The strongest Beetle has arrived!

At the Chicago Auto Show, Volkswagen exhibited "The Beetle," which immediately catches the eye with its distinctive exterior color of black from the hood to the trunk lid on a yellow body, and its large 19-inch aluminum wheels.

This is the limited edition "The Beetle GSR," a recreation of the "1303s GSR (Gelb Schwarzer Renner)" (written as "1303s Yellow and Black Racer" in English), which was manufactured in 3,500 units in 1973 as a limited model of the Volkswagen "Type I," affectionately known as the first-generation "Beetle."

The "1303s GSR" that served as the motif was based on the "1303s," also called the "Super Beetle," which was equipped with a 1,600cc engine, compared to the 1,300cc engine of the "1300" at the time in 1973. It further featured 15-inch tires of size 175/70 and an engine upgraded to 75ps from the original 50ps. The interior also featured special sports seats and a leather sports steering wheel, making it a special sports model.



As it is based on such a special Beetle, the "The Beetle GSR" is also powerfully tuned. The power unit is a 2-liter inline 4-cylinder direct-injection turbo gasoline "TSI" engine, paired with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed dual-clutch "DSG." Although not yet introduced in Japan, it is the current top-grade model in Europe.The Beetle 2.0 TSIIt produces 210ps, 10ps more than the "The Beetle 2.0 TSI." The maximum torque is 280Nm, generated across a wide rpm range of 1,700-5,200rpm. It uses 235/40R19 tires.

The DSG model accelerates from 0-100km/h in 7.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of 229km/h if acceleration continues. Naturally, these are the best figures among the currently available "The Beetle" lineup.

In addition to the yellow/black two-tone color announced this time, Platinum Grey/Black is also available as a body color. The interior features R-Line sports seats and a leather sports steering wheel. The seat upholstery is leather for the US specification. Other regions are expected to have fabric seats.

This "The Beetle GSR" is a limited edition of 3,500 units worldwide, with each car equipped with a serial plate. While the price and detailed specifications for Japan are undecided, it is scheduled for release in Germany around autumn this year. For reference, the planned selling price in Germany is 30,300 euros (approximately 3.8 million yen). Furthermore, Volkswagen AG has announced that "it can be ordered from anywhere in the world," making it highly likely to be imported to Japan.