This is the New Volkswagen Futura. Don't know anything about it.

What do you think?
What do you know?

The Bronze.

I know nothing about it, but it looks like a 2003 Tarago. I wonder how long those door-mounted (wing-mounted?) mirrors would last in an underground carpark? :o

Uh... Colin, I'm not sure but I don't think your supposed to be driving around with the doors open. Especially indoors.

Just went and had a look at the "Volkswagen Announces" site and couldn't find anything about the Futura. I did find a bit out about the new microbus which might be released into the Australian market. Hmmmm? White seats and red dust!

Abstract-
Get set for the return of a legend – Volkswagen has confirmed its show-stopping new Microbus will go into production at the Hanover plant in Germany.

Volkswagen Group Australia has indicated a desire to import the stunning retro-look MPV although no date, exact specifications or pricing have been confirmed. Indeed, right-hand-drive production has not been confirmed at this stage.

But the overwhelmingly positive reaction of Australian consumers - who saw the Microbus Concept Vehicle displayed at last year’s Sydney International Motor Show - was a factor in the decision-making process. Combined Motor Show responses from Sydney, Tokyo, Geneva and Detroit, as well as independent research, convinced Volkswagen about the future for the new Microbus.

Announcing the decision to build the new Microbus in Hanover, Dr Bernd Pischetsrieder, Chairman of the Board of Management, Volkswagen AG, said: "With the Microbus, a legend which begun some 50 years ago when the first Volkswagen bus left the production line is now returning to Hanover.

"The Volkswagen bus was never just a means of transport, it has always been an emotive cult object. The public’s reaction at motor shows combined with the findings of market studies already show us that the Microbus design has a spontaneous appeal and that the new vehicle will follow in the footsteps of its successful predecessor," Dr Pischetsrieder added.

On a global scale, the two markets which have remained most faithful to the original Microbus are probably the surf-crazed West-Coast United States and Australia.

"Worldwide the three places where this news will be most welcome would probably be Hanover, Germany (1500 new jobs in the German city), Huntington Beach, California and Byron Bay, NSW," enthused Volkswagen Group Australia’s Managing Director, Mr Peter Nochar.

"Realistically, the new Microbus would compete at the top end of the people mover market so I guess we will be seeing them outside schools morning and afternoon and down by the beach at weekends," Mr Nochar added.

The Microbus was designed at Volkswagen’s Design Studio in California and the concept vehicle shown at Motorshows was a 7-seater powered by Volkswagen’s 2.8-litre V6 engine.

http://www.autoweb.com.au/start_/showall_/id_VWN/doc_vwg0206171/article.html 

The Bronze.

[Edited on 7-10-2002 by The_Bronze.]

...and the interior.

and the price

upwards of 70 thou good luck. in 20 years they might be affordable, just like the new beetle

The Futura is not a new design - it appeared in 1990 as a design study. A smaller version called the Chico appeared in 1992. VW did not proceed with either design as a production vehicle of course, but no doubt they tried a few ideas with them.

I don't like the new 'Microbus' at all. It was at the Sydney Motor Show last year and is much bigger in the flesh than it looks in the photo. And its full of expensive little nick nacks. And my '74 Kombi has more room inside. It's a luxurious and expensive SUV, not a faithful Kombi replacement.

...and after seeing the New Beetle were you expecting a faithful Kombi replacement?