Meet the Beetles: We drive VW Bugs from 1964 and 2013

What a difference 50 years makes

VW Bugs from 1964 and 2013

Right off the bat, there’s an obvious familial resemblance to the two cars. In fact, my 2013 Beetle, which had been fully redesigned for the previous year, looks more like the original than the 1998 "New" model that revived the nameplate. It has a short, upright windshield, a long hood, a roofline that curves down to the bumper, and big, bulbous fenders. Certainly the original is much narrower, shorter in length and has more detailing in its hood and engine compartment lid stampings, but both are instantly recognizable as Beetles.