No, a new Volkswagen Beetle is not coming.
Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schafer told Autocar The Beetle was a “dead end” for the brand.
“It’s the same as the Scirocco: it has its era, then there’s a new model based on a reinterpretation,” Mr Schafer said. Autocar.
“To do more? I do not think so. And going forward with balancing all these technologies and the costs associated with them, you have to invest money in the best places.”
That’s despite Volkswagen leaning on its iconic Kombi for inspiration on the ID. Buzz, and a wave of retro electric cars is sweeping Europe from the likes of Fiat, Renault and Honda.
However, Volkswagen didn’t throw away all its iconic names. The Golf and Tiguan badges will live on into the electric era, with Schafer pointing to “a little more than a handful” of names that should be carried forward.
“Are you going to do a Scirocco or are you going to do an Arteon? Probably not. That’s part of our naming philosophy that we’re now finalizing,” he said.
Mr Schafer’s comments come on the back of a Beetle-ish Volkswagen appearing on a poster for Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir — Movie.
In it, the main characters can be seen posing in front of their vehicles, all from the Volkswagen brand. While the unnamed Beetle EV concept took center stage, there was also an ID. Buzz, ID. Crozz and ID. Vizion Concept in the background.
Internet users – including Paris Videostars, where we found these screenshots – later saw a real version of the Beetle concept on the streets of Paris outside the launch event for the first film based on the Miraculous cartoon series.
It seems that the car lying on the streets of Paris is just a design design because the headlights and taillights are painted, as are the doors and windows.
The original car, designed by Ferdinand Porsche and financed by the Nazi regime in Germany, was first produced in 1938 with a rear-mounted four-cylinder boxer engine, but it did not become an icon or a sales success until after World War II.
While the two modern versions of the Beetle, launched in 1997 and 2010 respectively, adopt the original ladybug shape, they are based on the contemporary version of the Golf. This means they feature a transversely mounted engine at the front driving the front wheels.