The car - 2012 VW Beetle Turbo
Owner - Susie DeLeo
Living With Herbie: A Tale of a Woman Turned Child in her 2012 Beetle Turbo
Owner - Susie DeLeo
Living With Herbie: A Tale of a Woman Turned Child in her 2012 Beetle Turbo
I would imagine the best place to start would be to provide
you with my (short) list of vehicles that I've driven over my time as a
"licensed driver". To begin, would be my Grandparents vehicles, which
were borrowed when necessary during high school. My main driver was a 1992
Pontiac Sunbird Convertable, accompanied by (if I was a good girl and kept my
grades up) my Grandpa's 1996 Cadillac Sedan Deville, complete with 275 HP
Northstar V8 engine - which at that time, was..... WOW! So yes, I had a spoiled
teenage life. The Cadillac definitely set my image on what a car should be.
I moved out rather young, got married and at 19 got a
mode of transportation that fit my budget, a 1999 Hyundai Accent. OK, gotta
start somewhere, right? I then graduated to a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu. Still missing something... Next up was my first Volkswagen. A 2007 Passat Wagon (kid
on the way, large dog, perfect fit for a growing family). THIS solidified my
love for Volkswagen, but a wagon? SO not me! From there I moved to a 2010
Touareg V6 - ahhh, an SUV, this should fit! Nope... I liked it, don't get me
wrong, but I didn't connect with it.
Then I found out that the Beetle was getting a makeover.
Time for a brief history lesson:
The history of the automobile begins in 1769 when
steam-engined automobiles were... haha... just kidding. Ok to the Volkswagen
Beetle which debuted in 1938. Dr. Ferdinand Porsche originally designed the
Beetle but, as we all know, Hitler liked Porsche's design, and funded his idea
to be mass-produced for the public. Since then, the Beetle is the
longest-running and most manufactured car of a single design platform -
worldwide.
In 1963, Disney featured the Beetle as Herbie the Love Bug,
which had a mind of it's own, and was capable of driving himself in racing
competetions.
In 1998, the Beetle received it's first MAJOR redesign,
moving the engine to the front, as well as front wheel drive for the first time
on a Beetle. This design, let's face it, with all it's "Bubblyness"
(I just made that word up for lack of a better term) failed to compare to the
original nostaglia of The Beetle. Too girly. It even came with a flower vase!
And, let's not forget the Special Edition Malibu Barbie New Beetle in 2009.
OK Volkswagen, time to step it up a bit! Welcome 2011! With
the NEW redesign complete and
production set for the 2012 model year.
Hmmmm... I like the new look, but, I have to be honest, hate
(yes, strong word, hate) the 2.5, 5 cylinder engine that is provided on the
North American models of past. Then news hit that it will be available in the
2.0T engine from the Golf GTI!!!! WOW! Seriously? Can the Beetle be, do I dare
say it, cool? Again? SOLD! Sight unseen and no test drive, but my faith in
Volkswagen maintained and I placed my factory order (factory orders are
neccesary in North America if you want a manual transmission) on what was to
become my most loved vehicle to date.
Specs: Candy White exterior, Black leather interior, 18" Alloys, Panorama
Sunroof, Navigation, Fender Sound System and of course, 6 spd manual
transmission.
Fast forward to 4 months later
My 2012 Beetle Turbo arrived, and much to my surprise, was
the VERY FIRST Turbo model in ALL OF CANADA! Wow, BIG DEAL! Volkswagen came
out, took pictures, it was a fabuous day!
First Drive
LOVED IT! Seats: Awesome! Fender Sound System: 8 Speakers
plus subwoofer filled the small cabin with fabulous Bob Seger harmony! Roll Me
Away Baby! Not only was the handling superior to my memories of Grandpa's Caddy, but it was
Volkswagen through and through! The 200hp, 207 lbs of torque turbo-charged 4
cylinder engine was much quicker than Grandpa's Caddy, which was 0-60 mph in
8.0 secs. While my Beetle is recorded my MotorTrend Magazine (in Automatic) to
do 0-60 in 6.3 seconds; although I swear my manual has done it in under 6, but
if it's not, who cares, close enough! It was my Passat all over, but... FUN! It
actually "fit" me. The looks from passing motorists were like I was
driving a Bugatti - NO ONE had ever seen one before! I instantly became a child
again and decided; OK, this car is fun - how can I make it more fun? I wanted
more people to smile at my car. I didn't care if they were laughing AT me, or
WITH me, I was happy to see it brought a smile to their face! So I started
looking for ways to keep the smiles going. Then, one of my Volkswagen Service
Technicians made a suggestion: Herbie.
WOW! OK! Done! I had the Herbie decals applied and NOW my
car is complete! Not only is it fun to drive, bringing a constant smile to my
face, but it brings smiles to everyone elses face as well!
Now to touch briefly on storage ability
The Beetles of old were known for getting driver +7 to the
beach with surf boards strapped to the roof. Then the 1998 models were known
for the ability to fit your laptop bag only in the trunk. My greatest
accomplishment to date (with one rear seat folded down): One gas lawn mower,
one electric weed wacker, a rake, 5 brown lawn waste bags(folded), 50'
extension cord, one child IN FULL carseat and one husband. Let's not forget
there's a subwoofer back there too!
Conclusion
I get approached by total strangers in parking lots, smiling, to tell me about their first Volkswagen (usually a Beetle) and how my car brought a smile to their face, or brightened their day. People see Herbie - and smile. He brings back childhood memories long forgotten between running kids to and from gymnastics. Or running off to work meetings. Or, in many cases, people who have had to give up their Beetle for a vehicle which fits a wheelchair for their aging mother or father - but they HAD to stop me to say "Thanks for the smile."
I get approached by total strangers in parking lots, smiling, to tell me about their first Volkswagen (usually a Beetle) and how my car brought a smile to their face, or brightened their day. People see Herbie - and smile. He brings back childhood memories long forgotten between running kids to and from gymnastics. Or running off to work meetings. Or, in many cases, people who have had to give up their Beetle for a vehicle which fits a wheelchair for their aging mother or father - but they HAD to stop me to say "Thanks for the smile."
