The 1600S ‘Super Fusca’ or ‘Bizorrão’ was the most powerful air-cooled Fusca (Beetle) built by Volkswagen do Brasil. Produced between April 1974 and April 1975 in just three paint colours – Imperial Yellow, Ruby Red and Lotus White. It was the precursor to normal series production of 1600cc Beetles in Brazil.
Intentionally introduced as a sports model it was endowed with the Brazilian VW typ.3 1600cc engine as used in the, then, newly launched and much coveted Brasilia. The engine was “tweaked” by the use of twin Solex carburettors. These were fed through an engine lid that was unique in the whole, worldwide, production history of the Beetle. Two large oblong slots were formed in the engine lid metal pressing in the position normally given to the vent louvres. Air was fed into these slots and then to the carburettors by a black plastic air intake with slotted top which effectively acted as an air dam delivering the draught using simple ram technique. Exhaust exited via a single, rather than the familiar twin, tailpipe. The External badging on the black background of the air intake was of “1600” in familiar VW style chrome lettering supplemented by a chrome and red “S”.
In addition to the striking paintwork colours and the badged air intake the ‘Bizorrão’ was readily distinguishable from other Fuscas but the fitting of 5J x14” wheels – also from the Brasilia – and set to a lowered suspension geometry.
The fully trimmed interior was very much in keeping with the rest of the package in that it included extra instrumentation comprising of a tachometer set in the speaker grill to the left of the speedometer (the fuel gauge was still set in the righthand speaker grill on Fuscas) with oil temperature, ammeter, analogue clock set in and auxiliary panel placed centrally to the dashboard below the ash tray. ‘Walrod’ sourced sports steering wheel, short ‘sports’ gearshift and reclining front seats completed the look (and ‘feel’) of the controls.
Original information courtesy Walfredo Gustavo and supplemented from other sources including VW Motoring Magazine and QUATRO ROADAS Magazine.