If you are hot for the redesigned 2012 Beetle, you can order a special "Black Turbo Launch Edition" today.  To reserve one, you have to go to www.VW.com/preorder, pick a dealer and plunk down $495, and what VW calls your "welcome kit" will be on the way. The $495 counts toward the purchase price, and VW promises a refund if your plans change before delivery. The Beetle is due in September.  The first model available through online ordering will be a limited run of 600 Black Turbo launch edition models of the 2012 Beetle 2.0L TSI turbo that will start at $24,950, plus shipping. The Black Turbo will have a dual-clutch automatic and a turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder putting out 200 hp and 207 lb-ft. of torque. It's EPA rated at 30 mpg on the highway.  Standard features include Bluetooth, iPod connectivity, three-color ambient lighting, larger brakes with red calipers, sport cloth seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, a spoiler, fog lights and an 8-speaker audio system.  VW is using Amazon's e-commerce platform to handle the orders.  You'll have to wait till September and buy the old school way if you want a base 2.5-liter model:  VW says the base model will be at dealers this fall, starting at $18,995, plus shipping. It has 170-hp, 2.5-liter in-line five with 5-speed manual. The automatic, which most people will buy, will have an EPA rating of 22 city, 29 highway.  A TDI turbo-diesel model will follow in 2012.  The 2012 Beetle is wider (3.3 in.), longer (6 in.) and lower (a half-inch) than the old model. It will have three trims, an available touchscreen, an available premium Fender audio system and VW's crash response system, which shuts off the fuel pump, unlocks the doors, and switches on the hazard lights in some types of collision.  See photos of: Volkswagen Group  To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor  . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to  . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to
Volkswagen starts taking online orders for new 2012 Beetle turbo - Drive On: A conversation about the cars and trucks we drive - USATODAY.com