Image: VW Vortex
Like the lines of the new VW Beetle, but wish it came in a sportier package? The folks over at VW Vortex feel your pain, and they’ve been tasked with creating a VW Beetle that demonstrates what tuners are likely to do when the car hits the streets. If you’re a Porsche fan, you’ll probably scream “blasphemy” at their shameless attempt to mimic the Porsche 911 GT3 RS; if you’re a VW fan, you’ll just smile and remember the once-common lineage of both cars. Clearly, a VW Beetle, no matter how well tuned, isn’t going to keep up with a Porsche 911 GT3 RS on a racetrack. On the other hand, a VW Beetle RS will likely be more comfortable, and it will certainly cost less to buy, build and maintain.
Image: VW Vortex
Since this is just a non-street-legal prototype car, VW Vortex hasn’t done any mods to the engine for their Beetle RS project car. On the plus side, the coilover suspension (from H&R) is the same used on the Golf/GTI Mark VI, and the APR Brembo Stage II brake kit was also designed for the GTI, so the new Beetle will have aftermarket parts available as soon as it hits the market. VW Vortex found that a GTI intake also fit perfectly, although a GTI exhaust didn’t; in other words, at launch a custom exhaust will be your only option.
Image: VW Vortex
This is Stage 1 of the build, which you can keep tabs on at VW Vortex. I’d give the car a win, but what’s your take: is it a sin to mimic the 911 GT3, or does the Beetle RS just make you smile?
Also, don’t forget that you can get discounted new car pricing with a free quote through qualified local dealer partners.
Source: VW Vortex, via Autoblog
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
