Company Launches CD with Original Volkswagen Beetle Sounds : Beetle Singing

Beetle Sounds CD

It may be too late for Father’s Day, but there’s nothing stopping you from picking up The Beetles: Greatest Sounds of the ‘60s and ‘70s for dad as a very early Christmas present.

Not to be confused with The Beatles, a little known British band that has all but faded into obscurity, The Beetles is a CD of car sounds dating from 1960 to 1978. And not just any car sounds: Volkswagen Beetle car sounds…

Yes, you can now rock out to such timeless classics as “Gears 1 - 2”, “Long Idle” and “Turn-Off, Handbrake”. With 30 tracks (well, 10 tracks spread across 3 different engines), your dad will be over the moon will this mass produced one-of-a-kind CD.

Here’s how the company – BeetleSounds.com – describes its product:

“For new Beetle owners and for those who used to have a classic Beetle (or wish they had), you can now cruise anytime, anywhere with that vintage Beetle sound.”

To make the CD, BeetleSounds.com took a 1200cc / 36 hp 1960 Beetle, a 1600cc ’73 Beetle in power blue and a fuel injected 1978 convertible. It costs US$12.99 pre-shipping or US$9.99 if you want to download it. Any takers?

By Tristan Hankins

IAA 2011: Volkswagen Pays Tribute to Fender with New Beetle Concept

VW Beetle Fender

The high-performance Beetle R Concept was joined at VW's Frankfurt Motor Show stage by a second conceptual study that pays tribute to famed U.S.-based music instrument manufacturer, Fender.

Mimicking the styling used on an electric guitar customized by Volkswagen Design, the Fender Telecaster, the bespoke Beetle study is painted in a high-gloss "Black" finish with a fine red line framing the side windows.

Other special features on the outside include the chrome and aluminium accents on the door mirror caps, door handles, the trim strip beneath the side windows and side sills, while the twin tailpipes are arranged as they were on the original Beetle.

The concept Beetle rides on 19-inch wheels with polished aluminium caps, while track width extensions on the rear axle shift each of the wheels 10 mm outwards. Finally VW lowered the car's suspension by around 30mm.

Inside, the dashboard is trimmed in two-tone wood design pattern found on many Fender guitars, while certain controls on the center console were redesigned to look like those used on Fender's guitar and bass amplifiers.

Last but not least, the Beetle Concept features high-end audio system from Fender and a special socket in the boot area that allows for an electric guitar to be plugged in with its sound played over the subwoofer that is also integrated in the boot.

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IAA 2011: Volkswagen Beetle R Concept Hints at 260HP+ Production Model

Volkswagen Beetle R

Ever since it became known that Volkswagen was developing the new generation of the Beetle, there were rumors about a high-performance variant wearing the 'R' badge. Earlier this year, the German company introduced the production model but the most powerful version was fitted with a 2.0-liter TSI producing 200-horses. Fast but not fast enough. However, this may soon change as Volkswagen is giving us the clearest indication of its future plans yet with the unveiling of the new Beetle R Concept at this week's Frankfurt Motor Show.

Beginning with the exterior, the Beetle R Concept sports a subtly aggressive design with newly sculpted bumpers that were widened by 30 mm, and blistered wheel arches widened by 15mm per side that house massive 20-inch wheels in the same “Talladega” design found on the Golf R and Scirocco R models.

The study also gets a front lip spoiler, LED daytime running lights incorporated inside the headlamps, a rear wing that is significantly larger than on the production Beetle, a rear diffuser and “Black High Gloss” paint on the roof, the upper part of the bootlid connecting to it, the door mirror housings and door handles.

Furthermore, we also find ventilation slots on the right and left sides of the engine bonnet, and quad tail pipes at the back.

Inside, the Beetle R Concept gets a pair of bucket sport seats up front upholstered in black Nappa leather with “Space Blue” piping, while “Black High Gloss” was used for dashboard accents and decorative elements around the gearshift grip. There are also unique instrument gauges, plus aluminum pedals and door sills.

And now for the million dollar question: what's lurking under the hood? Well, while Volkswagen avoided giving a direct answer to that question, the Germans outlined their intentions by saying that the Beetle R is the third variation of the 'R' family after the Golf R (199 kW / 270 PS) and Scirocco R (195 kW / 265 PS), both of which use a 2.0-liter TFSI four-banger.

VW added, "as an “R”, the Beetle could demonstrate a performance potential similar to that of the Golf R and Scirocco R," which pretty much answers our question, meaning that if or rather when, the Beetle R enters production, it will most likely be powered by the same powertrain delivering somewhere between 260 and 270-horses.

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