In this Webridestv video, Silva met up with Joe Ninobia and his bright yellow 2000 New Beetle at the 2008 Hot Import Nights event. Joe's New Beetle is a unique creation that exemplifies what it means to be a show car at HIN. Equal parts street racer and mobile theater, Joe's VW is as wild as it is well thought out. Silva and Joe first discussed the radical body kit used on his Beetle, as well as the modifications made to the body kit!
They began with the RS Beetle Cup racing body kit and then "flipped" it to give it a next generation look. They changed the front valance completely, giving it large and deep intake grills and a carbon fiber hood emblazoned with the Garrett Turbos logo. The hood is a real trick addition, with the ability to flip up and then swing out of the way; giving any mechanic a large open space to work on the beastly engine; capable of 12 seconds in the ¼ mile and putting out 330 HP at the wheels! Towards the rear, C shaped dual exhaust pipes exit on the left side of the rear apron. Two large ports for the sound system to escape from also grace the apron.
The rear hatch, supported by extra large gas pistons, has a huge whale tail spoiler, while spider like black rims by UPE grace the wheel wells of this sweet bug. The interior is completely insane, encased by a full roll cage and loaded with race and show equipment. The usual bucket racing seats, full harnesses, oxygen/fresh air tanks, as well as a parade of gauges and switches show Joe's New Beetle is definitely a racer. On the flipside, a DVD nav system, several LCD screens, custom fiberglass and carbon fiber door panels as well as a huge modular trunk stereo system give the car street cred where it counts, thanks to Soundstream audio. Joe designed the entire rear array to be driven by motorized actuators, allowing him to quickly remove the entire 250lb package in just a few minutes to make his runs down the strip. All kinds of body lighting and other aesthetic goodies line the interior and exterior of this ride, showing unprecedented levels of detail. Joe also let us in on a little bit of the car's future: a new turbo that would allow him to make 500HP. Sounds like a plan to us!
