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The Top-Down Hardtop
Convertibles are back! This time with rigid roofs and all of the romance, but none of the hassles of ragtops.
Paul A. Eisenstein
From the Print Edition:
Cuba, May/June 2007
(continued from page 4)
RAGTOPS
The conventional soft top isn't about to go away. Designers and engineers often prefer the canvas
top, as Jaguar recently demonstrated with the launch of its latest XK convertible. Aston is
sticking with a conventional top for the convertible version of its V8 Vantage, as did Bentley
with its new GTC, though the multilayer fabric roof is so well engineered you might confuse it
with a hardtop, anyway.
It's all about options. Mercedes, prefers hardtops for its roadsters and sports cars, but cloth for two-row cars, such as the CLK. BMW's new 335i is a hardtop, while the 6 Series convertible sticks with fabric.
Still, the trend is clear. While the list of power-up hardtops is rather small, it's likely to grow a fair bit in the years to come. Expect a variety of offerings from makers that range from mainstream manufacturers like Chrysler to some of the more exclusive marques. The power hardtop is transforming the convertible, turning it into a car that can be driven every day and in every season.
Sure, there are some trade-offs in terms of cost, weight and cargo space, but the pluses are plenty and could win over buyers who previously hadn't dreamt of owning a convertible.
Paul A. Eisenstein, a Cigar Aficionado contributing editor, also publishes the Internet magazine www.TheCarConnection.com.
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