Ep 354 Super Beetles Only John List

Ep 354 Super Beetles Only John List

From Lets Talk Dubs Classic The Classic VW podcast by Bill Tsagrinos

April 4, 2026 · 1h 34m

About this episode

This episode features an interview with John List discussing the Super Beetle's unique features and performance potential.

Super Beetles have long been one of the most misunderstood—and often underappreciated—air-cooled Volkswagens here in the United States. But if you look across the pond, or even dig into certain corners of the hardcore VW scene, the story is completely different. Built from 1971 to 1977, the Super Beetle was actually Volkswagen's most advanced evolution of the classic Beetle platform. With its MacPherson strut front suspension, improved handling, and increased comfort, it marked a major leap forward in performance and drivability. Yet despite those advancements, it never quite earned the respect it deserved in the U.S.—while in Europe, it's celebrated, raced, and even has its own dedicated series: the Kafer Cup. On this episode, we sit down with John List, one of the original founders of SuperBeetlesOnly.com, to dive deep into what makes the Super Beetle special. We talk about the platform's untapped potential, the best performance upgrades, and how parts from other Volkswagen and Porsche models can be adapted to take these cars to the next level. If you're into German Look Beetles, suspension tuning, or just want to understand why the Super Beetle might be the most overlooked…

People in this episode

Host: Bill Tsagrinos

Guest: John List

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: SuperBeetlesOnly.com

Products: Super Beetle, Volkswagen, Porsche

More episodes of Lets Talk Dubs Classic The Classic VW podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Lets Talk Dubs Classic The Classic VW podcast podcast page.