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THE NEW BEETLE YOU SEE HERE has led a charmed life. Starting in1998, as one of the very first NewBeetles to hit North America’s high-ways and byways; it served as BostonAcoustics’ primary (and first ever offi-cial) North American demo vehicle.Over the years it has covered tens ofthousands of miles on the show circuitand helped cement Boston’s reputa-tion as a top-tier mobile electronicsmanufacturer. It has also been fea-tured in a number of North Americantuner car enthusiast publications, giv-ing New Beetle owners a template forupgrading their own personal rides, allwhile selling the idea that seriouslysensational sound can be married withperformance modifications.

Unfortunately, its run ended abrupt-ly in the summer of 2002 when it wasvandalised while on tour. The natureof the damage was limited to the inte-rior and the audio system, but it wasnonetheless severe as the system wasextensively integrated into the interior.At this point, the company was at acrossroad as to what to do with thevehicle, so it was placed in storagewhile its future was contemplated.

Comeback TrailInto the breech stepped Sandy Lirag.Over the years he’s filled severalimportant jobs at Boston Acousticsafter a successful career as a storeown-er, rep and regional manager on theUS West Coast. In January 2003, hewas given the opportunity to purchasethe vehicle and took on the project ofrebuilding it. The New Beetle’s rebirthwas to be centred on three majorgoals. Firstly, taking into account thecomeback nature of the vehicle, theexterior and interior would be need tobe updated, keeping pace with thelatest trends. The second objective wasto showcase the latest BostonAcoustics products, including an all-new line of power amplifiers. Thethird goal focussed upon building onthe success of the original project bygetting additional exposure thatwould be tied into appearances atNOPI, SEMA, CES and key Audi-VW-Import car events.

Lirag had a lot of time to plan asthe car was stored in a three-cargarage at his home in Temecula,California, midway between LosAngeles and San Diego. It was at this

time that he made an internal jobtransition at Boston Acoustics, into itsemerging automotive OEM division.As OEM sales manager, he was directlyresponsible for a project that hasresulted in Boston Acoustics — work-ing with Ford spin-off Visteon —being awarded two important factorypremium audio contracts. One forChrysler’s new rear-wheel-drivesedans, the 2005 Chrysler 300 andDodge Magnum and the justannounced 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokeethat recently debuted at the New YorkAuto Show in April.

Outside InSince the car was already well recog-nised as the Boston Acoustics standardbearer, Sandy decided to change itsoriginal paint scheme and body kit.The car was refinished in LamborghiniGiallo Orion Metallic, a 2003Lamborghini Murcielago color. Allpainting and body work was commis-sioned to West Coast master painterDoug Starbuck of Corona, California.While the car was being resprayed itwas also externally updated with abrand new Caractere seven-piece body

secondtime aroundLike a phoenix rising from the ashes, Sandy Lirag’s

New Beetle proves that there’s life after a stint as

Boston Acoustics’ demo car...and a brush with vandals.

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Story and Images: Richard Truesdell

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kit courtesy sourced from LandspeedUSA. Around the back, hot exhaustgases exit through the Remus centreexhaust system, while additionalaccents include an NGP billet gasfiller and Hella driving lamps inplace of the standard issue units.

To move things along, the drive-train was updated with a Neuspeedsupercharger kit, upgradedCenterforce clutch disc and pressureplate, as well as stronger enginemounts. The sloppy shifting of theoriginal car has been dramaticallyimproved with the installation of aNeuspeed short-shift kit. Since Liragknew that a new wheel and tyrepackage was on his agenda, he usedthis opportunity to again turn to hisfriends at Neuspeed. They providedrace springs and Koni Sportadjustable shock absorbers, alongwith front and rear anti-sway barsmated to Energy Suspensionpolyurethane suspension bushings.

The final piece of the exterior puz-zle was the addition of lighter weight19-inch wheels and tyres in an effortto reduce unsprung weight. The com-

bination of 19 x 8.5-inch BBS CHwheels with 235/35/19 AVS Sport tyresfrom Yokohama is about as muchwheel and tyre that can be stuffedunder a New Beetle’s wheel wellswithout running into major rubbingissues. The selection of the wheels alsoallowed Lirag to showcase the StopTech ST-40 big brake system and com-ponents, which also included AxxisBrake Pads and Neuspeed stainlesssteel brake lines. The result, especiallywith the flashy paint, is a New Beetlethat stands out in a crowd of modifiedVWs, even though the look, overall, isboth restrained and to a degree, lowkey, which was another of Lirag’sobjective in laying out the plan forthis project.

Room for RenovationIn need of repair and replace-ment, the interior was com-pletely restyled with SparcoTorino sport seats and amatching steering wheel, shiftknob and pedals from theMOMO catalogue. Real carbon

fibre inserts were used to accent allthe interior panels and subwoofertrim rings. With more than 20 yearsexperience in the mobile electronicsindustry, coming up with ideas was noproblem for Lirag.

Two elements of the interior areparticularly noteworthy. The centrestack location was redesigned toaccommodate a flush-mounted Rosen7-inch widescreen monitor, and thisrequired the relocation of both thehead-unit and A/C controls to a newcentral housing underneath the moni-tor. To control the system Lirag turnedto Alpine and installed its premiumDVA-7990 DVD receiver and PXA-H700 surround sound processor com-bination. The integration of the PXA-H700 is worth attention, as Lirag had

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to modify the passenger-side handle bar to house the surround soundprocessor’s control and display unit. The surrounding trim pieces in theinterior were colour-matched to the factory scheme.

