| Of my rich tapestry of friends, one of my favourites | | | | amount of looks the 'new' version still gets despite the |
| works as a salesman at our local Volkswagen dealer. | | | | design being nearly ten years old that astounds me. |
| He's not my favourite because I went to school with | | | | I've travelled around either testing or being the |
| him - because I didn't. I rarely nip out for a pint with him | | | | passenger in a multitude of cars and none have had |
| and he doesn't participate in football which is where I | | | | the nods of approval the giant pearl had. Of course |
| recruit the majority of my mates. He does however | | | | that's not to say that three men in any form of girly |
| have a very large feather in his cap which demands | | | | drop-top wouldn't get starred at. |
| attention - the fact he works at a Volkswagen dealer | | | | So let's address the styling then. Unless you've been |
| that allows him to drive a string of the very latest | | | | living in a dingy at sea for the last ten years, you'll |
| German metal. | | | | know that the new Beetle is curvy, chunky and not a |
| He's got a pretty good track record of what he's 'test | | | | million miles away from the shape of the original. It's |
| driven' too. There was the turbo'd EOS which although | | | | cuddly and cute and the most womanly of vehicles on |
| is a convertible, is manly enough thanks to the riot | | | | the road today. The front looks like a happy, smiley |
| going on under the bonnet that we looked | | | | face and the back looks like...well, a happy smiley face. |
| heterosexual. There was the beach trip with some | | | | The symmetry of the lines is simple but effective, with |
| bikini clad lasses in a special edition Polo that | | | | the identical front and rear wheel arches joined |
| masqueraded as a 4x4 and ended up beached on a | | | | together by the curve of the roof. It's one of the most |
| sand dune and the fact he lovingly waxes his Corrado | | | | recognisable car silhouettes ever - along with once |
| seemingly every day makes it impossible not to feel | | | | again, the Porsche 911. |
| drawn towards the VW badge. | | | | Despite it being girly, the roof and simple lines made |
| My trust in his judgement was severely dented this | | | | such an impression on me I had to book in for a proper |
| week however when two of us were recruited by | | | | test drive. Although I've seen countless Beetles, it took |
| him to witness his latest test drive. I've been in a VW | | | | the convertible to make me see what I'd been missing |
| Beetle in the past, all driven by women and all with a | | | | all these years. The drive is good, despite the Beetle |
| tall roof that not only provided ample headroom, but | | | | being a heavy car (even more so with the safety |
| also hid who I was from the watching world. Imagine | | | | reinforcements in the convertible) and the 1.8T engine |
| then, my face when Volkswagen-dealer-friend turns | | | | shifted me along at a decent rate. The Beetle is not |
| up in a convertible VW Beetle in off-white - with the | | | | the most practical of cars, however if you view it as a |
| roof down. Essentially it looked as though he was | | | | coupe (which it essentially is) rather than a hatchback |
| driving a giant pearl. | | | | you'll be more than happy. |
| One feature that did take my fancy though was the | | | | After all, the new Beetle was basically a styling |
| roof. Despite it being electric, it didn't fold away in an | | | | exercise that has turned out to be a roaring success. I |
| overly extravagant manner, but merely rested on the | | | | mean what other car comes with a flower in a vase |
| boot. I doubt it does much for aerodynamics but it | | | | on the dashboard?! Your Volkswagen dealer can get |
| instantly made the Beetle reminiscent to a classic | | | | you a new one relatively quickly, however the |
| Porsche 911 Cabriolet and that's no bad thing. Of | | | | second-hand market tells you everything you need to |
| course unlike the old Beetle and the 911, the engine is | | | | know about owning a Beetle - you'll struggle to get |
| now in the correct place under the bonnet. | | | | hold of one. It really is the Marmite of the motoring |
| Whilst I'm not an old-Beetle fanatic I don't frown upon | | | | world, those that hate it stay away, those that buy one |
| those who worship them - of which there are many. | | | | are so in love they'll never part. |
| Despite knowing the extent of this affection, it's the | | | | As for me, I hate Marmite, but I love the Beetle. |