2010 Mini Cooper S Convertible (MSRP $27,450)
Some cars are just loaded with personality. Case in point: the new Mini Cooper S Convertible, which puts a grin on the face of anybody who's behind its wheel. As an S model it's fitted with a turbocharged 172-bhp engine, which makes this Mini a delight to drive. This affordable car takes corners like a slot car, with excellent grip. BMW, which builds the Mini, clearly knows a thing or two about suspension tuning.
The company has also done a great job with the well-lined fabric top. As before, its forward section can slide backward for a sunroof-like experience. But the Mini Convertible is best appreciated with its top fully down and the scenery whizzing by. Yes, the back seats are cramped (and are for kids at best), but that's simply the price one must pay for having such a small and nimble car, which gets an impressive 26 mpg/34 mpg in the EPA city and highway cycles.
Inside, the Mini is fitted with supportive sport seats that are color-coordinated with the exterior paint, and those chrome hoops in back pop up for protection if the car senses a rollover is imminent. No worries, though; in a car as low and wide as the Mini — which also has standard stability control — that shouldn't be a concern. Rather, concern yourself more with this — maximizing your top-down time, which is easy to track with the Mini's clever new Openometer gauge!Five Reasons to Buy:
1. Affordable
2. Loaded with personality
3. Excellent dynamics
4. Easy on fuel
5. Rigid chassis
2010 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible (MSRP $51,225)
Is there anything more appealingly American than a Mustang? We think not. And this is not just a run-of- the-mill Mustang; it's a GT500 convertible, which means it has been touched by the high-performance wand of none other than Carroll Shelby, who has been tweaking Mustangs to great effect since the 1960s.
What makes the GT500 special? Its engine. It's a big supercharged V-8 with more than 500 bhp. Wussies need not apply...this GT500 gets up and goes, hitting the quarter mile in only 12.9 seconds.
As you'd expect, the suspension and brakes have been upgraded to handle all that power, and the live rear axle is a durable design that helps Ford keep costs in check. And speaking of prices, the GT500, at $51,225, is not cheap by Mustang standards, but it still represents lots of bang for the buck.For that money, you get a power soft top with a heated glass window, side airbags, sport bucket seats and SYNC, the voice-command system that allows drivers to keep their hands where they belong — on the reins (make that the steering wheel) of this high-powered steed, which has EPA fuel economy ratings of 14 mpg city, 22 mpg highway.
Five Reasons to Buy:
1. Power, power, power
2. Classic style
3. Surprisingly refined
4. Dramatically improved interior
5. Slick SYNC system
2010 Infiniti G37 Convertible (MSRP $45,000)
As a sports coupe, the Infiniti G37 shines particularly bright, as stylish as it is fun to drive and blessed with an excellent platform related to that of the sporty Nissan 370Z. As a brand-new convertible, the G37 offers the best of two worlds: It's a stylish coupe with a security-enhancing hardtop whenever the top is up, and it's a sensuous head-turning roadster whenever that top is down.
At the touch of a button, the articulated 2-piece top goes down in a well-choreographed folding operation that takes 28 seconds...your friends will be impressed. Unfortunately, when the top is stowed in the trunk, there's not much room for anything else back there, barring perhaps a loaf of bread.
Top down on the highway, wind noise in the leather-appointed cabin is not a problem, and Bose speakers inset in each headrest ensure that you can hear your favorite tunes as the miles fly by. The active cruise control is also a marvel, automatically keeping the G37 at a set distance from the traffic ahead.The 325-bhp 3.7-liter engine is a gem, mated to either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed automatic with paddle shifters and rev-match downshifting. The latter gearbox will undoubtedly be the more popular choice, as it better fits the luxurious character of this opulent new Infiniti, which gets 16/24 mpg in the EPA mileage tests.
Five Reasons to Buy:
1. Seductive style
2. Hardtop security
3. Excellent dynamics
4. Luxurious interior
5. Manual transmission
2009 Porsche Boxster S (MSRP $56,700)
Want in on a little-known secret? One of the Boxster's best traits is its ability to carry cargo. Yes, with front and rear trunks, this mid-engine Porsche roadster is a veritable pack mule, able to carry far more than most would expect.
And this in no way detracts from the Boxster's primary role of being perhaps the best all-around roadster on the market, a 2-seat German that blends superb real-world comfort with an ability to carve canyons with the best of them. And the best Boxster is clearly the S model, whose 3.4-liter flat-6 sends 310 bhp to the rear wheels via a manual gearbox or the new ($3420) optional PDK double-clutch transmission, which shifts faster (and more smoothly, both up and down) than any human can.
On twisty roads, the Boxster S comes alive, exhibiting a confidence-inspiring composure that will cause the driver to seek those roads less traveled.
Indeed, it is that kind of car, and the Boxster interior is more cockpit than cabin, with firm seats that are remarkably comfortable over the long haul. New for 2009 is an excellent $3110 navigation system, with a much larger screen than before and a reduced number of buttons.
And the more we think about it, the more we realize that the Porsche Boxster S pushes all our right buttons, all while getting an impressive 29 mpg on the highway.
Five Reasons to Buy:
1. Superb handling
2. PDK gearbox
3. Lots of cargo room
4. Classic styling
5. Mid-engine layout
2010 Bentley Continental GTC Speed (MSRP $231,400)
When a standard Bentley Continental convertible just won't do, there's always the high-horsepower version known as the Speed. Yes, this pricey ride is by far the sweetest looker in the our mix, and it's an aptly named car with 600 horsepower and a top speed of 200 mph. Top down, the extra drag means a reduced peak speed of "only" 195. Nevertheless, we strongly suggest holding on to your toupee.
The Speed's majestic power emanates from its twin-turbo Volkswagen-based W-12 engine, whose fantastic sounds are best appreciated when the beautifully lined power top is down. Although the Speed is thirsty, getting only 10 mpg in the EPA city cycle, its powertrain is silky smooth, with a 6-speed paddle-shift gearbox helping keep the engine in the sweet spot of its wide powerband.
At 5580 lb., this Bentley is large but remarkably agile, with a sumptuous interior that blends classic English touches (hand-stitched leather and pull-switch vents) with thoroughly modern amenities such as its navigation system and optional 1000-watt Naim stereo. While some folks can do without that $6900 sound system, those who plan to drive their Speed hard might consider the huge carbon-ceramic brakes, a pricey $16,500 option.
But if your goal is to own one of the finest convertibles on the market today — one that beautifully blends open-air luxury with omnipotent acceleration — why scrimp?
Five Reasons to Buy:
1. Exudes class
2. Bentley heritage
3. Superb style
4. Exclusivity
5. It's a true 200-mph car
Rational folks who view cars merely as appliances to get from point A to point B just don't understand convertibles. Probably never will. But if you're a person who enjoys the drive as much as (or possibly even more than) the destination, well, any one of these exciting new convertibles — from the Mini and Mustang all the way up to the G37, Boxster and Bentley — would make an ideal companion for that summer road trip, making it that much more memorable. That's the magic of a convertible...
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