Jalopnik: VW Beetle

2010 VW Beetle More "Manly" In Speculative Rendering

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:40:00 EDT

It seems that people at Volkswagen are planning to bring back the Beetle, again, and not just for commercials. AutoExpress has learned that the new new Beetle is planned for 2010 and, unlike the previous generation, this one isn't going to be quite so feminine. Volkswagen is going to do things slightly differently in order to compete with the likes of the new Mini and the new Fiat 500.

The new Beetle, as proposed, should get a stronger look with cleaner lines and a lower, tougher roofline. Built on the new Golf platform, the refined Beetle should also offer more space for passengers and their macho gear. VW hopes it can go from frau to wow with this new design and not have it be relegated to the ride of choice for University of Tennessee sorority girls. [Source/Rendering: AutoExpress]

VW Beetle Nailed For 115 MPH Ticket, Year Not Given

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:40:00 EDT

How can the news outlets trumpeting this as a story not include the year of this VW Beetle ticketed for 115 MPH on Colorado's I-25 freeway? This is central to the story here because a '49 split window has a much lower chance hitting triple digits than a 2006 sporting a fake daisy in the vase and an 'I heart Puppies' bumper sticker. If a vintage Bug is hitting 115 MPH on even a downhill stretch of highway, that's HUGE news, ticket be damned. If it's a new one though, who cares? Is it too much to ask for precision from the mainstream media? [Channel 7 News]

The Tri-Magnum Looks Strange, Gets 50 MPG

Ben Wojdyla — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 11:20:00 EDT

This Tri-Magnum built around a Kawasaki KZ900 engine and rear suspension (go big green!), a VW Beetle front suspension, and more fiberglass than you can shake a stick at. Strange looking, yes, but 50 MPG ain't bad on a car with a fold-forward canopy top. This baby's one of the real gems you'll find at the 2008 Woodward Dream Cruise. Sure, there's tens of thousands of muscle cars and classics but it's the plain ol' bizarre and fascinating crap that makes this event the greatest automotive spectacle in the world.

Follow the fun at our Woodward Dream Cruise tag for all of our coverage of the 2008 Woodward Dream Cruise, the largest one-day automotive event in the world!

The Ten Crappiest Cars Of The 2008 Monterey Auctions

Ben Wojdyla — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

The Pebble Beach Concours is always a spectacle of the well-heeled celebrating the well-known in the fancy-pants car show circuit. To go along with the car show wine is the cheese, also known as the Monterey Auctions, put on every year by the house of RM Auctions. There are always hit lists of the most desirable and historical cars crossing the blocks for huge sums of money; to wit, Edmunds Inside Line just did their "10 Best Cars at the 2008 Monterey Auctions" piece today. But we tire of such endeavors. That's why we dug around and found out what's at the bottom of the list. Below the fold: The ten crappiest cars at the 2008 Monterey Auctions.

1) 1909 Peerless Model 19 Touring Car

Expected haul - $350,000-$450,000 Cough, cough, sputter! WHAT! You want how much for a clapped-out Clampit-mobile? Sure, Peerless cars have their place in history, but anything that two-boxes harder than a Volvo 240 just ain't worth that kind of scratch in our opinion. Let's say you buy it, dump a bunch of cash in it, and now its gorgeous. Congrats, you now have a tall golf cart.

2) 1941 Willys Coupe Street Rod

Expected haul - $100,000-$140,000 We hate to say it, but we're so over the whole Willys hot rod thing. They've been done to death and no amount of flame paint job, big rear wing and monster engine is going to get us to part with that kind of cash.

3) 1951 Nash Rambler Custom Landau "Roll-Top" Convertible

Expected haul - $40,000-$80,000 Take the original quality, reliability, and road manners of a Nash Rambler, chop the top off and create a Custom Landau "Roll-Top" Convertible, three synonymous terms for 'hole in the roof', and you've got a rattly mess we'd rather pass on. Sure, Ramblers are sort of the forgotten great American classics, but we're prefer one with a nice rust patina, Indian blanket upholstery and a stinky dog in the passenger seat.

4) 1967 Porsche 912 Soft Window Targa

Expected haul - $50,000-$70,000 All the quality of a Porsche, none of the looks. That was probably one of the lines shot down in the marketing meetings for this car. The 912 was always sort of a bridge car, neither 356 nor 911, and parts for the beast are as easy to find as a cold beer in Stuttgart. We'll take a look at the cars on either side of the 912 thank you.

5) 1957 Volkswagen Beetle

Expected haul - $8,000-$12,000 It's a Beetle, rubbing shoulders with LaSalle and Talbot Lago. It's about as out of place in this auction as a teal donk at the Gumball 3000. Oh, don't get us wrong here, it's a very nice Beetle, but considering its peers, the sale of this puppy would have been better planned elsewhere.

