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We didn't have Spy Photos of the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle 5 minutes before someone yelled, "They stole the roofline from the 356!"
And viewing them over/under....they sure did.
People always wondered what VW would do with the Beetle and the answer turns out to be copy the first Porsche. Shown is the first shipment of Porsche 356s unloaded on American shores.
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cruiserhead1 says:
03:35 PM, 10/ 4/10
An interesting comparision!
The Beetle definitely has some Porsche undertones. I actually wish they made the windscreen a bit more upright to make it even more retro.
I like the design and the interior packaging looks substantially improved over the current one.
huyracing says:
03:45 PM, 10/ 4/10
see, now if they made the fastback more like the porsche, i could deal with it.
jederino says:
04:28 PM, 10/ 4/10
Hmmm, why don't I like it, despite the 356 comparison? I see more PT Cruiser than 356.
firstwagon says:
04:47 PM, 10/ 4/10
I'll have to see it in person.
Right now the Beetle falls in to the category....
"They still build it?"
bestjinjo says:
08:35 PM, 10/ 4/10
Looks like VW's team did go through with some ideas as per their 2008 interview:
http://photocarsonline.com/blog/2008/09/04/2010-vw-beetle-more-manly%E2%80%99-bug-gets-in-shape/
"The new styling direction has come about because VW wants to attract more male customers to the model. A company insider told Auto Express that the current variant is considered too feminine and needs to have a stronger shape. We’ve produced an artist’s impression to show you how the car is tipped to look. And, as you can see, it’s much more assertive, mixing a coupé-style low roofline with chunky pillars, a squared-off waistline – similar to the latest Audi TT’s – and a wider stance."
The coupe-style low/flat roofline certainly made it in.
xorbe says:
08:41 PM, 10/ 4/10
Maybe, but not really.
angry_mushroom says:
11:37 PM, 10/ 4/10
May look it, but lacks a high powered rear mounted engine.
v8vader says:
02:37 AM, 10/ 5/10
i think that's stretching it a bit.
throwback says:
05:59 AM, 10/ 5/10
If you are going to crib a design, why not use one of the most iconic designs from within the company? Porsche and VW are all one big happy family, right? However as a Porsche fan and former owner, this makes me a little sad.
iskch says:
10:47 AM, 10/ 5/10
Looks like it.
roar02ram says:
02:09 PM, 10/ 5/10
Weren't Porsche & VW tied together at some point around WWII? Isn't that why the Beetle and the 911 are both rear-engined designs?
greed4speed says:
03:44 PM, 10/ 5/10
I'd have to say bad comparison! Any likeness is purely coincidental. Actually, the two look nothing alike; their not even close to matching.
stovt001 says:
07:38 PM, 10/ 5/10
I see the likeness. Pretty close match if you ask me. And so far, I kinda like the new style.
gordancin says:
08:17 PM, 10/ 5/10
I really like this new New Beetle...
ed341 says:
09:53 AM, 10/ 6/10
Why not an over/ under comparison with the original Beetle?
p356 says:
10:16 AM, 12/20/10
I'm afraid the comparison is only on the most superficial level, but it trully does not compare to the Porshe 356 body design... in so many ways it simply does not compare. True the 356 probably comes from a suped up Ferdinand Porsche Beatle design with Ferdinand's very first "356" having an original beatle engine before he starting producing them and put actual Porsche engines in.... I would much rather have the 356. Take a look, the new Beatle design looks like a squashed down version of the original Beatle that is pictured here: http://people.westminstercollege.edu/staff/bknorr/html/history2.htm
p356 says:
10:21 AM, 12/20/10
I'd suggest again, that comparison to the Porsche 356 is only superficial. I'd rather have seen VW come out with a new Karmann Ghia sporty design - here's the original:
http://people.westminstercollege.edu/staff/bknorr/html/history5.htm
suju89 says:
08:37 AM, 04/ 5/11
To be honest it actually looks more like the original VW Beetle.
gauntlet_ki says:
01:31 AM, 01/26/12
I know what it is! The reason it doesnt look as good is because the bonnet (hood in the front) is higher than the quarter pannel that goes over the wheel to the lights. The hood is the wost part of the beetle and if it just sloped down instead of that huge arc we all would like it a lot more. There is nothing you can do with that styling as it is except make the front longer which is the other problem.
If they took the old style beetle or just the one before this one and put a longer front on it, it would like a hell of a lot like the 1956 356A, the hard top not the convertable.