Oh yes, Volkswagen will invade this year’s Beijing Olympics. No. You won’t see VW participating in the games. But the automaker will play an important role in the 2008 Summer Olympics as its exclusive automotive sponsor.

In view of the sponsorship deal, the automaker will set free a number of Beetles to shuttle Olympic as well as government officials in Beijing. The Audi brand, moreover, will offer shuttle service for the VIPs.

In line with the Olympics sponsorship, the German automaker launched the Vmagination online Olympic art car design campaign in China. Beetles entertained some flamboyant paint jobs and unique Olympic designs. To view 6 of the special designs made to the Beetle, click here.

Separately, the Beetle, tagged the original ‘people’s car,’ is set to roll out on Indian roads in the middle of this year. "Volkswagen is known as Beetle in India. We have studied the market and feel that there is space for Beetle. We are planning to make it available in the middle of this year through imports," Adreas Prinz told PTI.

"The cheapest Beetle to be sold in European market is for around 17,000 Euros. Since we would be importing them into India, the car would be a little expensive for many," Prinz was quoted by Rediff as saying.

The Beetle, also known as the Bug, is by far, the most successful model VW has ever built. Though it was predicted before its launch that the Beetle will be a complete failure because of its odd styling, the car proved them wrong. The Beetle went on to ink solid car history.

At Beijing, sports enthusiasts will surely appreciate the legendary trails and styling of the Bug.