the new beetle headlight assembly will come out of the fender from the front. there is a release mechanism at the rear of the headlight assembly - open the hood and look at the back of the headlight. there should be a hook-shaped lever near the end of the headlight closest to the passenger compartment. at the base of this hook (the part where it connects to the headlight) there's a little release button. it's grey plastic and has an X molded into it on my car. you press down the release, and start turning the hook-shaped handle. it'll probably be pretty sticky, so you'll have to alternate moving the hook a bit, and pulling on the headlight lens from the outside of the fender.
take it easy on the hook - it's fairly easy to break. move it a little, pull a little, swear a little, repeat. it'll eventually come all the way out. once you have the headlight assembly loose, the harness will unplug from the back of the headlamp assembly, and then you can take it over to the bench to replace the lamp.
there's a single screw that holds the rear panel on the headlight - once it's off you can unplug the wire from the lamp, release the locking wire, and replace the lamp. you probably know this, but i'll mention that shouldn't touch the glass part of the lamp. check the wiring over while you're in there - it tends to overheat and burn on my car. repair as required.
before you put the headlight assembly back in the fender, take some time to clean the rails and sliders, and spray them with silicone spray. that will make them easier to put back in, and easier to take out next time.
good luck! let us know how it turns out.
m.
