How's Your Bug?

When it first came out with the Factory Volkswagen Beetle Hub Caps, the first thing I thought was "I can fit my bike in the back!" You have to remember I was about seven when the car came out.



When the Beetle came out, every other manufacturer started to copy the "retro-futurist design" that it had - and manufacturers are still trying to make that design. It was made to be just a modern version of the classic VW Beetle.



The Beetle that’s out now can be bought in either a two-door hatchback or a two-door convertible - personally, I’d buy the convertible just because I want my hair to flow in the wind. Even though the recently released Beetle is based on the previous-generation Golf platform, it less space in the inside when you compare it to a VW Rabbit (which was the model that served as a successor to the Golf). The front seats of the Beetle are pretty roomy, but the problem with the room is in the backseat. The space in the trunk of the hatchback is small and smaller in the convertible.



The current Beetle model is sold to customers as a single well-equipped trim level with things like OEM alloy wheels, air - conditioning, a heat option for the front two seats, cruise control, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, and even a CD/MP3 audio system with satellite radio - but I wonder if the satellite radio is free for a year or you just have to pay for it? People can choose whether to have the bigger wheels or the rear spoiler. When it comes to the transmission, there were two choices : standard five-speed manual or an optional six-speed automatic.



At the end of the day, the Beetle is a Beetle with Volkswagen Beetle Hub Caps, nothing more. It was built for how it will be used: people want to be seen in it and that’s exactly what they get. It has a good engine performance and the suspension is "tuning is on the soft side." I think that if someone wants to look cute in a car, then this one is for those people. The people that want the convertible should know that the rearview visibility is poor with the top up or down.



If someone were to get all technical and stuff, they’d realize that the Beetle is still basically in it’s first generation and that there were just different models and different trim levels available. Of course VW released that "Special Model" with all of those extra features and stuff, but I think that they mainly stuck to the basic features since that’s what everyone wanted and it’s everyone still wants. In 2002, there was a Sport edition released with a 1.8T with a five-speed manual, 17-inch wheels and a leather interior - sounds dreamy right? After this, the convertible model was released in 2003.



Now that I think about it, all of the Beetles with the Volkswagen Beetle Hub Caps that I see on the road do look the same .. Why do you think they kept it the same?