Volkswagen revives a classic

When it comes to the modern motor car, few have a cult following like the VW Beetle.

Sometimes called the Bug, Volkswagen re-styled and re-engineered the popular rear-engined car for the late nineties, with mixed results.

In America, for instance, the New Beetle has sold some 320,000 units. In Australia, however, they haven't been shifting as quickly, but this looks set to change with the arrival of the Beetle Convertible.

Why Volkswagen didn't launch the rag-top version alongside the sedan is anyone's guess. But on the brightside, Volkswagen of America has released the first official images of the new drop-top, said to go on sale in the US in early 2003.

We can expect the new convertible in Australia towards the end of 2003 - possibly longer if the Yanks decide to continue the trend of buying thousands of the New Beetles every month.

But why is the drop-top expected to be such a sales success? Just look at the history behind it: Two of the highest-selling cabriolets ever were Volkswagens - the Cabrio and Beetle convertible, which was flying out of dealerships in the 1950s, '60s and '70s.

Many put the original convertible Beetle's appeal down to nothing more than looks. It was said to offer status-free fun, whatever that means...

Still, take a look at the images from the yet-to-be-released model and you have to admit it's at least an improvement over the standard Beetle, and at best a retro-looking, fun-loving lifestyle vehicle. People used to buy Beetle's, and to some extent still do, because of what the car represents.

Constructed at Volkswagen's long-standing assembly
plant in Puebla, Mexico, the new-look Beetle isn't radically different from its precursor, but with the top down the New Beetle Convertible looks great.

Slightly different to its older hardtop sibling, the New Beetle Convertible makes use of a cloth-lined, three-layered roof lining, combined with the Automatic Rollover Supports. If you look closely, you'll also note that the soft-top folds away to form a 'collar' of sorts, adding to the unique open-air look.

The open soft-top rests on the area of an imaginary C-pillar, which is reminiscent of the classic Beetle convertible. The power top is initially opened using a button and a one-hand release mechanism.

With this power system, however, the top opens and closes at the press of a button, taking a mere 13 seconds each
way.

As for the Automatic Rollover Supports - here's how they work:

• Integrated into the silhouette of the open convertible, the system is located behind the rear seat

• The rollover and crash sensors detect when the car is in danger of rolling and trigger the protection system

As for the mechanics behind the system, we have no clue as to how they work. We expect this will be a key selling point when the car is launched, however.

In America, the New Beetle Convertible will be packing a host of rather flacid engines - wouldn't it be a nice change to see a new 'Extreme' Beetle with one of Volkswagen's 400kW W12 mills and 20-inch wheels?

The entry-level rag-top will come with a four-cylinder, 2.0-litre, 16-valve engine worth 85kW.

Later on in the Convertible's life, a 1.8-litre turbo powerplant, with an underwheling 112kW of power, will be introduced for those who want a little more shove. All models will feature a standard five-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic transmission with tiptronic shifting - a first for a car in this segment.

It is widely accepted that the United States will be the largest market for the 2003 New Beetle convertible, and so it will also serve as a test-bed market for the revived classic.