The Beetle is the first car with the option of a Fender sound system. At the IAA in Frankfurt, Volkswagen presented a concept car that is a tribute to the legendary guitar and amplifier maker. The exclusive Fender Beetle has a customized design and even features a sound-system interface that connects to an electric guitar.

On the outside, the Fender Beetle is covered in high-gloss black with a fine red line framing the side windows. For the guitar enthusiast, there is also a Fender Telecaster customized by Volkswagen Design that shares this style. The Fender Beetle is also highlighted in chrome and aluminum. Chromed door mirror caps, door handles, trim strip beneath the side windows, accents in the side sills, VW badge, and the two exhaust pipes.

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The Concept is 0.4 inches wider at the rear than the regular Beetle and sits 1.2 inches lower, allowing the wheel-tire package to fill out the wheel housing more fully. Look closely and you will discern a couple of other neat details including a guitar pick decal on the hood and the original Fender signature (in chrome) located beneath the VW badge on the trunklid.

A number of design features stand out in the interior. The dash pad is a striking sunburst motif with the two-toned wood design pattern of many Fender guitars integrated into it. The design extends across the dashboard in front of the driver and passenger and creates a visual link to the world of rock music.

The high-end Fender audio system has an auxiliary tube amplifier that is prominently displayed on top of the dash. Thanks to a special socket in the trunk, an electric guitar can be plugged in and plays over the subwoofer that is also integrated into the luggage compartment.

The Fender system is controlled via the RNS 510 radio-navigation system (which comes with a touchscreen and integrated 30-GB hard drive.) Like the rotary knob for the RNS 510, the controls for the climate control system (temperature, air conditioning function, rear window defrost, and seat heating) were redesigned to look like those used for decades on guitar and bass amplifiers.

Another feature that is tailored to musicians is a pick holder to the right of the DSG shift lever. The holder comes with three picks on which the outline of the Beetle is imprinted. Moreover, the band across the door storage bin features the Fender signature.

Although the Fender Beetle is still a concept, you can have the Fender Sound with the new Beetle. With the Fender Sound option, you’ll also get three-colored ambient lighting for the interior in red, white, and blue. Along with indirect lighting in the door shoulder panels, there are also light rings around the loudspeaker boxes in the doors. The sound system itself has two sets of tweeters–one set by the door mirrors up front and one set mounted in the rear trim panels. In the front doors, there are woofers with dual-voice coils, while the woofers located in the rear side trim each have a single voice coil. In addition, a subwoofer with a dual-voice coil is integrated in an enclosed bass box in the Beetle’s trunk. The centerpiece of the sound system is a 10-channel amplifier with Class A/B power amps and 400 Watts of output power.

Contact us today if you’d like to find out more about the Fender Sound option. Continue to follow us on Twitter and join our Facebook community to find out the latest news.

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