Spring. Robins chirping. Flowers blooming. And, the surest seasonal harbinger of all, a day when you finally can drop the top on your convertible.
Convertibles are all about being alive and feeling young.
They are not about being practical and sensible and all that other adult stuff.
That’s precisely why we love them-and why they endure.
There are some sensible arguments against convertible ownership.
The absence of a roof diminishes chassis rigidity, which increases flex, which erodes handling in varying degrees. A folding top also increases the likelihood of the dreaded buzzes, squeaks and rattles.
There’s the safety issue. Even in convertibles with built-in rollover bars-the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class and E-320 and the Volkswagen Cabrio-the chances for injury are significantly higher if they flip.
Beyond that, there’s the wear and tear. If you use them frequently, convertible tops can become worn in just a couple of years.
But there also are solid, logical arguments for buying a ragtop:
Convertibles will always be more valuable than coupes if they survive to the age of collectibility.
Convertibles will cut down on your electric bills. You can dry your hair quicker and have more fun doing it.
Convertibles have made and will continue to make an important contribution to our culture. Where would such hallowed traditions as inaugurations and homecoming parades be without ragtops?
See? You can undoubtedly add all kinds of arguments of your own.
So here’s a drop-top shopping list for ’95:
– Acura NSX-T. What could be better than a racy NSX sports car? How about an NSX with a removable roof? The reinforcement to compensate for the hole up top adds about 100 pounds to the car’s weight.
Base price: $75,000 (est.)
Base engine: 3-liter, 270-h.p., V-6
Wheelbase: 99.6 inches
Length: 174.2 inches
Width: 71.3 inches
Height: 46.1 inches
Curb weight: 3,142 pounds
– Audi Cabriolet. Though short on rear seat legroom, the front-drive Cabriolet provides a stylish alternative in the European luxury convertible realm. The top is power-operated.
Base price: $36,345
Base engine: 2.8-liter, 172-h.p. V-6
Wheelbase: 100.6 inches
Length: 176.0 inches
Width: 67.6 inches
Height: 54.3 inches
Curb weight: 3,494 pounds
– Bentley Azure. You probably think this is just another example of overstuffed, overweight, conspicuous consumption. Well, it’s hard not to acknowledge the conspicuous consumption part. It costs $319,000. When it comes to performance, though, this Bentley reflects its racing roots-zero- to 60-miles-per-hour in 6.3 seconds, with a top speed of 150 m.p.h. Rolls expects to sell about 30 Azures in the U.S. this year.
Base price: $319,000
Base engine: 6.7-liter, turbo V-8
Wheelbase: 120.5 inches
Length: 210.3 inches
Width: 81.0 inches
Height: 58.0 inches
Curb weight: 5,742 pounds
– BMW 318i/325i. The basic 4-cylinder 318i ragtop costs almost $5,000 more than the 318is coupe, and the 189-h.p. 6-cylinder 325i convertible ($40,070) is almost $7,000 more than the 325is coupe.
Base price: $31,520
Base engine: 1.8-liter, 138-h.p., 4-cylinder
Wheelbase: 106.3 inches
Length: 174.5 inches
Width: 67.3 inches
Height: 53.1 inches
Curb weight: 3,352 pounds
– Chevrolet Camaro. A few minutes behind the wheel make it easy to understand the Camor convertible’s staying power-particularly with a good old V-8. It’s the essential ’60s muscle ragtop with ’90s quality. The power top is fully lined, with a heated glass rear window. There’s also a three-piece, hard-plastic tonneau cover. The potent 275-h.p. Z28 starts at $23,595.
Base price: $19,995
Base engine: 3.4-liter, 160-h.p., V-6
Wheelbase: 101.1 inches
Length: 193.2 inches
Width: 74.1 inches
Height: 52.0 inches
Curb weight: 3,342 pounds
– Chevrolet Cavalier. Chevy’s new Cavalier convertible seems to have an important advantage: no real competition, save for the Pontiac’s mechanically identical Sunfire. The top latching mechanism is a nifty piece of work. Like the Sunfire, the Cavalier convert is available in the basic LS and the 150-h.p. Quad Four version.
Base price: $16,000 (est.)
Base engine: 2.2-liter, 120-h.p. 4-cylinder
Wheelbase: 104.1 inches
Length: 180.3 inches
Width: 67.4 inches
Height: 53.9 inches
Curb weight: 2,838 pounds
– Chevrolet Corvette. New springs and shock absorbers make the going smoother, and ZR1 brakes add extra stopping power in America’s premier sports car for 1995. Assembly quality also has been improving steadily, quelling the chorus of squeaks and rattles that plagued previous ragtop Vettes.
