new auto cars 2012: 2013 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet

TThe Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico. The front-wheel drive Golf was Volkswagen's first successful replacement for the air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle. Historically, the Golf is Volkswagen's best-selling model and the world's third best-selling model, with more than 25 million built by 2007.

Most production of the Golf was initially in the 3-door hatchback style. Other variants include a 5-door hatchback, wagon, convertible, and a Golf-derived notch-back saloon/sedan, variously called Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Vento or Volkswagen Bora. The cars have filled many market segments, from basic personal cars, to high-performance hot hatches. Every generation of Golf has been a runner-up in the European Car of the Year awards, but only one has been a winner, the Golf Mk3 in 1992.

The Golf name is derived from the German word for Gulf Stream and the period in its history when VW named vehicles after prominent winds, including also the Passat, Jetta, Bora and Scirocco. Golf is also a sport, a theme that is shared with the Polo and Derby. The Golf Mk1 was sold as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico. A facelifted version of the Golf Mk1 was produced in South Africa as the Citi Golf from 1984 to 2009.

September 1983 saw the introduction of the second-generation Mk2 that slightly grew in terms of wheelbase, exterior and interior dimensions while retaining, in a more rounded form, the Mk1's overall look. In 1985, the first Golfs with four-wheel-drive went on sale with the same Syncro four-wheel-drive system being employed on the supercharged G60 models, exclusively released on the continent in 1989 with 160 bhp and ABS braking. A Mk2-based second generation Jetta was unveiled in January 1984. There was no Mk2-based Cabriolet model; instead, the Mk1 Cabriolet was continued over the Mk2's entire production run. The third-generation Golf Mk3 made its home-market debut in August 1991 and again grew slightly in comparison with its immediate predecessor, while its wheelbase remained unchanged.

The Golf Mk4 was first introduced in August 1997, followed by a notchback version in August 1998 and a new Golf Variant in March 1999. There was no Mk4-derived Cabriolet, although the Mk3 Cabriolet received a facelift in late 1999 that comprised bumpers, grill and headlights similar to those of the Mark 4 models. New high-performance models included the 3.2 L VR6-engined four-wheel-drive Golf "R32" introduced in 2004, its predecessor the 2.8 L VR6-engined "Golf V6 4Motion, as well as use of the famous 1.8T 4-cylinder used in various Volkswagen Group models.

The Volkswagen Golf Mk4 was succeeded by the Golf Mk5 in 2003 in Europe. This model did not reach the North American markets until model year 2006, where it was marketed as the Rabbit. The North American base model is powered by a 2.5 L five-cylinder engine, which produced 150hp in 2006 and 2007, but was upped to 170hp in the later models. A GTI version is powered by a turbocharged version of the 2.0 TFSI engine, producing 200 PS. The Mk6 Golf was designed by Volkswagen's chief designer Walter de'Silva. The design is said to be more aerodynamic, helping fuel efficiency, and is quieter than its predecessor. Following criticism of the downgraded interior trim quality of the Mk5 Golf in comparison to the Mk4, Volkswagen opted to overhaul the interior to match the quality with the Mk4 Golf, while maintaining the same user friendliness from the Mk5. The car is also cheaper to build than its predecessor; Volkswagen claims it consequently will be able to pass these savings on to the customer.

The VW Golf has had several generations made into electric City Stromer models. The first of these was in the 1970s, when VW took a standard Golf Mk1 and converted it to electric power. By the time the Golf Mk2 came into production a limited number of electric Golfs were made, using lead–acid battery packs and a custom-made motor and controller. VW continued with the production of limited numbers of City Stromer electric cars with the introduction of the Golf Mk3. The electric City Stromer Mk3 included a Siemens based AC drive system, and lead–acid battery packs. They had a maximum speed of 60 mph and a range of approximately 50 mi. With a few exceptions, only left-hand drive Golfs were converted by VW into City stromer models. These vehicles are still used today and have popularity in mainland Europe with only a few present in Great Britain. Only two right-hand drive Mk2 City Stromers were built for the UK market and it is believed only one remains today. It is owned by EV advocate and broadcaster Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield, host of Transport Evolved. The City Stromer EV on PositiveTV

The Golf has been very popular with British buyers since its introduction in 1974. By March 2009, nearly 1,500,000 had been sold in Britain, making it the eighth most popular car ever sold there.

Upon the release of the Mk1 Golf in the mid 1970s in Australia, interest from prospective buyers was much higher than anticipated and most had to be placed on a waiting list. Some Golfs were shipped whole, while others were shipped in separate parts, which were then assembled in Australia at the VW Clayton plant in Melbourne. Buyers who requested certain colours such as red, had to wait longer until their colour was shipped. Some of these buyers chose to take a different colour temporarily until their requested colour became available, some waiting for their colour for up to 12 months.