Bite me, Beetle

Lakhs of people around the world have been bitten by this bug and now Mumbaikars are queuing up for it. Over 100 people have already booked Volkswagen's New Beetle, before its launch today.

Lakhs of people around the world have been bitten by this bug and now Mumbaikars are queuing up for it. Over 100 people have already booked Volkswagen's New Beetle, before its launch today.

The ex-showroom price of the car is between Rs 22 and Rs 25 lakh, inclusive of import duties, sources in the company said Nitin Dossa, executive chairman, Western India Automobile Association, who owns 49 vintage cars, including Bentley 1947, Wolseley 1923, Packards, Buicks, Chryslers and others is keen to book the New Beetle.

He added, "In 1995, I bought a second hand Beetle for Rs 18,000.

Cute: Volkswagen has already received more than 100 bookings before launch of the much-loved car today. Source: www.vw.com

However, I sold it four years later at my wife's insistence for Rs 25,000. Had I sold the car today, I would have easily got over Rs 5 lakh." He will book the New Beetle for his daughter-in-law, who is a die-hard fan of the car.

Another Beetle owner, Srinivas Krishnan, said, "Ten years ago, I bought a 1960 Beetle for Rs 40,000. It is an iconic car because of its shape and engine position.

Driving a Beetle invites attention." If rumours are to be believed, even UTV has booked one New Beetle for a senior executive, but company officials refused to confirm.