One car that never gets discussed here

colm_mcm

Never recommended or even mentioned

The new (well, not new now) VW Beetle

Strange isn't it?

SV

there isn't many women around..

Clare_Guy

ladies lounge?...

neilthefunkeone

My friend has one(girl).. What i have noticed is that everyone i see it has a huge flower sticking out of the dash.. whats the deal here???

drunkmonkey

they smell like nappies

unkel

It looked good, but that and the vase in the dashboard are the only two positives. It was based on the not so good Golf IV but it cost thousands more than the Golf. It had a very limited selection of engines at the introduction and most of them were female unfriendly (i.e. the 2l petrol). Hence nobody bought one

Tipsy Mac

Its a poor remake of the original in comparison to the remake of the Mini.

colm_mcm

they're still on sale, I was in a VW garage, and they wanted €32k for a 1.4 convertible

:eek:

Drummerboy08

colm_mcm wrote: »

they're still on sale, I was in a VW garage, and they wanted €32k for a 1.4 convertible

:eek:

That must have been a TSi, no? I though the smallest n/a engine in the Beetle was the 1.6. Still a horrible car either way though.

smash

colm_mcm wrote: »

Never recommended or even mentioned

The new (well, not new now) VW Beetle

Strange isn't it?

please tell me you're not considering one... and if not, why the hell are you thinking about them?

stevenmu

They look extremely cramped inside for their external footprint. I've heard they're quite heavy and don't handle well too, but that could just be hearsay.

scotchy

colm_mcm wrote: »

they're still on sale, I was in a VW garage, and they wanted €32k for a 1.4 convertible

:eek:

What colour was it?

:rolleyes:

.

Anan1

I had one with a 1.8T for a while a few years back, liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I never could warm to that engine though, it felt like it was made of pig iron.

qz

stevenmu wrote: »

They look extremely cramped inside for their external footprint. I've heard they're quite heavy and don't handle well too, but that could just be hearsay.

All true, we've one in the family ;[

colm_mcm

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

That must have been a TSi, no? I though the smallest n/a engine in the Beetle was the 1.6. Still a horrible car either way though.

No it was the 75bhp 1.4 that they had in stock. the seem to have discontinued it now and now the only beetle you can get is the 1.9 TDI (in a feckin convertible, I ask you)
the tax was €630 on it IIRC.

If you can get a Mini One for around €20k now, who's gonna spend €30k on a Beetle?


And no, I wasn't looking at buying one, I was getting parts and it just caught my eye as it was cream with a brown roof.

Forest Master

betafrog wrote: »

to make sure the wimmins didn't mistake it for a tampon dispenser...

It looks nothing like a tampon dispenser. You just threw 2 random words together and hoped it would make a joke.

VW Beetle Flower Holder:


Tampon Dispenser:



How is that supposed to be funny, mate? Because you used the word "tampon"?

L.O.F.T

colm_mcm wrote: »

And no, I wasn't looking at buying one, I was getting parts and it just caught my eye as it was cream with a brown roof.

not the Prettiest girl at the dance

Alanstrainor

Forest Master wrote: »

It looks nothing like a tampon dispenser. You just threw 2 random words together and hoped it would make a joke.

How is that supposed to be funny, mate? Because you used the word "tampon"?

I'm not too sure what your problem is, but if you have a problem with a post you can report it. Bickering on thread is not on. Now i'd appreciate it if you didn't post rubbish like that again.
Forest Master if you want to reply to this post you can pm me.
Now let's stay on topic.

scotchy

Forest Master wrote: »

How is that supposed to be funny, mate? Because you used the word "tampon"?

I think he meant applicator.





.

biko

I hired one out for the crack when they first came out and it's a disappointment to drive after having driven "the real thing".

Padraig Mor

Forest Master wrote: »

It looks nothing like a tampon dispenser. You just threw 2 random words together and hoped it would make a joke.

VW Beetle Flower Holder:


Tampon Dispenser:



How is that supposed to be funny, mate? Because you used the word "tampon"?

