Volkswagen Turned A Sedan Into A Quirky Convertible

The car was created in just six weeks.

By: Adrian Padeanu

Feb 6, 2024 at 2:36am ET

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From the company that gave us the oddball T-Roc crossover with a folding fabric top, here comes an open-air sedan. Volkswagen Brazil has taken the wraps (and roof) off a Virtus sedan that 30 engineers six weeks to complete. You might be wondering – What the heck is a Virtus? It's basically a sedan version of the Polo supermini.

The convertible is a unique project designed specifically for the visit of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to VW's factory in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo. It doesn't seem to be a convertible per se since none of the images actually show the Virtus with the roof in place. Aside from losing the B and C pillars, the car has been subjected to additional changes.

Volkswagen Virtus convertible

VW's Brazilian team tweaked the body to create a more spacious rear compartment. This modification, however, necessitated a change in the size of the fuel tank. Furthermore, the body underwent reinforcement and a transversal bar was installed between the front and rear seats for passengers in the back to hold onto while standing up.

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The quirky open-top Virtus marks the fifth vehicle modified by Volkswagen Brazil for presidential visits, following the Fusca/Beetle (1959, 1993), Polo Sedan (2003), and Fox (2005). The country's president toured the plant while riding in the back of this sedan-turned-convertible contraption. The car will now rest in a museum of historic vehicles located within the factory.

Toyota did a similar conversion at the beginning of the year when it introduced a Century Convertible SUV. That one-off wasn't built for the president since Japan is a monarchy. Instead, it's a parade vehicle destined to be used by the Japan Sumo Association.