Volkswagen has this week announced that its convertible Golf Cabriolet will return in 2011, at the same time signalling the death knell for the Golf 5-based Eos convertible.

The news follows reports from around this time last year that suggested Volkswagen’s purchase of the Karmann brand and its plant at Osnabruck could lead to the Cabrio’s return.

The Golf Cabrio last appeared in the company’s line-up as part of the Golf 3 range, although it benefited from a front-end Golf 4 update in 1999. The Eos, replacing the Cabrio when the fifth-generation Golf arrived, had a similar styling update last month, getting Volkswagen’s new letterbox grille and sharpened headlights.

Volkswagen has offered few details for the new Golf Cabriolet, although it is expected to do away with the folding hardtop of the Eos, returning to the softtop style of its predecessors. As with previous generations, the new Golf Cabrio will likely be all-but-identical to the Golf’s two-door bodystyle from the ground up to the belt line and boot lid.

Production is set to begin next year at Volkswagen’s Osnabruck plant in Germany. The last vehicle to be produced by Karmann at Osnabruck was the Mercedes Benz CLK, which finished production in June last year. Karmann and Volkswagen have a strong history together, thanks in particular to the iconic Beetle-based Karmann Ghia of the 1950s. Previous generations of the Golf Cabriolet have been built by Karmann, and with the current generation Eos reaching the end of its life cycle, a new Golf Cabrio has seemed likely for some time.

The renderings (above and top) offer a glimpse at how the new generation Golf Cabriolet might look.

Adapted from TheMotorReport

Sometime ago, rumours of a Golf 6 cabriolet surfaced, complete with renderings and an expected launch date of 2010. Of course production of the car still remains a rumour, and an unconfirmed one at that. Now that VW has completed its takeover of the former Karmann factory in Germany – the once iconic coachbuilder and convertible roof specialists who manufactured the classic Beetle-based Karmann Ghia coupe – rumours of the new cabriolet may not be unfounded. And thanks to the skills of a few graphic designers, we’re able to get an idea of what the new car may look like.

Assuming it gets the green light, the Golf 6 Cabrio will compete with such models as the Opel Astra CC and Peugeot 308CC, but unlike so many folding tin-top cabrios, Golf will instead offer a more traditional fabric top – technology shared with its Audi A3 cousin.

Should the roof technology be the same as that of Audi’s, the Golf Cabrio will utilise a multi-layer construction for impressive refinement at high speeds. The mechanism will also be fully automated and will be able to be raised or lowered at speeds of up to 30 km/h – a process that should take less than 10 seconds. Once down, the roof will sit flush with the bodywork behind the rear seats.

American fans of the Volkswagen Golf, or Rabbit as known in the US over the years, are still waiting to get their hands on the latest generation of the popular hatch. While the rest of the world, ourselves included, have been driving the car for almost a year already, the new car should be in US showrooms by next year. In the meantime though, German suspension manufacturer H&R decided to bring a sixth generation 2-door TDi to the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas to up the pre-launch heat – after all, ever since a team of top secret VW engineers slapped a GTI badge on the original Mk1 Golf the one thing that these cars have become known for is great handling.

As opposed to some of the more over the top examples of aftermarket influence at this year’s show, H&R has tastefully modified the Golf 6 TDi with a set of thin spoked O.Z. Racing rims measuring 20-inches in diameter with a tasteful red accent on the lip. Being the suspension specialists they are, H&R virtually eliminated whatever unsightly wheel gap VW gave the car from the factory, leaving the H&R TDi with the perfect stance, all before laying down a pair of German flag inspired side stripes unlike anything you have ever seen before.

A top class effort in our books, but an H&R GTI would also look the business.

The German tuners at Motoren Technik Mayer have just come out with a stellar example of the world’s favourite sport compact car, the Volkswagen GTI.

The standard Golf 6 GTI comes from the factory with a 155 kW 2,0-litre TFSI four cylinder engine and Volkswagen launched the more potent 199 kW Golf R at the Frankfurt Motor Show recently.  The new MTM VW GTI however, promises to deliver power on par with the Golf R and should save owners quite a few pennies at the same time.

For the fraction of the difference between the two cars, owners can upgrade their front wheel drive hot hatch with MTM’s tuning program that raises output to match the Golf R at 199 kW but also raises torque to a total of400 N.m. With a simple air filter and reflashed ECU the GTI’s top speed rises to 264 km/h. In order to handle the additional power MTM offers a variety of high performance clutches and a variety of Brembo brake setups, to bring the high speed high jinks to a quick halt. Finishing off MTM’s latest show piece are a set of their signature Bimoto lightweight rims, measuring 19 inches in diameter and finished in a similar black to compliment the decorative stripe that runs along the base of the doorsill.

The German tuner is offering an all around upgrade for the Golf 6 GTI that makes it almost as good as the upcoming Golf R for a lot less money.

Adapted from TopSpeed