Toyota Yaris Forums - Ultimate Yaris Enthusiast Site
 

 


 
Go Back   Toyota Yaris Forums - Ultimate Yaris Enthusiast Site > Members Area > Off-topic / Other Cars / Everything else Discussions
  The Tire Rack

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-18-2011, 04:58 PM   #1
Kal-El
 
Kal-El's Avatar
 
Drives: 07 Yaris S Sedan 5-Speed
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 2,179
2012 VW Beetle










Quote:
Another icon has gone under the knife and emerged, well, only slightly differently iconic, but the changes made to the 2012 Beetle are only superficially slight. Volkswagen global marketing director Luca de Meo says of the car that was revealed simultaneously in New York, Berlin and Shanghai, "We worked on the entire packaging of the car, engine, trunk, interior, everything." Take a close look at it, and it's clear.

Marketing guru de Meo says VW laid out three objectives for the new hatchback: Bring back the spirit of the original, i.e., make it affordable, tough, and easy to use; reconnect with the emotion of the car; and bring the shape and concept of the original into the 21st century.

To achieve all that, Volkswagen's head of design, Klaus Bischoff, says they threw everything from the current Beetle out the window and had an original Beetle in the studio when they started the redesign in 2007. Working from those vintage cues, the 2012 car is stretched everywhere: it's 150 millimeters longer, 3.2 inches wider, and has a wider track. The bonnet is longer, a look exacerbated by the cabin being pushed back and the windshield being more upright and closer to the driver. The finished product even looks different compared to the car we saw in spy shots back in January.

The window graphic has also been stretched and continues around the car in a more cohesive line. At the bottom, the car is lowered and the revealed hatchback wears oversized alloys. Bischoff says, "the masculine feeling we wanted to achieve is based on really big wheels." Inside, there are body-colored elements on the dash and steering wheel spokes, and ambient lighting that can be changed from red to white to blue.

But that bit about masculinity is the real takeaway. When de Meo lists the most important alterations to the "monument," they are the XDS electric front differential that make the Beetle "more nimble, agile – it makes it behave like the movie car Herbie;" the fact that the 200-horsepower turbocharged motor makes this a "toy for a boy;" and the Fender audio that includes some first-time features such as the Panasonic technology in the tweeters.

The aim is to communicate that the Beetle isn't just for women anymore. Even as the car is meant to be more emotional, VW USA head Jonathan Browning says the German automaker wants to keep the women who have sponged up the car, but expand its demographic and make the car more global. de Meo adds, "We want to make a statement without making compromises, to get out of niche and into core demand in many markets."

The 2012 Beetle will go on sale sometime in September or October, priced "very competitive in the mainstream of the marketplace" according to Browning.
Kal-El is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-18-2011, 05:13 PM   #2
Shinare
Bronze bombshell yaris
 
Shinare's Avatar
 
Drives: 09 Yaris HB 3door
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Posts: 641
That third pic down, the side shot... it looks like its one step away from being a Porsche.
__________________
Now I drive a CARMINE RED METALLIC 09 Yaris 3-door!! I'm Back!!! WooHoo!! Mods done so far: Tinted windows, Viper 211HV Remote Keyless Entry, Atoto Android headunit, backup camera, steering wheel controls

Before it was totaled I drove a 2007 Black Sand Pearl 3 Door Lift-Back M/T with 49k miles. Stock Everything except for black tint, all red badges, red dash, and stealth garage door opener. Ultra-Gauge mounted on steering wheel. A1 Electric MES Central Locks and Avital 3100 Alarm system.
Shinare is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-18-2011, 05:19 PM   #3
matthewai
 
matthewai's Avatar
 
Drives: it is kinda stock
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: united states
Posts: 1,258
oh i see the audi tt and the volvo c30 have mated

pretty cool
matthewai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-18-2011, 06:15 PM   #4
kimona
Super Moderator
 
kimona's Avatar
 
Drives: 2014 White VITZ
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Huntington Bch, CA
Posts: 4,938
Looks good!
kimona is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-18-2011, 06:31 PM   #5
xaero_81
 
Drives: 2008 Yaris LB Sport 5spd.
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shinare View Post
That third pic down, the side shot... it looks like its one step away from being a Porsche.
That may be because the designer of the original 911 had also designed the the beetle. I think that's what I've read.
xaero_81 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-18-2011, 09:42 PM   #6
SailDesign
 
Drives: .
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: .
Posts: 1,931
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shinare View Post
That third pic down, the side shot... it looks like its one step away from being a Porsche.
It's just a 911 that got left attached to the air-line for too long....
SailDesign is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-18-2011, 11:23 PM   #7
enviri
 
enviri's Avatar
 
Drives: 2010 Yaris
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: CT
Posts: 1,516
kinda weird with that scirocco mouth front bumper, and i just cant shake off that PT cruiser side profile...
enviri is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-19-2011, 07:25 AM   #8
STC
"LibertyRides!"
 
