Out And About With The Goddess

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

Germany is one of the largest convertible markets worldwide. The VW Eos, however, came much too late to pose a threat to the competition. In California, the goddess of the dawn met friend and foe.

By Stefan Grundhoff

In view of the warm temperatures, magnificent landscapes and endless highways, there is no more perfect convertible country than California. In the state of the former Mucki king Arnold Schwarzenegger you can enjoy the open hat like hardly anywhere else in the world. Not only the local convertible brands Chrysler, Ford and Toyota are strong here. Volkswagen has a special history in the most car-rich state in the USA. Nowhere are there more sun worshipers who still drive convertible versions of the Beetle, Kübelwagen, Golf or Beetle today. Even some open VW bus conversions were once to be admired thanks to casual regulations.

Roof only functional when standing

At the start of the tour in San Francisco, the light blue Eos of the modern era already meets its brother. On the crowded Highway 280 in the direction of downtown, there is eye contact with an almost identical sun goddess - an Eos also with a two-liter displacement, DSG and 200 hp. Despite a sunny 19 degrees Celsius, the pretty pilot decided to keep the roof closed and closed. Maybe it hasn't stopped in the impending traffic jam. One of the disadvantages of the VW. The fully electric roof only opens and closes when the vehicle is stationary. The wide highways between San Jose and San Francisco seem to be made to measure for the Eos. The front-wheel drive is not a corner breaker, one with which brisk driving lures. The driving forces in the steering are annoying.200 HP and 280 Nm torque work noticeably at the wheel, especially when starting off. The convincing double clutch doesn't change that either.

However, there is no need for a wind deflector. The route to the gamblers' paradise Las Vegas is long and so it is already at half past two in the night over the Bay Bridge in an easterly direction to Oakland. It's cool, but anything but cold, and the seat heating is booming. Even with the roof open, there is enough space in the trunk for a large suitcase and two bags. If necessary, the back seat would also help, because in the second row, apart from very short short trips, you shouldn't seriously let anyone sit down. The Eos can only be loaded and unloaded when the roof is closed. Otherwise there are broken fingernails and broken luggage. The consumption of the four-cylinder remains within limits. State-of-the-art engine technology with turbocharger,Thanks to direct injection and the strict US speed limits, consumption is less than seven liters of super per 100 kilometers.

Cruising through the desert

The first refueling is only due after sunrise. $ 3.16 for a gallon of super bring tears to eyes given the high gasoline prices in Europe. In warm weather we continue towards the Mojave Desert, past the famous Edwards Airforce Base and Barstow to the change of state to Nevada. Long tours like this are fun. Casual, calm and confident, the Lower Saxony native of Portugal does not allow himself to be disturbed in the gaming metropolis.

This is where the first significant foreign contact occurs. Several Chrysler Sebring Cabriolets will be passed during the first morning. The still young Sebring is the most dangerous Eos opponent in the USA and is therefore the best-selling rental convertible. The space it offers is more generous than in the spacious Eos. The rental cars are equipped with an inexpensive PVC roof. For real customers there is a choice between chic fabric and an all-electric aluminum roof. At least in the USA it relies on solid V6 technology with around 180 hp. Not a bad choice for cruising either.

VW paradise LA

A few miles further in the direction of the Wynn Hotel, the VW Eos meets its predecessor - at least in a closed form. The beige beetle has seen better days; the boxer, however, is still rattling vigorously. It is doubtful whether the Eos will one day become such a classic. Before heading back to the coast, there are more encounters with the Ford Mustang Cabrio and the anything but convincing Toyota Solara, which is only on the market in the USA.

If the VW Eos was already able to impress on the San Francisco Bay, in the Nevada desert and on the long connecting routes, its big hour is striking in Los Angeles. Nowhere in the US can you find more old Volkswagens. From the T1 Bully to the latest Touareg V8, everything is represented. In Marina del Rey to the south, a short stop at a dark VW Golf I convertible. Ouch, there's hardly anything that can be done. A few meters further, a former dark green Classic Line beckons. Its roof is open. Inside there is beige leather and air conditioning, which is rare in Germany. More was not available in the early 1990s. Its roof was probably not closed for years and even Westcoast Customs can no longer save the leather.

Is that the new Jetta?

It goes on to Venice. This is where scene people, a few celebrities and the alternatives of Los Angeles prefer to live. Finally the first Beetle Cabriolet - in faded yellow with an open roof and indefinable mileage. Black leatherette seats and a broken Pioneer radio show that the owner likes surfboards better than his Beetle. This is what convertibles looked like in the early 1970s. The difference to the current Eos - more than half an eternity.

The last time you refuel in Venice Beach there is the first real shock. After a lot of recognition in the last few days, a woman in her mid-forties approaches the Eos and suddenly asks: “Looks good. Is that the new Jetta? At second glance you can't even contradict it. Doesn't change anything: The VW Eos is a temptation for cruisers, especially with the 2.0 TFSI engine. But the design should be a little sharper with the best will. The Eos can still learn a lot here, even in the homeland of convertibles.

Fight with the Beetle

The VW Eos has been the Germans' favorite convertible since it was launched. The folding roof version was able to leave the previous models VW Beetle Cabrio and the open VW Golf III far behind. And in the USA too, the Eos is well on the way to becoming one of the most successful convertibles. In the first five months of sales in 2006, 14,200 vehicles were sold. This year the chances are good to leave the very successful US Beetle behind.