DATE=3/24/02
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE TURBO
NUMBER=5-51311
BYLINE=JOHN BIRCHARD
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
INTRO: A dictionary definition of the verb "to freshen" is as follows: "to become fresh in appearance or vitality". In the automobile business, reports V-O-A's John Birchard, when a car model has been around awhile and is no longer a hot, new product, a manufacturer will "freshen" it with some minor changes in appearance, or produce a sporty edition of the car. Take, for example, Volkswagen's New Beetle.
TEXT: When it was introduced in 1998, the New Beetle was the hottest car on the U-S market. Volkswagen could not produce them fast enough to keep up with demand. Tony Fouladpour (PRON: "foo-lahd-poor") is a spokesman for Volkswagen of America.
/// FOULADPOUR ACT #1 ///
The sales of the Beetle during its first two years exceeded our expectations. We had always said 60-thousand would be a very good high-water mark. We exceeded that by about 20-thousand the first two-years. Right now, we are seeing it is coming down to the level we expected at first.
/// END ACT ///
The New Beetle is going through a normal life-cycle for a car. Intense interest at first, then a gradual decline. Again, Tony Fouladpour.
/// FOULADPOUR ACT #2 ///
It is a very emotional purchase. It is also a coupe, and if you look at the history of a lot of coupes, you will see that they do tend to reach a high-water mark, then level off at a sort of natural sales level. And I think that is what we are seeing with the New Beetle.
/// END ACT ///
To freshen the New Beetle, Volkswagen has installed a turbo-charged version of its usual four-cylinder engine, hooked it to a six-speed manual transmission and done a minor re-styling on the car's front and rear. The result, says the feature editor of Motor Trend Magazine, David Newhardt, is a strong performer.
/// NEWHARDT ACT #1 ///
They have really done a superlative job tuning this vehicle so that it is comfortable at Autobahn-type speeds. It is a pity those are not available here, but the vehicle is more than comfortable at high speeds.
/// END ACT ///
The New Beetle Turbo-S accelerates from zero to 100-kilometers per hour in seven-point-five seconds and its top speed is electronically governed at 209-kilometers per hour.
Mr. Newhardt points out it is all too easy to attract police attention and speeding tickets with the car, but he certainly likes the car's engine.
/// NEWHARDT ACT #2 ///
I can not complain about the powerplant. That one-point-eight (liter) turbo really gets up and scoots.
/// END ACT ///
One unique feature of the car is an electrically-controlled rear spoiler that pops out when the car reaches 72-kilometers per hour, then retracts as the car slows below 16-kilometers per hour. David Newhardt finds the accompanying sound annoying.
/// NEWHARDT ACT #3 ///
That would probably be my biggest gripe about the vehicle. When the spoiler deploys and then retracts as you slow down, it kind of makes a clunking noise inside the vehicle. It is mounted on the rear edge of the roof, right where the top of the rear window and the roof meet.
/// END ACT ///
Volkswagen's Tony Fouladpour says he has called company headquarters in Germany with complaints concerning the spoiler and hopes Wolfsburg will respond.
Base price for the Volkswagen New Beetle Turbo-S is 23-thousand-900-dollars. We asked Motor Trend's David Newhardt if that is not a little rich for a Beetle.
/// NEWHARDT ACT #4 ///
This is not out of line. When the Beetle first debuted, of course, it was significantly less money and gradual improvements over time have slowly brought the price up, as well as the horsepower and the capability of the vehicle.
/// END ACT ///
Fans of the original Beetle are astounded at the price today's car commands, but they are also amazed at a Beetle that can reach more than 200-kilometers per hour. Welcome to the New Millennium. (SIGNED)
NEB/JJB/RAE