Top Ten Coolest Convertibles
Glamourous lady, stereo on, hood down - what convertibles are all about
Author: Robin Brown
Published: 16 May 2008
You're cruising along a country lane, tip your boater to a bicycling Vicar, Elgar is one the the radiogram, there's pure English honey and scones in the picnic hamper and dreaming spires in the distance.
Suddenly you're cut up by a bright red convertible, which is blasting out west coast rock. The vicar cycles into a hedge, there's elderflower wine all over the travel rug and a distant squawk as an unlucky pheasant meets its maker beneath the drop-top's wheels.
And you realise that it's time to buy a convertible.
Despite the associated costs, impracticality and occasional vulgarity of the cabriolet, roadster and convertible - there's an undeniable romance to the whole idea of topless driving that is inevitably boosted by the first arrival of summer.
And if there's ever an ultimate heart-over-head impulse purchase it's the cabrio during May: a whole summer ahead of you; that road trip across the South of France you've planned for years; and blasting out Don Henley to the admiring glances of the opposite sex. Or the same sex. Either way, sex and convertibles are closely matched.
Never mind the stories about them leaking, about the rag-tops being like a light to a moth for car thieves, or the fact that you can't afford it - you really can't beat the sheer excitement of driving a roofless car.
So, with all of this in mind, we present a rundown of the ten coolest, most styling, and fastest convertibles on the market today. If you're looking for something more sensible try our top ten cabrios under £20K.
There's nothing remotely practical, cost-effective or even climate-friendly about these models. They'll cost an arm and a leg to run, they'll be as much use as a spoiler on a Robin Reliant around town and they'll attract tree-huggers, yobs and excitable children with sticky fingers, but it'll all be worth it the first time you drop that roof.
Aston DB9 Volante
• Cost: £118,750
• Speed: 165mph
• Review: Aston DB9 review
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Aston's latest Dave Brown is reckoned to be a major stride from the previous model, and it doesn't carry with it the massive price premium of the DBS.
What's more, you can drop the hood on the Volante. So basically what you have is one of the finest driving cars on the planet, one of the best-looking cars on the planet - and it's a convertible. What else could you want?
Powered by a 450bhp V12 that clears 62mph in under five seconds and goes on to 165mph, the DB9 can mix it where stats are concerned, and that Bond-esque sheen that the DB9 lends can't be beaten.
Bentley Azure
• Cost: £225,900
• Speed: 168mph Free quotes: Compare free no-obligation quotes
Vulgar, new money and quite ridiculous. The Azure is all of these things, but it's also the most coveted car in the world. There's genuine space for four, plenty of boot space and any gadget you care to name - literally.
It may not be to everyone's taste but the Azure is a massive luxury car that also happens to go like the veritable clappers. 62mph takes less than ten seconds - not bad for a car that weighs about the same as a small house - and you won't stop 'til you hit nearly 170mph.
It's a long way from John Steed, but until Rolls comes along with a reply it's the most exclusive convertible in the world.
BMW Z4
• Cost: From £24,210
• Speed: 149mph-155mph
• Review: BMW Z4 review
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Looking like nothing less than the Batmobile, the Z4's looks divide opinion like no other - as far as people concerned it's a brilliant retro evocation of 30's roadsters or its a vulgar and overstyled throwback that has none of the class of those it's emulating.
Either way, the Z4 is undeniably striking, and it's a much better car than its predecessor. The ultimate driving machine in this segment? Possibly - the Z4 weighs sod all and can come equipped with a Z4M 3.2-litre brute that will have you torque steering all over the road 'til you hit 62mph in five seconds, or a garden wall. Whichever comes first really.
All that, plus the roof is the fastest-deploying tin top in the world.
Ferrari F430 Spider
• Cost: From £137,892
• Speed: 193mph
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One of the best cars in the world in convertible format. The Spider's 4.3-litre V8 propels you to 62mph in four seconds, before going on to 193mph.
Crank down the hood, fire up Don Henley on the stereo, pick a twisty ocean-view road as the sun is going down.
Jaguar XK
• Cost: From £66,097
• Speed: 155mph
• Review: Jaguar XK Convertible review
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The Jag XK is pure class. Remove the roof and it becomes pure class will a little bit of filth thrown in.
The supercharged 4.2-litre puts out well over 400 horses and torques. It also thrives on being thrown into corners
Half Grand Tourer, half out-and-out sports car, the Jaguar XK Convertible can either, depending on your mood. And it's frankly beautiful and ever-so-slightly British.
Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster
• Cost: £211,000
• Speed: 206mph
An absolutely mental car that almost defies critical description. One of the cars that claims to be the fastest roadster in the world - a title also claimed by the Veyron Targa - the Lambo harks after 60s Italian targas and adds a dash of 2001-style futurism.
Its roof is crap, and the Murcielago will be as practical as a jumbo jet, but it's probably the ultimate poser's car - ever.
Lotus Elise
• Cost: £24,900
• Speed: 127mph-133mph
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A car that's created for flat-out turn-ins and fusing driver and vehicle together in a struggle to stay on the road. The Elise's looks are undeniably head-turning, but that's not what it's all about.
The Elise is an out-and-out driver's car, but its packed with useful driving aids and makes up for the small engines with its minute weight.
Creature comforts will be a few and far between, but when you're having as much fun as you do in an Elise, that won't matter any more.
Mercedes SL
• Cost: From £62,782
• Speed: 155mph
• Review: Mercedes SL-Class review
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A classy and refined convertible with a range of engines that reach their ultimate conclusion in the mental SL55 AMG - a 6.0-litre V12 with over 600 horses and over 700 torques. All that power takes a stiff chassis to make the most of it, and the SL does possesses just that, with Active Body Control tuned to open-top driving.
Where the Merc roadster really excels, though, is in it style and looks. Superb from the outside, classy and refined on the inside with loads of cosseting kit and sharp gadgets like the Airscarf system to warm your neck, the SL has just been refreshed and is arguably the best all-round drop-top in this list.
Nissan 350Z
• Cost: £28,295
• Speed: 155mph
• Review: Nissan 350Z review
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Great supercar styling combined with affordable prices make the 350Z a stiff competitor in the convertible stakes. From some angles there's a little of the Porsche Boxster in the Nissan's styling, but it frankly looks even better.
With a limited top speed of 155mph generated by the 350Z's revised 300+bhp 3.5-litre V6, you'll not only be able to travel in style, but you'll be able to do it pretty damn quickly - with loads of torque down at the low end - and losing the roof hasn't dented the roadster's driveability, thanks to significant stiffening of the chassis.
The roof takes 20 seconds to drop, at which point you should immediately drive to Spain and eat paella at a rustic restaurant.
Porsche Boxster
• Cost: £33,375
• Speed: 160mph-169mph
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Porsche styling's a matter of taste, but the handling ability and performance of the German sports cars is rarely questioned.
And the 911's little brother is probably the better drive of the two, losing nothing of its ability with the roof off thanks to its mid-mounted engine and design as an out-and-out roadster, rather than a coupe with the roof cut off.
The roof takes 12 seconds to fold down, and you can do it while travelling at up to 30mph. Go for a manual, and make sure you get a good stereo.
Alternatives
Alfa Romeo Spyder
• Cost: From £26,940
• Speed: 147mph-155mph
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A beautiful car that ticks all the correct Alfa boxes: Looks great, decent engine, uncomfortable drive.
Audi TT
• Cost: From £26,940
• Speed: 147mph-155mph
• Review: Audi TT review
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The notorious hairdresser's car is, in reality, nothing of the sort and you wouldn't get much in the way beyond curling tongs in the back.
Take it to the beach or the country and it won't let you don't. Take it to Tesco and you'll just look a bit of a berk.
Maserati Spyder
• Cost: £69,040
• Speed: 176mph
• Review: Maserati Spyder review
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Combines style and power in a refined manner and lack of fuss, and the interior looks beautiful. Think of the Spyder as a classic Italian GT and enjoy what it does and you won't be sorry.
BMW 6-Series Convertible
• Cost: From £57,415
• Speed: 155mph
• Review: BMW 6-Series Convertible review
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Probably ranks beneath the Jag and Merc in this list and the Z4 is way more interesting, but not a bad car by any means.
• Cost: From £28,050
• Speed: 150mph
• Review: Honda S2000 review
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Another Japanese roadster that's great fun - cheap, quick and good-looking, but getting a bit long in the tooth.
• Cost: Around one hundred billion pounds
• Speed: 230+mph
There's probably about three in the world right now, and two of them will be owned by people who live in volcanoes.
Honda S2000
Bugatti Veyron Targa
From blue-collar America, the open expanses of deep south highways and a rain-soaked Merseyside, we bring together the top ten driving tunes
Summer is in the air and a young motorist´s fancy turns to open-top driving. Never fear, we round up the best ten cabrios under £20K.
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Buyers of used convertibles are spoiled for choice, with second-hand values dropping sharply for open-top models, according to EurotaxGlass’s.
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