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Reincarnation. Version Second

VW New Beetle: Real Zhuchara
In the history of the automotive industry, the most significant place (literally) occupies the legendary Volkswagen Beetle (Beetle). The car created by Ferdinand Porsche in 1939 is still manufactured without fundamental changes at the VW plant in Mexico and the gray channels even enters Europe: in Germany, for example, a native beetle can be bought for about DM15 thousand.
Volkswagen New Beetle The first in the history of the automotive industry is an example of creating a modern retro style machine. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe project was born from a group of young designers of the Californian Volkswagen Studio. The task in front of them was supplied extremely simple: it is necessary to recognize international trends in the center of modern life at an early stage and to develop their vision of this trend specifically for the American market (a quote from the press release on the presentation of New Beetle). Designers from California have calculated that most Americans brand VW is associated with a beetle, and started creating a prototype by its reasons. In 1993, American designers noticed the Board of the VW concern. A year later, the concept of a car was presented at the Motor Show in Detroit, and in March 1998 his sales began in America, where the car became a bestseller. Every day Volkswagen plant in Pueblo (Mexico) produces 600 cars.
In the summer of 1999, the author had a chance to visit the United States. I can personally testify that if the conversation in our company, which mainly consisted of Americans, distant from automotive journalism, came about the cars, then two models of New Beetle and debut at the same time at the same time were discussed (usually in enthusiastic colors). .
In Europe, and especially in Russia, the successes of the new beetle are more modest. Objectively, New Beetle was for the old light too expensive toy. Due to the fact that the car is going at the VW plant in Mexico, its price in the American continent is quite real $ 14 thousand $ 18 thousand. In Europe and Russia, the cost of New Beetle is approaching $ 30 thousand. Considerable amount for outstanding design, but still far from Car practicality.
The retro beetle is not a wonder on the Moscow streets, although attention draws attention. American designers, as it seems to me, we managed to create a car that retained the generic charm. But in the design of the salon, nostalgic notes are not manifested as bright as in appearance. Perhaps only a speedometer combined with a tachometer and fuel pointer causes children's memories. For Americans and Europeans, he may be associated with the old beetle, and we rather with a speedometer twenty-first Volga. Otherwise, the inner interior of the car is quite modern and in terms of finishing meets the concept of German quality.
The character of New Beetle in motion can be called typical of Volkswagen cars. And no wonder the car is built on the basis of the VW Golf of the Fourth Generation. At the same time, its suspension is not configured to comfortable, but on sports mode. Compared to Golf, it has more rigid shock absorbers, reduced ground clearance. On a relatively small car, 16-inch wheels are installed.
Even the basic version of the car is richly equipped. New Beetle is serially equipped with an electronized system (ESP). The serial configuration also includes an electronic ABS with the functions of the brake force distributor and differential lock. The optimal redistribution of the brake forces between all four wheels allows you to reduce the braking path, for example, with the full load of the car. When starting from a place on the road with adjacent type of coating (for example, icing asphalt), the differential electronic blocking prevents the slip of one of the wheels, improving the traction capabilities of the car.
The car is designed for four passengers, and in principle, two people are quite comfortable in the rear seat, two people are not higher than 175 cm growth (the low-rise roof will be disturbed). However, accessing the back of the driver and the front passenger is not easy: in order to climb there, you have to show a famous skill in too short skirt or a long coat this exercise is not very comfortable.
NEW Beetle is officially supplied to Russia only in a single, very rich version: 2 L engine (115 hp) is combined with a four-step automatic machine. The combination of such a motor and box gives the car with a folded character: its owner has the opportunity to trigger from the traffic light, although not more than that. You should not expect drunk accelerations from high speeds from the car.
In order to become the owner of an updated version of the legend, it is enough to go to one of the car dealers of Russian Volkswagen dealers and pay from $ 24.5 thousand to $ 29.6 thousand (depending on the level of configuration).
Igor Komarov
 

A source: Wheel (Company)