The Volkswagen Beetle is the world’s most sold car of all time. It trumped over the Fiat 124 (which took second place) and the Ford Model T (the third most popular). After the production of the original Volkswagen Beetle some time between 1939 and 2003, manufacturing them halted. During those times, there were a total of 21 million Beetles which were created.

Yet another Volkswagen car which made it to the Top Ten is the Golf MkI, taking the sixth spot. The Golf MkII took the seventh slot. Introduced way back at 1974, these models are still being manufactured in South Africa. There have already been 6.9 million units produced to this date.

To see the complete list of the cars which made it to the Top Ten, see the data presented below:

1. Volkswagen Beetle
2. Fiat 124 (15 million units produced)
3. Ford Model T (was the world’s biggest seller until VW took its place)
4. Fiat Uno (sold 8.3 million units since 1983)
5. Renault 5 (was able to sell 8 million units)
6. Volkswagen Golf MkI
7. Volkswagen Golf MkII
8. Peugeot 206 (exceeding 5.5 million units have been produced)
9. Renault 5 (sold less than 5.5 million units between 1972 and 1983)
10. Mini (years of production: 41 years)

source: Fermanagh Herald

Although there has been no definite decision yet regarding the launch of the revolutionary navigation system, it is already popularly known that Volkswagen has collaborated with Google for the new navigation system which is all about being user-friendly. Its highlight is providing drivers and passengers alike a more convenient trip.

The new navigation system is bound to revolutionize driving experience. Volkswagen and Google have teamed up in order to provide both the drivers and passengers convenience via an innovative system. To amplify the advancement of the navigation system, the graphics card manufacturer nVidia is also working hand in hand with them. The three had started on the development of said project back in October of 2005. The first prototype was presented last January 2006 in Las Vegas, during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

This fresh, “virtual travel information” system utilizes data from Google Earth. Three-dimensional images of the route are going to be displayed. Important information such as traffic updates or weather report will be displayed in real-time. The prototype has a couple of distinct benefits. For one thing, the three-dimensional display will give the driver and the passengers more ease of understanding the data presented to them. At a glance, the photorealistic display will make everything quicker and easier. Another benefit of this navigation system is the real-time data it gives. When one wants to know what route to take, traffic updates can be obtained. Just as well, finding gas stations while on long road trips will be easy with this system. It not just offers comfort and reliability but peace of mind, too, while being on the road.

source: automotoportal.com

The New Beetle Anniversary Edition is based from the model of New Beetle Miami. The interior of the vehicle comes in the theme of black and white leatherette – classy and impressive. Its exterior is in the equally striking white body color, which is held in a powerful, sleek contrast by a black roof and door mirror housings. A notable exterior stripe package tops it all off. The storage area is not ignored. It has plenty of space and comes with lockable glovebox, front door storage nets and sunglass compartment found in the headlining. The New Beetle Limited Edition can accommodate four passengers while still maintaining spaciousness. It also has the central door locking system. This system is a programmable automatic locking of the doors after the car has been started.

This limited edition of the New Beetle is powered by a five-speed manual transmission (automatic six-speed transmission is optional) and runs on a 1.6-liter petrol engine which is able to deliver 75 kW. The manual transmission is priced at $27,990 while the automatic transmission is at $30,290.

source: e broadcast

It is time for celebration at the Volkswagen plant located at Puebla, Mexico. The reason for their celebration is the tenth birthday of the New Beetle. Riding along with this celebration is the fact that it is also the seven millionth unit of Volkswagen in the country of Mexico. Not only that but at the same time it also marks the world’s one millionth New Beetle.

The New Beetle that they are celebrating has an impressive exterior built with automatic door locks, heated washer nozzles, power glass sunroof, and third brake light. It has a 2.5L, 5-cylinder, in-line engine with the horsepower of 150 at 5,000 or 110 kW at 5,000. Its engine stroke is 3.65 in (92.8 mm) and has a maximum torque of 170 at 3,750 or 228 Nm at 3,750. The S model is priced at $17,365 while the SE model has the price of $20,440. The New Beetle is still built exclusively in their Mexico plant for different markets all over the globe.

Present in the celebration was Professor Dr. Winterkorn, who is the Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG. He had stated hat Volkswagen would, indeed, invest roughly around $1 billion (U.S. dollars) in Mexico when the production for the Jetta model is about to start. He said, “As our only production location in North America to date, Puebla plays a key role in our growth strategy for North America. Volkswagen de México and the Mexican supplier industry are certain to benefit from this.”

source: Car Scoop

Hence, they will be gearing their engineering towards technology that is in compliance with the strict environmental requirements across the globe. The makers of the VW parts will also be complying with the customers’ demands, further illustrating how they cater to the needs of their clientele. At the 2008 Taipei International Auto Show, the company’s Singapore arm managing director shared a little bit of information towards where Volkswagen will be headed for the coming of 2008—and it seems that they are going green.

“With the effects of global warming, the issues of energy conservation and environmental protection have become increasingly crucial to Volkswagen,” Dr. Olaf Duebel said.

Citing the TSI engines that the company has been trying to develop, the makers of the VW parts is also trying to reinvent their technology to help clients get the best in fuel economy. This will be an addition to their already established TDI technology, which has been implemented in the Polo.

