When 1930s Germany greeted the first preproduction Volkswagens, the coalscuttle-fendered cars were called KdF (or “Strength through Joy”)-Wagens. Thus, the new German “people’s” car laid claim to the idea of joyfulness even before the first regular model left the Bauhaus confines of its factory – and sooner than there was a production convertible in which to overrun surrounding countryside.

That had to wait until the nasty business of 1930s countryside overrunning was definitively settled. The first regular production VW Beetle convertible came along in the early postwar years and lasted through 1980, after which it was succeeded by VW’s Rabbit and Golf cabrios. Then, looking to reconquer the world by reviving its once-so-serious 1930s streamlining as a fanciful exercise in postmodern adorability, the New Beetle hatch came out in 1997. A convertible, also based on Volkswagen’s Golf platform, followed six years later.

The changes made to this car by the advent of the newest New Beetle soft top are minor. Volkswagen still offers its retractable-roofed front-drivers in GL and GLS trims, powering them with a standard 2.0-liter engine coupled to either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Antilock brakes and 15-inch tires are standard on all models, while a 10-speaker Monsoon(R) sound system and alloy wheels come standard on the GLS. There are also some cute new colors to mention, but any guy driving a car that comes with a bud vase as standard equipment would do well to make sure it’s painted black.

As indicated, New Beetle sedan styling updates a design that became historic by managing to stay in continuous production for nearly three generations. The convertible shares the sedan’s sheet metal forward of the firewall, and only subtly departs from it from the firewall back. Raised, the convertible’s top closely follows the sedan’s trademark arch. Effortlessly lowered in 13 seconds following the push of a button, the triple-layered top descends further than did its high-collared VW predecessors – a disappointment for those who might actually prefer the German staff car look that characterized older VW ragtops. Thus, the top less New Beetle appears more hunkered-down and Porsche-like than did earlier VW convertibles, particularly when the chromium accent strip that surrounds the car’s passenger cabin catches the light, or when you notice the word “Turbo” spelled out on a turbocharged GLS’s trunk lid in shining script.

The test convertible, a $28,000 “Mellow Yellow” GLS, is thus badged. It has a 1.8-liter, 150-horsepower, turbocharged motor that represents the penultimate in New Beetle power, a higher level being occupied by the 180-horsepower Turbo S hatch. Even so, the GLS provides both torque and turbo boost sufficient to give it satisfyingly quick midrange acceleration and performance.

Inside the test car, I sat nearly midarch behind a stylish dashboard set so deep into the cabin that its top portion resembled nothing so much as a stretch of interstate reaching to the windshield. The dash sported cool, watch-sized analog gauges and delicately proportioned radio controls. The interior was comfortable, and featured superior materials and workmanship. Manually adjustable front buckets and a contoured rear bench provided leather-covered seating for four. You need only to see a New Beetle to know that its headroom is excellent, but legroom is tight for anyone of more than medium height.

I set out, spreading the inky isobar of the test New Beetle’s domain over the region’s map until arriving at the farm town of New Berlin. En route, the convertible paused momentarily for its turbocharger to kick in, then accelerated with satisfying (if not exactly thrilling) verve, performing thereafter with the excellent drive qualities one would expect to find in a car based on the VW Golf. The convertible exhibited a degree of cowl shake, had a tendency to lean overmuch in curves, and caught crosswinds like a sail, but braked with authority and was appreciably tossable on back roads. Here one could feel the effect of its reinforced unibody structure and McPherson-strut front (and track-correcting rear torsion beam rear) suspensions striking the proper balance between handling and comfort. With these factors taken into account, I’d say that the New Beetle Convertible is an exercise in joy through strength – quite the opposite of the first model’s apparent intent.