All Systems GoIf there is a theme to this system’s installation, it was the design edict tosave weight whenever and wherever possible. An SL80 centre channelspeaker, central to the system’s imaging and staging capabilities, waslocated in the top panel of the dashboard. Lirag used existing factorylocations for new ProSeries 6.5 system component speakers, with the mid-woofers mounted in the lower doors. The Neo3R tweeters were mounted

in the A-pillar and reinforced with thick-walledspeaker baffles behind custom grilles.

In the rear, Lirag custom designed and fabricat-ed a ‘floating’ rear deck that houses the SL80 rearspeakers, which were relocated from the OEM loca-tion for superior surround sound performance. Therear seat was also removed, replaced with customdesigned and fabricated panels that fully integratethe installation of two ProSeries 10-inch sub-woofers and passive radiators located directlybehind the front seats. The one-piece amprack/subwoofer enclosure houses the GT42 andGT28 amplifiers, and since they are the same size agreat sense of symmetry has been achieved. Theresult is an installation that packs a lot of gear intoa very limited amount of space, yet showcases eachof the visible components exquisitely.

In addition to the visible components, a loneGT24 amplifier—powering the centre channelspeaker and processor module of the Alpine PXA-H700—is mounted behind the visible amplifiersand hidden from view. So even with this soundquality installation, full utility of the trunk com-partment was maintained. With careful fabricationtechniques, maximum weight for all componentswas limited to less than 10 kilos. While Lirag con-tributed to the design and a limited part of theinstallation, the vast majority of the installationwas performed by longtime friend Steven Yiu,with Femi Adegoke at Motovidia assisting with thefabrication.

Surround Sound QualityThe mantra of building a high performance, light-weight audio system was met with the combina-tion of Alpine flagship electronics and Boston

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profileprofileSandy Lirag

Sandy Lirag, 43, of Temecula, CA, is a veteran of the Southern Californiamobile electronics scene. In a career that has now spanned 20 years, hehas worked at all levels of the industry, having co-owned his own ICE store(Autometrics), as a manufacturer’s rep, manager at regional super store chainGood Guys and two tenures at Boston Acoustics. His first was as a regionalmanager (a position he got due to the support he received from local dealerswhile a rep) and his current position is as OEM sales manager where he hasjust put Boston Acoustics into two major vehicle platforms atDaimlerChrysler’s Chrysler Group. Look and listen for his efforts when thenext generation Jeep Grand Cherokee arrives in Australia in the second halfof 2005.

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Acoustics amplification and speakers offering outstanding performancewithout compromise. The speaker elements especially, with neodymiummagnets, keep weight to a minimum while offering outstanding perfor-mance, especially in the areas of sound quality. Similarly, the use of theProSeries 10.5LF 10-inch subwoofers provides the system with exception-al power handling capacity.

Needless to say, the PXA-H700 gives Lirag all the control he needs toextract maximum imaging and staging up front, while the relocation ofthe rear speakers to the top of the rear deck does wonders for the sys-tem’s surround sound presentation. This is especially evident whendemonstrating program materials that do the 5.1 surround sound for-mat the justice it deserves.

While this system may lack the flash of other high-end layouts in NewBeetles, when you look at the system closely you can discern the detail,care and planning that went into its execution. Lirag had a number ofgoals when it came down to this system, but most of all it needed to bea clear departure from the original system. One that would not onlyshowcase the acclaimed Boston ‘sound’ but would also serve to let theimport community know that Boston Acoustics was in the amplifier busi-ness in a big way. As the photos illustrate, he accomplished each andevery one of his goals, his New Beetle serving as a surround sound quali-ty template for other owners to follow.

1998 Volkswagen New Beetle

Owner: Sandy Lirag, Temecula, CA

Engine: 2-litre (1984cc) inline 4-cylinder

Modifications: Neuspeed supercharger kit; Remus exhaust

Transmission: Factory 5-speed manual with Centerforceclutch disc and pressure plate

Suspension: Neuspeed race springs with matchingfront and rear sway bars; Energy Suspensionpolyurethane bushings; Koni Sport adjustable shock absorbers

Brakes: Stop Tech ST-40 big brake system; Axxis BrakePads; Neuspeed stainless steel braided lines; refinishedrear factory calipers to match front

Wheels: BBS CH 19 x 8.5-inch

Tyres: Yokohama AVS Sport 235/35/19

Bodywork: Caractere 7-piece body kit; LamborghiniGiallo Orion metallic paint; NGP billet gas filler; Helladriving lights

Interior: Carbon fibre inserts for all interior panels andsubwoofer trim rings; Sparco Torino sport seats; MOMOsteering wheel, shift knob and pedals

SYSTEM

Audio/Video Source: Alpine DVA-7990 DVD receiver

Processor: Alpine PXA-H700 digital 5.1 surround sound processor

Front Video: Rosen 7-inch LCD monitor

Front Speakers: Boston Acoustics ProSeries 6.5 system6.5-inch two-way component speakers

Centre Channel: Boston Acoustics SL80 5 x 7-inch two-way coaxial speaker

Rear Speakers: Boston Acoustics SL80 5 x 7-inch two-way coaxial speakers

Subwoofers: Boston Acoustics ProSeries 10.5LF 10-inchwith matching passive radiators

Front and Rear Amplifier: Boston Acoustics GT42four-channel amplifier

Centre Channel Amplifier: Boston Acoustics GT24two-channel amplifier

Subwoofer Amplifier: Boston Acoustics GT28 two-channel amplifier

Wiring: Monster Cable

Installers: Steven Yiu, Femi Adegoke, Sandy Lirag

Credits: Boston Acoustics, Alpine Electronics, LandspeedUSA, Energy Suspension, Koni, BBS, Centerforce, DougStarbuck, VW Specialties, Autowave, Motovidia.

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