STC's Avatar
 
Drives: 2010 Yaris 3Dr LB | 2020 Stang
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: State College, PA, USA
Posts: 576
Looks great.

Good to know German engineering got some things right! My dad has a 2001 VW Beetle. The cupholders are in front of the shifter underneath the console dashboard. The holders are only good for short cups!

Cheers!
__________________
~ Mark ~
2010 Yaris 3-Dr Liftback, 5-Speed Manual, P185/60R 15, Bayou Blue Pearl
I Love my YARIS - (Click below to see Gaslog):

Most miles Tank: 538 tank/10.148 gal = 53.015 MPG / Most MPG: 54.95 MPG (ethanol) 425 tank/7.73 gal

"The evils of government are directly proportional to the tolerance of the people." -- Frank Kent
STC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-19-2011, 07:39 AM   #9
Kal-El
 
Kal-El's Avatar
 
Drives: 07 Yaris S Sedan 5-Speed
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 2,179
Definitely a huge improvement, and a bit more true to the originally shape.

Still, it seems odd to me how VW insists on making this a premium small car which contradicts its whole history as "the people's car" (cheap and affordable).
That's what made it one of the best selling cars in history. Now, they build this small, largely impracticable car, and sell it for around $20K. Even more expensive than the Jetta - go figure. This should be a $12K car. VW says they want to be #1 and boost sales in the US significantly, but this isn't the way to do it.
Kal-El is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-20-2011, 12:38 PM   #10
SilverBack
Joey
 
SilverBack's Avatar
 
Drives: '14 Scion xD 5-speed
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: El Monte, Ca
Posts: 3,529
Send a message via AIM to SilverBack
Quote:
Originally Posted by xaero_81 View Post
That may be because the designer of the original 911 had also designed the the beetle. I think that's what I've read.
100% correct. I did a big paper on Ferdinand Porsche a while back. The 911 and Beetle are distant cousins.



I've sat in the back of both the old Beetle and the new. There's no headroom in the newer ones, and from the looks of the chopped top of the 2012 there's bound to be even less. Sorry, but this is just another typical uninspired garbage retro design that J. Mays continues to earn money off of. No sale

Nice improvement to the dash though.
__________________
Formerly owned Met-Met. '07 Yaris LB 5-speed.

A forum post should be like a skirt: Long enough to cover the subject but short enough to keep things interesting.

"I don't have an anger problem. I have an idiot problem." -Hank Hill
SilverBack is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-20-2011, 01:22 PM   #11
thebarber
daily driver
 
thebarber's Avatar
 
Drives: the #wrecho
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 5,877
looks cool

almost a cross between an audi TT and a fiat 500
__________________
thebarber is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-21-2011, 02:27 AM   #12
BluYrs
ヴィッツ ドライバー
 
BluYrs's Avatar
 
Drives: 2006 3d 1.0 Linea Sol
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Tallinn, Estonia
Posts: 433
My GF has a New Beetle and she doesn't find the new one attractive. I on the other hand feel it's an improvement over the design of the previous one. Still, it fails to move me in any way, which is notable for a car which should provoke at least some kinf of a reaction.

The Fiat 500 (nice design both inside and out) and the Mini (nice proportions) seem far better options if you need to get on the retro-wagon. Also, the 2006 switch from Mk1 to Mk2 "BMW" Mini is a brilliant example of a well-executed overhaul of a retro model. Most people still take it for a facelift.
__________________


The blue one
BluYrs is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
2012 Nissan Versa Kal-El Off-topic / Other Cars / Everything else Discussions 22 06-15-2012 04:48 PM
2012 Kia Rio Kal-El Off-topic / Other Cars / Everything else Discussions 21 04-30-2011 05:01 PM
First Drive: 2012 Ford Focus Kal-El Off-topic / Other Cars / Everything else Discussions 18 02-25-2011 05:41 PM
The 2012 Pelosi GTxi SS/RT Sport Edition! MadMax Off-topic / Other Cars / Everything else Discussions 3 07-01-2009 09:45 PM
TOYOTA/SUBARU COUPE DELAYED TIL 2012.... ROCKLAND TOYOTA Off-topic / Other Cars / Everything else Discussions 0 12-22-2008 02:49 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:14 AM.




YarisWorld
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.