Reviewing the Volkswagen Beetle

January 20, 2012, 6:23 pm By THE NEW YORK TIMES

In Sunday’s Automobiles section, Phil Patton reviews the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, the German automaker’s sleeker, sportier and, above all, more masculine bug.

Volkswagen has not been coy about its desire to bring more men under the Beetle’s canopy. To that end, the bubble top of the previous car, known as the New Beetle, has been squashed and elongated, and the fenders made more muscular. As Mr. Patton writes, Volkswagen’s designers carved away some cuteness, though in his view, not gracefully:

The symmetrical double arcs of the previous model’s fenders have given way to an elongated rear fender. The lines of the fender, roof and hatch meet haphazardly, like the intersection of three meandering country roads. Then there is that squashed roof. It makes the automobile seem deflated — the pneumatic New Beetle with a slow leak.

On hilly Virginia roads near the headquarters of Volkswagen of America, Mr. Patton finds even the $24,165 turbo model, which is powered by the same 2-liter, 200-horsepower 4-cylinder engine found in the sharp GTI, to be a surprisingly unwilling dance partner:

The Turbo comes with electric power steering and a stiffer suspension, but pressed on a hilly highway the automobile responded with surprising reluctance and an audible note of complaint, rather than the throaty enthusiasm of a good turbo.

Read the entire review, check out the slide show and share your thoughts about the latest Beetle in the comments below.

More Source:

Reviewing the Volkswagen Beetle - NYTimes.com
2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI First Drive Review - RoadandTrack.com
Volkswagen New Beetle Review - Edmunds.com
Review: The Volkswagen Beetle Gets Another Reboot | Autopia ...

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Submited at Saturday, January 21st, 2012 at 8:00 am on Automotive by jessica
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