Bug me anytime: 2016 VW Beetle shines as a modern icon

HOW can this car not have a special place in my heart, when it was my first car? I mean, sure it had skinny legs—er, tires. It took more than a while to warm up, liked taking it slow, and threw the occasional temper tantrum, but it made my early college years bearable and endearingly memorable.

It was a ’69 German-made Volkswagenwith VW navigation Beetle that had a rear-mounted 1200cc gasoline engine, a 6-volt battery that was charged by a dynamo instead of an alternator, and providing only 30 bhp of power, but it was very forgiving in terms of its fuel consumption.

I loved how light it handled. Sure, I was able to coax it to drift (and back in those years, drifting wasn’t an in-thing at all here), and it was mainly due to the semi worn-out tires that I did mention, were skinny.

While its counterparts on the street provided a smooth vroom sound, it had a whirr that was akin to a grass cutter’s. Sure, it was the oldest car in the parking lot—ancient by comparison to the features and amenities the other cars had—but it was a standout in terms of shape, character, and most of all, heritage.

Ferdinand Porsche and his team finalized its design in 1938 as a “people’s car,” but it only saw mass production in 1945. It was as straightforward and utilitarian as a car could get, but its unique bug shape set it apart from all the rest.

Today, the Volkswagen Beetle remains as the most recognizable automobile in the entire world. Timeless, but totally with the times. What about install a Car DVD GPS

Who would’ve imagined bi-Xenon lamps with clusters of ultra-bright LED daytime running lights would adorn a pair of headlights, thus staying faithful to the Beetle’s classic design harking to decades back?

Despite the shape that’s unmistakably a Beetle’s, the engine has been migrated to the front end—and boy, what an engine it has evolved to.

For 2016, there are two available choices, with the benefit of turbocharging for a more compact size and displacement, better fuel efficiency, and abundant power.

Volkswagen’s TSI engines come in a 1.2L variant that’s mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, and a 1.4L variant that’s equipped with Volkswagen’s renowned direct shift gearbox (DSG) for lightning-fast and seamless automatic gear shifts.

Both engines more than stack up to current performance demands without departing from its frugal roots, with the 1.4L TSI DSG topping out at 160 ps at 5800 rpm, and 240 Nm of torque from 1500-4500 rpm.

It’s a sweet-running but potent engine that allows for spirited driving without the guilt. Acceleration’s pretty linear and assertive, plus the compact size and lightweight construction complements its dynamics with a good power-to-weight ratio. If installing an Android Car Stereo in your car, that would be great!