GSR: the Beetle that paved the way for the GTI

Photos by the author.

The Beetle GSR that Volkswagen launched during the 2013 edition of the Chicago Auto Show wasn’t the first of its kind. The GSR nameplate was introduced in late 1972 on a limited-edition variant of the 1303 S developed at the request of speed aficionados.

Then and now, the GSR acronym stands for gelb schwarzer renner, which means yellow black racer in German. Don’t let the name fool you, this isn’t quite the GTI of the Beetle family and the updates were largely cosmetic. Notably, the GSR stood out from the standard 1303 S thanks to a bright yellow paint job (called saturngelb in Volkswagen-speak) accented by flat black paint on the hood, the deck lid, both bumpers, and nearly every piece of exterior trim. The sporty look was complemented by a set of 15-inch steel wheels that were noticeably wider than stock.

The track-inspired treatment continued in the cabin with sport seats for the front passengers and a three-spoke steering wheel. It didn’t extend to the engine bay, however, and the GSR was powered by a stock 1.6-liter air-cooled flat-four that made 50 horsepower and 80 pound-feet of torque. The engine was fitted with an oil cooler, which required using a slotted front apron that was identical to the one found on the Super Beetle in the United States. And because it was built for rally fans, every GSR came with a list of tuners approved by Volkswagen to squeeze every last ounce of power out of the flat-four.

Volkswagen built only 3,500 examples of the GSR. Each one cost 7,650 Deutsche Marks, about 800 more than a base 1303 S, and the entire production run sold out quickly. After all, some enthusiasts had waited for a factory-built Beetle that was born to race for decades.

Behind the wheel
The GSR is a simple machine: four pistons, eight valves, and a carburetor. A quick turn of the key and the flat-four rumbles to life before quickly settling into a smooth, low idle. The choke is automatic, so there’s no need to tinker with it. Slide the long gear lever into first, release the clutch, and you’re off. The first impression we got is that the GSR is louder than other Beetles of the era, the flat-four’s clatter is more pronounced.

The curved windshield admittedly doesn’t do a whole lot for the Beetle’s silhouette, but it makes the 1303 feel much more spacious inside than a standard Beetle, which has a completely flat windshield that even the permissive safety standards of the 1970s didn’t allow. And while the seating position isn’t what we’d call sporty, the GSR-specific sport seats strike an ideal balance between comfort and firmness while providing the support that’s lacking in a standard Super Beetle. All told, the cabin is a pleasant place to travel in.

In Wolfsburg, the GSR gets more attention than a bright red Ferrari LaFerrari would. It commands respect; no one is going to dare cutting you off, no one is going to risk tailgating you, and even merging on the highway is stress-free and straight-forward. Everyone there knows that their town was built on the Beetle’s success. Had it been a complete flop, Wolfsburg would be little more than a small, insignificant dot on a map. Other motorists stare and wave, almost with envy, because the Beetle isn’t all that common in its hometown anymore. For them, seeing a GSR bomb down Dieselstraße is like watching Julius Caesar sit at a bistro on Piazza Navona in Rome, light a cigarette, and casually order an espresso.

Fully stock, the GSR hits 60 MPH from a stop in approximately 18 seconds. That’s glacier-like by today’s standards, yet it somehow manages to feel much faster than it actually is. A slow-revving Mercedes-Benz 240D logs about the same time but it feels slower.

Once those 18 seconds have passed the GSR is completely at home on the freeway, thanks in part to the four-speed transmission’s long gears. It’s not an Autobahn stormer by any means but it’ll easily keep up with modern traffic at 80 MPH without destroying the occupants’ eardrums. It’s relaxing to drive, like all Beetles are when they’re well sorted. It’s just the driver, the road ahead, and the flat-four buzzing away behind the rear seats. The GSR gives the impression that you could drive it to the end of the world – slowly, but surely.

It’s evident that the Beetle is tail-heavy when the pace picks up, but it’s also clear that it has a decent amount of potential in the performance department. It’s light and a real blast to toss around, especially with sport seats that keep the driver’s shoulders relatively aligned with the pedals. We can understand why Volkswagen’s flat-four is one of the most frequently modified engines in the history of the automobile. And say what you will about the merits – or faults – of a rear-mounted engine, but a weight distribution heavily skewed towards the rear axle didn’t stop scores of pilots from winning races in Abarth- or Gordini-tuned machines.

The floor-hinged clutch pedal is light, and the combination of front discs and rear drums is adequate considering the GSR tips the scale at less than 2,000 pounds. The steering isn’t a stellar example of precision due to the light front end, but it’s nicely weighted and it offers plenty of feedback so you can point the Beetle where you want it to go without too many surprises. We do find it interesting that Volkswagen chose a three-spoke wheel that’s almost as big as the four-spoke unit found in the standard 1303; a smaller wheel would have felt much sportier. And the list of options included a voltmeter but it never featured a tach or an oil pressure gauge, which we’d want if we were buying a GSR in the 1970s with the intention of racing it.

While the GSR isn’t a Beetle GTI, it’s the precursor to the original Golf/Rabbit GTI. It represents Volkswagen’s first step towards transforming an economy car into a street-legal model that’s faster, more dynamic to drive, and with a muscular look to boot.

Most GSRs were modified for racing, driven into the ground, or both. Volkswagen’s archives department estimates that only about 100 examples are left today, which makes it one of the rarest Beetles out there, and one of the most desirable Super Beetles, a model that’s still all too quickly brushed aside by collectors.

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