It's got more chrome than Elvis had themed bedrooms, but it's nothing a little dirt couldn't fix. Underneath, the Beetle R is something we'd no doubt consider taking home for a little of the old paddle shift, know wot I mean?
Unfortunately, for the moment, the AWD Beetle R is merely an attention-getting concept targeted to freaks like us, who, after driving the new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, would celebrate the addition of a 266-hp Beetle. The figment of VW's conceptual imagination would get a version of the 2.0-liter direct-injection turbocharged four in the Golf R.
Of course, we'd keep the engine and the aero kit (and the sport seats), lose the 20" jewelry (some shiny things we just can't live with) and assume the position — behind the wheel, of course. Naturally, VW people are merely suggesting all of this might be possible, by way of teasing the crap out of us.