Official: Volkswagen rolls out new Beetle with Black Turbo Launch Edition [UPDATE]

[Rania Elhoseny]

The upcoming 2012 Volkswagen Beetle is being billed as a substantial departure from the cutesy car it replaces. And if you've been waiting for your chance to put your name down for one of the first examples to hit the road, here it is.

Called the Black Turbo Launch Edition, this limited-run Volkswagen will represent the first 600 examples of the new Beetle to hit American dealerships. Packing a 200-horsepower 2.0-liter TSI inline-four with dual-clutch transmission, the launch edition is distinguished by such touches as 18-inch alloys packing upsized brakes with red calipers, a rear spoiler, foglights, and includes an interior bundled with tri-color ambient lighting, Bluetooth and iPod connection, eight-speaker sound system, an extra glovebox, aluminum-alloy pedals and sport seats upholstered in cloth. (Although VW hadn't released specific images of the Beetle Black Turbo Launch Edition as we went to press, it should look like the one pictured above.)

The special Beetle is the first model to use Volkswagen's new Vehicle Pre-Order (VPO) program, available for pre-order online now for a $495 refundable reservation fee that will be applied to the purchase price of $24,950, plus a $770 destination charge. Details are in the press release after the jump.

UPDATE: The nearly-identical new image we've added above is the official shot of the Black Turbo Launch Edition. Follow the link to the pre-order site for more.