The Volkswagen New Beetle is a subcompact car introduced by Volkswagen in 1998, drawing heavily on the design cues of the original Beetle. Based on a Volkswagen Golf, it is assembled at the VW Puebla factory in Mexico. Unlike the classic Beetle, the New Beetle has its engine in the front and storage in the rear. At the 1994 North American International

Auto Show, Volkswagen unveiled the J Mays-penned "Concept 1" with lines heavy influenced by the original Beetle. It was equipped with "large diameter" 17 inch (43 cm) wheels (with the VW logo, just like the original Beetle hubcap) with low-profile tires. Also, in the concept car, there was a "zero emission" hybrid design. Strong public reaction persuaded the company to move the car into production[citation needed], and in 1998 Volkswagen launched the New Beetle, designed by J Mays and Freeman Thomas at the company's California design studio. The New Beetle is related to the original only in name and appearance (including the absence of a car emblem script with the exception of the VW logo): under the hood, it is a modern car in every way, based on the Volkswagen A platform (Mark 4 Volkswagen Golf). Still, it carried many design features related to the old Beetle: separate wings, vestigial running boards, sloping headlamps and large round tail lights, as well as a high rounded roofline that provides enough headroom for tall drivers.