34 — Friday, April 3, 1998 — North Shore News we “Test drive the new Beetle in North Vancouver at Capilano Volkswagen and in West Vancouver at Wetmore Motors. ‘tle maintains its qui new Volkswagen ‘Beetle were made in *" Hollywood, it might : ell be called, “Beetle 2 — The Second . : Coming”; 3 or Pehaps. Rides sequel, the new Beetle ‘hopes to cash in_on the years and years of “Beetle equity stored in the “hearts of millions of people - who droves or wanted to drive, © the first Beetle. The new » -Besee's styling is a nostalgic “yet thoroughly modern inter- pretation of the German “peo- ple’s car,” now a 60-year-old design originally conceived by. Ferdinand Porsche and (for trivia buffs) first penned by . Adolph Hitler under Porsche’s supervision in the 30s. More than halfa century later in a California designing studio, Tay Mavs and his assis- tants managed to capture the quirky charm and simplicity of the old Beetle while making it contemporary, safe, and even, sporty. Does anyone clse see some Porsche similarities in there? One thing’s for sure, people love it. I’ve never dri- ven a car that attracted so much attention — not bad for a car that starts under $20,000. My bright yellow test Beetle was one of the first Beetles on the road, and each time [ stopped the car, smiling would approach me ions and anecdotal storics about the Beetles they used to own. naye virls wanted to have their pictures taken with it. Young men in Acuras with huge spoilers on the trunklid would do double takes. Professional couples in Grand Cherokees plied me for detailed information on fea- tures and pricing. Other dri- vers honked at me and gave me the thumbs up sign. Apparently, customer dernographics tor the new Beetle are wide open. According to Volkswagen, it appeals to just about ever body. My own experien would tend tw confirm this. Pretty good for a car that is endally a Volkswagen Golf with a different body and inte- nor. The new Beetle is ba on the redesigned Volkswagen Golf hatchback, which to arrive in North Americ next year. Just like the Golf, and unlike the old Beetle, the new Beetle has a transversely- mounted, water-cooled 115 horsepower 2.0-litre four- evlinder engine mounted in the front, drivi ing the front wheels (the old Beetle had a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine that drove the rear irky wheels). For those who want to save money on fuel, the new Beedle is also available with a 90 horsepower 1.9-litre turbocharged diesel tour cylin- der engine. cush the gas model has id Super Beetle, the new le is about 300 kilograms heavier. ration could be described as acceptable with the four-speed automatic transmission, and peppy with the standard five-speed manual transmission. Standard four- wheel disc brakes make stop- ping quickly no problem, although ABS is optional. The new Beetle is about the same length and heighe as the old Beedle, bur its wheel- base is 11 cm (4.4 inches) -BETWEEN A PATHFINDER AND ___A 4-RUNNER, DON'T. 1998 ISUZU RODEO BUY reo oO,4 10 PATHFINDER ASL SOHC V6 205 HEP @ 5,-400RPM IGSHP «4. 500RPM | 183 HP 212 @ 3,000RPM 196 4g 2, 800RPM Y ". Phote submitted longer, av body is a sub- stantial 18 cm (6.9 inchés) ) Wider. This extra width and length add interior room and _ improves the ride, stability and handling. Like the Ge the | Beetle is casy to drive, casy to park, and offers safe, pre- dictable handling, particularly in the wei. | crior ‘design ome elements front the old Beetle, such as a single round instrument; grab hindle on the passenger side, body- colored door panels, anda . _ flower bud vase mounted on : the dash (apparently, this was, available on the1965 Beerle). But there the similarities end. The new Beerle meets all current safety standards — it * See Eurapeans page 38° 4 SOORPM 247 @ 3,600RPM MANUAL LEVER ISUZU 294-1831 “Based on 36 mo. lease, $2,500 down, TP. $15,064 plus taxes & deposit; O.A.C, a Go farther.