Few people love cars as much as Jay Leno; his collection of antique and classic automobiles rivals any in the world. It was no surprise, then, that he jumped at Volkswagen’s recent offer to fly to Wolfsburg, Germany to test drive the newly redesigned 2012 Beetle as well as the original 1938 Beetle. He wrote about his experience for Motor Trend.
Jay says some very nice things about us in the article, like “A lot of car companies claim automotive heritage. Volkswagen is one that lives it.” (Aw, thanks, Jay!) He also gushes over the “gorgeous” 1938 Beetle, praising its “Teutonic minimalism.” Once inside, he praises the surprisingly stylish interior: “Art Deco dials. Cloth seats and headlining that would fit into a modern home now. And a tactile, thin-rimmed steering wheel that transmits every sense of its handling direct to your brain.”
The real fun, however, happens when Jay steps into the 2012 Beetle and confesses that it’s “it is fun to put your foot down and feel that turbo kick in.” He’s not speaking theoretically here; Leadfoot Leno really did floor it on the Autobahn. “I can brag to my friends I did 130 in a Beetle.” He acknowledges that he’d only do that in Germany, where it’s legal, and not in the States: “[Otherwise], I’d be writing this from a jail cell.”
All in all, Jay was pleasantly surprised by the new Beetle, describing it as “two cars in one” and claiming, “I think you could fool your wife into thinking this was a sensible car and then go and enjoy the hooligan stuff in secret.”
But we don’t want to give away too much—check out the full article on here.
Tell us: what do you like best about the 1938 and 2012 Beetles?
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Photo from Motor Trend
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Like or hate the guy, Leno knows his stuff about cars! He owns over a hundred and drives a different one each day to work. I respect his opinion. Thanks VW.
Thanks VW.
I love reading these articles bceause they’re short but informative.