6) 1974 Chevrolet Camaro IROC Race Car

Expected haul - $100,000-$135,000 Forget the name on the side of this IROC Camaro, and think about owning a 1974 IROC Camaro. Can you feel the little hairs on the back of your neck growing at an incredible rate? So can we. Yeah, Bobby Unser drove it. That's nice, but you'd have to be a hardcore racing wacko to want to pony up this kind of dough for a 1974 Camaro.

7) 1974 De Tomaso Pantera L

Expected haul - $125,000-$150,000 We've always liked the faux-exoticness of the Pantera. It's a car with essentially as much refinement as a ten pound sledge hammer, and yet it's often compared in performance with Ferraris of the day. It's the shade-tree mechanic's supercar, with a 351 Cleveland Ford in the middle. It's an easy car to modify, but still, if that's what you're after, they can be had for a whole lot less than the asking price here.

8) 1958 GMC Series 101 Pickup

Expected haul - $75,000-$125,000 $75,000-plus for a pickup truck? Um, no. Go to your local Auto Trader, flip to the "Collectibles and Classics" section, buy a GMC Series 101, paint it teal, save $60,000 or more and be just as happy with the truck.

9) 1966 Amphicar 770

Expected haul - $40,000-$60,000 Both car and boat, and a master of neither discipline, the Amphicar is one of those much-loved but useless cars of yore. We're betting it heard the phrase "An answer to the question nobody asked" well before it was ever leveled against the likes of the Chevy Avalanche

10) 1959 Fiat Jolly 600

Expected haul - $50,000-$60,000 What has wicker seats, no roof, 21.5 horsepower and costs $50,000? Why, a Fiat Jolly of course. This micro machine is perhaps the only car more useless than a Peel Trident — hey, that's at least got a roof and the ability to fry eggs on your head at high noon.

So there you have it, our picks for the crappiest cars up for sale at this year's 2008 Monterey Auctions. We know some of you will think we're heretics for picking a few of these, but by and large these rides just don't cut the mustard when masterpieces like the 1938 Bugatti 57SC Atalante are on the same block. So what do you think? What's the crappiest car of this years auctions? Feel free to fight it out in the space below.

Post publish commentary: Since some of you seem to have checked your sense of humor at the door and consider everything a serious offense to the senses now, I'll go out of my way to make it clear the term "Crappy" is being used in the jocular sense. Perhaps I didn't lay it on thick enough, but the main beef is with the culture of auctioneering driving the prices up on relatively normal cars. I don't think these are crappy, but the multi-million-dollar classic car gold rush is forcing the prices up and the prestige down on otherwise neat, but normal cars.

The Ten Strangest Special Edition Cars

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EDT

What do Frank Sinatra, Levi's Jeans and Don Knotts have in common? Special edition cars. When a trend gets too popular and a car company gets too desperate, they find ways to merge the two into a steaming pile of car crap — otherwise known as a trendy special edition. We thought we knew them all, but when we asked you about your favorite trendy special edition car we got quite the mix. Below are the ten weirdest responses we received, complete with a poll so you can help us select the strangest special car of them all.

1982 Frank Sinatra Edition Chrysler Imperial
Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca had a friend in Frank Sinatra, and it was hoped that Old Blue Eyes could sing the company's way into the hearts of consumers. Not so much. But Iacocca did thank his friend by releasing the Frank Sinatra Edition Imperial Coupe, which featured a briefcase full of Sinatra tapes and a special silver-blue paint job. Despite the blessing of the former Rat Packer, people weren't biting and the FS edition was dropped, much to the dismay of MechiMike.

1996 Volkswagen Harlequin Golf
We have Maymar to thank for reminding us of about the Harlequin Golfs, which are certainly the most colorful special edition on the list. It was 1996 and it would be another four years before VW released a new Golf. To keep interest in the brand, Volkswagen swapped out the body panels on 264 red, green, blue and yellow Golfs. The result is one of the rarest VW editions ever and, without a doubt, one of the most noticeable. [Photo: Wiki]

1979 Bill Blass Edition Lincoln Mark V
Take clothing designer Bill Blass' wearable designs and combine them with the Lincoln land yachts of the 1970's and you get the Bill Blass Edition Lincoln Mark V. A classic example of the clothing design/car crossover product tie-in, this Lincoln features the classic two-tone Bill Blass paint scheme as well as a Cartier Quartz electronic clock and luxo-reclining seats. Classy. The price of all that class? An average of 7.0 mpg, making it one of the biggest guzzlers of all time. Still, Isetta would take one in a heartbeat. [Source: Significant Cars]

2000 Snoopy Edition Mitsubishi Pajero Mini
The Japanese are often in the lead when it comes to automobile trends, so don't be surprised to see a Peppermint Patty Dodge Durango as a follow up to the Mitsubishi Pajero Snoopy Edition that Tonyola located for us. The vehicle is festooned in and out with drawings of snoopy as the flying ace, including on the wheel hub covers, spare tire compartment, speedometer, tachometer, pillars and door trim. There's also an autograph by Charles Schultz on the outside of the little SUV. We're not sure how much Schultz made for this, but it's not enough.

