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Just to refresh your memory, at the 2009 Detroit Motor Show, the German automaker Volkswagen (VW) displayed its BlueSport roadster concept. Unfortunately, not long afterwards, VW postponed the project. Some early reports mentioned that the reason production of the roadster was postponed was because the German automaker didn't see a business opportunity for the model while I would say otherwise. The car looks attractive and that, alone, should be able to attract quite a few customers already. Add that with quite an affordable price tag for a roadster, you may be surprised by the number of people interested in spending their cash on the model. Yet, rumours have been swirling on the internet with some still believing that the roadster will finally come to life. I, for one, would like to see the open-top model comes into production. Despite the various rumours on the World Wide Web, there's now a bigger chance that the VW BlueSport will actually hit our showrooms within the near future. At least, this seems to be what Walter de Silva is trying to tell us, although not so explicitly. The VW Design Chief told AMS, "I'm not the only one in our company who is convinced that a small roadster wouldn't be the worst thing for Volkswagen. This is a vehicle that we particularly like, and we always have in mind." Well, I agree with you, de Silva, I like the open-top very much, too. Therefore, it's nice to know that there're still some insiders in VW that would like to move on with this particular project. Moreover, it was confirmed by one of the German automaker's spokesperson. Just in case you can't really recall, the VW BlueSport roadster concept carried a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine when it debuted at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. The engine is good enough to spit out 177bhp in addition to 349Nm of torque. Volkswagen claimed that the fuel consumption of the roadster could reach 23.2km/L, which is quite efficient in my opinion. The company also mentioned that the car would need only 6.6 seconds to reach 100km/h from a complete standstill. Also, expect no less than 225km/h when it comes to the top speed of the car. Given its model and engine specifications, I'd say the BlueSport concept may well be slotted under such brands as Porsche and Audi. Yet again, perhaps it doesn't really matter as both the brands belong to VW as well. Now that the VW BlueSport roadster may finally come to life, here's hoping that VW won't forget to ship the model to the showrooms here in Singapore as well. By the way, the roadster is estimated to cost around USD$30,000 (around S$37,000). As I said earlier, it's quite affordable for a roadster, isn't it? The only drawback so far that I can think of about this roadster is probably its roof. I think it would have been better if VW applied a hardtop, but perhaps, the softtop is a better solution for the current estimated price tag of the roadster.

Toyota has released the official images of the FT-86 open concept ahead of its world premiere at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The concept bears a similar front fascia as the coupe version but the hardtop is replaced by an electrical-operated soft top. The boot and windscreen have also been modified. Toyota commented that the convertible conveys a feeling of oneness with nature while maintaining the joy and sense of oneness with the vehicle. When it goes into production, the very successful Mazda MX-5 will have a new rival. The interior of the FT86 Open Top features contrasting white and navy blue tones on the dashboard, seats and steering wheel. The floor is laid with yellow-gold carpeting. Other highlights include alloy pedals and metallic accents. Toyota has yet to release the engine specifications, but it should inherit the 2.0-litre four cylinder, direct-injected boxer engine from its hardtop sibling. The naturally-aspirated lump is good for 200bhp and 205Nm of torque.

The 2013 model year Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster was announced for production in November 2012 and barely three months later, the order books are full until mid-2014. This means a waiting time of more than a year if someone were to place an order now. He can still get his open-top supercar earlier if he is prepared to cough out extra dough. The Aventador Roadster shares the same 6.5-litre V12 engine with the hard top version. This means that roadster develops 700bhp with a tremendous 690Nm of torque, enabling the car to go from 0 to 100km/h in 3 seconds before reaching terminal velocity of 350 km/h. The Aventador Roadster boasts a unique engine cover design and an attachable wind deflector to improve cabin airflow at high speed.

For those of you who have been longing for a convertible version of the Toyota 86 coupe, your wait might be over soon. Toyota will be presenting the FT-86 Open Concept in March's Geneva Motor Show. For now, the Japanese carmaker has showed an official sketch of the concept which reveals a 2+2 seating layout. On the concept, Toyota says that it previews a possible future development of the award-winning GT86 sports coupe and its goal is to gauge the public's reaction to the idea of an open-top GT86. Toyota adds that the prototype version of the FT-86 is already undergoing testing. If public reaction is positive, a production model could be available in roughly a year

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7uXG-QElms Volkswagen has released a new video for the production version of the Golf R Cabriolet ahead of its anticipated international launch in 2013. It looks identical to the concept model previewed 18 months ago at the 2011 Worthersee tuner show. Although the MK 7 Golf has already been launched, the 2013 Golf R Cabriolet is actually based on the MK 6 Golf. Well, perhaps VW has a unique way of production scheduling. The Golf R Cabriolet is equipped with an aggressive body kit that comes with large front air intakes, black grille with R badge, smoked headlights, twin centrally-mounted exhaust pipes and 19-inch Talladega alloy wheels. Propelling the AWD open-top model is the responsibility of the 2.0-litre TSI turbocharged lump with 270bhp and 350Nm of torque. It goes from standstill to 100km/h in 6 seconds and is the fastest and most powerful open-top vehicle in Volkswagen history. Want a quick hairdo from a German 'hairdresser'? The Golf R Cabriolet could be your choice.