Paul Newman's mid-engine V8 Beetle on sale for $250K

[NewsFeed]

This Volkswagen Beetle is priced to sell at $250,000. No, there's no typo in that figure. This 1963 VW Bug has celebrity ownership, as it once belonged to Mr. Paul Newman. Still not doing it for you at that price? Perhaps a peak under the hood will change your mind.

Paul Newman loved him some fast cars, and this '63 Beetle is no exception. Rather than stick with the old four-cylinder lump in the rear, Newman had IndyCar builder Jerry Eisert set out to turn the droptop bug into a super sleeper.

Eisert dropped a Ford 351 V8 into the middle of the Volkswagen. He added the five-speed ZF transmission (thought to have come from a Ford GT40), and the now-transformed Beetle was pushing out 300-horsepower. That's a whole lot of juice for this bantam-weight brawler. So much, in fact, that Newman's handlers advised him to sell the car before he got into serious trouble with it.

Paul Newman's Volkswagen Beetle Convertible sleeper is now up for sale, after receiving a full restoration. The seller wants $250,000 but is open to "serious offers." While we think 250 large is rather optimistic, there's no doubt this car has the potential to plaster permanent smiles on anyone who drives it.

Check out OldBug.com for a look at the car's history.Paul Newman's mid-engine V8 Beetle on sale for $250K originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011