When will my GLX 1.8 Turbo Convertible be here?

Although VW has been circulating information about options to be made available for the NB since late 1997, a number of the most desirable options have not been in production yet. The GLX package, with leather seats and sunroof, finally made it onto showroom floors during the second week of December, 1998. Additionally, a few GLS NBs with leather/heated seats have trickled onto the market. The much-desired 1.8l Turbo model will not be in production until first quarter 1999, at the earliest. The Beetle Buzz website keeps up with the latest news about the 1.8. Although a convertible version of the Concept 1 was shown at the auto shows, VW has not made any commitment toward producing a cabrio version of the NB. Industry estimates place NB convertible production in the 2001/2 model year.

Volkswagen displayed a new concept New Beetle at the 1999 North American International Auto Show. The RSi New Beetle, pictured above, features all wheel drive, a twin-turbo V6 engine, and new body styling. The RSi is not slated for production at this time. More information about the RSi is available from VW Vortex.

Where in the US can I find a NB at list price?

For as long as demand outstrips supply, some VW dealers with be able to get away with charging a premium for NBs. Certain areas of the US, such as the northeast, have an abundance of dealers and inventory. With the exception of some of the more difficult to find colors, you shouldn't have a hard time finding a NB for list in NJ/NY/PA/MA. In other areas, such as Florida and the Rocky Mountain west, dealers have been known to tack up to $4000 onto the base price of every NB sold. Several newbug list members have started to track dealer prices across the US. Joe Lindner's site is the most up-to-date of the different lists.

The following information about 1999 New Beetle list price is taken from Scott VW's excellent web site:

Order Code	Trim Level	Body Style	Engine	Transmission	Suggested Retail	Dealer Invoice
1C13K4	GL	2 Door	2.0L - 115 HP	5-Speed Manual	15,900	14,990
1C15K4	GLS	2 Door	2.0L - 115 HP	5-Speed Manual	16,850	15,535
1C1554	GLS	2 Door	1.9L TDI - 90 HP	5-Speed Manual	17,900	16,494

		GL	GLS	Suggested Retail	Dealer Invoice
-----3	4-Speed Automatic Transmission, Adaptive	O	O	875	856
W1P	Partial Leather Package     Leather Seating Surfaces      Leather Steering Wheel, Shift Knob, and Hand Brake      Heated Seats      Heated Washer Nozzles	NA	O	850	742
P1B	Wheel Package      16" Alloy Wheels      205/55 Tires	NA	O	310	270
W1L	Luxury Package      Power Sunroof      16" Alloy Wheels      205/55 Tires	NA	O	1,000	873
BOW	California Emission Requirements	O	O	100	98
NEV	Northeast Emission Requirements	O	O	100	98

...but I want a green/silver/yellow with leather interior.

Good luck. VW's Puebla plant can't produce NBs fast enough to meet worldwide demand. Silver and yellow are the most requested colors, yet along with "cyber green" they only make up a fraction of production. The first run of 1998 cars had problems with those three colors matching on both body and fender areas; that problem has been fixed, but the colors remain elusive. I waited six months on a yellow TDI myself. While certain dealers sometimes get single large shipments of the difficult-to-find colors, I've never heard of any that are able to keep a selection of all colors in inventory. As a result, many dealers are tacking on surcharges of up to $4000 for silver and yellow. Leather interiors are in the same category--they are available, but difficult to find. Attempts to special order specific color/interior combinations are mostly doomed to failure: with a few exceptions, dealers take what is shipped to them with little say as to colors or options.

How is the European NB different from the US version?

Dean Elliott posted the following:

Peter Hope, a list member from Scotland, sent me a VWUK information brochure and several UK VW Magazines (VW Motoring, etc.). VW Motoring indicated that the first 1000 units will be left hand drive. By this time VW should have the right hand models in the pipeline. They will be available with the 1.9 l TDI, 2.0 l gas, and in the future a 2.3 l 5 cyl that is purported to put out 150 hp. The cars are very similar. I noted the following differences from the VW brochure:

• Blue and White VW logos on boot, bonnet, wheel discs, and steering wheel instead of chrome.
• Sportier cloth upholstery.
• ESP - some sort of electronic slip device - switch fills the blank spot in US NBs.
• Rear fog light (red).
• Wider license plate area on rear bumper.
• All clear turn signal lenses, although it appears that an amber bulb is used.
• They retain the lock cylinder on the passenger door.
• Metric speedometer.
• Updated radio which I believe includes something similar to what we do hear in the U.S., but they do on a much larger scale and reserve a button for it - AM information like when you get near an airport.
• Although A/C will be standard, it appears the UK NB is available without.

