VW Beetle R Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show

Could a man be proud to drive the new Volkswagen Beetle R Concept? With the introduction of an aggressively styled VW Beetle R Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week, it begs to gain some interest from male automotive enthusiasts. Inside of the VW Beetle R Concept are Nappa leather upholstered deep bucket sport seats. So far there is no word on VW bringing the VW Beetle R Concept, dubbed “The Beetle as a sports car”, to the states as a production model.

With the redesign of the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, VW has made the original people's car more masculine and attractive to driving enthusiasts. Volkswagen's current R Stable is made up of the Golf and Scirocco R. In an effort to differentiate the two cars, the Scirocco R is also only available with front-wheel drive while the Golf R sends power to all four wheels through a Haldex coupling. Volkswagen, if you're listening, we wouldn't mind seeing a production Beetle R go front-wheel drive, with a real mechanical limited slip differential.

The outside of the Beetle R Concept is more aggressive than the standard newly redesigned lower and wider Beetle. Inside those wider fenders are new 20-inch "Talladega" wheels. The front incorporates bigger intakes to feed the intercooler as well as the engines cooling system. The grille and front splitter are finished in high-gloss black and feature chrome highlights. Also helping with aero-duties is a larger rear spoiler, trimmed in black.

Both the Golf R and Scirocco R feature VW's Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC) which allows drivers to change damping rates with the push of a dash mounted button. The Golf and Scirocco R use 13.6- inch rotors up front with 12.2-inch rotors in the rear. With the Beetle using larger wheels, it could quite possibly use larger brakes, maybe the 14.4-inch units off the RS5?

Inside the Beetle R Concept, the interior is a familiar mix of Beetle and typical R appointments. Obviously equipped with a Fender Audio system it's controlled by VW's RNS510 touch screen Navigation and Audio deck. On the outside, the Beetle gets a leather covered roof, exhaust tips similar to the original Beetles and 19-inch "Circle" wheels. The crowning glory is tube amp mounted front and center on the dash.

Those wee rockets house an uprated version of VW’s ubiquitous 2.0-liter turbo four making 270 hp (Golf) or 265 hp (Scirocco); expect a streetable Beetle R to use the same engine, and to pack a similar wallop.

At the back, exhaust vents shuttle air from under the car, while a diffuser, four chrome exhaust finishers, and a huge spoiler tell the world that the owner’s Bichon Frise wears a spiked collar. The hood now has functional vents to help keep underhood temperatures in check. Behind the rims sit blue-painted R brake calipers.

The rockers, front intakes, roof, side-mirror caps, door handles, and leading edge of the hatch are rendered in a glossy black. The Beetle R’s racing-inspired shell seats are cool but probably show-car pieces; the inset pads are upholstered in gray nubuck. Otherwise, the R-logoed seats are wrapped in black leather with blue stitching and piping.