Really, you have to look at Americans appetite for cars.
We drive (as a majority) large V8 based SUVs. These cars are considerbly more gas conscious, but they pack power. I highly doubt the car would really be offroad worthy, but the buyer will likely never even take it there -- if they even know how to drive it (assuming it's a stick).
Also, these cars target the riche and what I affectionatly call "the yuppies." Concept-T, from the sounds, is the New Beetle Dune that is on the VW.com concepts page, along with the AAC (what we can now call Toureg, but it's NOT a pickup truck - like I had hoped), and the new MicroBus .... and if you look at the MicroBus concept, it comes with a 40" LCD TV.
This is not the 1960s, Americans expect and demand every luxury and have it go 50k before they trade it in. No one buys for life.
The concept I like and saw at Detroit was "Ragster" a three seater ragtop sport beetle. It had a good, mascule look.. a flat yet sloping roofline, and the classic 50s-early 60s Herbie style ragtop, with factory racing stripes. The third seat folded flat, and had a plastic back and trunk liner (MUCH easier to clean and haul things with), and the third seat would make better sense since it's over the tranny hump in the center of the car -- no more "ow I banged my head when you went over the tracks" from the backseat (that'd make ME smile).
Everyone has different tastes, and if Ragster became a new limited edition I'd trade in my left kidney in a heartbeat because it would be like the New Beetle RSI - a truly limited edition $40k car that would retain it's resell value later in my life because if kept in good condition, would be so rare that a true collector would buy it back one day. I mean, the Vans did not sell for $40,000 back when.. it took them HOW long with HOW many upgrades to them and new paint jobs to achieve that?
I don't intend to trade my bug, I'm doing the retro look for a reason -- it suits my lifestyle. The car is also larger, and it does suit my needs better than the aircooled predecessor, sad as it is. A VW Bus would be a good car for me, but I hate large vehicles. This is what drew me to the beetle to begin with - small, but comfy enough for a 6'3" 200lb man to drive or ride in. The new models made this better.
Would there be a market for Concept-T, yes. Would it be laughed at, well by the "vintage" of this board and around the VW Americas community, yes. Would it be wildly loved by those willing to go into debt for it, no doubt. Would it sell? Hard to say, The Turbo S lived 2 short years before it was discontinued, but it had very strong initial sales (but did not match those of the 98 release). It has a market, for sure.
I DO agree that America gets the short end of the good autos stick, however if you look at the VW sites around the world.. you don't find "Automatic" trannys as the DEFAULT option. Only in america is a 5-speed "made to order." This bothers me, I think everyone should know how to drive a 5-speed, we've become lazy and we have the money to continue to do so. It makes me sick, really.
Either way, it probably won't make production. The New Beetles were slated to live, as hard tops, till 2010-2012... if anything it'll be VWs first Hybrid Gas(or DIESEL.. PLEASE let it be diesel)-electric to compete with the Insight and the Prius. I don't know if the radical designs would be worth the VW times and effort to produce, but really... who knows. VW has lost it's touch, I admit, but they are still an amazing company and I'll always own one.
Well, Im sorry. I think this thing needs to end up at the same place the "new" van did. Who in the heck would want to ride through the woods on a pretty fall day in somthing that you can not see out of then stop on the trail and use your high -speed internet.Give me a break !! 0 to 60mph in 6.8 and a 144mph top end was something I was always worried about not having when I was riding on the trails. What !! You are not going to go off the road ? Why own it then. You can`t haul anything in it. Ask Hal Walters what a 4-motion tranny cost when it breaks. I think its kind of interesting that VW always targets the U.S. market with stuff like this. Of course all the Imports do this. Send it over here.The Americans will buy anything. I know its just a concept car and like all the other brands that present things like this , its just as ugly. I wonder what this "critter" would cost if got to the market place 40-50K ? I think in the U.S. market VW has lost it way. Check out VW Brazil and VW.de and look at the products that make sense.
In Europe Fiat, Renault are really great cars . They sent all their "junk" to the U.S. . Is this what we have to look forward to from VW ? I hope not.
You Guys are going to love this. I would rather spend my 40k on that spilt-window van that was on e-bay a while back. At least I could have fun with it and I could repair it without having $15K worth of testing "stuff" and a degree from M.I.T.
Come on VW, WAKE UP! Nows your chance. The Japs are starting to build "ugly" stuff with problems. Don`t let them trounce you again. :evil:
