Want to buy a luxury convertible?
Buying a Convertible is no longer as simple as it used to be. For a start, there are now four quite different market sectors from which to choose, full of products offering quite different recipes for wind-in-the-hair driving pleasure.
You used to know what you were getting from the name. Whereas the ‘Convertible‘ title designated a fully-folding roof, ‘Cabriolets‘ left you with an unsightly rollover hoop once you were open to the elements. Fortunately, these days, stiffer bodies have tended to make such hoops a thing of the past but the ‘Cabriolet‘ tag remains.
Either way, it’s first of all a case of deciding exactly what you want. At entry-level for example, you’ve all the Family Hatchback-based models like the folding metal-top roof CC versions of cars like Ford’s Focus, Renault’s Megane or Vauxhall’s Astra. Next up are Roadsters like Mazda’s MX-5 and Lotus’ Elise, suitable for real enthusiasts or those who want a second (or third) weekend car.
Here however, we’re looking at the luxury convertible sector of the drop to market - and it’s a wide one offering anything from an Alfa Romeo Spider for not much more than £25,000 to a Mercedes SL for over six figures.
To try and make your search easier, here are a few of my favorite arrivals in different parts of this sector….
Alfa Romeo Spider - £25,995-£31,250
Let’s cut straight to the chase. If you’re looking for a driver’s car along the lines of a Porsche Boxster or a Nissan 350Z Roadster, Alfa Romeo’s Spider isn’t going to leave you wholly impressed. It just can’t match these titans in terms of go, stop and steer. If for you however, the drop top experience is not so much about driving the tread off the tires and more about aesthetics, feel-good tactility and savoring the journey, the Spider can’t fail to impress.
Alfa Romeo Spider
The electrically operated fabric roof is quite an installation, the five-layer system insulating the cabin from wind and road noise while also offering excellent thermal insulation properties - so often a bugbear of convertible cars. The penalty for enjoying the fresh air is the removal of the Brera coupe’s rear seats, but these vestigial items were really only any good for slinging a bag onto. Practicality isn’t a Spider strong point, the boot holding a rather mean 235 liters although the roof doesn’t impinge on that capacity when folded down. On the plus side, there are some cubbies instead of rear seats that keep your belongings safe and sound.
Alfa Romeo Spider
The entry-level 2.2-liter car looks set to be the big seller and in 2.2 JTS guise will cost from around £26,000. The range-topping Spider variant is the storming 3.2-liter all-wheel drive Q4. This model will hit 60mph in 7.0 seconds and packs a 260bhp punch.
BMW 3 Series Convertible - £30,630-£40,250
For the first time, BMW have launched a convertible with a folding metal top rather than a fabric roof. As you’d expect, this 3 Series drop top is beautifully engineered, featuring much the same beautifully precise weight distribution and pin-sharp handling as any normal tin-top 3 Series.
BMW 3 Series Convertible
The operation of the roof takes a so-so 22 seconds (compare that to 12 seconds for a Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe) but there are some real practicality benefits offered. Because of the larger glass rear screen and side windows, visibility has improved by 38 per cent when compared to its predecessor. Not only does this mean that rear seat occupants will feel less claustrophobic, it’s also an important safety feature, with cars and bikes less able to sit in your blind spot on motorways.
The line-up starts at £30,630 with the 320i SE Convertible. At the top sits the flagship variant and the version that’s got everybody in the know excited, the 306bhp 335i Convertible that costs £40,250 in sporty M Sport guise. This is a revolutionary engine insofar as it marks BMW’s first turbocharged petrol unit ever offered in an open top car.
BMW 3 Series Convertible
Accelerating from zero to 60mph in just 5.5 seconds, this is a car that’s almost as fast as the old-shape M3 yet which is far less temperamental.
Volvo C70 D5 - £29,420-£33,170
The very concept of a diesel-powered convertible car was a big no no until relatively recently. Then came the diesel revolution fueled by new technology which added cleanliness and refinement to the oil-burning engine’s list of qualities. Today, most buyers wouldn’t think twice about driving a drop-top that drinks from the black pump. In fact, in the case of cars like Volvo’s languid C70 convertible, the diesel option may well be preferable to good old unleaded.
Volvo C70
Small convertibles are all about exhilaration and adrenaline but Volvo’s C70 is very much a big convertible. The car majors on luxury and relaxed style: it’s high street cruiser rather than B-road bruiser. As a result, the C70 and Volvo’s 178bhp 2.4-liter D5 diesel engine look a good match - on paper at least.
The D5 is common-rail turbo diesel with a five cylinder configuration. The 178bhp output indicates strong performance and the 0-60mph sprint of 8.8s is very rapid for a vehicle of the C70’s bulk but it’s the engine’s hefty torque output that defines its on-road character.
Volvo C70
A muscular 350Nm is generated between 1,750 and 3,250Nm and this endows the car with strong and instantly available acceleration across a wide range of engine speeds. It also helps the D5 work nicely with its 5-speed Geartronic automatic transmission. The gearbox doesn’t have to work hard to keep the engine on the boil and it all adds to the tranquil atmosphere inside the C70. The car produces a 38.7mpg combined fuel economy figure and CO2 emissions are pegged at 193g/km.
Tags: convertible, luxury, cars engines, fuel economy, acceleration, Volvo, Vauxhall, BMW, Ford, top cars
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