Since 1998 it has been a fixture on our streets: the New Beetle In mid 2005, the Volkswagen cult-car was optically 'sharpened' in the style of the New Beetle Ragster study. With sure instinct the Volkswagen designers enhanced the level of the successful series. New lights, refined lines, a fresh color palette as well as new fabric seat covers are just a few of the details that were changed. Add to that a new wheel and a performance-optimized TDI motor. Altogether this results in a successful facelift that has made the appearance of the New Beetle even more concise. The basic form of the New Beetle is untouchable. That is why the designers have perfected the details of the two-door front-wheel drive. But they have done this with consistency: The front bumpers have received a radiator grille that gives it a sportier look and the synthetic fenders have been given a sharper contour.
The lights have also been redesigned. The clear-glass headlights are even more defined with their oval shape and the front blinkers have been made narrower. The white-in-red circle has given the backlights an optical change. The Volkswagen hood ornaments on the front and back have also been updated. One for all: the New Beetle is still available in a basic version that can be customized through various features and packages. In the new model year, colors with imaginative names like "Salsa Red" or "Gecko Green" offer a glimpse of the fresh colors and paints. Altogether, 15 colors will be available for the New Beetle. In addition, the interior of the New Beetle has new fabric designs available in Black, Flannel Grey, Cream, Mellow Yellow and Aquarius Blue. The interior has also been upgraded through chrome framing on the instrument cluster and air vents. The obligatory flower vase - a real classic - has remained untouched. New Beetle drivers get even more creative options through the new wheel features. All in all, four 16 and 17 inch-alloy wheels as well as hubcaps for 16-inch steel wheels are available on request. With the 2006 equipment packages "Exclusive" and "Premium", Volkswagen offers two options for its clients with a lot of extras and a price advantage of up to 2,000 euros.
The broad, muscular arched shoulders, the pronounced wheel arches and the large wheels - forged 17-inch wheels are standard - underscore the power of the Audi A5 Cabriolet. The fabric top with the large, flat glass rear window fits into the elegant design profile of the Audi A5 Cabriolet perfectly and much more harmoniously than a folding steel roof could. It is also much lighter, thus reducing total weight and lowering the center of gravity. A metal top would have brought with it additional disadvantages that Audi fundamentally rejects - wide, obvious body joints in the roof and tail end area and reduced trunk space. The soft top comprises three layers: top covering, cushioning pad and headliner. In the optional acoustic top, which reduces wind noise almost to the level of a sedan, this is replaced by a foam layer up to 15 mm (0.59 in) in thickness. The acoustic top comes with an LED light for the rear seat - a feature usually found only in the luxury convertible segment. When opened, the top is retracted under a fixed cover, where it is folded down into an extremely compact, trifold configuration.
A number of clever solutions bring even more convenience to the Audi A5 Cabriolet. The driver does not have to do anything before opening the top - the top compartment lowers itself automatically into the trunk. If there isn't enough room, a sensor annunciates an alarm and the top does not open. A master switch with one-touch function also makes it very easy to actuate the four power windows simultaneously. The 50:50 split folding rear seat backrests can be easily unlocked by actuating two levers in the trunk. Pretensioned with springs, they drop automatically onto the seat cushions. The standard pass-through is 70 centimeters (27.56 in) wide and 30 centimeters (11.81 in) high. The loading space behind the front seatbacks is thus 1.76 meters (5.77ft) long, providing a total storage volume of 750 liters (26.49 cubic ft). A ski bag is optional; a 12-volt plug in the trunk comes standard. Like every Audi, the A5 Cabriolet has an extremely rigid body. This is the prime reason for its precise, sporty handling, superior ride comfort and high crash safety. Several innovative technologies are used in the construction of the body-in-white.
A prime example are the ultra-high-strength steels, which Audi largely fabricates in-house using hot forming. Combining low weight with extremely high tensile strength, they are used in the side sills, the longitudinal members, the center tunnel, the B-pillars and the front cross members. A whole array of additional reinforcement parts compensates for the absence of a solid roof. In the front section, diagonal struts run from the side sills to the auxiliary frame for the suspension mounts. In the rear section, similar components are integrated beneath the floor of the trunk. The side sills have particularly thick walls. The hydroformed tubes that reinforce the A-pillars from the inside are particularly high-strength and capable of bearing extremely high loads. Another important component is a solid aluminum frame with integrated roll-over protection located between the cabin and the trunk. When a rollover threatens, electric actuators release aluminum braces pretensioned with powerful springs, which shoot up fast as lightning behind the rear headrests and lock into place, thus expanding the passenger survival space.
