Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible

Press Release

1. Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible - Positioning Convertible fun every day of the year

• New Beetle Convertible follows more than one million Golf and Beetle Convertibles
• Volkswagen convertible combines a lifestyle character with everyday driving

The new New Beetle Convertible will be coming onto the market in the first quarter of 2003. The design is absolutely original and a synonym for joie de vivre independent of status. With its overall design, the New Beetle Convertible interprets the positive character of the classic Beetle Convertible, which made history as the first classless Volkswagen, in a refreshing and progressive way. Today, too, the new convertible's emotional values and technical features find resonance wherever open travel is an approach to life. The Beetle Convertible, highly suitable for everyday driving, was classless in every respect; the totally modern New Beetle Convertible transfers this vehicle concept to the modern age The spiritual connections between the New Beetle Convertible and the Beetle Convertible are even closer than those between their sedan counterparts. This is because the classic Beetle was - in Europe more than in the USA - a symbol of the "age of the economic miracle", because it allowed millions of people to enjoy affordable private mobility for the first time. On the other hand, the New Beetle sedan was a lifestyle and not a car for the masses right from the start. It has achieved cult status, especially in North America; in Europe the New Beetle has become a trendsetter for a new, individual mode of transportation. This contrast does not exist between the New Beetle Convertible and the Beetle Convertible. Even in 1949, when the first model was introduced, it started its triumphant advance as a classless four-seater that democratized top-down driving. With a fully developed design, it offered pure, open-air driving fun for everyday driving - everywhere in the world. The New Beetle Convertible is a totally modern interpretation of exactly this automotive concept. A lifestyle car, just as classless, just as open and just as completely suitable for everyday driving. The common denominator of the Beetle and New Beetle sedans is the form, while the Beetle Convertible and the New Beetle Convertible have the same function and community of fans in common, as well as the form. Volkswagen is one of the world's most successful manufacturers of convertibles: over one million Beetle and Golf convertibles were built. Without being the direct successor of the Beetle or Golf convertible, the new New Beetle Convertible will still take over their clientele around the world. The Golf Convertible was sold - like the New Beetle Convertible will be - in Canada, the USA, Japan, Australia, South Africa and South America, to name a few, as well as in Western Europe. Counting together all three generations, exactly 684,193 open Golfs were delivered into the hands of the convertible fans of this world. Previously - in an automotive era generally characterized by smaller quantities - the Beetle Convertible brought pleasure to 330,281 customers. With over one million convertibles sold, Volkswagen made history and consequently is among the world's most successful manufacturers of automobiles of this type. Since the days of the first Beetle Convertibles, the most dominant and extensive convertible markets for Volkswagen have been Western Europe and the USA. And it is in North America that the New Beetle Convertible will start its up-and-coming journey to all five continents. The New Beetle Convertible will attain a conquest rate of 70 percent and talk many sedan drivers into the open way of driving Sociodemographic surveys of the New Beetle Convertible produce a very clear picture of the target group. In more than 50 percent of the cases, it will be women who drive the new open Volkswagen. The average age will be less than 40 years; for the Golf convertible, it was 44 years, for the New Beetle sedan, it is 41. Consequently, when looking at the age structure of its owner, the New Beetle Convertible is at the level of the sporty roadster (2-seater) in the same segment. Around 25 percent of the New Beetle Convertible owners are single and about 75 percent own more than one car. Volkswagen assumes that the New Beetle Convertible will attain a conquest rate of 70 percent. Because of its unrestricted suitability for winter and everyday driving as well as the four fully-fledged seats in the open Volkswagen, many drivers of closed vehicles will choose a convertible for the first time; the prognoses here indicate 50 percent. 2. Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible - Body Quality and safety at the highest level

• The New Beetle Convertible reflects the most famous design in the world
• Rollover protection system and high-strength composite steel ensure safety

Even although there are worlds separating the designs of the Beetle Convertible and New Beetle Convertible, their bodies still reflect, so to speak, the automobile design that is probably the best known in the world. Although the classic was not copied, it is still possible to recognize clear parallels to the Beetle Convertible, particularly in the silhouette of the open New Beetle Convertible, when its soft-top rests on the back of the car. Unlike the custom today, the top does not disappear under a flap, but instead remains visible as a stylistically prominent design element. But in this case, thanks to the use of an innovative folding mechanism, it sits much lower than the soft-top of the Beetle Convertible. Viewed from the side, the classic and the newcomer therefore both present a similar look with a cover that overhangs towards the rear and a prominent slanting rear end under it. Deliberate visual parallels between classic and modern preserve tradition while still completely reinterpreting the design of the Beetle Additional points in common between the classic and the modern styles are the basic shapes of the bodies with their independent plastic fenders, integrated round headlights and domed trunk or engine hood. And the side trim strip. However, while it connected the fenders in an arc on the Beetle Convertible, it elegantly encompasses the line originating at the A pillar and running between the upper body and edge of the lower window/soft-top on the modern convertible, which appears substantially more elongated and which is, in fact, considerably larger. Because of the cab-forward design of the New Beetle, both driver and front-seat passenger experience that pure convertible feeling You will notice a completely different parallel when you get into the opened convertible: the incredibly large roof-free area between the A pillar and the imaginary C pillar. Because the windshield frames were much smaller before the 1980's, it was normal for the driver and front-seat passenger to be sailing through the wind far back from this frame. Above them was only sky. The large windshield frames common on convertibles today, which also have a supporting function as the front rollover protection, mean that the crossmember over the driver and front-seat passenger restricts the freedom above them. This is not true for the New Beetle Convertible: because of the marked cab-forward design, the windshield frame starts farther forward. The result is a pure convertible driving experience. This sensation is strengthened by the front seat, which is moved slightly back towards the middle. Compared to the New Beetle with fixed steel roof, there are intentionally no immediately noticeable differences in the exterior - except for specific convertible features. Even the shape of the elegant soft top follows that of the sedan top. New are the side indicator lights integrated in the outside mirror housings. Also modified was the tailgate cut-out: it extends farther down into the bumper. New colors emphasize the appealing character of the convertible; optional wind deflector for even more everyday comfort The colors of the paint finishes developed especially for the New Beetle Convertible shake up everyday life: just the names - such as Aquarius Blue, Mellow Yellow and Harvest Moon, to name only a few - make it clear that a positive and appealing character is an essential feature of this car. An optional wind deflector is also available for mounting in the rear. At high speeds it substantially reduces the turbulence in the passenger compartment. Because the wind deflector can be folded together four times, it doesn't take up much space when stored in the trunk. The trunk has a volume of 201 liters or 7 cubic feet and is also equipped with a 12 volt outlet for a cooler; the standard pass-through (with optional ski-bag) allows longer objects (skis up to 1.90 meters or 6'2" long) to be stored in the car's interior.