Sweet new Volkswagen Beetle restomod breaks cover

A beautifully reimagined version of the classic Volkswagen Beetle has surfaced this week in the form of a futuristic limited-edition model created by a German design house, dubbed Milivie 1.

In a reflection of the original Beetle’s epic production run of 22 million units, just 22 examples are set to be built by Leipzig-based Milivie GmbH – each priced at around €570,000 ($A863,000) in Europe.

Milivie was founded by Jonathon Engler, an artistic engineer with “the vision to celebrate extinct German automotive icons and discreetly re-engineer them anew to unimaginable standards”, according to Milivie’s website.

But the Milivie 1 is hardly discreet.

Each example takes more than 1000 hours to build and shares little more than the metal monocoque section of the body with its donor car, says Milivie.

As with the original Bug, the Milivie 1 remains air-cooled, but is powered by an enhanced 2.28-litre flat four-cylinder engine paired to a revised ZF 4HP transmission that sends the futuristic Beetle’s undisclosed power outputs to the rear wheels. 

Outside, several modifications reveal smoother body panels and lines, in keeping with the original car’s shape, while huge brake discs appear to feature at every corner, along with red brake callipers and quirky half-moon-design 19-inch wheels.

Great attention went into designing the bodywork with concave and convex shapes, says Milivie, including a bonnet that was extended by 80mm to “create a high contrast nose from the sides”.

“Following this methodology, the revised engine cover is flattened and pushed inwards with a distinctive ducktail featuring an integral third brake light, to bring a dynamic profile to the rear,” says Milivie.

Bespoke V3 Competition 2A springs developed specifically for the restomod are also part of the package, complete with twin-tube dampers offering separate compression and rebound adjustment.

LED halo lamps replace the round halogen headlights of yesteryear, while the interior has also been heavily modified and features huge digital displays, shift paddles, a host of interior lighting and a nine-speaker audio system.

Other modern gadgets include USB ports, wireless phone charging, automatic headlights (low and high beam), automatic wipers, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, Google Maps and electronically assisted steering.

Milivie says first customer deliveries will commence in July 2023 and you can click here for more details.

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