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Filed under: Convertibles , Paris Motor Show , Lexus Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Lexus IS250C Lexus has chopped off two doors and the roof from the IS250 to create the IS250C, due to arrive in Europe in the summer of 2009, and the U.S. shortly thereafter. The 2009 Lexus IS250C features a three-piece aluminum roof that retracts in a "world's fastest" 20 seconds, and features revised overhangs 15mm (front) and 55mm (rear) longer than the sedan, a new fog lamp design and a rising beltline that integrates into the revised haunches. The IS250C's rear end leaves a lot to be desired, with an odd assortment of angles terminating into a set of awkwardly placed LED taillights. With the top up, nothing seems to seamlessly blend together, looking like an ill-advised amalgamation of the outgoing SC430 and BMW 335i. Inside, thing get mildly better - in typical staid Lexus tradition - with a set of rollover hoops for the rear seat passengers, a 12-speaker Mark Levinson...
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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Convertibles , Economy , MINI Click above for a gallery of the 2009 MINI Cooper Convertible MotoringFile , ground zero on the web for all things MINI, has the scoop on the long-awaited 2009 MINI Cooper Convertible. Someone slipped MF seven official shots of the Detroit-bound R57 Cooper ragtop along with some additional inside information. Obviously, it's based on the current chassis and powertrains, so you know what you're going to get there. Additionally, the JCW package is supposedly going to be available at launch as well. One of the most obvious visual changes in the new convertible is the use of pop-up roll hoops instead of the fixed units featured on the old car. This, in addition to looking cleaner, should improve rearward visibility with the top down. Speaking of the top being down, the new car includes a cutesy little gimmick called the 'Always Open" gauge. Located next to the tach housing, it tells the driver the percentage of...
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Filed under: Spy Photos , Convertibles , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Ford Click either image for high-res spy shots of the 2010 Ford Mustang If you frequent every car blog on a daily basis, then you've probably seen these latest spy shots of the 2010 Ford Mustang in base V6 and GT500 trim, as well as completely uncovered views of the interior. We're acutely aware, however, that some of you rely solely on Autoblog for your daily fix. Therefore, we're bringing you these three sets of spy shots now, despite the fact they've been on the web for a week. We apologize for the delay, but some back-of-the-house complications kept us from publishing them sooner. Regardless, it's totally apparent that Ford wants everyone to see these spy shots considering how naked these prototypes are. The batch of shots showing a blue, base V6 model gives the best view of the Mustang's redesigned front end, including the newly shaped grille, new headlights, hood and lower bumper. The two new interior...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Supercars , Bugatti , Misc. Auto Shows Click above for a high-res gallery of the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. The wraps - and the roof - have come off the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport here in Monterey, finally answering a question few have asked and even fewer will sample. As you'd expect, Bugatti hasn't just hacked the roof off the Veyron and gone to the pub. The windshield is slightly higher, the daytime running lights have been tweaked and then there's the showpiece: a removable, transparent polycarbonate roof, which blends the A-pillars into two painted carbon fiber strips that lead into the massive air intakes feeding the 1001 hp, quad-turbocharged, W16. If you stow the roof at home for the world's fastest open-air, four-wheeled experience and the heavens decide to open, a folding roof stored in the luggage compartment can be - according to Bugatti - "opened like an umbrella." With the soft-top in place, speeds are limited to...
