VW New Beetle Turbo

My mate John Weinthal’s been at it again. Lucky sod gets all the best cars down there in Oz, before they even get here, let alone get my bum in one! The latest bit of automania from Down-Under is the VeeDub turbo new beetle. Here are the “Words from Weinthal”.

“I have been having a wonderful run of fine, fun, fast cars recently - first was the Lexus SC430 convertible and then the grimly Australian Commodore SSV8 (over here sold as a Chevrolet Lumina). This was followed by the latest and most exciting version so far of a car I first described nearly two years back as a VW Golf in a clown’s suit - the VW New Beetle Turbo.
“This eye-catcher looks so close to the original super-retro fun car that only devoted New Beetle fans will notice. The Turbo Beetle has larger 16 inch alloy wheels with wider 55 profile tyres, front fog lights and a discreet rear roof spoiler which only rises at speeds above our legal limit.
“The powerplant comes direct from the fabulous AUD 41,300 Golf GTi. It is a twin cam, 20 valve (that’s five valves per cylinder) 120Kw unit which exemplifies the best in responsiveness and smoothness. It is a delightful bit of engineering.3
“This new Turbo Beetle also features some excellent safety gear which coincidentally happens to enhance the driving experience - and could save your neck. VW’s electronic stability program, which was introduced with the all-wheel-drive Bora 4Motion, works in conjunction with the Beetle’s standard ABS brakes, electronic diff lock and traction control. It is all very complex but what it means is that a raft of data is processed in microseconds delivering signals which stabilise the vehicle by combining the responses of the ABS, traction control and accelerator position. In other words, the car will compensate for most of your driving follies.
“So much for the Beetle’s credentials as an appealing and safe performance car. Inside there is full leather upholstery and more dead cow adorns the steering wheel and gear lever knob. Air-con, power windows and mirrors, an excellent sound system with CD player, heated front seats and cruise control are all included in the AUD 39,500 recommended retail price. You also get a folding front centre armrest with its own locker, useful door pockets, a lockable glove-box and other useful storage spots plus cup-holders.
“There are two front and two side airbags. An engine immobiliser and a comprehensive alarm system with interior monitoring make it more likely that your Beetle and your goodies will not stray. The only options are metallic paint and an excellent electric tilt-and-slide glass sunroof. Auto adds $2000, but it would surely be a sacrilegious imposition on such a driver’s delight!
“The pricing story is now heaps better than when the New Beetle was originally launched. It then cost about AUD 39,000, which I declared was way over the top for what was essentially a much less practical variation on a standard AUD 30,000 Golf.
“The Beetle has since come down to a much more reasonable AUD 34,690. Now, for virtually the same price as the standard Beetle was, one can be in a seriously sporting sedan for about $2000 less than the more practical and discreet but equally wonderful Golf GTi.
“It all comes down to what you reckon of the Beetle’s outrageously in-your-face styling. While cruising town in this new Beetle Turbo a friend remarked on how everybody was looking at us. I corrected that nobody was looking at US; their stares were solely for the car!
“This Beetle Turbo is a lot more than just a Golf in a Clown’s suit - this is one great fast fun car. And, yes, you still get a daisy in a dashboard vase, although the VW man was unsure if it was covered by the Beetle’s 3 year/60,000 km warranty.”

TTCC Round 6 this weekend Another “low key” meeting for the Thailand Touring Cars, with the entry of predominantly Honda Civics bouncing off each other and assorted parts of the retaining walls. Qualifying in the morning and racing from around noon. Bira circuit is on Highway 36 heading to Rayong from the ISR and is a couple of kilometres on the right hand side before the 331 flyover.

