Watch Andrew Frankel and Nicholas Rufford in a clash
of the convertibles head to head at Brands Hatch here
In television commercials convertible drivers are forever breezing through a
sunlit Tuscan landscape, wind in their hair, sun reflecting off their
aviator sunglasses. But the reality is more likely to be played out in
Southwold than Siena.
Britons now buy twice as many convertibles per head as Italians and 10 times
more than the Spanish. Warmer summers have combined with cheap retractable
metal roofs to give convertibles unprecedented appeal among British car
buyers.
If you want proof, consider that in 1996 just over 30,000 convertibles were
sold in the UK. Last year that number was more than 100,000, and even though
the total market has grown in that time, convertibles have still nearly
tripled their market share in the past decade.
But with so many on sale at almost all points of the price spectrum, choosing
which to be seen in is not easy. So here is our guide to 10 of the newest,
most interesting convertibles we’ve driven in the past year.
1. Peugeot
207 CC £14,795-£17,112
The car that started the craze for folding hard tops, the 206 CC, has just
been replaced and the 207 CC is better in all important regards. It’s built
to an altogether higher standard, has a much better cabin, more interior
room and is considerably more refined, roof up or down. But perhaps most
important is the fact that this budget-priced convertible is considerably
more fun to drive than its strong-selling forebear, not least because its
chassis is much stronger and less inclined to flop about over the bumps. An
almost unknown sight on our roads now, it will be all over the place by the
end of summer.
2. Ford
Focus CC £16,810-£20,275
As the new Mondeo and S-Max show, Ford is very good at mainstream cars. But
those who thought its late arrival in the coupé-cabriolet market was simply
to make sure the product was the best will be disappointed. It’s
odd-looking, which isn’t a great recommendation for a car in such a
style-led class, the rear seats are near enough useless and, most shameful
of all for a Ford, it’s not even that great to drive. The one thing it’s got
going for it is a reasonable-sized boot with the roof down. Our advice?
Either buy an Astra TwinTop or, if you can, take a deep breath and spend the
extra needed for a VW Eos.
3. Volkswagen
Eos £19,722-£28,427
Forget the name, what you’re looking at is a Golf cabriolet. And if it seems
fairly shocking that prices should start at £20,000, we thought that too,
until we drove it. The Eos, with its clever stacking roof system,
fantastically stiff and robust construction and fine looks is clearly a cut
above the Focus/Astra mob. It’s refined, good to drive and offers more than
vestigial room behind its rear seats. If you can’t quite stretch to a BMW
3-series convertible, this is a fine alternative.
4. Alfa
Romeo Spider £25,995-£31,250
Forty years since Dustin Hoffman immortalised the Alfa Spider in The Graduate,
Alfa’s latest convertible is arguably its best looking yet. While other
cabriolets struggle to match the style of the coupés they’re based on, the
Alfa Brera-derived Spider is a delight for the eyes and, after many years,
at last a worthy successor to the original. Others may be better to drive
but if you just want a car to make you look and feel good, it is right now
the undoubted star of this sector of the market. You can spend extra on a
diesel or V6 model, but we reckon the basic 2.2 litre four-cylinder petrol
version is the one to choose.
5. BMW
3-series convertible £30,660-£40,355
The BMW 3-series is a long way from the best-looking convertible on the market
and even further from being the best driver’s car this kind of money can
buy. But if you want a car with decent performance, good response, a
practical interior and an effective convertible top, this is still by far
the best in its class. BMW’s first metal-roofed convertible is not without
its problems – it’s very heavy and is nothing like as good to drive as the
coupé on which it is based – but if you’re shopping in this corner of the
market we’d still advise you to put it at the top of your list.
6. Jaguar
XK convertible £66,085-£73,585
If Jaguar is to reclaim its position as a manufacturer of premium sports cars,
it is models like the fabulous XK convertible that will take it there. If
you think of a car that delivers everything you’d hope for from a 21st
century convertible Jaguar, this is the car that’s in your mind. It’s fast
but civilised, fun yet comfortable for hours on end. And, unlike most
convertibles, it’s damn near as good to drive as its coupé sister. People
often mistake it for the convertible Aston Martin DB9 but the truth is the
Jag is not just much cheaper it’s the better car too.
7. Aston
Martin V8 Vantage Roadster £91,000
Aston Martin has learnt a lot of lessons since it launched the gorgeous but
dynamically compromised DB9 Volante, and the convertible Vantage is the
proof. While the DB9 coupé is a wildly better car to drive than the Volante,
the Vantage has suffered hardly at all from being converted into a Roadster.
In fact because you can now hear its gorgeous 4.3 litre V8 motor much more
clearly, it’s a more exciting car to drive on a good road than the standard
Vantage. Combined with good looks, that badge and massive waiting lists, the
Vantage Roadster may just be the most coveted convertible of them all.
8. Lamborghini
Gallardo Spyder £131,000
Lamborghini owners have always been as concerned with how they look as how
their car goes and, with the Gallardo Spyder, they can enjoy the best of
both worlds. With Audi supervising its engineering the Spyder is built to a
standard Lamborghini would not have even recognised 10 years ago. With a
full dose of Italian engineering flair, not to mention a 520bhp 5 litre V10
motor under the engine cover, the Gallardo Spyder is that rare thing among
Italian supercars: one where the reality more than matches the dream. Just
don’t expect it to take much of your luggage.
9. Bentley
Azure £222,500
If you want a convertible in which to scream around the place as fast as
possible, look away now. The Azure is certainly fast, thanks to its 450bhp
6.75 litre twin-turbo engine, but if there is a more chilled-out car on the
planet we’ve not been behind its wheel. A full four seater, handbuilt in 650
hours by craftsmen in Crewe, it offers a step back to a time when the world
was a gentler, more civilised and relaxed place. You waft, rather than
drive, from place to place, in sybaritic comfort and style. It may be
outrageously expensive and irrelevant to all but a massively monied few but
if it didn’t exist it would have had to be invented.
10. Rolls-Royce
Phantom Drophead Coupé £260,000
You’d think there’s no better way to arrive than in Rolls’s new Phantom
Drophead Coupé. From its flat nose to the teak decking at the rear it is the
most distinctive looking convertible in mainstream production (that doesn’t
mean prettiest). It’s also the most expensive. Is it worth it? Hard to be
say because Rolls-Royce has been teasing the motoring world for so long
that, frankly, it’s hard to tell what’s hype and what’s not. First
impressions are that it’s a firmer drive than the Phantom on which it’s
based, and more responsive. We’ll let you know in due course how it compares
side by side with the Azure, bearing in mind that it costs £40,000 more.
