Volkswagen "The" Beetle: A Quick Drive.

I don't really do test drive stories as of now because I don't have the luxury of time in doing so, extra money to pay for fuel to take it to far places such as the MARILAQUE roads, Tagaytay, Subic or even the BOSS Iron Man route to fully appreciate the car, and an extra garage space at home because I already have two Korean cars, one is a weekend Kia race car and the other one is a business used Hyundai daily driver. But just this Sunday, during the last day of PIMS, Archie Garcia of Volkswagen BGC bugged me (pun intended) to test drive an all-new 2014 Volkswagen (the) Beetle.

I never really planned to do test drives at PIMS either because I was too busy with other stuff. I just found out at PIMS that one of the girls I used to date is now free and can be courted again, so I was actually flirting with her while she's working. Nah, seriously, I was looking around the display hall for a unique story to be featured here at Pinoy Loves Wheels. But, I guess this will be a unique story because no motoring writer or blogger has ever done a test drive story during PIMS or MIAS.

The Beetle I tested is powered by a 1.4 Liter TSi engine that VW shares with some Audi models. This engine is twincharged, a four cylinder engine that is both equipped with a turbocharger and a supercharger--yes, such configuration in four cylinder engines exist. The super charger is mechanically driven, while the turbo charger is exhaust driven. The twincharged 1.4 liter TSi engine is mated to a 7 speed DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) dual clutch transmission that was first used in Porsche race cars of the 1980's.

The twincharger TSi engine and the DSG tranny is a great combination. It utilizes the power of the Beetle perfectly, making it accelerate faster than a Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ. Having driven the BRZ a few years back, for me, it's not just in acceleration battle that the Beetle can beat the said Toyobaru sports car. The overall fun factor goes to The Beetle.

When I entered the Beetle's cockpit, I felt a Classic Beetle ambiance. It's a combination of a modern day interior and the classic Type 1 Beetle interior. The interior accent is the car's exterior color, really makes you feel you are in the car that is part of the original German automotive pop culture.  It's very different from the other cars we have today. The dashboard compartment and the way the instrument cluster were placed also give hint of the Classic Beetle interior. It's surprisingly roomy too even though it's a two door "coupe-ish" machine. I actually believe that the Beetle has a class of its own together with its two greatest rivals, the Mini Cooper, and the Fiat 500. All belongs to a class where modern day technology is married to nostalgic classical automotive design.

The Beetle runs on 7 j x 17 wheels wrapped in 215 55 R17 tires giving it enough grip to compensate with the 160 horsepower engine and a massive 240NM of torque for a light weight body. I am even experiencing wheel spins on hard acceleration launches which means switching to a much larger 18 inch aftermarket wheels is recommended.

I was given a chance to drive the Beetle around the Macapagal complex. Once we left the World Trade Center, I turned right to Roxas Blvd. switched to the transmission's manual mode and floored the Bug. I had to adjust myself in doing the manual shifting, the plus-minus configuration of the Beetle was placed the other way around compared to the last manu-matic car I drove. Despite that, I was able to hit 120KPH on Roxas Blvd. Acceleration is quicker than I expected but it's not neck snapping. And though it's not neck snapping, there's no lag from the twin charger system.

From Roxas Blvd. I entered Macapagal Ave., but due to the speed limit. Archie guided me to the MOA complex. Unfortunately, the MOA complex has bad traffic, which led us to the road beside the GSIS building. once I entered the road, I floored the Beetle again, mastering the manual mode, I was able to hit 140KPH. That was quite quick for a full stock people's car, it's very different from the Type 1 Beetle which we all know as a slow vehicle in full stock form unless modified, of course.

The quick acceleration to 140KPH gave me a hint that the Beetle is good for autocross and slalom even in full stock form. The suspension is tight in cornering, body roll is less compared to other compact cars. A fine tuned suspension will make it a track killer. This can be used in PTCC, Philippine GT, Circuit Showdown, Philippine Autocross Championship Series (or the undergoing plan of an AAP sanctioned Autocross league), Rallycross, Hill Climb and the Shell Helix National Slalom Series.  And because of that potential race car hint, I've had thought to do the obligatory slalom move we slalom / autocross race car drivers always do--the 180 degree handbrake turn. Well, let's not get into details with that thought. All I know is after that quick drive with the 2014 Beetle A5, I just wanted to bring it home and disregard my future plans of purchasing a two million peso SUV. The Beetle is priced at 1.790 Million Pesos.

Volkswagen Motorsports is actually developing a Global Rally Cross Beetle for the 2015 Global Rally Cross Season. Meaning it really has a big race car potential. The Beetle is not the Beetle we used to know.

But what I really want to do with the Beetle? Use it in the 2015 BOSS Iron Man Challenge X and beat Elbert Cuenca's record with it.

Photos exclusively owned by: Pinoy Loves Wheels

Press Release: 90,000 visitors troop the biggest Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) to date

MANILA, Philippines, September 23, 2014 - Despite a setback from Tropical Storm Mario, the 5^th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) held last Thursday to Sunday, September 18 to September 21, at the World Trade Center was its most successful yet, nearly doubling its foot traffic from the previous PIMS in 2012.

The four-day motoring exhibit closed early on Friday because of heavy rainfall and flooding across the metro. However, the 5^th PIMS bounced back during the weekend, closing with over 90,000 visitors that spread across only three and a half days.

This year’s motor show is also the largest in terms of the number of exhibitors with a total of 17 participating car manufacturers and distributors, namely: BAIC, BMW, Daewoo, Honda, Isuzu, JEEP, JMC, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Suzuki, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

“True to this year’s theme of ‘Progress in Motion’, the 5^th PIMS is the perfect reflection of the industry’s robust performance in recent years. We at CAMPI are elated at the success of the 5^th PIMS and we recognize that this is made possible by the joint support of the CAMPI members and affiliates, our government partners, stakeholders and of course, the general motoring public,” said Atty. Rommel Gutierrez, President of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI), the industry organization behind the biennial event.

Senator Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino IV, CAMPI’s Guest of Honor at the opening ceremony, expressed his unwavering support of CAMPI’s initiatives and of the automotive industry as a whole. “The problem as we all know is the traffic and the worsening environment. We need to be able to work together so that all of these can move forward together—so that the progress that we want to have will not be one versus the other, but instead all together as one people,” said Senator Aquino.  

The 5^th PIMS was also attended by the delegates of the ASEAN Automotive Product Working Group (APWG), a committee which plays a significant role towards achieving the objectives of the ASEAN Economic Community.

Atty. Gutierrez added that the success of the 5^th PIMS was also measured by how much the visitors have enjoyed the brand displays and presentations. Aside from the impressive booths and exciting car launches, the exhibitors made sure that the spectators were engaged by competent product professionals and models.

“We are overwhelmed by the response of this year’s crowd. We heard stories of visitors who drove all the way from nearby provinces, while some who came from as far as Baguio, stayed in Manila for a few days just to attend the 5^th PIMS,” said Atty. Gutierrez.
“With the success of the 5^th PIMS, we are positive that the future of the Philippine automotive industry will continue to get even brighter,” Atty. Gutierrez concluded.


(Photos by: Pinoy Loves Wheels and CAMPI. Catch the Exclusive Story of Pinoy Loves Wheels on the 5th PIMS this coming days)