Base price: $44,225
Base engine: 5.7-liter, 300-h.p., V-8
Wheelbase: 96.2 inches
Length: 178.5 inches
Width: 70.7 inches
Height: 47.3 inches
Curb weight: 3,360 pounds
– Chrysler LeBaron GTC. The last of the old LeBaron line is still a pretty good value. The price of entry includes a power top, a smooth V-6 with automatic transmission, a usable rear seat and plenty of power extras. The LeBaron will be replaced in ’96 by the Sebring JX, based on the midsize Chrysler Cirrus and Dodge Stratus sedans.
Base price: $17,999
Base engine: 3-liter, 141-h.p., V-6
Wheelbase: 100.6 inches
Length: 184.8 inches
Width: 69.2 inches
Height: 52.4 inches
Curb weight: 3,122 pounds
– Dodge Viper. Chrysler’s retro-brute is short on civilizing amenities, long on muscle. Like Ford’s immortal 427 Cobra, the Viper has visceral power. It also has an exceptionally stiff chassis, race car handling and outstanding brakes. On the other hand, the top is crude, and there’s no automatic transmission option.
Base price: $58,800
Base engine: 8-liter, 400-h.p., V10
Wheelbase: 96.2 inches
Length: 175.1 inches
Width: 75.7 inches
Height: 43.9 inches
Curb weight: 3,487 pounds
– Ferrari 348 Spider. Ferrari offers a targa-top version of its new F355 ($135,000), but the 348 Spider is the only true convertible in the family. It achieves 312 h.p. from a 32-valve, twin cam, V-8 that can carry the car from zero- to 60-m.p.h. in 5.5 seconds.
Base price: $122,050
Base engine: 3.4-liter, 312-h.p., V-8
Wheelbase: 96.5 inches
Length: 166.7 inches
Width: 74.6 inches
Height: 46.1 inches
Curb weight: 3,250 pounds
– Ford Mustang. When Ford began design work on the latest Mustang, the initial focus was on the convertible, rather than the coupe. That’s why chassis rigidity and structural integrity are so much improved in the latest version-and why it should hold up better over the years. The Mustang’s basic 3.8-liter, V-6 offers respectable low-end punch, but the 5-liter, V-8 still provides a more compelling blend of muscle and exhaust music. GT editions start at $23,070.
Base price: $21,270
Base engine: 3.8-liter, 145-h.p., V-6
Wheelbase: 101.3 inches
Length: 181.5 inches
Width: 71.8 inches
Height: 52.8 inches
Curb weight: 3,257 pounds
– Honda Civic Del Sol. The del Sol’s top doesn’t fold, but it is easily removable and stows neatly in the trunk. A particularly clever thing about the del Sol is that its power rear window allows you to limit the volume of wind-in-hair. It also offers lively performance, particularly in the 160-h.p. VTEC version ($19,580).
Base price: $15,160
Base engine: 1.5-liter, 102-h.p., 4-cylinder
Wheelbase: 93.3 inches
Length: 157.3 inches
Width: 66.7 inches
Height: 49.4 inches
Curb weight: 2,301 pounds
– Jaguar XJS. When it comes to curbside presence, few automobiles can match the elegant XJS convertible. Controls are still quirky and some elements of the interior design are dated, but quality has improved dramatically since Ford bought this British icon. Jag’s silky, 301-h.p. V-12 is an option, but the basic in-line 6 does a respectable job and saves about $20,000.
Base price: $62,130
Base engine: 4-liter, 237-h.p., 6-cylinder
Wheelbase: 102.0 inches
Length: 191.2 inches
Width: 69.4 inches
Height: 48.7 inches
Curb weight: 3,805 pounds
– Mazda Miata. Mazda’s two-seater is the best-selling sports car in the world. The Miata is nimble, precise and just powerful enough to provide endless fair-weather fun. The manual top is child’s play to operate.
Base price: $17,900
Base engine: 1.8-liter, 128-h.p., 4-cylinder
Wheelbase: 89.2 inches
Length: 155.4 inches
Width: 65.9 inches
Height: 48.2 inches
Curb weight: 2,293 pounds
– Mercedes-Benz E320. Though it lacks the sports car presence of the S-Class Mercedes roadsters, the E320 does share some major family traits. It provides all-day comfort in the firm Euro tradition and it holds strong retail value. This is the last year for this handsome ragtop. A new line of E-Class cars is en route for the 1996 model year.
