Volkswagen hasn’t introduced a vehicle as revolutionary as the Beetle since, well, the Beetle.
In the decades since its 1945 debut, the Beetle has become one of the best-selling and longest-running cars, in terms of production, that the world has ever seen.
The idea for the Beetle began in 1934 when Adolf Hitler gave Ferdinand Porsche the order to build a “people’s car.” The Beetle, and Volkswagen itself, was born with that order.
Today, more than 20 million Beetles have been produced worldwide, giving the Beetle a permanent place in the “world’s most successful” automobiles club.
This year, Volkswagen says it plans to introduce a car that will go down in history as being as revolutionary as the Beetle.
On Friday, the company released the above teaser photo of its upcoming show car, along with a statement that makes some exceptionally big promises about the upcoming battery-powered VW.
A Volkswagen press release says,
The presence of Volkswagen at this year’s Paris Motor Show (1 to 16 October) is all about “Think New.”: in presenting the world premiere of an iconic design study, Volkswagen introduces a new ambassador to the automotive world.
This one-of-a-kind concept car signals the Volkswagen brand’s entry into a new era: because the vehicle is as revolutionary as the Beetle was seven decades ago before it evolved into the world’s best-selling car of the century. The concept car has the potential to make history with its completely new vehicle concept. The production vehicle which follows will be the first Volkswagen to hit the market based on the new modular electrification kit (MEB).
VW certainly isn’t going subtle with this one.
We were just talking about the need for a true revolutionary vehicle. Other companies have promised a revolution but none have delivered so far. Even Tesla’s cars are still grounded in tradition, albeit with a hefty dose of technology. Could Volkswagen be about to introduce a car that will truly change vehicles as we know them?
Odds are pretty good that the car in question will be technologically advanced and have innovative features, but it has to be pretty dang special to be remembered as revolutionary. If the concept has four wheels, a steering wheel, and fits within the footprint of standard cars, I’m not convinced that it’ll be as important as Volkswagen hopes.
Plus, VW is going up against some formidable competition in the form of the Chevy Bolt, the electric car that will be available this year, cost about $30,000, and have a range of about 238 miles.
The new VW concept will be unveiled at October’s Paris Motor Show.
Do you think VW’s new concept will be as revolutionary as the Beetle?
-tgriffith
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