Does VW make a quality car?

VW quality has been a major concern over the last decade. By all accounts, the vehicles manufactured in VW's ill-fated (and now closed) US production facility were of poor quality. Build quality didn't improve much when production was first moved to the Puebla facility. VW appears to have turned the corner in the mid 1990s, and by 1997 they were producing at least as good quality of car as most Asian imports. VW has been cranking up the publicity machine to tout recent improvements at the Puebla plant, and the build quality of the NB appears to be quite high. A check of the cars claimed under Florida's lemon law shows that 73 VWs were repurchased by the manufacturer in the 1990s, comparable to both BMW and Mercedes Benz.

For such a little car, the NB is very safe. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the NB the best rating of any car in its class. Here's the Institute's final evaluation of the NB: "The driver space was maintained well in both frontal offset crash tests. Although measures in the first test indicate the possibility of a minor head injury, the redesigned airbag in the second test reduced this risk. The overall evaluation is good, based on both tests. Side airbags, belt crash tensioners, belt force limiters, and daytime running lights are strong pluses. Head restraints and bumpers are good."

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to release additional crash test data on the NB in March and April of 1999

What should I know about the NB before considering one?

Owner feedback on the NB has been overwhelmingly positive, in spite of a few nagging first-year production run problems (covered elsewhere in the FAQ). The cars are fun to drive, responsive, and still able to draw a lot of attention to itself after a year on the market. Passersby grin and point. Kids run up to it in the parking lot. Strangers will begin to tell you old beetle stories as you struggle to get a package in the trunk. Bluebook value on the 1998 models is higher than the cars sold for new.

On the downside, the NB isn't the kind of car that a shade tree mechanic will be able to work on. One look at the engine compartment will bring that fact home--look at how the windshield washer fluid reservoir is designed to snake around other components. Early word from a VW service manager is that the front fender must be removed (via 87 bolts) to be able to work on many components of the engine. Once the car is out of warranty, service bills could be high--such as the infamous several-hundred-dollar repair bill for fixing a cracked fog light unit.

What should I check for when taking delivery of a NB?

When you take delivery of your NB, the dealer should take the time to go over most of the points on this list. Unfortunately, many salespeople just don't know (or care) enough about the finer details of the NB to cover everything they should. This list outlines materials that should come with your car, as well as tips on how to look for minor production flaws that have appeared over the last year.

• Primary Key (1998 only)
• Two Remote-keys ("switchblade" keys for 1999)
• Valet Key
• Owner's Manual and Binder
• Video
• Owner's Manual additions (separate packet)
• VW Pen for Binder
• Bud Vase
• Road Service Card (in manual)
• Radio Code (in manual)
• Check tire warranty - right brand
• Spare Tire Wheel Lock Key (Alloys only)
• Check shift knob insert (the insert comes loose on some NBs)
• Check headlights for sealant seepage
• Check rear hatch operation, test drive to check for rattles
• Check tire pressures
• Check battery cables for tightness
• Check lights - head, tail, turn, fog, interior
• Where are the jacking points?
• Check the paint all over for any nicks or scratches. If they find them now, the dealer will fix them
• Look for spots on the seats - get them cleaned
• Decide what you'd like the car to do in regards to the computer programing - some dealers have been charging extra to change this later. The options are: Beep on lock / flash lights on lock, beep on unlock / flash lights on unlock, and autolock door at 8-10 mph
• Is the radio programed to recognize the CD changer (if installed)?
• From the driver's side, roll both windows all the way up and down to see if the one-touch feature is working and to make sure they roll all the way into the door panel. The glass should not stick up at all when the window is all the way down and they should travel at the same speed.
• Make sure that the plug is in place underneath the spare
• Rear Mat Snaps should be installed

What are the "real" names of the different colors?

Unlike most other car sales, color is a major determining factor in New Beetle purchases. Silver and yellow were in highest demand during the 1998 model year, yet these two colors were produced in the least numbers. So far in the 1999 year, silver and dark blue are still difficult to find while yellow and green are beginning to show up in larger numbers. VW has introduced four new colors to the line for the European introduction:Cameo Blue, Pearl White, Lemon Yellow and Canyon Red. The UK VW website has swatches of the new colors.