Autotrivia quiz

Author 1965, note roll-over bars and safety fences

Last week I mentioned that the chassis numbers of the older MG’s (I don’t know about the “new” ones) always started at 0251. The question was why did they start at this strange figure? The answer was simple - that was the telephone number of the old Abingdon factory! Now there’s a really useless piece of autotrivia.
So to this week. Curved windscreens are on every car these days. The Brits first came out with them in 1922 with Arrol-Johnstons. However, America had come out with them in 1914. What car was this?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct answer to fax 427 596 or email [email protected]

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Are motor cars an emotive issue?
I was e-chatting with Jimmy Little - the “famous” golfer in Pattaya and it turned out that he and his three brothers had owned between them, over the years, three MGA’s, four MGB’s, two Triumph Spitfires, two Healeys, and one bug-eyed Sprite. However, his brother Tony has just bought a big Healey years after the rest of the family had put away their toys and bought responsible family cars like Volvos, Jeep Cherokees, and Honda Accords.

Jimmy asked brother Tony about the car and (with Jimmy’s kind permission) the following email from Tony really shows how sportscars can get into your blood. Here’s parts of Tony’s email.
“Do you remember the silver blue Healey 3000 MK III, blue interior & top, wood dash, wind-up windows, electric overdrive, and ran like a banshee? Well . . . Deja vu - Linda and I looked for 15 years for one I could afford. Found identical car in Roanoke Rapids, NC, listed in Hemmings Motor News. Excellent body & paint (just needs waxing), very little rust underneath (been restored years ago), hadn’t run since 1984, brake lines and fuel system rusted out.
“I am building a Ford 302 V8 from scratch in the garage, to be mated to a Tremec 5-speed. About 320 HP when it’s done (stock was 150). Better than a banshee! Linda and I plan to tour the USA in it 6 years from now when I retire. It will be several years before I am close to completing it. Not enough time available to work on it.
“Jim - Just describing what this car will be, gets me even more interested in finding time to work on it. Do you see any old leather, wood & spokes British sports cars around you? I can see you in an old Jag, or Morgan, buzzing down the roads around Pattaya (with a tool box and spare parts in the trunk, of course!)
“Many of the sports car clubs have chapters all over the world - maybe some near you (most are on the internet). In reality, they are not clubs - they are support groups for those addicted to cars that absolutely drive the owners crazy. The one afternoon out of a hundred, that the temperature’s just right, the light is perfect, the engine is purring better than ever, the four-wheel drift around the last curve was surreal, and your honey’s by your side . . . makes these men willing to endure breakdowns in the rain at night, poor starting, water leaking inside the car, cold in winter, hot in summer, and some generally miserable times repairing them, just to continue the never-ending quest to find yet another afternoon when everything is perfect.
“The coughing, stumbling cold start-up, until you get the hand choke set just right. Unmistakable resonance of the exhaust as you go through the gears. Power drifting through a sweeping turn while dicing with an MGB. Momentary coolness when passing over a creek on a hot summer day. Blue Ridge Parkway on a Fall day. Deck hand on ferry to Outer Banks asking if it’s a Ferrari. Flashing headlights at another British sports car. My wife of 31 years beside me, keeping warm under a lap blanket on a cool day. The only car in the Mt. Mitchell parking lot at sunset. Smell of leather, wood, wool, oil and gasoline. Traveling 2-lane back roads, going through small towns and stopping for gas at old country filling stations. Getting caught in a sudden light rain, and not slowing down to put the top up. Tapping the fuel pump to get it started again. Hitting 3rd gear overdrive halfway through passing another car. Watching another enthusiast see what you’ve done to your car.
“My support group is an off-shoot of the Austin-Healey Club of America, called the “Nasty Boys”. All the cars are modified, most with V-8’s. We have a magazine for the AHCA, a newsletter for the Nasty Boys, a chat room group on Yahoo, and a web sight of modified cars. But my absolutely best support is from Linda! Do you know anyone with a wife willing to ride in an Austin-Healey for a six-month tour of the USA? Ecstasy sustained!”
(No Tony, I do not know of anyone with a wife like yours. Better hang on to her! Dr. Iain)