Volkswagen starts taking online orders for new 2012 Beetle turbo

If you are hot for the redesigned 2012 Beetle, you can order a special "Black Turbo Launch Edition" today.

To reserve one, you have to go to www.VW.com/preorder , pick a dealer and plunk down $495, and what VW calls your "welcome kit" will be on the way. The $495 counts toward the purchase price, and VW promises a refund if your plans change before delivery. The Beetle is due in September.

The first model available through online ordering will be a limited run of 600 Black Turbo launch edition models of the 2012 Beetle 2.0L TSI turbo that will start at $24,950, plus shipping. The Black Turbo will have a dual-clutch automatic and a turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder putting out 200 hp and 207 lb-ft. of torque. It's EPA rated at 30 mpg on the highway.

Standard features include Bluetooth, iPod connectivity, three-color ambient lighting, larger brakes with red calipers, sport cloth seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, a spoiler, fog lights and an 8-speaker audio system.

VW is using Amazon's e-commerce platform to handle the orders.

You'll have to wait till September and buy the old school way if you want a base 2.5-liter model:

VW says the base model will be at dealers this fall, starting at $18,995, plus shipping. It has 170-hp, 2.5-liter in-line five with 5-speed manual. The automatic, which most people will buy, will have an EPA rating of 22 city, 29 highway.

A TDI turbo-diesel model will follow in 2012.

The 2012 Beetle is wider (3.3 in.), longer (6 in.) and lower (a half-inch) than the old model. It will have three trims, an available touchscreen, an available premium Fender audio system and VW's crash response system, which shuts off the fuel pump, unlocks the doors, and switches on the hazard lights in some types of collision.

HELP! VW Fuel Pump Relay Problem

Last weekend we took the rally car to the NWTC car show and found after about 40 minutes of driving the car straingly shut off at 60mph and could not be restarted (popped clutch while rolling and tried the key). Switched the fuel pump relay (167 or 162 whatever that number is) Car fired right up. Then on the way home about 40 minutes into the drive, did it again. Switched the relay back to the "bad" one, fired right up... Noticed the second time the relay was very hot to the touch. The driving we did was at about 4000rpms for the entire 40 minutes, fancy trans. The wires to the pump were not hot. Nothing smelled like burning. Never happened before this but it has been cold, LSPR and Snodrift are the only places where it would have run this long without being turned off. And Paul, sounds like the contacts in the realy may heve burned, and aare getting hot due to that. It'as a somewhat vicious cycle: the contact resistance goes up, it heat, which makes the resistance go up more. and so on. If nothing else was hot or odd, seems like new realys are the ticket. Like what Robert ran into....I've had this happen to a fuel pump relay in a Dodge when driven hard; a new relay fixed it fine.

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