What is NBAD?

According to Dr. Nancy Breland,

New Beetle Affective Disorder. This is the "craziness" that one feels when one is passionately attached to the NB. It makes affected persons do odd things, like driving past mirrored buildings so they can see the image of their car, dressing in colors that match their NB, or devoting an unusual amount of time and money decorating the interior of their NB. NBAD generates much silly and fun posting to the newbug mailing list.

If you need a quick fix, the Obscurasite New Beetle Stuff website hosts both a NB chat space and various NB newsgroups. If you want to see if anyone is in the chat room now, click on the button:

How do I get a VW "Birth Certificate" for my New Beetle?

Newbug list member Deal Elliott was responsible for VWoA's decision to issue NB Birth Certificates for the New Beetle, just as Wolfsburg has supplied for the Type I Beetles in the past:

Sometime back in August I remembered that the VW Museum in Wolfsburg offers a build certificate for the OBs. After a little research, I found out that the Museum will not issue certificates for the NB but refers requesters to VWoA. So, I called. They were familiar with the OB build certificate but did not currently do that for the NB. Then the customer rep said that would be a great idea and VW would get back to me. Didn't hear anything, so mid November I called again. I told the rep I had called back in August and was wondering if they had taken any action on the build or birth certificate. She replied, "so you're the one!" Then she told me yes they issued them now and they would get mine out to me right away. I imagine this is part of TQM, ISO 9000, and every other quality program at VW. I hope the first rep got a sizable bonus.

Very cute and best of all, free. It comes in a large envelope and has a letter of transmittal congratulating the owner. The certificate itself is 8.5"x11" (suitable for framing) with a border that looks like a 2 lane road with yellow turn arrow signs in the corners. The top states "ANNOUNCING a New Member of the VOLKSWAGEN FAMILY". Then a line of NBs (red/sil/grn/yel/blu). The next line has the VW logo followed by the vehicle VIN. Underneath that is "Proud Owner: (owner)". Then in two galleys underneath, they give the vehicle production date, model, color, port of entry, engine ID, and now the best part, weight and length.

To get one, have your VIN handy and call VW Customer Relations at 800.822.8987 or 800.DriveVW.

How do I subscribe/unsubscribe to/from the newbug mailing list?

You can sign up to the newbug mailing list directly through the newbug website, or you can use the subscription tool available at the Obscura new Beetle Stuff page. The Obscura page is extra-useful because it allows you to unsubscribe or change from individual notes to digest form, all via a web interface.

You can also unsubscribe directly from email. Send a note to
newbug-request@lists.best.com
with the single word "subscribe" in the body of the message. If you are feeling lost about the method of unsubscribing, send mail to help@newbug.com.

How do I search the list archives?

Newbug.com is the sponsor of the newbug mailing list. Jason Livingood hosts the Newbug List Search Engine, a searchable database of all of the newbug list discussions, from vol. 1-610. It appears that Jason ended the archive in early fall, 1998. Until someone else picks up the cause, I'll try to include edited versions of the major topics covered in the FAQ.

David Allen has taken it upon himself to make the "official" window sticker of the newbug mailing list. The design (the NB logo with the URL for newbug.com underneath) was voted on by the list itself. It is available from David's website.

Lynn Sheeley makes a number of newbug list products, including a baseball cap and a number of different shirts with the newbug logo stitched over the pocket. You can find photos and order information on Lynn's website. So far, nobody has produced any newbug list silk-screened tee shirts or sweatshirts.

Please send email to [email address removed] to make a correction, add a question/answer to the FAQ, or to submit a new link for the website list.

Information provided in this Frequently Asked Questions list has been gathered off of the newbug mailing list [Now located at topica.com] All questions and answers are copyleft to the individual authors noted in the text; the FAQ can be reproduced in electronic form in whole or part for noncommercial purposes as long as it retains a link back to this original source and it carries this notice. The New Beetle FAQ cannot be reproduced in whole or part for commercial use without written consent of the FAQ organizer.

Caveat lector. Always consult your New Beetle owner's manual and/or your Volkswagen service representative for authoritative advice on the care and feeding of your NB.