,fun spirit of the old one and that is what counts !
blutopless2 路
I agree with mscabrio (gotta or she'll beat the crap outta me!!) :cry and whadya mean i own an old beetle??? been demoted again have i???
byronbus 路
Maya (byron yuppie feral),
Can I drive one of the new beetles when you get the 2nd one...I gotta get aircon in the yoot or im buying a new car...
Anyway...have fun in the VW you drive, a new cab would be great, if it didnt mean i'd have to work bloody hard to pay it off, i'd have one...prefer not to work so hard, so may just cut a ragtop into the oval :thumb
Y2K 路
Hey Oasis was that me that pulled up beside you(probably not) cause i do those silly sort of things too and i feel buzzed all day.
Mscabrio- yep thats my baby in the pics and thats me too standing beside her. You can only just see me but yes i am female, and its great to see alot more girls getting in to the vw scene.
Nbturbo- id love to go for a ride in yours when you get it finished. Varoommmmm
Hey its good to see that you like them. My dad was against me getting one until i sent him on a plane down to melbourne to drive mine home for me. He loved the style, the class, comfort, ride and handling. When he got back, he wanted to trade me his 1997 Ford GT..........yeah right.
Ill be down in Melbourne this june or july so ill have to catch up with everyone down their.
:thumb
Oasis 路
If that's your car in the avatar then it was exactly the same, but it was in Sydney, and I see you're from Byron I think... anyway sometimes I'd love the luxury of a car like yours. i wouldn't have to put the window down to let air in, and I could hear the CD over the engine, and it looks great....
VolksFolks 路
VW BEETLE (ex POPSTARS BARDOT vehicle) Collectors Item, special PPG paint work (value $20,000), 2000 model, low kms, air con, power steering, CD stacker, sports suspension, alloy wheels, many extras, neg -$25000 KAWANA ISLAND (0408) 937 771.
Andy
nbturbo 路
Why did you buy yours so far from home???
typ-fre 路
ok if i eva get a new beetle id get the oettinger botykit the 2002 audi 19' bbs wheels and a massave soundsystem
id get the metallic green color
dom
vanderaj 路
On the NB, 19" wheels foul the body work, so you have to cut to make them happen. Not good.
The new Mini, Monaro, GT40, Thunderbird, etc are not the same as their predecessors. And thank goodness for that. The predecessors suck in terms of dynamics and safety even against a modern tiddly car. The worst "retro" car about to come out, the Mustang, will have a live rear axle. That's a step backward from the last muscle car Ford US popped out.
I'm getting a PR quote from VW Australia. I hate rumor mongering threads.
Andrew
Unity-28 路
If it is to be canned, I will for one be suprized, as they have just released the cabrio, that has replaced the ever popular Golf cabriolet....What will VW offer as a cabriolet if they get rid of the NB?
N!
Adam_C 路
i dont mind the NB, i certainly want mum to get one when her car dies, 2nd hand would do ...... stuill got yours andrew? hehe
as for price there was a post a whileback, by fatboy i think, anyhoo it showed comparisons between milk bread and stuff likt that now, and in the 60's, it also showed a comparison of a deluxe beetle and the NB and it seemed to be on par with the inflation of the other prices,
XXX-1.8T 路
My friend has 19's on his NB Turbo fits no problem.
As for once the NB is dead they will revert to a Golf/A3 cabrio again 馃槈
twoguns 路
what i find funny is how NB owners get so wound up when people say they dont like NB's or think them as a marketing ploy to cash in on the original popularity. the NB owner wants to attack everyone for saying what they think. i am not a fan of water cooled, as they are so often all too alike. i am happy to express my thoughts on it as well.
i can honestly say that almost every aircooled nut and old sckool vw owner has had there bit of negative feed back from people who drive modern cars. i got from a friend of the family the comment that i 'must be a bent mooron to put up with antiquated saftey and design standards'. but i dont take offence. i let it slide as what i drive is what i like. i like no seat belts. i like old styling. i like the fact that all old cars have there little bit of history or character.
for people to take offence is just stupid. you bought a new beetle. you made a decision to buy a product that was marketed to cash in on the old beetle history.accept that the car you bought is not yet accepted to the vw scene yet. but dont get the shits about it. one day the NB might earn enuf kudos to be respected... then you can say i told you so. but sheesh to get reactive is silly your driving preference is no different to anyone elses. jsut accept that at the moment you have an immitation and not the original..馃榾 and yes i know you can justify all the saftey and comfort stuff. but at the end of the day the new beetle is a sell out by VW and a sell out/compromise on the aircooled history that is VW.
