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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: Convertibles , Sedans/Saloons , Audi , Rendered Speculation The blokes at Car say they've got the scoop on the upcoming Audi A7, including a convertible version depicted in the rendering on the right. Power is rumored to start with six cylinders across the range, with a V10-powered S7 and a twin-turbo V10-motivated RS7. Expect a variety of transmissions to be on offer as well, including manuals, automatics and dual-clutch gearboxes with six or seven speeds, along with the availability of quattro all-wheel-drive. Sources have suggested that, while Audi will be behind the game in bringing a four-door coupe in the Mercedes CLS mold to market in the first half of 2010, it's got another segment-busting trick up it's sleeve: a full four-door convertible. And according to Car 's illustrators, the A7 cabrio will feature a full retractable hard-top. Many have toyed with the idea of a four-door convertible - most recently arch-rival Mercedes with the Ocean Drive concept...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Nissan , Rendered Speculation The Nissan GT-R is a fire-breathing monster, both on the track and on the canyon roads of Southern California . It's been the biggest buzz vehicle of 2008 and could be the most impressive sports car in the history of Nissan. The GT-R is a media star that attracts attention everywhere it goes not on looks, but on the potential to send concrete crying to its mama. Why, then, would there ever be a reason for Nissan to issue a drop-top version of Godzilla? Convertibles add weight and reduce structural rigidity, which doesn't exactly help the GT-R hold up its standing as the king of the 'Ring. No worries, though. The photo above is nothing more than a reasonably well done photo-chop that shows what the GT-R might look like as a cabrio. Now that we've seen it, we have one word to describe what Nissan executives should say if asked to remove the GT-R's fixed roof: No. Seriously, the GT-R is a functional beast that utilizes...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Audi Audi is intent on leaving no niche unfilled and the word from Inside Line is that the automaker is planning to unveil a cabrio variant of its A5 and S5 coupes. The convertible versions of the A5 and S5 won't be fitted with the folding hardtops that have become de rigueur among its luxury competitors, so expect a similar soft-top system to that found on the A4/S4/RS4 cabrio and TT roadster. Power will be provided by either the 265-hp, 3.2-liter V6 or the 354-hp 4.2-liter V8 found in the A5 and S5, respectively. Expect the new cabrios to debut later this year or early next, with sales beginning in the spring of 2009. [Source: Inside Line ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Trends , Convertibles , MINI Mini is readying its R56-based replacement for the current Cooper droptop, and it will retain its cloth roof. While there's been widespread adoption of retractable hardtops, the Coop is staying soft. That's good for weight and center of gravity, so the 'vert will still handle charmingly. True to the Cooper's retro mission, Senior VP of Brand Management, Kay Segler contends that the cloth roof offers an experience more true to classic alfresco motoring. The reasoning is that traditional convertible tops open wider than hardtops, so the skyward vistas are less impeded in the Cooper, which is why they pledge to never luxe up their car with metal origami. It could also be that there's no place to put the larger roof stack of a folding hardtop. [Source: Inside Line ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Tuners , Convertibles , Sports/GTs , Geneva Motor Show , Porsche Click above for high-res gallery of the TechArt GT Street Cabriolet What to do when you want a Porsche 911 Turbo and that wind-in-your-hair experience, but the 480 horsepower that comes stock isn't enough? Well, you dial up TechArt, which has just pulled the wraps off a cabrio version of the menacing Turbo-based GT Street. The ragtop, like the coupe , makes a ridiculous 630 horsepower, and while TechArt hasn't officially announced the torque figure, we're assuming it's also upwards of 600 lb-ft. So, if you're in a rush, there's no need to reach for that blow dryer. Just head out to the car, put the roof down, aim it where you want to go, and punch it. Your hair should be bone-dry by the time you hit the quarter mile mark or so. If it isn't, just keep pushing -- it'll finally top out at 214 mph. Your 'do might look like this if you hit maximum warp, though, so use your judgment...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Maserati click above to view more high-res images of the gorgeous GranTurismo Since Maserati unveiled the GranTurismo almost a year ago in Geneva, the question on everybody's mind has been, when is the convertible coming? The Trident marque from Modena has finally answered the call, announcing that, although it has yet to decide which show will feature its debut, the convertible will hit the market in March 2009. Based on the GranTurismo's platform, itself shortened from the four-door Quattroporte's, the remaining question is what form the convertible will take. Although Maserati is thought to be developing a hardtop convertible, sources suggest the upcoming model will adopt a folding soft top, leaving the door open for a smaller hard-top convertible in the future. The convertible GranTurismo will fill a void in Maserati's line-up created by the departure of the previous-generation Spyder - which ended production along with the GranSport and Coupe...