Beetle is one of, if not the most iconic automobiles ever made. It always fascinated me, not only from the design point of view, but also as a cultural phenomenon. It transcended being just a car and became a thing in itself forever inscribed in our history.

Goal of this project was to study next gen Beetle design direction not as a nostalgic retro vision, but to reimagine it as a modern day entity in tune with contemporary aesthetics, culture and tech, though saving the heritage link. I wanted it to be as far from the the reference as possible yet unmistakably Beetle. 

Another important point for me was to delve into and take as much as possible from the German design language, which for me is best represented in such cars as VW Microbus Concept, Audi TT, Bauhaus movement and could be heard and felt in German Techno music.

Most of the work and design research was done directly in 3D, which was a challenge I set for myself. It became a mind shifting experience as before that I had a mindset that everything had to be resolved on paper. That turned out to be liberating and such approach contributed to the final design significantly. Some of the ideas I simply couldn't have come up with otherwise.

Neo Beetle ultimately is a city EV. Vertically oriented architecture and large doors provide for a comfortable access in and out of the car and a spacious interior. The luggage area is separated from it and located at the front, just like on original Beetle.

Equipped with LIDARs and autopilot system it takes a role of a taxi, capable providing a service to people all around the world.