Volkswagen New Bettle RSi
The hot-rodded Beetle was limited to 250 examples and only available in silver. The model displayed in the Volkswagen museum is an exception because it was special-ordered by Ferdinand Piëch for his collection of blue cars. If anyone had enough influence at Volkswagen to bend the rules it was Piëch. Power came from a 3.2-liter, 24-valve VR6 engine that made 225 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 234 pound-feet of torque at 3,200 rpm. The six spun all four wheels via a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission derived from the unit found in the Audi TT, and Volkswagen’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system.
On paper, the RSi is impressive. It hits 62 mph from a stop in 6.4 seconds and it doesn’t stop accelerating until it reaches 155 mph. To put that first figure into perspective, it’s about as fast to 62 mph as a 986-series Porsche Boxster with the 2.7-liter engine. The VR6’s power is overwhelming for the standard New Beetle chassis so Volkswagen comprehensively upgraded the braking system and the suspension. The RSi is even more impressive with your foot buried deep in the throttle. The VR6 is a lively, linear, and responsive unit. It generates power the old-fashioned way – with sheer displacement – so there’s no waiting for the turbos to spool up, but it really begins to push hard after the tach needle crosses the 3,000-rpm mark. The crisp six-speed manual is commanded through a short-throw shifter that’s rubbery to operate yet surgically precise. There is a phenomenal amount of grip thanks to the wide tires and the 4Motion system, which uses a Haldex-type coupling to transfer the six-cylinder’s power where it’s needed most. And, the suspension is much stiffer than stock so there’s virtually no body lean, the RSi corners flat no matter how fast you toss it into a turn. As expected, the trade-off is that it gives the impression that it’s trying to break your spine one cobblestone at a time while driving through small German villages. This is a 16-year old car, so there is no mother-in-law-friendly comfort mode to soften it up. It’s all performance, all the time.