VW Introduces New Beetle with more better muscles

No longer a "chick car"? According to Volkswagen, the redesigned New Beetle should appeal to more men, "without turning off it's female fans". A little over 3 inches wider and 6 inches longer than it's (eleven year old) predecessor, it has a "powerful appearance with muscular tension", according to VW marketing folks. You're playing with us again you wily Germans!

When introduced in 1999 the New Beetle was an oddity; unique styling that was retro and suggested the original Beetle. It was unique enough to bring nostalgia seeking baby boomers into Volkswagen showrooms where they bought...something else, like a Jetta or Passat. Worked pretty well, thank you very much!

Well it ain't unique any longer, and it's not 1999. The cars that are bringing buyers to the showrooms today tout serious fuel efficiency, reliability, and competitive pricing. Volkswagen continues to miss the mark on what the american car buyer wants. VW cars are becoming homogenized, tossing away any unique and cool qualities for (what they think is) mass market appeal. And all the while, the japanese and the Koreans are kicking VW's ass in the US market.

Minor styling changes and mass market appeal aren't going to help VW reach it's world domination goal (well, nothing is going to help them with that now, is it?) To really sell some cars in the US market, VW needs to wake up and realize that their German executives in Herndon STILL have German sensibilities, and that they WILL NEVER understand the US market! Send the Germans back to Germany, hire some smart, scrappy Americans who understand our market and have the balls to design some cars we'll buy, and then LISTEN to them and let them run the friggen company!