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Introduced on Wednesday: 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible

What it is: The new new Beetle (not to be confused with the previous New Beetle) has finally lost its top.

What it isn’t: It isn’t dull. Not at all. Besides the obvious advantages of losing its roof, the convertible offers three quite interesting powertrain choices.

What makes it go? For maximum m.p.g., there is a 140-horsepower 2-liter diesel that VW says will return 41 m.p.g. on the highway in this application. For maximum muscle, there is a 200-horsepower turbocharged 2-liter gasoline engine; m.p.g. drops to 30 highway. For minimum bucks, there is a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter normally aspirated 5-cylinder.

How much, how soon: The Los Angeles auto show could not come soon enough for the Beetle Convertible’s long-awaited world premiere; it was essentially put on sale as the show opened. The base model starts at $24,495 (add $795 for destination fee), VW says; the Turbo, with a manual transmission, opens at $27,795. The diesel is, surprisingly, just $100 more than that. Fully loaded, this droptop tops out at about $32,000.

Our take: What took some getting used to in the second-generation, modern-era Beetle hardtop – the slightly slammed, low-slung look – seems to work better in the convertible. It seems more comfortable in its skin.

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