In late 1972, Volkswagen introduced a ‘performance’ version of the Beetle called the GSR. Unlike the Mitsubishi moniker that you may be more familiar with, GSR here stood for ‘Gelb Schwarzer Renner’ – or ‘yellow-black racer’, which is how they were delivered. Output from the 1.6-liter flat-four was a meager 50 horsepower, but the GSR did get styled steel wheels and sport seats.
Fast forward to 2014, and Volkswagen decided to reintroduce the GSR. The R-Line name meant that it was the turbocharged variant, so performance was quite a bit more impressive than the original. The GSR was equipped with a 210-horsepower FSI motor, sport suspension, 19″ wheels, leather upholstery, special trim, a rear spoiler, xenon headlights, a sunroof, and a few special trim pieces to help you stand out.