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Filed under: LA Auto Show , Convertibles , Infiniti Click above image to enlarge var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/2009_Infiniti_G37_Convertible_previewed_before_L_A'; Note to the Lexus SC430: it is now beyond over for you. Infiniti, Nissan's BMW-hunting luxury brand, has unveiled the 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible, a retractable hardtop 4-seater that preserves the Coupe's good looks even with its 3-piece folding roof neatly tucked out of sight, as you can see here. Power from the 3.7L V6 will be in excess of 320 horses, and numerous comparos against the BMW 335i convertible are inevitable. You can practically hear the buff mags reserving track time as we speak. Sunny Los Angeles will be the venue for the car's formal unveiling in November, and likely a fertile ground for sales when the time comes. [Source: Infiniti] Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Sedans/Saloons , Nissan Click above for high-res gallery of the G37 Coupe Nissan has finally confirmed in writing what many of us had known all along... the 2009 model year will bring the new G37 Sedan , G37 Convertible , and the G37x Coupe to Infiniti showrooms. The G35 sedan gets a bump from 3.5-liters (306 hp) to 3.7-liters (328 hp) as it now shares its engine with the coupe. Rebadged the G37, an optional brake package adds 4-piston front/2-piston rear brakes and larger rotors to the sedan. A new 18-inch wheel design and standard Scratch Shield paint (self-healing) round out the upgrades. The all-new G37 convertible marks Infiniti's first drop-top since the 1992 M30 was discontinued, and the first open-air G. Based on the G37 Coupe, it features a three-piece automatic retracting hardtop. Finally, the new G37x is a G37 coupe fitted with Nissan's ATESSA E-TS Ô all-wheel drive system. While the G37 Sedan and G37x will go on sale in September...
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Filed under: Aftermarket , Tuners , Convertibles , Mazda Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Mazda MX-5. Speculation has been swirling over the last two years that a Mazdaspeed version of the MX-5 was right around the corner. At first, it was rumored to be released in late 2007, then early 2008, then early 2009 and then... nothing. Speaking with Autoblog, Mazda's PR man Jeremy Barnes made it clear that the automaker has no plans to offer a Mazdaspeed version of the current MX-5. While it was originally assumed that the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-pot found in the Mazdaspeed3 would eventually find its way under the hood of the MX-5, Mazda discovered that the swap wasn't a bolt-in affair. According to Barnes, "It does theoretically fit, until you bolt on the head." A high-pressure fuel pump on the back of the head, driven off the cam, would necessitate a notch in the firewall. As such, converting the engine from a transverse (FWD) to a longitudinal (RWD) layout...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Convertibles , Green , Honda , Misc. Auto Shows Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Honda OSM Honda says that the OSM roadster on display at the 2008 British Motor Show is merely a design study, but given that "design study" is frequently a euphemism for "future design language," we wonder if we're seeing the next iteration of Honda car styling. Frankly, we hope so, because this is worlds better than what we've seen from the automaker of late, from the Accord right on up to the bland and bloated Pilot. The OSM, short for Open Study Model, is a shapely two-seat convertible that we'd be happy to drive today. Well, maybe with headlamps that weren't lightsaber-sized. Other than that, we love the jaunty look, especially in back , where the taillamps sweep gently from one side of the car to the other. Since it's a styling exercise, there's no specific powertrain combination associated with it, but Honda assures us that...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Supercars , Bugatti , Misc. Auto Shows According to InsideLine, Bugatti plans to unveil its Targa variant of the Veyron next month at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Monterey, California. The open-air hyper-car will use a removable hardtop, while a fabric cover can be used in its place if the heavens decide to open up mid-jaunt. IL is reporting that the chassis will be heavily reinforced to cope with the loss of the crucial structural component. Production will begin next year along side the Targa's fixed-roof predecessor, and with the current Veyron going for around $2 million, don't expect to get your 217-mph (limited) top speed kicks without paying another $250,000 on top of the Veyron's base-price. [Source: InsideLine ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Convertibles , Honda , Misc. Auto Shows The London Motor Show opens up on July 22nd and with it, comes a new concept from Honda, the Open Study Model or OSM. The lightweight, two-seater, open-air sports car is another design study by Honda that attempts to blend performance and sustainable motoring into a comprehensive package. Designed by Honda's R&D center in Offenbach, Germany, the OSM is a vehicle in the same environmentally friendly vein as the CR-Z concept unveiled in Tokyo last year, considered to be a low emissions alternative to the traditional sports coupe. The CR-Z is still slated to be released sometime next year , but Honda insists that the OSM is strictly a design study and is not confirmed for production. However, as OSM (read: awesome) as it may be, it's not the next S2000, according to Honda spokesperson Steve Kirk. [Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Time Warp , Convertibles , Sports/GTs , Chrysler , Dodge Click image above for high-res gallery of pics of this new 'Cuda Convertible Concept var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Chrysler_Cuda_Convertible_Concept_shows_up_at_Cars_Coffee'; Maybe the 'Cuda is alive after all. While we have speculated about the existence of one ever since we first heard a hint of the SEMA show car from last year, all we've had to work with since are rumors and sketches of what might be. Well, today at the weekly Cars and Coffee show in Irvine, a genuine 'Cuda Concept was parked right in the midst of everything. A convertible nonetheless. It just sat there with only a few people really spotting it for what it was. Considering that real original '70s 'Cudas are plentiful at this show and that several Challenger SRT-8s have already made appearances, it doesn't seem surprising that people might not spot this concept immediately. The surprising part...
