Updated: Click here for official Audi A3 Cabrio information

Audi’s top brass have confirmed that production for the new A3 Convertible is scheduled to start at the luxury brand’s car plant in Brussels by late 2008. Positioned against its arch rival, BMW’s new 3-series drop-top, the new A3 variant is expected to eschew a folding metal roof in favor of a less complex and lighter canvas top to give it a performance edge over the BMW. The guys over at The German Car Blog managed to dig up this latest information and even include a couple of new renderings of the car.

a3cab2_450.jpg

a3cab2_450.jpg

These images are an accurate representation of the final styling of the new model and reveal that the car will feature seating for up to four passengers and slightly different front end styling to the current A3. The biggest change is the revised bonnet that has been positioned higher in line with the latest pedestrian safety regulations.

BMW won’t be resting on the laurels of its popular 3-series cabrio. Expect to see the launch of convertible versions of its upcoming 1-series coupe around the same time as the A3 convertible is released.