What Is It?

Volkswagen New Beetle Ragster Concept

What's Special About It?

Although man has harnessed fire, split the atom and created Pay Per View, few thought it could be done, but this concept car unequivocally proves VW's cute Beetle can be a tough-looking, masculine ride with more attitude than a New York City cab driver.

Based on a production Beetle convertible, the horribly named Ragster was designed by Salaeman Halim at Volkswagen's California design studio. "I wanted to give the car more direction and more attitude," says Halim, whose dream car is a Lamborghini Countach LP400. "But I didn't want it to try and be something more than it is."

Halim achieved his objectives by shortening the A-pillars 90 mm and adding a square roof that is 4 inches lower than the Beetle's usual rounded top. The result is a chopped-top look any hot rodder will recognize and respond to positively. Within the U-shaped frame of the top is a sliding canvas panel, which makes the car a kind of quasi-speedster. It's also the genesis for half the car's questionable name, which combines the words "ragtop" and "speedster."

Halim also added edge to the Beetle's bumpers and wheel wells, redesigned the taillights, added large cross-drilled brake rotors, too-cool redline tires and 19-inch alloy wheels. Then he had his creation painted "Rebel-White" with silver racing stripes.

"The redline tires serve three purposes," says Derek Jenkins, Volkswagen's advanced design chief in North America. "They evoke the rideline drag slicks of the 1950s and 1960s, they're supposed to remind people of Hot Wheels and they enhance the diameter of the large wheels."

Inside the Ragster, Halim added racing bucket seats covered in chocolate brown leather with unique white stitching, a three-spoke steering wheel and a dash-mounted rearview mirror.

The powertrain is a mystery. VW says a powerful gasoline engine or a high-torque TDI are imaginable should the Ragster see production.

What's Edmunds' Take?

Cool car. Horrible name. — Scott Oldham