1972 Levi's Edition AMC Gremlin
As if the AMC Gremlin wasn't already one of the coolest cars ever, the company offered a special Levi's edition in the early 1970's to take advantage of those "jeans things" everyone seemed to be wearing. The interior featured denim-covered seats front and back with copper rivets instead or buttons. Though the look was unique, we have to imagine those copper rivets probably left burn marks on unsuspecting passengers on hot days. The company tried to follow the success of this model with an acid-washed AMC Eagle in the 1970's with disastrous results. [Hemmings]

1995-1997 Orvis Edition Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee had a rough time trying to keep up with the more luxurious Ford Explorer and it's ubiquitous Eddie Bauer editions. To compete, Jeep tapped rugged outfitter and rod-maker Orvis. Though JSmith53 may argue that this Grand Cherokee offered better performance than the Explorer with similar luxury touches, the Orvis edition's color scheme was probably a deal-breaker for a lot of people. Though produced for three years, the gold, green and red of the Jeeps lost out to the easier-on-the-eye beige and green Fords. [Source: Jeep Orvis]

1979 Cadillac Seville by Gucci
Oh daddy, what Elhigh wouldn't do for a Gucci Caddy. Taking the automaker/designer to its ultimate extreme, Cadillac dealers teamed with Gucci to create the most luxurious 1979 Seville ever. The custom "double G" gold Gucci hood ornament makes this car easily recognizable as something special. And what's hinted at on the outside, is beaten to within an inch of its life on the inside. Gucci logos, Gucci cloth and a matching set of five Gucci bags let other Seville owners know that you are too chic to be trifled with. [Source: Boompa]

1970's Champagne Edition Beetles
When you think of the VW Beetle you don't necessarily think of bubbly, but Volkswagen clearly realized there was a group of affluent would-be owners waiting for a luxury edition Beetle. These "Champagne" editions came with a special metallic paint, Blaupunkt AM/FM speakers, a Quartz Clock (a must for the 1970's) and burled elm dash. Now the best StairCar can do is a little dinky plastic flowerpot. [Source: SeBeetles.com]

Oleg Cassini AMC Matador
If you're good enough to design over 300 outfits for Jackie O, you're good enough to design your own AMC Matador. Drawing from the same geometric shapes and rich fabrics that made up the first lady's ball gowns, Cassini models included thick carpeting everywhere as well as a number of Cassini medallions. The best touch is the ultraplush seating with copper buttons that would look more at home in Indi's 1970's-era living room than an AMC. With only a few thousand of these versions made, they're among some of the most collectible Matadors. [Concord.edu]

"The Dude" Edition Dodge Truck
As opposed to the relative opulence of the Cassini Matador or Champagne Beetle, the randomly named "The Dude" edition dodge sport trim package is basically a 1970's sweptline Dodge truck with a "paint and tape" package that utilizes mostly striking colors and a "The Dude" logo to move inventory. What makes this specific truck special is the inclusion of Don Knotts in the truck's advertising, for reasons that defy human comprehension. The Dude abides. Credit to both Squablow and Slantstick. [Source: Sweptline.com]

Volkswagen PC Mod Makes PC More Respectable

Travis Hudson — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST

If may not be quite as Hasselhoff-cool as the KITT PC casemod, but If anything can be said about this VW Beetle PC mod, it's that the craftsmanship is absolutely beautiful. Someone took a scale Beetle model and crammed a fully functioning PC inside of it. The front bumper has a slotted laptop-style CD drive, and the rear bumper flips up to unveil the necessary ports for PC operation.

The craftsmanship may be primo, but I would recommend a window tint to at least conceal the PC components. [Newlaunches]

Buy an $88,000 VW Beetle, Get the Gold for Free

Travis Hudson — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST

Or maybe it should be buy $88,000 worth of gold and get a 1968 Volkwagen Beetle for free? Regardless, you will be getting the gold with the Beetle or the Beetle with the gold because an 18-karat blend of gold and glass is what this beautiful Beetle is coated in. The monstrosity was shown off at the annual Luxury Show in Bucharest and can actually be purchased &mdash if you are a complete moron with a knack for overpaying for an unnecessary vehicle. [BornRich]