Erin Baker: The 10 best soft-tops for Spring and Summer sun
Erin Baker
Spring is finally sprung. And that’s good news not just for classic-car owners, but also those who took an optimistic punt on the British weather and bought a convertible. Weirdly the UK is the second-biggest convertible market in Europe, after Germany. Or, not so weirdly, when you consider we do anything to get our faces in the meagre sunshine and feel the warm air on our faces, no matter what the temperature is. Here are the 10 best convertibles on the market right now, in our expert opinion.
Mazda MX-5 RF
It’s like a normal MX-5, but better. Instead of a fabric roof, there’s a targa-style metal one (RF stands for retractable fastback), which hardens the looks, but the sublime performance which has made this roadster the number one best seller in the world remains. Just make sure you pick the 2.0-litre petrol engine with the manual gearbox, not the 1.5.
Abarth 124 Spider
OK, so it’s basically a Mazda MX-5 under that paintwork, but it feels like a proper little Abarth should feel – passionate, punchy, bold and a little bit hardcore. You can have it in white, grey or black, with a matt black bonnet and red door mirrors and front lip. The exhausts sound phenomenal for a car without a big engine and there’s a limited slip differential and Bilstein suspension. There are also 30 extra horses over the bog-standard Fiat 124 Spider.
Audi TT RS Roadster
This is the grown-up choice on the list. The interior is classic muted Audi fare, the outside has the new, sharper creases and lines in the bodywork to make it a far more appealing proposition than the bubble-car model that preceded it. A fixed wing at the back gives you some indication of the power being sent through all four wheels, from the 2.5-litre, five-cylinder engine. To be precise, it’s 395 of Germany’s finest horsepower, and in a car this light, that’s all (more than) you’re ever going to want.
Porsche 718 Boxster
Yes, it’s turbocharged, but it’s still got sublime handling and great looks. The new 2.0-litre engine produces 296bhp, and you get almost 40mpg. It’s also almost a second quicker to 62mph than its predecessor if you choose the PDK automatic gearbox, and, with whisper-thin snicks between gear changes, why wouldn’t you? It also fits a 6ft 2in man behind the wheel with surprising ease. We suggest going the whole hog and ordering one in yellow, with matching yellow seatbelts. When in Stuttgart…
BMW Z4
Very Germanic, very refined, very svelte and utterly sophisticated. A metal folding roof means a quieter cabin at speed and makes this a good two-seater for trans-Continental touring. There’s decent space, good connectivity and it looks the business. Go for the 35i petrol engine and get some decent kicks. You’re only young at heart once.
Aston Martin DB11 Volante
We had to test this at the beginning of the year in two feet of snow in the hills above Nice, but we could see the potential, even at 20mph on oversteer. It’s the best-looking convertible out there, no question, with LED lights across the rump and curving, flicked bodywork kicking the air away. This is a grand tourer with a purring 4.0-litre V8 engine, not a pure sports car, so inside there is a decent amount of space for two adults and their weekend luggage in the boot. The best way to see Europe.
McLaren 570S Spider
A joyous British sportscar which really should be considered in the supercar bracket, despite McLaren’s insistence it’s not. What it is, is super fast, whichever way you look at it. It might be a droptop, but that’s as far as McLaren is ever going to go in making a nod towards any sort of lifestyle choice. The brand is still first and foremost a driver’s brand, with all creature comforts focused around the best possible outcome for the person behind the wheel. That means 562bhp and 200mph. Hold on to your hat.
Ford Mustang
Come along now, you can admit it. You rather want a slice of Americana, don’t you? And why not – for less than £40,000 you get a shedload of power (about 400bhp), four decent seats and that long bonnet stretching down the road ahead of you. Yes, it’s soft-top muscle car, so it handles like a sponge in a bath, but really, are you caring at this point? Just listen to that V8 and forget about the suspension and dodgy interior. We love it, especially in bright blue.
Jaguar F-Type
We rather feel the excellence of the F-Type has not been given due weight in times past. This is a very, very good-looking, and excellent sounding, sports car, and handles with the poise and dynamic intent you’d expect from the Coventry Cat, SUVs notwithstanding. You can spank the cash on the crazy SVR version, which goes like stink, but actually, we’d make the case for the 2.0-litre petrol engine, at the other end of the range. It feels spritely, and won’t drink the fuel with quite so much alacrity.
mazda
abarth
Audi
Porsche
BMW
Aston Martin
McLaren
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