Three 1990s Designs That Still Matter Today

The 1990s seems like a long time ago and technology has progressed leaps and bounds between then and now. The smartphone in your pocket has more pixels than the finest TV of the decade and more computing power and memory than the desktops of the day to boot. Likewise, the automotive industry has progressed significantly with minivans that have more power than sport scars of the day and automatic gearboxes with triple the gear count. Yet not all is lost from the decade as the following three designs have each left a lasting legacy that is visible in many vehicles on the market today.

Volkswagen New Beetle

Introduced as a concept in 1994 and as a production car for the 1998 model year the New Beetle was a tremendous sales success for Volkswagen, particularly in the United States. The New Beetle would kickoff the retro themed design party that would last well through the next decade and into the current. Once the hottest trend in automotive design the PT Cruiser, Thunderbird, HHR, Mustang, Camaro and the Challenger would follow in the Beetle's footsteps. While not all proved to be successful in the long run and the retro theme in general appears to be losing steam, the New Beetle has certainly created a long lasting legacy perhaps only overshadowed by its famous rear engine predecessor.

 

2012 Volkswagen Beetle Design Analysis

As the most anticipated New York Auto Show debut in our opinion, the VW Beetle had a lot of hype to live up to. After seeing the initial photos of the 21st century Beetle it appears that VW has lived up to the expectations by revealing a fresh take on its classic. The original air cooled Beetle sold over 22.5 million copies worldwide making it perhaps the most recognizable vehicle in the world. Following this type of success and such recognizable styling is no easy task. The 19998 New Beetle certainly used the original Beetle as a styling basis but featured a more angular design theme. The 2012 Beetle (the New moniker is now gone) actually returns closer to the original Beetle in styling. It now has a flatter roofline (but is only half an inch shorter overall) and new styling elements throughout. Upfront the changes are fairly small as the hood features sharper lines and the circular headlights receive LED daytime lights. A shorter windshield leads to an A pillar than can now actually be distinguished from the roof. The styling changes are most visible from the side as the windows get shorter and door lines are no longer completely linear. A nice touch is the 3-D effect right below the window line. The Beetle gained six inches in length that allowed the designers to give it a proper coupe shape, one that looks very much like a compact Porsche would. At the rear, the tail lights no longer mirror the headlights and rather follow a more rectangular shape, the turbo model features a spoiler. Inside, the Beetle receives a significantly more modern looking interior with modern necessities such as a navigation screen. Gone is the plastic flower vase of the New Beetle that generated so much conversation in the past. A nice touch is the twin glove box that pays homage to the original rear engined Beetle interior. In America, the Beetle will use the proven 170 horsepower 2.5 liter five cylinder as the base engine along with the efficient 2.0 TDI and the 200 2.0T horsepower turbo as options. A convertible version should debut next year after the coupe goes on sale this September. Further down the line is a 250+ horsepower R version that will give the Beetle additional performance credentials. Take a look at the gallery below to see the 21st century Beetle for yourself.

Most Anticipated New York Auto Show Debuts

With the New York Auto Show quickly approaching let's take a look at some of the most anticipated debuts from New York.

Number 5: Porsche Panamera S. As if the Panamera didn't already have enough horsepower to shame many supercars in a drag race Porsche has decided to give its five door hatch 50 additional horsepower.

Number 4: Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Mercedes finally puts its great-sounding 6.3 liter AMG V8 in a coupe to challenge the BMW M3, Audi RS5 and Cadillac CTS-V. The C63 AMG coupe would place higher but we have already seen how the coupe will look thus losing some excitement.

Number 3: Lexus LF-Gh. This hybrid concept should do a good job of previewing the next generation of the GS sedan that is certainly due for an update. In a hotly contested segment Lexus will need a great design to stand out and hopefully we see one in New York.

Number 2: Jeep Grand Cheeroke SRT8. The latest Grand Cheeroke has been well received by both the press and the public alike. The 470 horsepower 6.4 liter Hemi V8 will transform the offroader into a 911 chasing beast.

Number 1: Volkswagen Beetle. The actual third generation Beetle might not make it to the auto show floor but Volkswagen will introduce the latest Beetle in NYC the day before the New York auto show in a similar fashion to the Katy Perry concert Jetta introduction of last summer. The Beetle tops the list because it has the potential to drum up interest in Volkswagen much in the same way the original New Beetle did over a decade ago.

New Volkswagen New Beetle Coming in 2011

The original Volkswagen Beetle set all records for longetivity with its 65 year production run. Its spiritual sucessor, the New Beetle, while unable to top the Beetle's long production cycle has itself been on sale for a dozen years, an incredibly long production cycle in current times. Aside from a mild refresh in 2006 the New Beetle is one of the oldest cars on sale today. However, this will all change as Volkswagen has confirmed that the next generation of the New Beetle will go on sale in 2011 ready to battle with other retro inspired cars such as the Mini and the Fiat 500. The question is, will the new New Beetle capture the public's attention like the original didin 1998?

VW slipped the reveal date in a press release about improvement in its Mexican plant.

"Under Strategy 2018, it is planned to invest up to US$1 billion in Mexico over the next three years. Some of these funds will be spent on constructing new production plant for the Beetle successor. The new version of the style icon will be launched in 2011 and will safeguard a total of 2,000 jobs in Puebla."

Little is known about the second generation New Beetle and no spy cars have been spotted yet. However, it appears that contrary to earlier reports of the New Beetle retruning to its rear engine and rear drive roots, the next New Beetle will remain a front engined front wheel drive as the current one. Of course, the styling will be the critical point in its sucess. Expect an edgier version of the current New Beetle.

The new New Beetle might look a little like this.