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Volkswagan New Beetle
At the 1994 North American
International Auto Show, Volkswagen unveiled
the J Mays-penned "Concept 1", a
concept car with futuristic styling deliberately
reminiscent of the original Beetle's rounded
shape. It is a cabriolet, which retains the
flowing lines of the sedan, yet captures the
chic looks of the original Beetle cabriolet.
It was equipped with "large diameter"
17-inch wheels (with the VW logo, just like
the original Beetle hubcap) with low-profile
tires. Also, in the concept car, there is
a "zero emission" hybrid design
made for it originally (it was said to use
248-V) the fuel consumption of the original
is 2 litre.
Strong public reaction
convinced the company to move the car into
production, and in 1998 Volkswagen launched
the New Beetle, designed by Mays and Freeman
Thomas at the company's California design
studio. The New Beetle is related to the original
only in name and appearance (including the
absence of a car emblem script with the exception
of the VW logo): under the hood, it is a modern
car in every way, based on the Volkswagen
A platform (Mark 4 Volkswagen Golf). Still,
it carried many of designs reference to the
old Beetle: separate wings, vestigial running
boards, sloping headlamps, large round tail
light, as well as a high rounded roofline
that provide enough headroom for tall drivers.
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