Volkswagen Beetle R And Convertible In Development: Report

You can't have a new Volkswagen Beetle without having a convertible version, and according to reports this week, it's on the way.

Names were not named, but US magazine Car & Driver says that Volkswagen insiders have confirmed that the droptop Beetle will arrive late next year as a 2013 model, giving the hardtop its time in the sun.

The traditional soft folding roof is expected to feature, while engine and trim options will likely carry over from the regular Beetle.

Perhaps of more interest is word that Volkswagen has confirmed a range-topping R variant.

The thumping Audi S3-borrowed 188kW engine of the Golf R is expected to appear, but according to the report, it will remain a strictly front-wheel-drive affair.

If the reports are true, the Beetle R will sit about the GTI-like 2.0 TSI variant revealed at Shanghai and New York this week.

• Click here to learn more about the new 2012 Beetle.