That time of month, eh?


Mods: sorry!

L.O.F.T

Forest Master wrote: »

How is that supposed to be funny, mate? Because you used the word "tampon"?

scotchy wrote: »

I think he meant applicator

Padraig Mor wrote: »

That time of month, eh?

Magnus wrote: »

I hired one out for the crack

An appropriate choice of words Magnus!

Drummerboy08

This thread is actually appropriate for the car - its a bit of a joke.:pac:

alias no.9

unkel wrote: »

It looked good, but that and the vase in the dashboard are the only two positives. It was based on the not so good Golf IV but it cost thousands more than the Golf. It had a very limited selection of engines at the introduction and most of them were female unfriendly (i.e. the 2l petrol). Hence nobody bought one

It wasn't just any 2l petrol engine, it was the totally underwhelming 8v 115bhp lump. The wife of a former colleague had one and he had expected it to have a reasonable turn of pace because the Salesman had mentioned it had the same engine as the Golf GTi, neglecting to mention that any sane Mk4 GTi buyers would have opted for the 1.8t 20v because the 2.0 8v was frankly **** and didn't even return decent fuel economy to compensate for the lack of power. Needless to say he was disappointed and so was she.

B11gt00e

colm_mcm wrote: »

Never recommended or even mentioned

The new (well, not new now) VW Beetle

Strange isn't it?

I think, as a car it doesn't get noticed much. I was just looking at one yesterday as I walked by, and the flowerpot comment by somebody is pretty true and all... they seem to have a big high vaulted ceiling which makes the owners decorate them like a bedroom or something. It definitely has some idiosyncrasies and appeals to certain types... I've never been annoyed by one of these new beetles on the road globally as far as I can remember... are they driven by quiet, nice, family orientated peaceful people who drive in a nice low profile manner????

I did mention the car once in a post on here 18-09-2009 .

B11gt00e wrote: »

Good words rebel.ranter.... that post had really moved off its original topic into a case of the proverbial dreamer's post.

Post #10 byMCMLXXV also made a good point.

Looks is a strange criteria to base your principal decision on, as if a designer hits the style button right on the head this year, it can go out of fashion. That's the thing with 'style'... it's based on attitudes right now... and these have a tendency to change quite regularily.

An example of this would be the 'new beetle' which had a certain kind of nostalgic cosy familiarity to them when they first appeared.

Having evolved from a global iconic automotive phenomenom it brought smiles to many faces and made others feel warm in different places... but when I see them out and about now they look like something from some hollywood animated movie. - maybe that's just me.

... Enjoyed this thread... very funny

Matt Simis

I think a lot of guys are, and I hate saying it, too insecure to appreciate its design. No need to even quote a reply, just scroll up!
We had one, it was fun and had a cool driving position (you sit in the "middle" of the car) and the windscreen seems like a big widescreen TV miles away.

Ours was the 2.3 170BHP V5 Colour Concept version, imported from the UK as (of course) none were sold here. Its effectively a wide tracked Golf, which meant it handled well once you put some sports springs in (otherwise it handled like a hovercraft).



Fitted OZ Superturizmos, the vinyl stripe and a VW Votex body kit along with the aforementioned springs. The 5 cylinder V5 engine sounded hilariously meaty, making its combination in a Beetle even more amusing.
It was a FUN car and I liked it! :pac:

One day, if I had mucho cash to spare, Id like to add a Beetle RSI (3.2l V6, AWD, 6speed) to my garage. Only 50 made, effectively a Beetle Cup car for the road:



There is a Mk2 New Beetle due in 2011, VW promise a more sporty design.

colm_mcm

surely if you want a more sporty beetle you'd buy a TT

drunkmonkey

Anan1 wrote: »

I had one .

Why am I not surprised:D

groupb

colm_mcm wrote: »

No it was the 75bhp 1.4 that they had in stock. the seem to have discontinued it now and now the only beetle you can get is the 1.9 TDI (in a feckin convertible, I ask you)
the tax was €630 on it IIRC.

