In the age of disposable everything we all seem to think that the things we buy can be thrown away, something new will be along to replace it quicker than you can say overdraft.
This might be true for the phone you are holding while reading this article, it might be true for that toy your child got last Christmas but it really shouldn’t be true for a car.
The most environmentally friendly thing you can do with a car is keep it on the road until it dies or you do. That’s why I met a man who told me that his 1972 Volkswagen Beetle would ‘see him out’ and that he didn’t like the new one all that much. Still, it’s the new one I’m testing and I know that colour looks weird but in the metal, it looks a whole lot better.
The Beetle has been around since 1934 when Ferdinand Porsche (yes that one) got an order from Hitler to make a car for the people. Volkswagen was born and the Beetle went on to be the coolest of all the Vdubs mostly due to the US hippies and surfers who used the VW as a symbol of peace and love.
This cool edge may have worn off but Volkswagen is still turning out some great motors and I think the current Beetle is the future classic of this golden-age we are living through. It won’t be long now before electric and self-driving cars wipe out what’s left of the internal combustion engine and leave us all with quiet transport.
I’m driving around Portlaoise with a 2.0ltr diesel that puts out 150bhp and due to the ‘Sandstorm yellow’ exterior colour there isn’t a head in the town that isn’t turning around to have a look at the car. There’s an R-Line pack used so there are decent looking alloys that give the exterior a tougher look without losing all that cute factor.
The DSG auto gearbox is really the only way to buy this car, there’s nothing cool about having to change gears and there’s no sporty edge that will make you want to go fast. This car is all about the cool factor, a car that you want to be seen getting out of. That’s a change from some of the Beetle models, there were some past versions I wouldn’t be seen getting into let alone out of.
The only real problem with the Beetle is the price, there’s no nice way to put this but the Beetle in the video above is €36,567 and at that price it isn’t really a car for the people.
I really did enjoy my time with the Beetle but I did feel rather underdressed if I didn’t wear some skinny jeans and sunglasses at night.
If you are looking for the ultimate fashion accessory then drop into Michael Moore car sales and bring your sailing shoes, capri pants and a skinny latte.
SEE ALSO – Bob Flavin: Ford raise the bar for the small car world
