The retro reinvention continues apace. From Renault 4 to Fiat Grande Panda, nostalgia is all the rage when it comes to a lot of new electric models. Hyundai’s best-received EV concepts have been those that have resurrected classic models like the Grandeur and Pony; applying the name isn’t really enough - looking at you, Ford - but an all-in effort on old school design with modern underpinnings does seem like the way forward for the moment.
Volkswagen’s ID range of EVs has been a bit hit and miss; its biggest critical hit, by far, has been the ID. Buzz, channelling the classic bus feel with the practicality benefits of ditching combustion. And it would probably be fair to say that the ID.3 has been the biggest let down; intended to be as significant to VW’s history as the Beetle and the Golf, it seems to have sold well enough - but failed to capture the imagination like those old cars. Probably because it looks like a fridge.
Maybe a Beetle is on the EV list next. VW certainly gave the 21st-century reinvention a good go to begin with, making two generations of them for more than 20 years until 2019, and certainly now has the EV architecture in place to make a fast charging, smart driving, fairly efficient rework. And anything that can bring a bit of old school Beetle energy design-wise has to be more interesting to look at than an ID. 3.
Perhaps it’s all just a tad predictable, but you could imagine it happening. Until then, there’s this Beetle to consider: the GSR, or Gelb-Schwarze Renner, or Gold Black Runner. It was launched back in 2013, to mark 40 years of the original yellow and black Beetle, and if you’ve not thought of it for 12 years then you surely won’t be alone.
It was a cool colour scheme for the Beetle Turbo, basically, but by that time the model was more than 200hp strong. Trouble being for those that wanted to spend £25k on a VW hot hatch back then was the Mk7 Golf GTI, on a newer platform and much better overall. Buying a Beetle isn’t really ever about buying the best car though, is it? The 100 UK buyers - out of a 3,500-unit global production run - would have had one because they loved it. In a world of ID cars, it’s easier to see the appeal than ever.
This one is a manual, encouragingly, and actually benefits from a couple of modifications that should sharpen the handling, including coilovers and new wheels. Number 900 is said to come with a ‘substantial’ history and looks in pretty good nick for an 11-year-old car. It's only covered 32,000 miles in that time, and the general affection for Beetles means strong residuals as well. This GSR is £18,495, or an awful lot more than the equivalent Golf GTI might cost. The flipside being, of course, that it should lose any further value at a pretty modest rate. It’s the only one for sale on PH for the moment, of course. And there’ll never be any danger of losing it anywhere…
SPECIFICATION | VW BEETLE GSR
Engine: 1,984cc, four-cyl turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 210@5,300rpm
Torque (lb ft): 207@1,700-5,200rpm
MPG: 38.7
CO2: 169g/km
Recorded miles: 32,000
Year registered: 2014
Price new: £23,100
Yours for: £18,495
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