New Volkswagen Beetle Convertible opens up

[BeetleGo]

Gary, how many miles on the old one?

 

[Gary Miyakawa]

Not that many... 135K or so... Mostly, to and from the Atlanta Airport

 

[maloosheck]

Question: anybody knows if this is mechanical Boost Gauge or CAN-driven?

 

[bhtooefr]

Almost certainly CAN, it's not VW's style to drive it directly.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Just talked to Chris Farnham - Beetle TDIs are in production and are due to arrive in mid-August.

 

[BeetleGo]

NewNew Beetle TDI convertible the most efficient

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/06/2013-volkswagen-beetle-tdi-is-americas-most-fuel-efficient-conv/

What's better than driving with the top down and the wind in your hair? Cruising in the open air while saving a ton of money at the pump.

The EPA has just released its figures for the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible, and the numbers don't lie. The Beetle Convertible TDI, with its 140 horsepower diesel four-cylinder, gets 28 miles per gallon city and 41 mpg highway when paired with the six-speed manual transmission, earning a combined rating of 32 mpg. That highway number makes the Beetle Convertible TDI the most fuel efficient convertible in America. (Attention all future Newnew Beetle convertible owners: when you've done three tanks, post the actual mpg in this thread.)

Want more horsepower and still want to save fuel? The turbocharged 2.0-liter gas engine puts out 200 horsepower while returning 21 mpg city and 30 highway.

By comparision, the Smart ForTwo Cabriolet gets 34/38, with a combined rating of 36 mpg. That's good enough to beat out the Beetle Convertible TDI's 32 combined MPG, but if you do more highway driving, no other droptop will rival the max fuel economy of the Beetle.

The Tesla Roadster, which would have been far and away the most fuel-efficient convertible on the market, is sold out and not in production in the U.S. for 2013.

Car and Driver says sun worshippers will have a convertible option when buying their Beetle next year. The news should be a surprise to no one, but engine choices could be.

VW says all the powertrain options in the coupe will be available in the convertible. That means the 170-horse five-cylinder, the 200-hp turbo four and even the 140-horse, 236 pound-feet of torque TDI diesel. Both transmissions will be on the menu as well: six-speed DSG or a six-speed manual.

Car and Driver speculates that VW will probably show off the convertible Bug at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. When it goes on sale in the spring, it'll be the only diesel convertible available in the States.The way VW's diesels are selling, don't expect the Bug version to sit around on lots very long.

Get ready, middle school art teachers – your new car is almost here. Following the launch of the re-skinned 2012 Beetle (and its oil-burning TDI kin), Volkswagen is hard at work prepping the new droptop variant, seen here testing in a not-so-convertible-friendly environment.

The signature styling difference that separates the 2012 Beetle from the Bug that came before it is indeed the longer, flatter roofline, and it's interesting to see how well the shape has been kept intact during the transformation from hardtop to droptop. This test mule is fitted with the front and rear fascias of the last-generation car, but make no mistake, the decidedly more masculine fore and aft lighting treatments will indeed carry over to the new convertible.

Much like the coupe, we can expect the Beetle Convertible to be available with Volkswagen's 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine as standard kit. There's no word about whether or not the 2.0-liter turbo-four will make its way under the hood of the new convertible, but what really piques our interest is that Volkswagen sources have pretty much confirmed that the topless Beetle will be available with the 2.0-liter TDI unit, making it the first (and currently, only) diesel droptop in the United States. Expect to see the production car debut at the New York Auto Show this April.

 

[Dooglas]

"VW says all the powertrain options in the coupe will be available in the convertible. That means the 170-horse five-cylinder, the 200-hp turbo four and even the 140-horse, 236 pound-feet of torque TDI diesel. Both transmissions will be on the menu as well: six-speed DSG or a six-speed manual."

"Much like the coupe, we can expect the Beetle Convertible to be available with Volkswagen's 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine as standard kit. There's no word about whether or not the 2.0-liter turbo-four will make its way under the hood of the new convertible, but what really piques our interest is that Volkswagen sources have pretty much confirmed that the topless Beetle will be available with the 2.0-liter TDI unit."

So, did the fellow that wrote the first half of this blog talk to the fellow who wrote the second half?

 

[Lug_Nut]

Sasquatch trades UFO for New Beetle convertible!

No discrepancy there. The statements are in absolute agreement with prior statements from VW regarding what they say they want to do (to delay buyers from buying something else now), and what VW actually end up offering here in the states.
The first statement is from VW, the second is from someone that knows about VW's penchant for teasing, stalling for time and then foisting off whatever crap they think they can get away with.
Like the A3 Golf TDI (2 examples), the B5 Passat TDI (3 examples) if the 2.0 T-FSI Cabrio shows up you'd better be prepared to snap a picture for the cover of the Inquirer.

 

[jrivers804]

IF the TDI convertible bug shows up in the states, would that be first factory diesel convertible? I don't remember a diesel convertible for sale.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

It is a "Beetle TDI" ... convertible should be along shortly. My friend/coworker, Sara, just picked up a 2013 Beetle TDI (not a convertible) on Monday. So far she LOVES it.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=360964

 

[bhtooefr]

IF the TDI convertible bug shows up in the states, would that be first factory diesel convertible? I don't remember a diesel convertible for sale.

Not the first in Europe, but the first in the US that I know about.

(First in Europe is probably the original New Beetle? Maybe something Fiat? Not sure though.)

