2006 New Beetle/New Beetle Convertible

By Gaywheels.com Staff

Our publisher’s job, before jumping into the entrepreneurial unknown, was working for an automotive manufacturer planning future vehicles. In that position, he and his colleagues created imaginary “target customers”. “Susan” might be a mother of three who didn’t want to give up her SUV but realized, after a bought of tears brought on by the idea of a minivan, that she simply had to become the dreaded “soccer mom”. “Frank” would be the successful business owner and father that wanted a sports car but needed additional seating and cargo capacity. You get the idea; create the stories to help communicate the concept of a vehicle clearly.

When driving 2006 New Beetle and New Beetle Convertible he wondered happily who his old colleagues would have “imagineered” to be driving these vehicles. It would most likely have been a young woman looking for something to set her apart from the crowd or a gay man that loves the nostalgia of the design as well as how “cute” they are. Not being young or female, we can’t comment on the first “ideal” customer but being gay and male, we can discuss the latter.

2006 Volkswagen New Beetle/New Beetle Convertible

Both the New Beetle and its versatile cousin were powered by the 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine that is shared across the VW line. While we were under whelmed with this engine in the base Jetta that we drove, it seemed to be very well suited to both the Beetles.
The coupe was matched to the standard 5-speed manual and the drop-top sported the optional 6-speed automatic tiptronic transmission. As always, Gaywheels.com staffers enjoy a manual over an automatic, but in this case we found the automatic to be a suitable substitute. Both moved the bulbous Beetle down the road without any effort and combined with the peppy engine and teutonic driving dynamics, made even the most mundane errands a little more enjoyable.

All staffers loved the look of the New Beetle with the new upgrades to the front and rear fascia. We feel it has a very unique look that will garner attention with its modern, yet retro appearance. Some staffers that had driven the original Beetle back in the day commented on the touches in the interior of the New Beetle that were reminiscent of the original, including the grab handle on the passenger side dash and the vinyl grab handles by each door. Ah, nostalgia – it tugs on our gay heart strings.

All staff members enjoyed driving the New Beetle and Beetle Convertible, but the question came into play as to how it made staffers feel. This is where the differing opinions came into play. Some staffers felt extremely comfortable in our Aquarius Blue (aka Baby Blue) Beetle Convertible, while others, such as our staff member from Bean Town, felt that the cabriolet was a little too effeminate for his tastes. Keeping in mind that he was the former owner of 3 Mazda Miatas, that is saying a LOT. The argument centered around the styling, color and the “cute” factor. At the end of the day, the boy from Boston couldn’t be swayed. He’d drive the coupe but not the convertible. His other half would have preferred a more masculine color but loved the topless Beetle and had no problem being seen in it. Stereotypes be damned…both cars are fun and unique.

For more information, including pricing, on the 2006 New Beetle and New Beetle Convertible, check out the New Cars section .

Likes: