Convertibles
Camaro ZL1 Convertible Revealed Ahead of LA Auto Show Debut
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It’s little surprise that Chevy has decided to offer its new Camaro ZL1 as a convertible, it just wasn’t expected to arrive so soon. Out-powering the Shelby GT500 by 30-hp, the 580-hp ZL1 drop top is the most powerful convertible model Chevrolet has ever built. In fact, Chevy is touting the car’s power and capability,…
Volvo C70 To End Production At Dedicated Plant
Volvo Cars plan to discontinue production of the Volvo C70 convertible at the Pininfarina Sverige AB plant of Uddevalla, Sweden, by 2013. Established as a joint venture between Italian design house Pininfarina and the Swedish Automaker since 2005, the plant is responsible of building only the C70 model and employs 600 workers for the task. Volvo…
Mitsubishi Eclipse, Galant May be Resurrected
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution might be the Japanese brand’s highest performance model but the most recognizable model it’s produced over the past several decades is easily the Eclipse. Axed from the company’s lineup this year the Eclipse could return admits Greg Adams, Mitsubishi Motors North America VP of marketing. Of the two, don’t look for…
Mercedes SLA Roadster Promises Front-Drive 4-Banger Fun
Mercedes will launch a new entry-level sports car in 2013, using a rather unconventional engine and drivetrain pairing. While we expect to hear about front-drive 4-cylinder economy cars, from, say, Honda, it’s a surprise to learn that Mercedes is prepping this reliable combo for its new SLA roadster. Based on the same platform as the…
Ferrari 458 Spider Officially Revealed With Retractable Hard-Top [Video]
After continued speculation, an excessive number of artist renderings and then leaked photos last week, Ferrari has now officially revealed the 458 Spider with a retractable hard top. A world’s first for a mid-engine car, the hard top is made of aluminum and fits just in front of the engine compartment without affecting performance or…
2012 Mercedes SLK55 AMG Revealed With All-New 5.5-Liter V8
After having revealed the SLK350 model, Mercedes‘ AMG division has just announced the new SLK55 AMG. Like the previous SLK55, this model gets a 5.5-liter V8 engine, but that’s where the similarities stop. Making 415-hp and 398 lb-ft of torque, this motor is a naturally aspirated version of the twin-turbo 5.5-liter found under the hood…
Infiniti IPL G Convertible Gets Green Light for Production
First unveiled at the Paris Auto Show in concept form, Infiniti has now confirmed the IPL G Convertible will head into production, doubling the number if Infiniti Performance Line products. Much like the IPL G Coupe, the drop top makes 348-hp from its 3.7-liter V6 and includes a modest list of performance and style improvements….
Ferrari 458 Spider Photos Leaked
Ahead of its official reveal at the Frankfurt Auto Show, photos of the new drop-top Ferrari have leaked onto the net. We can’t confirm if these are in fact the official pics of the production 458 Spider, but they certainly do look authentic, and are done in the same style as Ferrari’s usual press images….
Cadillac Ciel Concept Video: First Look at Caddy’s Stunning 4-Seater Convertible
Cadillac promised the unveiling of an all new concept car in Monterey during the Pebble Beach festivities and the American luxury brand certainly delivered. Ahead of the debut Caddy had confirmed the ConverJ concept would see production as the ELR, leading the throng of assembled journalists to assume that car was the highlight of the…
Audi R8 Spyder Recalled For Fuel Leak, Fire Risk
As much as we love Audi‘s new R8 Spyder, there is something wrong with it – the potential to catch on fire! Not to worry, however, as Audi has issues a recall on all 920 R8 Spyders dating from 2011 and 2012. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the fuel supply line…
Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet Wins Title of Most Disliked Car of 2011
Rolling in the tire tracks of icons of failure like the Pontiac Aztek and Mercedes R-Class, the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet has been awarded the title of Most Disliked Car of 2011. Sort of… In fact, the award is less of a title (and there’s certainly no statue associated with it), and more of a journalistic…
BMW 4 Series Badge to Adorn Future 3 Series Coupe and Convertible
BMW is reportedly moving ahead with plans to modify its current naming structure, starting with the next-generation 1 Series. That car will be front-drive only, while what we currently know as the 1 Series (the Coupe and Convertible) will be rebadged as 2 Series models. But that’s not all. Starting with the next-generation 3 Series,…
Sales Of Convertibles Are Falling, Like Their Roofs
Sales of convertibles are lowering like a power hardtop, with an over 50% decline in just four years. Convertibles have never been the most popular of vehicles, owing to people eschewing fresh sunshine for such plebeian concerns such as seats and storage room. But in 2006, convertible sales still managed to account for 2% of…
2012 Audi A5 Gains 3.0 TFSI Supercharged V6; S5 Drops V8
Audi breathed life into the luxury coupe market when it introduced the A5 back in 2007 and several years on the German automaker has made a list of updates aimed at staying ahead in the increasingly competitive segment. Along with some rather subtle design changes, the biggest news for the 2012 A5 is what’s under…
Audi R8 GT Spyder Debuts in Awesome Matte Blue Finish at Le Mans
Audi’s Le Mans participation this year was all forms of glorious, from insane crashes to a triumphant podium finish. But mixed in with the excitement of the actual 24 Hour race was the debut of the 2012 Audi R8 GT Spyder. Sporting 560-hp and 398 ft-lbs of torque from its 5.2L V10, the ragtop Audi…
BMW 3 Series to be Re-Badged as 4 Series
Brand equity can take decades to build up. It’s the sign of a business model that worked and has continued to work. So when you’ve got a name like the Big Mac you don’t just toss it aside. That is, unless you’re BMW. A new report suggests the German automaker will re-badge its 3 Series…
Audi R8 GT Spyder Revealed: Where Rodeo Drive Meets the Nurburgring
Purpose built track machines and Sunday driving convertibles are about as far apart on the automotive spectrum as the Fiat 500 and Ford Super Duty, but that doesn’t seem to stop “prestige” automakers from building them. And there’s good reason too, with obvious demand for a Miami beach machine that looks like it should be…
Volkswagen Golf R Cabriolet Concept Debuts at Worthersee GTI Meet
The way things are going, Volkswagen‘s annual Worthersee GTI meet might some day be the R meet, with the German automaker continuing to roll out new high-performance R versions of its models. With the Golf R and Scirocco R already in production, VW is showcasing a concept version of the Golf R Cabriolet at the…
Mercedes-Benz SLS Roadster Priced at $183,000
Mercedes-Benz revealed the 2012 SLS AMG soft-top Roadster a few days ago, and this 563-hp sportscar demands a high price. Available later this year, the $183,000 Merc may be missing the signature gullwing doors, but it certainly does retain the coupe’s power and sex appeal. The SLS AMG will be powered by a 6.2-liter V8…
Porsche Boxster E Prototypes Detailed and Driven at Michelin Challenge Bibendum
At the annual Michelin Challenge Bibendum sustainable mobility event in Berlin, Germany Porsche showed off its new Boxster E prototypes which continue to undergo testing as the sports car maker examines the future of emissions free driving fun. In total, Porsche had three Boxster E models which weren’t just on display, but were available (to…
Ferrari Superamerica 45 Revealed as the Latest Special Projects One-Off
The latest one-off vehicle to be built by Ferrari’s ultra-exclusive Special Projects team is this custom 599 drop-top, which goes by the name Superamerica 45. Built for Ferrari nut Peter Kalikow, it celebrates the anniversary of the first year he became a Ferrari owner. Much like the 575 Superamerica, this car features a rotating hard…
2012 Mercedes S-Class to Gain Coupe, Covertible Variants
Mercedes-Benz is secretly working away on an all-new flagship S-Class, not to mention several models that will evolve from it. In total, the 2012 S-Class is expected to be offered in at least four different versions, including both a coupe and a convertible. An S-Class Coupe is really no surprise, as Mercedes has offered the…
Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Delivers 408-HP With All-Wheel Drive
With the new Carrera GTS model already on sale, it was only a matter of time before Porsche released an all-wheel drive version of its new flagship non-turbo sports car. Matching the GTS in output, the Carrera 4 GTS delivers an increase of 23-hp over the Carrera 4S, with a 0-60 mph time that’s a…
Mercedes SLS Roadster: First Photos
It’s been photographed more times than Lindsay Lohan in Court, but these are the first official pics of the Mercedes SLS Roadster. Still undergoing testing in Stuttgart, Mercedes is putting the finishing touches on the second complete AMG built car which has been in the works for three years, despite the fact that the car’s…
