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The squashed-roof, 2012 Volkswagen Beetle that went on sale in September 2011 proved VW could bring both Golf-level driving dynamics and more masculine lines to a car that had been known more for its bud vase and other girly features than for pleasing enthusiasts. On the day before the 2013 Beetle convertible debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the question on our minds as we set off from the Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, heading up the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu, was: "Can VW chop off its roof and still appeal to men?" After all, four-seat, brightly colored ragtops don't exactly engender images of Vin Diesel, do they? What we have here is a car that was redesigned specifically for men, transformed into a convertible, an automotive body style that is inherently more appealing to women. Can Volkswagen have it both ways?