nbturbo 路
TWOGUNS wrote his friends call him a "bent moron" for driving an antiquated car.I don't recall them coming on here and doing so.In fact I don't recall anybody coming on here and calling old Beetles noisy,unsafe,unreliable,uncomfortable pieces of shit-which is exactly what they are.But if any body tells me thats what they think of my old Beetles,I will defend them to my last breath.I,like a lot of Aussies grew up with them as the family car and as such they became part of the family.How many of you who had/have one in the family gave it a name-come on,own up.All of ours have their own name,including the NB.Lets see if we can encourage someone to come on here and put shit on old Beetles and watch what happens-should be good for a laugh.
twoguns 路
dont defend it... just let it lie. its water off my back. and besides the less they all think about vw's then the more i can get my hands on em at the right price.馃榾馃榾馃榾
i remember one year at the australia day car show in sydney, i overheard the same arguement between old and new COROLLA owners........... couldnt stop laughing at what that arguement was about. i mean who in their right mind 馃槈 would be sentimental about a corrola let alone name it. unless there was thier 'first time' and then none since story attached. and that i could understand. 馃榾馃榾 (corolla and only once--- get it :P )
lulu94 路
thankyou twoguns.
you are right and i think i said the same thing on the first page.
vanderaj 路
twoguns wrote:what i find funny is how NB owners get so wound up when people say they dont like NB's or think them as a marketing ploy to cash in on the original popularity.
This may be your interpretation, but it's not what J Mays and Freeman Thomas who designed Concept 1 as a skunkworks project had in mind. They're designers, not marketers. Many inside VW of America (where Mays and Thomas worked at the time) wanted it dead. At the 1994 NAIAS when Concept 1 was unveiled, demand by the public was so great, the naysayers lost the war to prevent the New Beetle. It wouldn't have happened without the retro fad of the time, but it's still a very good car.
i am not a fan of water cooled, as they are so often all too alike.
How is the New Beetle like ANY other car on the road ... other than the original Beetle? That's a silly argument.
for people to take offence is just stupid. you bought a new beetle. you made a decision to buy a product that was marketed to cash in on the old beetle history.accept that the car you bought is not yet accepted to the vw scene yet. [ snip ] one day the NB might earn enuf kudos to be respected...
What VW scene? Ours is a freak of nature - the various importers and VW Australia have done such an incredibly bad job over such a long time, that watercooled is rare here in comparison to the old aircooled cars - even after 27 years after the last Beetle was sold. No other market is as poorly reflected in sales as Australia. Even Mercedes sells more cars here than VW.
The New Beetle VW scene is actually healthier than all others - http://www.newbeetle.org has 8000 members (about 4 times our size), and is bigger than VW Vortex's forum memberships, which represents *ALL* of VW's models, old and new.
The mod scene on the New Beetle is roaring - you can easily get all sorts of engine, brakes, gearboxes, clutches, exterior accessories, go slow kits (=wings, etc), and stickers... much more variety, type, and so on than ANY other model of VW today.
You are so insular in your own aircooled world that you failed to see that the New Beetle is the active VW scene now... everywhere but here. Golf and Passat drivers for the most part treat their cars as transport, not a way of life.
For a previous poster to this thread, it was me who made a comparison between various cars and the Holden Premier of the time versus now and the Commodore Executive. In 1971, the old Beetle was more expensive than the Premier, whereas the cheapest New Beetle is now about 30% cheaper than the cheapest Commodore. And you get WAAAAAAAY more in a New Beetle than and old Beetle, and even to some extent you get more in the New Beetle than in the base level Commodore. I think you'll find the New Beetle is excellent value, safe and moderately reliable transport. Cars do not cost $2175 any more. All New Beetles get better fuel economy than the old Beetles, despite weighing nearly twice as much, have unparalelled safety features at any price, need minor servicing only every 15,000 km (instead of every 3000 miles).
The New Beetle is everything the old one is ... and more.
Andrew
fatboy 路
Adam,
I wasn't trying to compare the price of a new beetle to the relative price of the old beetle when new.
I was trying to find out if it would be cheaper to buy a New Beetle Convertable in Germany and bring it here myself.
kOMBI KARMA 路
A VW is a VW we should all respect each others choices because they are VWs.
