Volkswagen EOS TFSI Cabriolet 2007

IF THE fantasies of the past are yet to come to fruition – flying cars, swimming cars – at least we have the coupe-cabriolet. Here is a concept that can be a full-blown convertible one minute, and an enclosed, metal-roofed coupe the next. Car-makers cannot get into the act fast enough. Mercedes-Benz started the modern trend with its two-seat SLK during the 1990s and now just about everybody wants a piece of the action. And – when you consider some of the early and even still-current attempts at getting the styling right – they are starting to look good too. But, until VW’s Eos came along early this year, nobody had devised a coupe-convertible that virtually closed the gap to regular coupes by designing-in a sliding glass sunroof. In a market niche where ingenuity abounds, the four-seat Eos stands at the front of the pack.