Typically Volkswagen's convertibles feature exterior-mounted tonneau covers, but such a design wouldn't work with a
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| The Concept C is VW's first folding hardtop, with no ungainly tonneau cover to ruin the lines. (Photo: Volkswagen Canada) |
retractable hardtop design, and besides they're a pain to deal with and hardly look sleek anymore. But that said when the roof folds up on top it leaves a sizeable trunk for toting cargo, and now that the roof resides underneath the Concept C's skin when folded that trunk space is seriously compromised. When the roof is up an accommodating 400 liters (14.13 cu ft) of luggage volume is available. Dropping the top chops the load in half, leaving just 200 liters (7.06 cu ft) of volume, which is sub par to vehicles a class smaller than the Concept C. A tunnel pass through in the rear armrest allows for longer items such as skis to be transported, however.
Although VW stresses that the Concept C is a one-off purpose-built vehicle, it shares a lot of mechanical components with existing Volkswagens. The front suspension, including the struts, links, axles, and springs are carried over from the new Golf, as is the super-precise, self-centering electric power steering. I'm unsure if the production version will receive alternative components for the front end and steering system, but Volkswagen's investments into electric power steering probably means that the production version will use similar technology. It has also been suggested that the all-new rear suspension and chassis structure will be used to underpin the 2007 midsize Passat sedan.
Volkswagen has decided to showcase its new FSI technology in the Concept C as well. In case you haven't heard, FSI is
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| The Concept C's electric steering features a self-centering action to help keep the car on course no matter what. (Photo: Volkswagen Canada) |
featured in Volkswagen's all-new 2.0-liter inline-four, aided by direct injection, variable valve timing and a variable intake manifold. Instead of using a traditional fuel injection system, the FSI motor injects a super-fine spray of gasoline at an extremely high pressure directly into the cylinder, helping to improve combustion which thereby boosts power and lowers emissions. Producing 150 horsepower and 147 lb-ft of torque, the motor is a modest yet efficient motivator with a reasonable amount of power on tap. Linking the motor to the front wheels is Volkswagen's trademark dual-clutch six-speed DSG transmission, as seen in Audi's TT 3.2 DSG.