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Geneva Motor Show , BMW One enthusiast from the Netherlands described the E93 thusly: "Super vette bak!" We're pretty sure that translates to "super fat barge," though the overly-literal "super oily bake" has its own charm. If you're into cabrios, maybe mutating the phrase to "super phat barge" is more palatable. Our friend from NL was referring to the 200-plus extra pounds the M3 cabrio will be hauling around versus its sedan counterparts. The folding-roof M3 doesn't officially debut until the Geneva Auto Salon in March, but a German magazine jumped the gun and posted images on their website. Embargo apparently broken, the pictures continue to propagate about the internet. The biggest news with the pending debut of the convertible M3 is the gearbox. The new seven-speed dual-clutch replacement for the SMG transmission, dubbed M-DKG, is reported to debut with the M3 cab and will be available across all...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Plants/Manufacturing , Chrysler There were no eulogies. No bagpipes were played or honor-guard gunshots fired. Few paid any notice, but on December 21, the Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible passed quietly into the night and was buried. And we doubt many will miss it. The axing of the ragtop PT is part of the phasing-out of several Chrysler LLC products devised by its new owners in order to cut costs . Earlier we brought you the news that the Chrysler Crossfire ceased production in Germany. Before that, the Chrysler Pacifica ended its lifecycle in November. Although originally only the convertible version of the PT Cruiser was scheduled for execution, reports later suggested that the regular hard-top wagon version could also be discontinued. While those Chryslers likewise won't be terribly missed, except by small pockets of devoted enthusiasts, the next to lie under the Chrysler LLC guillotine will be the Dodge Magnum, which is being discontinued in March. The...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Garage , Convertibles , Chrysler , Driving click for more images of the 2008 Chrysler Sebring Limited Convertible On paper, the Sebring seems to have what it takes, including three engine choices, an optional six-speed automatic, a sedan and convertible, and nifty cup holders that keep your drink hot or cold. We gave a top of the line Limited Sebring Convertible one week in the Autoblog Garage win us over, but things didn't go as planned. Read about what happened after the jump . Gallery: 2008 Chrysler Sebring Limited Convertible All photos Copyright (C)2007 Chris Shunk / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Chrysler Sebring Limited Convertible Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Spy Photos , Convertibles , Geneva Motor Show , BMW We knew it was only a matter of time before BMW would take the can opener to its 400 HP uber-coupe, and these newest spy shots prove that development is well underway. While little has changed from the standard 3-series cabrio, the fender flares, cut-up front fascia and quad exhaust are clearly M-specific kit, despite the lack of visible vents in the hood and on the front quarter panels. We somehow doubt that a carbon fiber folding roof mechanism will be part of the package, but we'd like to be pleasantly surprised when the M3 convertible makes its debut in Geneva next year. [Source: Jalopnik] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Convertibles , Sedans/Saloons , Maybach , Misc. Auto Shows Even in the post-Chrysler age, Maybach remains a bit of a thorn in Mercedes' side. Its vehicles have been far less than the sales success hoped for, prompting Daimler to buy back 29 Maybach dealers . Subsequently the parent company wouldn't be so eager to invest more into the ultra-premium brand, but reports are circulating the internet of a new version that would require significantly less investment than an all-new model that could breathe a little more life into the dying breed. Landaulets were a popular bodystyle in the 1920's and 30's, one which Maybach may be resurrecting with a half-convertible version of the extra-long Maybach 62. With a convertible roof fitted from the B-pillar rearwards, the Maybach 62 Landaulet would let the sun shine in on its pampered rear occupants, while leaving the front section covered with a conventional roof for the chauffer. Reports indicate that the Landaulet version is being prepared...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Euro , Volkswagen While the new Volkswagen Eos may have filled a hole left by the recently discontinued Cabrio, there is likely a market for a smaller drop-top in Volkswagen's lineup. A convertible version of the Polo may appeal...
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Filed under: Spy Photos , Convertibles , Audi It's no secret that Audi is attempting to be all things to all people, and with its sights set on becoming the preeminent automaker in Deutschland, that means bringing more product to the market in quick order...
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