VW Beetle RSi Cabrio '2003

'Ladybird'

Source: cyberbeetle.de

Ladybird -comes to my mind when thinking about 1st generation new beetle, it's maybe the most playful car ever made, especially the cabrio. Design is caricature of rounded car, were the another option would be boxy Volvo 700 from the eighties. Shape doesn't respect the original, but it's easily discovered as Beetle, because there's no another design that comes even close to Beetles characteristics. But there's nothing playful of driving the car, except the smiley faces of people questioning your libido and sense of style. Yes, it's just another Golf with fulsome retro styling and safe, but not thrilling driving experience. Luckily, Dub guys saved some mushrooms when drawing the lines and decided create the RSi -version to boost the sales and make New Beetle behave according to cartoon appear.

Source: beetle.cabriolets.online.fr

Formula is familiar among Wolf Cars. Take the basic chassis, install powerful lump (from the Golf R32 and originally from TT), ensure safety with four-wheel drive, tweak exterior and interior and vòla wolf car it is! With this limited edition of 250 units the exterior and interior styling is exceptionally successful with the wide body, huge wing, and tasty orange leather interior with carbon detailing. I have never driven RSi, but according to press added aggressive didn't help and RSi don't drive like it should, even there's rumours that Porsche was involved in chassis design. Introduced RSi cabrio is ultimate version of the RSi and only couple "design studies" was ever made and unluckily without the tasty orange interior.

Super cool interior of the coupe model. Source: cyberbeetle.de

In details:

Engine
- VR6, 3189cc, 24-valve (BFH/BML)
- Compression ratio: 10,8:1

Numbers
- 224hp/6200rpm (red line 6500rpm)
- 320Nm/3200rpm
- 0-100Km/h: 6,4s
- 0-400M: 14,8s
- 1Km: 24,7s
- Top speed 225Km/h
- 1515kg
- Drag coefficient: 0,4

Transmission
- 6 speed manual, 4WD (Haldex)
- Limited slip differential 

Chassis
- Independent McPherson front and semi-independent rear suspension
- Ventilated disks front and rear (334/26mm)
- O.Z Racing "Superturismo"18x9" alloys and 235/40ZR18 tires

Exterior
- Wider bumbers
- Rear wing
- Rear window wing
- 80mm wider fenders
- Double exhaust outlet

Interior
- Bucket seats in orange leather (color coded back)
- Speedo with LED shift lights
- Extra set of gauges
- Carbon trim
- Carbon door panels
- Alloy detailing
- Alloy pedals and feed rests (for both front passengers)
- Production number plate

Other
- Limited 250 unit production of "coupe" (in between 10/2000 - 3/2003) and couple cabrio prototypes
- All painted in reflex silber