| On the road, the New VW Beetle provokes
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| | smooth but an otherwise pedestrian
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| similarly utopian responses. Described as
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| | package of 115 horsepower at 5000 rpm and
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| a retro car, the new beetle is like the
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| | 122 lb/ft of torque at 2600 rpm. It
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| aggressive modern car on the road.
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| | delivers a top speed of 112 mph and
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| In a press conference, Dr. Ferdinand
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| | leisurely 0-60 acceleration claimed by
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| Piech, chairman of Volkswagen and
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| | Volkswagen at 11.5 seconds. Like earlier
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| grandson of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, the
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| | Beetle engines, this four-cylinder's
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| Father of Volkswagen vehicle, wasted no
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| | power curve is dead flat, delivering
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| time in firmly asserting that Volkswagen,
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| | little more than heat and noise when run
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| the fourth largest carmaker, has become a
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| | up to the 6500-rpm redline.
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| "world" company rather than a strictly
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| | According to car enthusiasts, the
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| "German" company. And to prove his point,
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| | 1.9-liter TDI turbo diesel package proved
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| he announced that the New Beetle, being
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| | to be something of a surprise. The
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| built not in Germany but in Mexico, will
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| | diesel's hard-chugging off-the-line
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| be sold first in North America fully six
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| | performance is strong, and at interstate
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| months before it goes on sale in Europe.
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| | speeds its torque pulled away from the
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| The German media people, however, at the
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| | gas engine on even a slight incline. Not
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| car's press introduction, were not
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| | only that, the turbo diesel quieter this
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| amused.
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| | time. The gas engine has considerable
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| In initial form, the New Beetle has two
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| | induction noise and just a generally high
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| core VW Golf engine options, a 2.0-liter
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| | level of thrash.
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| inline four and the 1.9-liter TDI turbo
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| | Dr. Piech says in about a year, the New
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| diesel. The New Beetle power train
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| | Beetle gets a five-valve turbocharged
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| remained its style and character as that
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| | inline four of 150 horsepower.
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| in its 1939 forebear. There is an
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| | The New Beetle is available with either
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| exception, however. In the front-engine,
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| | the aforementioned five-speed manual or a
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| front drive New Beetle is everything
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| | four-speed automatic. But the one
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| backwards.
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| | standard in Beetle tradition is strictly
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| In other aspects, however, this little
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| | observed. Like driving one of the '70s
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| car's lineage points straight back to the
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| | Beetle automatics, in the New Beetle
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| original pre-WWII "KdF-Wagen" or that
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| | nothing has changed. It is automatic,
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| also "Kraft durch Freud Wagen," or
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| | while advantageous in bumper to bumper
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| Strength-Through-Joy car. The KdF was
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| | sludge, spreads a very cold, very wet
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| notable for its thrifty, reliable,
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| | blanket over whatever enthusiasm the
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| intensely unexciting power. Even in "hot"
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| | stock engine can muster.
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| 1972 Super Beetle form, 60 mph was a long
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| | Each part VW Bug parts of the New Beetle
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| way away over the horizon and patience,
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| | is built to fit the modern day concept of
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| which is an essential part of the driving
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| | cars.
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| experience.
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| | During its extraordinarily short
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| The New Beetle's power train reproduces
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| | development cycle, VW spent a $560
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| those same qualities, but in an updated
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| | million bringing the New Beetle to Main
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| way suitable to the era. The 2.0-liter is
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| | Street.
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