Volkswagen Beetle R headed to Frankfurt Motor Show

If the sort of dynamic goodness has been baked-in that we've been lead to believe, we're right for getting even more excited about a promised R variation. Car and Driver is reporting that the higher-performance Beetle will bow at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, and predictably enough, it will arrive with an uprated version of the 2.0-liter turbo already slung in between the Beetle Turbo's bulbous fenders. In that model, the force-fed four produces 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque, but the R is expected to offer significantly more chutzpah. How much more? We can't be sure, but the pending Golf R, which uses the same engine, generates 270 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque overseas. C/D thinks that the Beetle R won't receive the Golf's all-wheel-drive system for cost reasons, however, so we'd expect a decrease in power in order to avoid excessive torque steer.

According to the story, there's word that VW is considering building a Beetle R Cabriolet, as well.