| Of my rich tapestry of friends, one of my favourites | | | | testing or being the passenger in a multitude of cars |
| works as a salesman at our local Volkswagen dealer. | | | | and none have had the nods of approval the giant |
| He's not my favourite because I went to school with | | | | pearl had. Of course that's not to say that three men |
| him - because I didn't. I rarely nip out for a pint with him | | | | in any form of girly drop-top wouldn't get starred at. So |
| and he doesn't participate in football which is where I | | | | let's address the styling then. Unless you've been living |
| recruit the majority of my mates. He does however | | | | in a dingy at sea for the last ten years, you'll know that |
| have a very large feather in his cap which demands | | | | the new Beetle is curvy, chunky and not a million miles |
| attention - the fact he works at a Volkswagen dealer | | | | away from the shape of the original. It's cuddly and |
| that allows him to drive a string of the very latest | | | | cute and the most womanly of vehicles on the road |
| German metal. He's got a pretty good track record of | | | | today. The front looks like a happy, smiley face and |
| what he's 'test driven' too. There was the turbo'd EOS | | | | the back looks like...well, a happy smiley face. The |
| which although is a convertible, is manly enough thanks | | | | symmetry of the lines is simple but effective, with the |
| to the riot going on under the bonnet that we looked | | | | identical front and rear wheel arches joined together |
| heterosexual. There was the beach trip with some | | | | by the curve of the roof. It's one of the most |
| bikini clad lasses in a special edition Polo that | | | | recognisable car silhouettes ever - along with once |
| masqueraded as a 4x4 and ended up beached on a | | | | again, the Porsche 911. Despite it being girly, the roof |
| sand dune and the fact he lovingly waxes his Corrado | | | | and simple lines made such an impression on me I had |
| seemingly every day makes it impossible not to feel | | | | to book in for a proper test drive. Although I've seen |
| drawn towards the VW badge. My trust in his | | | | countless Beetles, it took the convertible to make me |
| judgement was severely dented this week however | | | | see what I'd been missing all these years. The drive is |
| when two of us were recruited by him to witness his | | | | good, despite the Beetle being a heavy car (even |
| latest test drive. I've been in a VW Beetle in the past, | | | | more so with the safety reinforcements in the |
| all driven by women and all with a tall roof that not only | | | | convertible) and the 1.8T engine shifted me along at a |
| provided ample headroom, but also hid who I was | | | | decent rate. The Beetle is not the most practical of |
| from the watching world. Imagine then, my face when | | | | cars, however if you view it as a coupe (which it |
| Volkswagen-dealer-friend turns up in a convertible VW | | | | essentially is) rather than a hatchback you'll be more |
| Beetle in off-white - with the roof down. Essentially it | | | | than happy. After all, the new Beetle was basically a |
| looked as though he was driving a giant pearl. One | | | | styling exercise that has turned out to be a roaring |
| feature that did take my fancy though was the roof. | | | | success. I mean what other car comes with a flower |
| Despite it being electric, it didn't fold away in an overly | | | | in a vase on the dashboard?! Your Volkswagen dealer |
| extravagant manner, but merely rested on the boot. I | | | | can get you a new one relatively quickly, however the |
| doubt it does much for aerodynamics but it instantly | | | | second-hand market tells you everything you need to |
| made the Beetle reminiscent to a classic Porsche 911 | | | | know about owning a Beetle - you'll struggle to get |
| Cabriolet and that's no bad thing. Of course unlike the | | | | hold of one. It really is the Marmite of the motoring |
| old Beetle and the 911, the engine is now in the correct | | | | world, those that hate it stay away, those that buy one |
| place under the bonnet. Whilst I'm not an old-Beetle | | | | are so in love they'll never part. As for me, I hate |
| fanatic I don't frown upon those who worship them - | | | | Marmite, but I love the Beetle. |
| of which there are many. Despite knowing the extent | | | | Jake Delur has worked in the car industry for many |
| of this affection, it's the amount of looks the 'new' | | | | years he currently writing articles on behalf of a VW |
| version still gets despite the design being nearly ten | | | | dealer based near Bristol. Jake has been particularly |
| years old that astounds me. I've travelled around either | | | | enjoying testing the new VW Blue Motion Range. |