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First Drive: 2003 Audi A4 Cabriolet

A4 goes al fresco

Audi gave up some open-air excitement when its previous Cabriolet went out of production in 2000. For '03, the four-place Cab comes back, born again into the A4 lineup.

Built on Audi's new B6 platform, the Cabriolet's chassis has been strategically strengthened, resulting in a 112-percent increase in structural rigidity over the last-generation convert. The result is that cowl shake and chassis vibration are virtually nonexistent, even over poor road surfaces. Inside, leather is standard, and a dash pad and door panels differentiate the Cab from other A4s.

Framed in aluminum and steel, the A4's well-padded top is covered in triple-layer materials. A console-mounted button controls the electro-hydraulic top ballet, converting the Cab to open-air mode in 24 seconds.

Power comes from the current 3.0L/220-hp five-valve V-6; the only transmission offered is the Multitronic CVT with front drive. Power delivery is smooth, strong, and linear, though the shiftless tranny takes some getting used to. Because of that, Audi has added a Tiptronic mode that simulates the sensation of "gears" and allows the driver to electronically shift between them. Unfortunately, the Cab isn't available with quattro or a manual gearbox.

Only 7300 units are heading our way, and the decidedly attractive A4 Cabriolet should compete well against its counterparts offered by BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo.

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