If you can get a Mini One for around €20k now, who's gonna spend €30k on a Beetle?


And no, I wasn't looking at buying one, I was getting parts and it just caught my eye as it was cream with a brown roof.

Had an A3 convertible on hire in Spain last year with that engine and it was like driving a convertible version of a transporter. I can only imagine what a beetle must be like.

colm_mcm

a convertible Caddy perhaps.

Senna

The missus had a Yellow one for a year, terrible yoke, underpowered, 25mpg was average.
I said it on here before, she traded it in over a year ago to a garage in Donegal, it was there for a few months, then another garage had it but couldn't get it sold and its currently on the forecourt of a garage in Dublin (which i wont name).:D
Getting rid of that thing for her Yaris was like winning the lottery.

pounder770

We have one....00 2 litre auto,leather/aircon...no tarmac terrorist,likes fuel, still wouldn't swap it for any nondescript jap saloon....makes us strange...or enthusiasts,not sure which!!!;)

Danbo!

betafrog wrote: »

There's a flower holder built in to the dash and they all came with a fake flower to put in it to make it look pretty and to make sure the wimmins didn't mistake it for a tampon dispenser...

That plastic vase wasn't removable either. I'd love to know how many idiots put in a real flower and a drop of water and realised they'd have to flip the car to empty it. And in a heavy 1.4 with 75 ponies, you aint gonna take a corner fast enough to empty it

Matt Simis

Stee wrote: »

That plastic vase wasn't removable either. I'd love to know how many idiots put in a real flower and a drop of water and realised they'd have to flip the car to empty it. And in a heavy 1.4 with 75 ponies, you aint gonna take a corner fast enough to empty it

The vase is removable, I know as ours came without it. We got a aluminium one instead and put a (artificial) black rose in it. Yours was probably jammed in there.

Danbo!

Matt Simis wrote: »

The vase is removable, I know as ours came without it. We got a aluminium one instead and put a (artificial) black rose in it. Yours was probably jammed in there.

Mine!!? :eek: Nope, never owned one. A woman who used to get her car washed where I used to work told me it was fixed in place. My bad.

Mr.Boots

I like them...........and if i had one id put a bunch of flowers in the vase!!!

That told ya.

Senna

Mr.Boots wrote: »

I like them...........and if i had one id put a bunch of flowers in the vase!!!

That told ya.

Did you make a mistake with your username??:pac:

neilthefunkeone

betafrog wrote: »

There's a flower vase built in to the dash..

eh.. uh...

Vegeta

Matt Simis wrote: »

I think a lot of guys are, and I hate saying it, too insecure to appreciate its design.

You appreciated its design so much you altered it
Wheels
Vinyl
Body Kit

langdang

Matt Simis wrote: »

I think a lot of guys are, and I hate saying it, too insecure to appreciate its design.

Matt's one looks well I have to say, but is a massive exception to rest of of em on the roads.
I'd have a new-style MINI tomorrow if I had the bobs, I'd drive a Fiat 500 no problem, I'd love to have a Mazda MX-5 (even though my GF is adamant they are "gay"), but no way would I drive a new Beetle (I'd make an exception for Matts tho...)

The boggo ones you generally see just don't have the same level of design smarts that the guys who did the mini or the fiat 500 have. And the pastel colours (??) might work in sunnier climates but not in dreary Ireland...

Matt Simis

Vegeta wrote: »

You appreciated its design so much you altered it
Wheels
Vinyl
Body Kit

Yeah, Im so awesome I can improve on already good designs.. :P

langdang wrote: »

Matt's one looks well I have to say, but is a massive exception to rest of of em on the roads.

Well, we dont have it anymore. Sold it to a rich daddys girl, such a waste.
There are a few nice looking ones in the UK and in the US they got the Turbo S (with official Porsche "Turbo S" font ?!) model which already looks modded from the factory. Just here we got the bottom of the barrel as usual.