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Filed under: Spy Photos , Convertibles , Chevrolet Click either image to view in our photo gallery Just like it first did with "official" spy shots of the production Camaro coupe, General Motors has released a pair of small shots showing the production Camaro Convertible in its current state of development. We're told on the GM FastLane Blog that the pics are a reward for the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the first set of shots of the Camaro Coupe, which apparently meant a lot to the team of engineers testing the vehicle. While not much is revealed on these preproduction models that we didn't already know, the second shot shows the convertible's profile with the soft-top up, and it appears that the strong lines of the coupe have not been sacrificed by the retractable roof. Feel free to peruse both pics in our gallery below while we wait for larger ones to pop up. Gallery: Chevy Camaro Convertible (preproduction) [Source: GM FastLane Blog ] Permalink | Email...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Convertibles , BMW The BMW GINA Light Visionary Model that was seen via video being installed in the BMW Museum in Munich last week has finally been revealed, and the futuristic design study shows how BMW designers are thinking outside of the box when it comes to the materials that make up a car and also how the car relates to the driver. GINA stands for "Geometry and Functions in 'N' Adaptations", which basically means that designers from both BMW and BMW Group DesignworksUSA were allowed to throw out the rulebook. This is most evident in the GINA Light Visionary Model's outer skin, which is made entirely out of textile fabric that's pulled taut around a frame of metal and carbon fiber wires. The skeleton of the car is controlled by electro-hydraulic devices and can actually move and change shape beneath the fabric skin. For instance, the headlights of the concept can be exposed or hidden by the car's skin just like blinking eyes...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Sports/GTs , Paris Motor Show , Ferrari Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ferrari California var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/New_Ferrari_California_Pics'; The gang in Maranello is continuing to dribble out more imagery of the new Ferrari California roadster, now with the car now making its first appearance with its hard top up. This blue GT can be seen in the gallery below with the top up, down and halfway in between. Thankfully, in spite of the 2+ designation (whatever that means) the car still maintains two-seater proportions, so it doesn't have a ridiculously long rear deck. There has been plenty of discussion in the comments about the virtues of the California's design details, but the overall proportions are definitely classic GT the folding hard top manages not to screw that up. Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo recently had his first crack at driving the new car at the company's Fiorano test track and unsurprisingly...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Convertibles , Sports/GTs , Euro , Audi , Misc. Auto Shows Click above for a high-res gallery of the TT clubsport quattro Last year at the Wörthersee tour, VW and Audi threw red meat to the fans in the form of the Audi TT Clubsport quattro concept and the VW Golf GTI W12 650 . Each was awesome in its own way, and now VW/Audi has set a precedent. For the Wörthersee 2008, Audi had already announced it would be bringing the A3 TDI clubsport quattro concept . Today, it drops shoe No. 2 by revealing a much more production-oriented version of the TT clubsport quattro. This is the same car that was spied out in the open last week. Officially, it's still a concept. Realistically, you know this thing's going into limited production. The '08 edition of the TT clubsport follows in the '07 show car's footprints. Like its forebear, it packs 300 horsepower underhood (presumably from a TFSI four). That juice is directed to all four wheels via quattro...
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