Volkswagen New Beetle USA Version
At the 1994 North American International Auto Show, Volkswagen unveiled the J Mays-penned "Concept 1", a concept car that drew heavily on the design cues of the original Beetle. It featured futuristic styling yet retained the flowing lines of the classic Beetle. The big contrast between the New Beetle and the Classic Beetle was that it had the engine in the front and storage in the back, which was a departure from the original.
Strong public reaction convinced the company to move the car into production, and in 1998 Volkswagen launched the New Beetle. The New Beetle was related to the original only in name and appearance, including the use of 17 inch wheels and low-profile tires like the Beetle hubcap. Despite being a modern car, it featured many of designs reference to the old Beetle, such as its separate wings, vestigial running boards, sloping headlamps, large round tail light, and high rounded roofline.
In stark contrast to its predecessor, the New Beetle was accredited with high safety ratings following its launch. It proved to be a great success in the United States due to marketing campaigns that paid homage to the original Beetle. Soon after, in 2000, Volkswagen began production of a convertible version of the New Beetle.
The 2006 model was given a few exterior tweaks, a bigger bumper, and a 2.5L 150hp I5 base engine as found on the A5 Jetta. As for its engine specifications, it is powered by a transverse-mounted water cooled I4 with 1984 cc and fuel injection available in both petrol and diesel version. It has a maximum power of 115 hp (85 kW) at 5,200 rpm, 122 lbf·ft (165 N·m) of torque at 2,600 rpm, and a transmission of 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic. It also has disc brake fitted on all its four wheels. Its exterior measures 4089 mm in length, 1724 mm in width, 1511mm in height, has a wheelbase of 2512 mm, and weighs 1230 kg (2711 lb).
In terms of performance, the Volkswagen New Beetle has a top speed of 177 km/h (110 mph) and accelerates from 0-96 km/h in 11s. It has a fuel consumption of 7.3 l/100 km (32.2 mpg).
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