重獲新生：1998—2010年

????為了答謝消費(fèi)者的熱情需求，大眾公司又于1998年推出了新款甲殼蟲(chóng)（也就是第二代甲殼蟲(chóng)）。它的概念車在1994年的底特律車展上展出，因其復(fù)古風(fēng)而深受消費(fèi)者喜愛(ài)。新甲殼蟲(chóng)的底價(jià)為15,200美元。那高高拱起的車頂、傾斜的大燈以及親民的個(gè)性，都讓老甲殼蟲(chóng)的車迷們興奮不已。不過(guò)這種懷舊更多的只是種姿態(tài)，新甲殼蟲(chóng)只是在外觀上與老甲殼蟲(chóng)相似，內(nèi)在卻截然不同。新甲殼蟲(chóng)實(shí)際上是基于大眾高爾夫平臺(tái)，而且它是一款前驅(qū)車。這種舊瓶裝新酒的做法必然意味著在某些方面要做出一些妥協(xié)，比如駕駛位置與眾不同，以及保養(yǎng)零件稀少等。

????全新甲殼蟲(chóng)甫一面世就大受歡迎。它在1999年售出了83,000多臺(tái)。不過(guò)相當(dāng)多的買主都是年輕女性，導(dǎo)致甲殼蟲(chóng)成了著名的“二奶車”。（新甲殼蟲(chóng)的方向盤(pán)后面還安了一個(gè)花瓶，或許這也是它吸引年輕女性的原因之一）但這并不妨礙它取得巨大的成功。在量產(chǎn)的這13年里，新甲殼蟲(chóng)在美國(guó)賣出了60萬(wàn)臺(tái)（包括硬頂版和敞篷版），在全球賣出了120萬(wàn)臺(tái)。

The New Beetle: 1998-2010

????Bowing to popular demand, VW introduced the New Beetle, based on a crowd-pleasing retro-themed concept car that was unveiled at the 1994 Detroit Auto Show. Base price was $15,200. The high arched roofline, sloping headlights, and approachable personality thrilled old Beetle fans. But the similarities were more nostalgic than real, since the New Beetle was based on a modern Golf platform and was powered by an engine in the front. The combination of old body style and new platform necessitated compromises, such as an unusual driving position and poor access to maintenance items.

????The New Beetle was a hit right from the start. More than 83,000 were sold in 1999. A surprising number of buyers were young women, leading the Beetle to become known as a "chick car." (A dash-mounted bud vase may have had something to do with it.) But that didn't stop it from becoming a popular success during its production run with just under 600,000 units (both hardtop and convertible) sold in the U.S., and about 1.2 million worldwide, during its 13-year life.