2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo
Much has been made of the newly redesigned Beetle’s butched-up looks and VW’s grab for more male buyers. But what about the new bug’s guts? In its Turbo guise, the car brings surprisingly good stuff: It gets same 2.0-liter, four cylinder turbocharged engine found in the brand’s boy-racer model, the GTI, tied to a six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. Though a test drive through deep Brooklyn proved the Turbo’s acceleration and cornering lack the hardcore bite of the GTI, it still scored points — and attention — for its mini-Porsche looks, courtesy of the rear spoiler.