Spanning three generations from the late 1930s to its final run in 2019, the Volkswagen Beetle has become one of the most iconic names in the entire history of the automobile. Over the years, many car enthusiasts have fallen in love with the Beetle’s timeless design and simple engineering, and some have even restored its first-generation model to keep up with the modern era.
Take, for instance, Knepper Bugs & More, an automobile restoration company based in Germany that specializes in restoring Volkswagen Beetles. Recently, Knepper took a 1975 Volkswagen Beetle Type 1303, tinkered with it, and came up with a bug that’s all set to hit the road again for many years to come. Meet the Knepper 1303 RS-E.
At first glance, the Knepper 1303 RS-E looks like a carefully restored classic. The familiar curves, chrome accents, and restrained paintwork suggest a nostalgic project car aimed at preserving a piece of automotive history. But this Beetle is anything but a typical restored bug. Beneath its vintage exterior is a radical engineering effort that turns one of motoring’s most recognizable shapes into a modern electric performance machine.
Instead of returning the Beetle 1303 to its factory spec and brand-new condition, Knepper stripped the car down and rebuilt it around an electric powertrain. The original air-cooled flat-four engine is gone, replaced by a Tesla Model S Performance rear motor, transforming the Beetle from a modest classic into a car capable of supercar-level acceleration.
Power comes from a 48 kWh battery pack assembled using Porsche Taycan modules, an unconventional but deliberate choice that allows high power delivery in a compact package. Knepper says the system puts out over 600 hp with torque exceeding 700 Nm, enabling a claimed 0–100 km/h acceleration time of under three seconds and a top speed of around 190 km/h. For road use, the powertrain can be electronically limited to produce just enough performance output to meet regulatory requirements.
Knepper didn’t stop at just developing the powertrain. To handle the increased power, the chassis and running gear have also been revised. As a result, the Knepper 1303 RS-E uses Porsche 944 suspension components, Turbo S braking hardware, and reinforced drivetrain parts derived from the Porsche 930, ensuring that the resto-modded Beetle can dance around corners and come to a stop as confidently as it accelerates.
Finally, restraint is part of the appeal in terms of visual design. Finished in Marathon Blue Metallic, the Knepper 1303 RS-E retains the classic Beetle’s silhouette, with only subtle changes such as widened rear fenders, discreet aerodynamic elements, and modern wheels hinting at its true nature. Inside, classic design cues blend with modern controls, replacing traditional gearbox and pedals with EV-specific interfaces.