 

[cevans]

I can't wait for this thing. I'll have one on order as soon as they let me.

 

[BeetleGo]

In addition to the wagon? If not, we may need to talk. I have someone who is in the market for a TDI wagon....

 

[bhtooefr]

Also, I take issue with their claims.

The Geo Metro convertible got 35/41 on the 2007+ cycle.

(Yes, I know, the Geo Metro sucks, but it gets better city and highway than either the VW or Dum^WSmart.)

 

[BeetleGo]

I think it has to do with "presently built" not ever built.

 

[kjclow]

I'd like to see the Golf cabrio in diesel flavor here too. I don't see VW offering two different convertibles in diesel though. We'll probably still get the Eos for a few more years.

 

[NarfBLAST]

If the Eos came in a diesel I know at least two people who would already have one. Alas, it will NEVER happen in North America, nor will we EVER get a Convertable Mk2 New Beetle TDI. If I am wrong I will buy one.

edit spelling changed "now" to "nor"

 

[German_1er_diesel]

If the Eos came in a diesel I know at least two people who would already have one.

They could move to Europe?
Either get an Eos:

Or save money by going with a Golf, where the 1.6 TDI is available:

 

[German_1er_diesel]

Or go with an Audi A3 convertible...

Or a TT TDI

Or the A5...

IIRC, it was Audi who started the diesel convertible craze in the mid-90s.
http://www.autoscout24.eu/Details.aspx?id=216188817&cd=634810985510000000
Then BMW followed with the E46, which was available both as a 320d and a 330d.

 

[BeetleGo]

Does Seat or Skoda offer a convertible? I couldn't find any online.

 

[bhtooefr]

SEAT and Skoda are lower end brands, and I don't think they do.

 

[German_1er_diesel]

No for both, Škoda used to have the "Felicia Fun", which was a weird semi-convertible version of their very utilitarian pickup, only available in yellow and with a frog seat pattern.

(Probably designed after one too many Czech beer)

 

[booksgamesvideos]

Technically the Old Beetle convertible is the "most efficient convertible in America". It is listed by the EPA as 45mpg highway... so plus 2 higher. (Just saying.)

 

[booksgamesvideos]

They could move to Europe?

Any reason why we can't just import these cars to the U.S.?

 

[bhtooefr]

The 1979 fuel economy datafile shows the Puerto Rico emissions 1979 Beetle Convertible as getting 20 city, 24 combined, 30 highway, on the CAFE cycle. California emissions got 22 city, 26 combined, 34 highway. (Hey, you said old Beetle, and the Typ 1C New Beetle TDI was never imported into the US.)

However, that's the CAFE cycle, not EPA 1985, not EPA 2007.

For a completely level playing field, the 2013 fuel economy datafile shows a manual transmission Beetle Convertible TDI at 36 city, 43 combined, 58 highway, on the CAFE standards - the same test that that 1979 Beetle went under.

But, if we're using CAFE numbers, the real winner is still the Geo Metro Convertible. 46 city, 51 combined, 59 highway.

As for importing a car, you could do that.

But you'd have to do it through a registered importer. You're looking at $60,000 minimum, and that's assuming that it's "largely conforming" or something like that. If it's NOT, then you're looking at the following to get it in:

Engine swap to meet emissions
Lighting, glass, instrumentation swaps to meet FMVSS equipment regulations
Potentially airbag and seat belt swaps to meet FMVSS airbag regulations, and there may be custom fabrication required here
If the manufacturer hasn't crash tested it, OR won't provide a letter for the US government saying they have, you're bringing 11 in, instead of 1, and you're crash testing 10, minimum. If it doesn't pass, unibody modifications to pass crash tests.

You could be well over a million dollars.

 

[booksgamesvideos]

bhtooefr: You know perfecly well I was talking about the old beetle from 1997 to 2008.

Fine. If you're going to be picky: The official terminology for the current model is not "NewNew Beetle". It is just "Beetle". Furthermore I doubt that the importers who bring-over Eurocars destroy 10 perfectly-usable cars in crash tests just to sell one Mercedes-Benz.

 

[bhtooefr]

Usually they don't, because of one of a few factors:

1. It's a model already sold here, so they get it through easily (but this is rare, because MBUSA doesn't want this to happen)
2. It meets crash safety regulations, so it doesn't have to go through the crash testing part, just the equipment and emissions parts
3. It's coming in under show and display regulations (so it's exempt from the crash testing, but is also under very limited use restrictions, and is something special enough that there's probably not 10 of them in the world).
4. It was made in a year at least 25 years prior to the year of importation, meaning it's exempt from everything, with only two checkboxes to check

 

[LRTDI]

If the Eos came in a diesel I know at least two people who would already have one. Alas, it will NEVER happen in North America, nor will we EVER get a Convertable Mk2 New Beetle TDI. If I am wrong I will buy one.

edit spelling changed "now" to "nor"

Hmm.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/volkswagen-beetle-cabriolet.html

Knowing VW USA, like my beloved Passat Wagon TDI, VW Beetle Convertible Tdi is going to be vapor ware in the USA

 

[booksgamesvideos]

How long do convertible covers last 'til they need replaced?

bhtooefr: I guess that means if I want a 2000 Lupo 3L, I should just wait until 2025 and then import it without any hassle. ;-)

 

[Dozenspeed]

Europeans get so many more choices than USA. Why? My guess is we are a pain in the butt regulation-wise....