Oprah Winfrey strikes us like a Mercedes person, but for some reason, the show host is sticking with the new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle. Last Novemver, the cute little Bug was teased for the first time on one of her daily shows, and now Volkswagen is back, donating a brand new (and very red) 2012 Beetle to one of the fans.
“One ultimate "Oprah" show fan, Justin, was picked to be in the audience that day, but there was a hitch: because Justin was five months shy of his 18th birthday, he wasn't allowed to attend. Even though he was disappointed, Justin wrote to the "Oprah" show producers,” according to Volkswagen.
The 21st Century Beetle was officially revealed in April in Shanghai, New York and Berlin. Volkswagen hopes that the ‘less flower, more power’ attitude of the 2012 model will appeal to a larger audience.
The newest incarnation of the Bug comes 73 years after the launch of the original Beetle in 1938, which sold a record 21.5 million units in the time, and 13 years after the debut of the New Beetle in 1998, a model that managed to sell a little over 1 million units until production ended in 2010.
In the US, where the Oprah show is made, engine options include a 2.0-liter TDI diesel with 140 hp that is mated to either 6-speed manual or 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The petrol range starts with the archaic 2.5-liter five-cylinder unit with 170 hp and also includes a 2.0-liter TSI turbocharged gasoline unit with 200 hp.
In the rest of the world, the 2012 Beetle is offered only with turbocharged four-cylinder engines, all of which are used for the first time on the Beetle.