VW had two big debuts at the this month’s 2012 Detroit Auto Show, the 2013 Jetta Hybrid and the E-Bugster concept. While the Jetta Hybrid is already slated to be introduced this fall, there is a chance that the E-Bugster concept could also be produced as the third variant of the Beetle, after the upcoming Beetle convertible.
Autocar recently spoke to the E-Bugster’s designer, Mark Lichter who stated “This is a serious proposal for a speedster Beetle and I am sure it will come for production. We just need to find the business case.”
Lichter found inspiration for the concept from his own 964 Porsche 911 Speedster. He also stated, “A Beetle Speedster is the perfect car for the US.”
The E-Bugster concept looks almost identical to the production Beetle, but with three inches chopped off the roof and slightly tweaked front and rear fascias. The concept was powered by a 114 horsepower electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack.
