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2013 VW Beetle Convertible arrives

The new 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible has been revealed ahead of a launch at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. The new Beetle Convertible is due to bow in at the LA Auto Show in November  but VW obviously decided it was pragmatic to get an early reveal out of the way before the new Bug soft top trickled on to the Interwebs of its own accord. What we get is what we expected (although we did hold out a little hope the new Beetle Cabriolet would look more like the E-Bugster Cabriolet Concept); a convertible version of the 2012 Beetle with a pram style soft top that sits on the boot.

Year-end discounts on 2012 models

Dealerships are working to get rid of the remaining 2012 models as the year comes to an end, so there are plenty of incentives on 2012 cars, pickups and SUVs. Here are our picks for the best deals: Chrysler 300 Chrysler is offering up to $5,500 cash back to buyers of select 2012 Chrysler 300 models. The most steeply discounted models include both the rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive versions of the 300C, 300C Luxury Series and 300S V8, as well as the 300S Mopar 12 rear-wheel-drive model.

Ralph Gilles talks past, present and SRT future

Ralph Gilles -- SRT boss, Chrysler vice president of design, curator of something called the "Man Van," has become the public face of Chrysler performance, carrying the legacy of Firepower engines and 428 Coronets and the Dodge Viper RT/10 into the future with the Challenger, Charger and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8s. Since "unofficially" helping form it in 2003, Gilles has seen SRT transformed into Chrysler's most coherent performance strategy since Plymouth Rapid Transit, a company-wide force so much greater than the flagship Dodge Viper. He was there from the beginning.