Detroit motor show 2012: VW E-Bugster

The VW E-Bugster concept car unveiled at the Detroit motor show 2012 gives the best idea yet of what the new VW Beetle Cabriolet will look like, when it arrives in 2013.

VW calls the E-Bugster a speedster, but the way the solid roof is separated from the lower body and front windscreen surround show how the bottom half of a soft-top version could appear.

The concept is 30mm wider and 90mm lower than a regular Beetle, with wider wheelarches and bumpers that hint at how a high-performance R version of the Beetle will look.

A production version of the E-Bugster is unlikely. Instead, the Beetle Cabriolet - which isn't due in the UK until late 2013 at the earliest - will have a higher roofline similar to the Beetle hatchback's.

The E-Bugster concept car is fully electric; it has a version of the 114bhp electric motor previously seen on the Golf Blue-e-Motion concept.

The E-Bugsters motor is powered via lithium-ion batteries; theyre mounted behind the front seats, making the car a strict two-seater. The electric Beetle can reach 60mph in 10.9sec, and has a range of at least 110 miles. Quick charging takes around 35 minutes.

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