The redesigned Volkswagen New Beetle was revealed at the 1998 Detroit Auto Show. The New Beetle was different from its predecessor, but the familiar shape remains. The original Beetle goes back to Germany, 1938. The car's features included a cute, rounded style exterior; adequate power supplied by a horizontal, air-cooled, 4-cylinder engine and a simple, practical interior. In America, the Beetle appeared in various roles from racing to custom cars. This new model, recently revealed to the public, was the topic of much attention, and eventually became the familiar icon it is today. The New Beetle is based on its popular predecessor, and retains some of the familiar characteristics. Exterior features include the rear fender, hood, roof, circular headlights, rounded taillight lenses and the overall curved motif. The interior features include an assist grip located above the passenger seat glove compartment, B pillar with safety strap and the nostalgic dashboard flower vase. The New Beetle embraced the style and feel of the vintage Beetle and infused it with modern technology to make it a safe and reliable vehicle.

Paints recommended by Tamiya: TS-8, TS-14, TS-16, TS-17, TS-26, TS-29, TS-50, X-6, X-7, X-11, X-12, X-18, X-26, X-27, XF-1, XF-7, XF-16, XF-25, XF-56, XF-63.