While trusting the VW parts of the Beetle meant treachery to Rudolph, Greg Bump can still make you believe that he is the closest thing that we can get to a real Santa Claus this Christmas. Bump takes on a superhero trait, but every time he changes into his costume, he dons a belly instead of flexing his muscles. He works in a bank during the day, but when his Santa duties are called for, he would strip that corporate outfit and change into the red one, buckle his black thick belt, and then speed off happily in his trusted VW parts. But that is not all. Would you believe that Bump is a certified Santa, and he has got the diploma from the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School in Michigan to prove it.

It all began when he was in his early 20s, according to a report done by pennlive.com. His father was working at a department store, and one day they needed a substitute for their Santa. Bump decided to fill in the spot, and well…let’s just say that the rest is history.

“Most people think anybody who portrays Santa must be an OK guy,” Bump said in an interview by pennlive.com, on being a banker and a Santa. When October rolls out, Bump is sure to be “always in the character, even in my business suit.”

What an incredible story—now we know that even Santa Claus drives a Beetle!

Setting up a business can be quite hard, which is why it involves a lot of patience. It also needs a lot of creativity and originality, for how could the business stand out among all its other competitors? This is probably what a flourishing family auto rental business in Alexandria, Cincinnati thought. But, would you believe that their success is also because of how they were able to cultivate the VW parts of a 1958 Volkswagen Beetle?

Recall is also one key player in a business. If people cannot remember your business then you will surely be bound to file for bankruptcy. This is why advertising is so important in a business. It keeps the people coming back. So for the case of the Alexandria-based “Bill’s Mini Car”, their memorable Beetle was responsible for making the people come back. Back in 1970, the shop was intended originally as a repair shop that is exclusive for VW parts only. But then Bill Goepper decided to try out the rental business, so he had to choose it over the repair business. The 61-year-old businessman was especially fond of the Bug as his parents influenced him at an early stage of his life. He displays the Beetle in front of their auto rental shop, and it has become known for being adorned with dozens of lights. Now, this Beetle captured not only the attention of many people, but their recall as well.

They’ll call and say ‘I’m calling for an auto rental. Are you the ones with the ‘bug’ outside with the lights on it?’ ” Matt Goepper, successor to the family auto rental business said in an interview by the community press. Now, is this not a remarkable Beetle story?

Source: community news.com

Autoblog.com had their coffee earlier than the assigned break, and they were able to breathe in the freshest brew. Or were they? With all the proposals regarding the redesigning of the New Beetle, many people were excited to see what its VW parts will look like in two years’ time. Reviving something as timeless as the Volkswagen Beetle is not an easy task. It has become such an immortal symbol that implementing even the slightest change to it will already alter its eternal beauty. Thank goodness though that they planned to maintain the same VW parts, contours, and the basic Beetle flair. From the firm of designer Brenda Priddy, Autoblog managed to snag some pretty neat pictures of what the New Beetle’s latest rendition will look like. And of course, we borrowed their pictures to give it a new perspective.

Take a look and observe how the design was able to retain the inherent charm of the Beetle, and yet manage to give it a fresh twist. Something like the headlights, the bumper, and even the wheels. It looks like it has a longer front fascia now, and it was inspired by the VW Up! Series. According to many speculations, this is Volkswagen’s solution for the disappointing performance of the New Beetle in the market. As far as this picture says, it is not such a bad remake, but of course we cannot expect that the same glorious days of the Beetle can be regained just like that. So for the mean time, let us await until this photo manifests itself on the road, until we pass our fair judgment.

The engine of a Beetle may not be as heavy-duty as that of a truck, so it is not really supposed to make that annoying noise. But if it does, then the car is probably not hooked up with one of the most vital VW parts, the Volkswagen muffler. The muffler is basically aimed at lessening the noise that comes from the engine bay. It is an integral part of the exhaust system because it is like the second to the last phase before the exhaust comes out of the tail pipe. How is a muffler able to “muffle” all that engine noise?

According to howstuffworks.com, mufflers practically “cancel out sound”. They are made of tons of tubes so that they could resonate the sound that the engine makes. This will therefore make the noise less prominent. (After all, you would not want your car to garner arched eyebrow stares just because it is so noisy.) While the Beetle’s engine may not churn out thousands of horsepower, its combustion process still shakes the rest of its VW parts. So if you want to keep your Beetle a well-loved street creature, make sure that it creates only a friendly noise.

Sculpture is a very strong form of art. Imagine having the ability to give life to a piece of inanimate object. Is it not like breathing life as the artwork begins to take form? LA artist Charles Ray has been known for creating sculptures that are very celebrated for their richness in aesthetics and craftsmanship. Among his most memorable works displayed at Matthew Marks is his version of the “New Beetle”. Ray did not use any high-quality VW parts for this sculpture, but it clearly speaks of how much the Beetle is loved. Easily mistaken as made out of smooth white marble, this sculpture is really made out of stainless steel which is painted in immaculate white.

The “New Beetle” is not an impression of the vehicle, or any of its VW parts. It is a life-size sculpture that portrays a naked young boy curled on the ground with his left hand extended to the floor, and the right is playing with a toy car. We can now safely say that the car is an impression of the Beetle, but this is not what the sculpture tells us. It is about the freedom that children enjoy while they are playing with their toys. Just like driving a Beetle. One can easily get caught up in the whole Beetle experience. Check out other works of Ray until January 9.

Source: New York Times