HERNDON, Va., April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 18th, Volkswagen will celebrate the global reveal of the 21st Century Beetle, marking a new chapter in the iconic vehicle's history. The Beetle will be revealed to the public in a spectacular world debut on three continents. The reveal will begin in Shanghai, China with an exclusive MTV Sound System celebration hosted by MTV VJ's, followed by MTV World Stage events in Berlin and New York City.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110404/NY73739 )

At the MTV World Stage event in New York City, presented by the 21st Century Beetle, The Black Eyed Peas will perform their most popular hits, including material from their latest album, “The Beginning.” At the Berlin MTV World Stage event, Belgian duo 2manydjs will headline and perform a DJ set at the city’s E-Werk space. The New York performance will be streamed live on www.WorldStage.MTV.com (except in the UK), with highlights later broadcast on MTV networks around the world, making it the most widely distributed World Stage event to date.  Highlights from both the New York and Berlin events will also be available online.  

"The Beetle is an icon of the automotive world, just like MTV is an icon of the music world. In the context of this marketing alliance, we are taking the new Volkswagen directly to customers and fans of the Volkswagen brand – and we are doing it globally," states Luca de Meo, Director of Marketing, Volkswagen Group and Volkswagen Brand Passenger Cars. "We are certain that the car's one-of-a-kind styling combined with the latest technology will be very well received by customers."

The 21st Century Beetle is an automotive icon, reinvented.   Its exterior reinterprets the silhouette of the famous Volkswagen Beetle, combining stylistic elements borrowed from the original coupled with the latest technology. The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle guarantees drivers a fun and unique driving experience.

Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Eos, Golf, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2011 Volkswagen vehicles come standard-equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC). This is important because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or www.media.vw.com to learn more.

MTV

MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile and its online hub is the leading destination for music, news and pop culture.  

SOURCE Volkswagen of America, Inc.