2001 Volkswagen New Beetle RSi 3.2L V6 4MOTION 6MT AWD (224 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Volkswagen went wild with the Beetle in 2001 and unveiled the incredible RSi version that could challenge many sports cars from that era, and eat them for breakfast.

In 1999, at the Detroit Auto Show, Volkswagen unveiled a strange concept car: the New Beetle RSi. People went mad and begged the German car manufacturer to produce the wildest version of the compact bug that was already in high demand on the American market, and not only. However, the company’s management decided to build the car but not sell it in the U.S. The production of this variant happened on a dedicated assembly line in Pueblo, Mexico, and was limited to 250 units. All vehicles sold were painted in silver gray. There was also a unique model that was a gift for the then Volkswagen’s CEO, Ferdinand Piech, who received a blue one. The car was designed and tuned by the carmaker’s motorsports department, which inserted its DNA and knowledge into the fastest New Beetle produced on an assembly line. The RSi (RenSport injection) was previously used for German race cars that used fuel injection systems.

The car had to show its muscles to convince customers to spend twice as much as for a Porsche Boxster. At the front, the car featured Xenon headlights with clear lenses. Below them, the specific bumper had an apron that boasted a massive center air intake flanked by a set of oversized side scoops. The turn signal and the parking lamps were squeezed into narrow horizontal gaps above the air intakes that cooled the front brakes.

From its profile, the curved lines of the New Beetle were dramatically enhanced by the look of the 9J x 18-inch OZ Superturismo wheels. The enlarged front fenders that covered the 235/40 ZR 18 tires were followed by a set of curved-down side sills. They connected with the also wider rear fenders. At the back, the automaker added a roof spoiler above the rear windshield. The icing on the cake, though, was the massive rear wing mounted on the metallic part of the tailgate. If these details wouldn’t convince them that this was a special Bug, the twin Remus exhausts that peaked through the lower part of the rear bumper should warn them with their baritone sound. Volkswagen’s motorsports department also installed a diffuser between them to improve aerodynamic efficiency on race tracks.

Changes continued on the inside, where carbon fiber elements were seen everywhere. Furthermore, there were no power windows, just cranked ones to reduce weight. The dashboard was also tailored to match the sporty character of the car. Fronting the driver was a redesigned instrument panel that housed the round dials of the speedometer and the rev counter encircled in aluminum clusters. Furthermore, the center stack housed three gauges for the oil pressure, oil temperature, and the ammeter. Since there was no more room left for the radio, the automaker installed it on the roof and surrounded it with the same Alcantara material used for the headliner. The carbon fiber Recaro front racing seats were fixed and covered in bright orange leather. At the same time, in the back, the automaker added a bench seat profiled for two, with high bolstered areas. To complete the racy image of the car, the automaker added aluminum pedals and carbon fiber door cards.

However, the most important parts of the 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle RSi were under its skin. At the front, the automaker installed a 3.2-liter VR6 engine that was developed based on the 2.8-liter powerplant. It paired it with a six-speed manual transmission that sent the power in all corners. Thanks to the lightweight construction and the 224 PS (220 hp) engine, the car could rocket from naught to 62 mph (0-100 kph) in less than seven seconds, which, in 2001, was sports car territory. The automaker produced the car until 2003 when the last of the 250 units was completed.