A "new" Volkswagen Beetle, sans the flower vase

This final note. The Volkswagen Beetle is getting a makeover, for only the second time in its 73-year history. Please don’t call this the “New” Beetle. That’s the name VW gave to its first redesign, back in 1998.

This “new” new version has a less-curvy, more squeezed look, along with an upscale interior. Sixty percent of Americans who bought the car last year were women, and the German carmaker hopes to dump the “chick car” image, to make it a more attractive “boy toy.” So brace yourself: The flower vase next to the steering wheel, which has been an option since the original Beetle, is no longer being offered.