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Volkswagen adds another dollop of masculinity to its Beetle with the Frankfurt debut of the Beetle R Concept. Painted in “Serious Grey,” and fitted with bright 20-inch “Talladega” alloy wheels, the high-performance derivative is appealing.

Under the hood of the front-wheel-drive coupe is VW’s familiar turbocharged 2.0 TSI four-cylinder mated to a six-speed DSG automatic gearbox. The automaker hasn’t announced an official power rating, but we suspect it is making about 240 horsepower. That’s a bit less than the output of the same powerplant in the Golf R and Scirocco R, but we aren’t complaining.

Check out the oversize front brakes, complete with hard-to-miss-blue four-piston calipers, and the widened front and rear bumpers. In addition to the lower front splitter, there are three prominent intakes, each with its own role (the middle supplies the engine with oxygen, while the outer two contribute to cooling the brakes). There are also ventilation slots in the hood, to bleed excess heat from the engine bay. At the rear, there is a unique tail fascia with two sets of dual chrome tailpipes.

Inside, the deep bucket sport seats are upholstered in Nappa leather with an embossed logo on the backrest. Contrasting colors add interest to the dashboard and gear shift grip, and the R-specific instrumentation includes auxiliary gauges to keep things in check. Follow the jump for the full details in the press release.

Continue reading Volkswagen Beetle R Concept gets shot of testosterone

Volkswagen Beetle R Concept gets shot of testosterone originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If there’s any one vehicle that can realistically challenge the Beetle in the annals of historic Volkswagens, it’s the Transporter. More often referred to as the Microbus or just the Bus, the real original minivan first saw the light of day in 1950 as the Type 2 (the Beetle, naturally, was the Type 1).

As with the Beetle, it’s the earliest models that incite the most butterflies in the hearts of air-cooled VW enthusiasts, though the machines remained collectible all the way through the early 1990s. And, if Volkswagen executives have their way, the iconic Bus may once again enter production.

Previewed by the Bulli Concept from the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the production model would likely ride atop the same platform as the latest Volkswagen Beetle and sport seating for five occupants and their cargo. If that’s the case, expect a range of four-cylinder engines (maybe even a five…) sending power to the front wheels.

If Autocar is to be believed, the next Microbus may be ready for the road by 2014, and it would likely come to the States. We’ll begin the finger-crossing now.

VW execs want Bulli to compliment Beetle in Heritage Collection originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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