At first glance, this Marathon Blue Volkswagen Beetle 1303 looks almost ordinary. The shape is familiar, the proportions unchanged. Nothing hints at what’s about to happen. No engine noise. No warning signs.
Exterior
Visually, the car stays remarkably close to its roots. The body has been restored to near-original form, finished in Marathon Blue and subtly updated rather than aggressively reworked. Wider carbon rear fenders add presence without breaking the classic silhouette, while a carbon roof spoiler contributes both style and high-speed stability.
It’s restrained. Almost intentionally so. The Beetle doesn’t need visual theatrics to make its point.
Powertrain
The biggest surprise sits where the flat-four once lived. There’s no air-cooled boxer engine here. Instead, the car uses a modern three-phase asynchronous electric motor.
During normal driving mode, this Volkswagen Beetle is capable of squeezing 200 horsepower, but when you change the gear,s you will see otherwise. It is officially known as 1303 RS-E, and the engine has a huge 602 horsepower and 518 pound-feet of torque. In the absence of traction control, those figures are only meant to be used on the track and only up to 200 horsepower on regular roads with TUV approval.
Even so, acceleration is anything but gentle. Power arrives smoothly, then keeps coming, pushing the Beetle forward with a force that feels relentless rather than explosive.
Chassis and Hardware
There is a replacement of practically everything below, including the suspension system that was heavily borrowed from a Porsche 944, as well as other aftermarket items of Kerscher, KW or Bilstein. The brakes were also borrowed from a Porsche 944 Turbo, the discs being in front of the Porsche 964.
A car of such type must be equipped with some high-performance tires and wheels to provide grip. Rüdiger Knepper fitted the Porsche Cup 2 wheels to our case, which are tires of Toyo Proxes TR-1, with dimensions of 195/45R17 in the front and 235/45R17 in the rear.
Features from a Porsche model continue to equip this lovely Beetle. This time is about a 17-module battery from a Porsche Taycan, which fuels a rear-axle motor taken from a Tesla Model S Performance. And since there`s no gearbox, power goes straight to the wheels via a Porsche 930 driveshaft.
Interior
As seen in the photos, the interior remains almost classic. However, there are some original parts missing, like the gear lever and the clutch, that were replaced by a digital control panel for the electric drivetrain.
To highlight a sporty look, Knepper also fitted the interior with cool Recaro seats, taken from a BMW 2002. Heating is supported by an electric unit fitted under the rear bench.
Marathon Blue Volkswagen Beetle 1303 – Photo Gallery