In my experiance only, no disrespect or judgment on any NB owners but I wave to any VW (just a small wave unless its a fellow Kombi driver ) to acknowledge I respect their VW. However some NB drivers specially the young female sorts can be quiet snooty and look as if to say "What the f*** u waving at, which leads me to think they dont even know they are driving a VW half the time, they are not proud, its just a trendy car to them, might of even been a car daddy bought them. Mind you this has only happened to me two, three times so I dont draw my conclusions there, nor is that my opinion, ONLY my experiance. I do not judge NB owners on these few cases. Tomorrow I could be driving in town give the little wave and get one back, it will make my day just quietly, for the fact that that person is waving back because she or he relizes Im waving because we both drive VWs..
I drive a dark purple bay kombi. My friends call me Neil (young ones) or Hippy and the small town where I live townsfolk call me "the witch", do I care?? Nup I dont give a rats ass, Im proud of what I drive and if it labels me it labels me, I never take it to heart.
My son recently bought a 69 fast back, he adores it and whilst his mates are buying Holden beaut utes and bag the crap outta him, he just glows talking about his fasty. He is unique as is his car.
My daughter is a few years off 18 but she wants a VW too. I would love to see her in a NB one day. Shes from a VW family and would wave to anyone cause she knows the importance the history and the love of all VWs
Go the VW !!
Ree
XXX-1.8T 路
The thing that makes me laugh is those so called VW/Audi tuning company's that only provide sports parts for watercooled turbo engines. Theres only one out there that does both!
Thats Oettinger which provide stuff for old school and new school VAG cars like my Audi and my VW. At least they havent for got their heritage.
Started in 1946 by Gerhard Oettinger and has become Number 1 tuning company for VAG. Mullers are the exclusive importer for the stuff and have been importing the stuff since the 70's.
Its good to see a company that does both sides of the spectrum and doesnt forget its heritage:bounce
blutopless2 路
kOMBI KARMA wrote:A VW is a VW we should all respect each others choices because they are VWs.
I agree. Both ob and nb have their place and neither takes anything away from the other. You will always get owners who only view their vw as a car and lack the passion of other owners. I have seen mixed reactions to the waving phenomenon from people waving back to people turning their heads (probably thinking what lunatics we are) and from a whole range of vw drivers.
Y2K 路
Yeh That waving thing
Being a new beetle driver (and a yupee at that), you would all expect that i dont wave. Well i do. And i dont get one single wave back from the old dubs. Why's this you ask. Cause i live in a town full of hippies who dont respect their cars for the history. How do i solve this problem. Well i dont bother waving anymore. Because after two years of waving to the same local cars i would have thought i'd get some sort of respect back.
So i only wave when the olddubs wave at me.
Oasis 路
Hey Y2K, I'm waving at you NOW馃榾 and if I could actually see you from Sydney I'd be waving all the time. I've come to expect that most people just have a car to get around, and don't necessarily love it like we do. It used to bother me that I'd wave frantically at people and they would look at me like I was a twit, but now I just wave not as frantically and enjoy the occasional wave back. At least you get to live in Byron...
ByronBug 路
Was told about this thread so I thought I would come & read it all.
Good to see some healthy opinions are still alive & well....lol
Personally myself I don't care what VW you drive as long as it is one.
We all have to respect that over the years
VW made so many types (one for everyones taste thank god) & many different in there own way.
We should choose one & not like others is silly considering VW technology over the years has created so many different things done to each model.
We just should appreciate that VW decides to expand their vision to many different ways & means along the way.
Maybe one certain type doesn't take your fancy for some reason...thats fine, but
please remember here many of us own
those ones you may not fancy.
So respect all & each members opinoins
but our passion for our cars are to be applauded & realize we all are not the same with the same tastes.
I was bagged by many when I bought my 61 bug as when I bought it it didn't look like it does now, & I copped hell by all.
I copped the usual remarks as we all have....
Even my son' teenage friends hated it.
Now its a different story.....
I have changed the view of many people,
young & old.
I have gotten people in the New Beetles
to wave to me that probably would'nt have
before or maybe don't know why ?
At least I have opened peoples minds & views on VW's....
.....& when it all boils down to it....
I have made people appreciate & respect VW's a bit better than they did before.
& isn't this what this forum is all about?
Judy ^..^