VW unveils a sporty version - but will it be made?

IT'S called the Ragster. And whether the sporty new- look Volkswagen Beetle will make the final run on to the production line has still to be decided.

Nonetheless, the Ragster could well get pulses racing as did its predecessor when it was first unveiled in 1994 in concept form, too.

Certainly, the Ragster study encapsulates a fresh design, sports car looks and a glimpse into the future design of a new Beetle.

The Ragster - a name derived from a combination of Ragtop and Speedster - has not simply been created by cutting a hole out of the top. Instead, its designers and engineers used the new Beetle cabriolet as their base; they have shortened the pillars, provided a suitably curved roof to take a canvas top and overall given the Ragster a lower profile. In fact its height is 103mm shorter than the present new Beetle.

At the front, you cannot miss the silver double stripes, which extend from the spoiler, through the bonnet's VW roundel, and up to the windscreen. At the back end, newly designed tailpipes are integrated into the bumpers, while chrome plated double exhaust pipes add sporting flashes to the design. The car rides on 19-inch alloy wheels shod with red-striped low profile tyres.

Inside, the Ragster is a two-plus-two seater (the rear seats more suited to small children than grown-ups) with leather sports car bucket seats for those up front, together with distinctive controls and dials.

Unusually, the rear-view mirror is mounted on the dashboard. The roof can be opened and closed electronically using a switch on the steering wheel, which also incorporates a number of other controls, such as for the audio system.

That leaves the engines: under the bonnet there can be any one of the range of units already used in the Beetle, petrol or diesel.

Updated: 09:45 Friday, February 18, 2005