The New Beetle RSI - an "eye catcher" and a dream of every young person was born.
Presentation of the RSI concept car in 1999
In 1999, Volkswagen presented a first sports car study based on the New Beetle at the Detroit Motor Show and the Geneva Motor Show - the New Beetle RSI.
Elegant and powerful, the silver Beetle immediately attracted the attention of the masses. But mainly because of the widespread fenders, the side skirts and generally because of the visual proximity to a real racing car.
The imposing front and of course the rear with the beautiful spoiler and then also with the embedded additional headlights.
The two powerful exhaust tailpipes, which protruded from the low-slung apron at the back, are also very striking.
The roof section looked stretched thanks to additional painted panels in the top front and top rear windows.
The power of the V6 engine is transmitted to the generously dimensioned wheels via a six-speed gearbox and the well-known Volkswagen 4-MOTION drive with Haldex clutch.
Wide tires in size of a real racer ensured sufficient traction. Fitted all around with 255/45 R 18 on 9 x 18-inch alloy wheels.
The interior is dominated by sporty and elegant bucket seats, which were covered with black and red leather.
Numerous details with high-quality materials such as aluminum and carbon freshened up the interior. Redesigned fittings and additional displays in the headliner should provide the driver with important information about the car.
The central instrument had an integrated tachometer & digital speedometer.
At that time, no decision had been taken or information available about a possible series production of this sporty "Super New Beetle".