Free Republic

Like the dawn of a new year, the 10 cars in this list are full of promise and potential. From high-powered exotics to nimble family sedans and sporty hatchbacks, the class of 2011 has something for everyone. These cars are cooler than a red-nosed Times Square reveler at 12:01 a.m. on January 1st. They’re also the cars we’re most excited to drive in 2011...

Volkswagen of America Inc. on Friday offered the first official glimpse at the convertible version of its New Beetle. Volkswagen hasn't yet released pricing for the convertible Beetle, but it features the same rounded looks as its hardtop siblings, but with a fabric roof, and uses the same four-cylinder engines. Volkswagen has sold more than 320,000 New Beetle sedans in the United States since the car's 1998 North American launch. Built at the company's Puebla, Mexico, assembly plant, the Beetle convertible is expected to arrive in dealerships by the end of the year.

In my best memory it is always the summer of 1955, when I was just 16 and the sun-filled days were held in an aspic of innocent ennui; when the unmarred moon was much fuller and counted Indian months; when the air was clear, the river clean for swimming and my girlfriend a gentle soul who slow-danced with me to Sinatra tunes.Remember the movie "Picnic?" That's how it was...(snip)Click here for complete article.