Base price: $79,475
Base engine: 3.2-liter, 217-h.p., 6-cylinder
Wheelbase: 106.9 inches
Length: 183.9 inches
Width: 68.5 inches
Height: 54.8 inches
Curb weight: 4,025 pounds
– Mercedes-Benz SL. The SL roadsters are among the most desirable convertibles on the planet, painstakingly engineered and flawlessly finished. The automatic power top is a thing of mechanical beauty, and you can expect all models to become collectibles. Upscale engines include the 5-liter, 315-h.p., V-8 ($90,375, plus $1,300 gas-guzzler tax) and the 6-liter, 389-h.p., V-12 ($120,575 plus $2,600 guzzler tax).
Base price: $78,775
Base engine: 3.2-liter, 228-h.p., 6-cylinder
Wheelbase: 99.0 inches
Length: 176.0 inches
Width: 71.3 inches
Height: 51.3 inches
Curb weight: 4,090 pounds
– Mitsubishi 3000GT Spyder. The 3000GT is the only retractable hardtop. Push a button and the roof detaches from the windshield, the rear windows retract, the deck lid pops up the top stows itself and the deck lid closes. Neat, but expensive. The Spyder is available in SL and VR4 (300-h.p. turbo, $64,449) models. Standard SL and VR4 coupes cost $33,750 and $43,050, respectively.
Base price: $57,449
Base engine: 3-liter, 222-h.p., V-6
Wheelbase: 97.2 inches
Length: 179.7 inches
Width: 172.4 inches
Height: 50.8 inches
Curb weight: 3,719 pounds
– Nissan 300ZX. The beautiful lines of the standard coupe are lost in the conversion, with its flat rear deck and bucket-handle targa bar.
Base price: $42,579
Base engine: 3-liter, 222-h.p., V-6
Wheelbase: 96.5 inches
Length: 169.5 inches
Width: 70.5 inches
Height: 49.5 inches
Curb weight: 3,446 pounds
– Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. A contemporary new dashboard, replete with dual air bags, spiffs up the interior of the front-drive Cutlass Supreme convertible for ’95. The optional 3.4-liter, 210-h.p., V-6 peps things up a bunch. The top is power operated. ABS, air-conditioning, premium sound system and touring suspension are standard.
Base price: $25,995
Base engine: 3.1-liter, 160-h.p., V-6
Wheelbase: 107.5 inches
Length: 193.9 inches
Width: 71.0 inches
Height: 54.3 inches
Curb weight: 3,629 pounds
– Pontiac Firebird. Beneath its rakish skin, the Firebird shares the same chassis and power trains as the Camaro convertible. However, Firebirds come in three flavors-the Formula version ($19,599), the standard convertible ($22,439) and the 275-h.p. Trans Am ($27,639).
Base price: $19,599
Base engine: 3.4-liter, 160-h.p., V-6
Wheelbase: 101.1 inches
Length: 195.6 inches
Width: 74.5 inches
Height: 52.0 inches
Curb weight: 3,230 pounds
– Porsche 911 Cabriolet. No car has a longer development history than Porsche’s superb 911. It was hot stuff in 1965, and 30-plus years of refinements have put it in a class by itself. The unique air-cooled, flat-six engine still resides in the rear, and there’s an all-wheel drive option ($74,200). Pricey, but what’s a proper price for a legend?
Base price: $68,200
Base engine: 3.6-liter, 270-h.p., 6-cylinder
Wheelbase: 89.4 inches
Length: 167.7 inches
Width: 68.3 inches
Height: 51.8 inches
Curb weight: 3,065 pounds
– Porsche 968. This is the final year for the 968 coupe and Cabriolet-they’ll be replaced by the midengined Boxster next year-so there’s a collectibility factor, too. The top is power-operated and latches automatically.
Base price: $51,900
Base engine: 3-liter, 236-h.p., 4-cylinder
Wheelbase: 94.5 inches
Length: 170.9 inches
Width: 68.3 inches
Height: 50.2 inches
Curb weight: 3,090 pounds
– Saab 900. Introduced last summer, the redesigned 900 convertible carries on several key Saab attributes: sporty handling, excellent all-weather capability, a unique personality and an exceptionally roomy rear seat. The popular 185-h.p. SE Turbo starts at $39,990 and the new 2.5-liter, 170-h.p., V-6 takes the tab to $40,540.
Base price: $33,465
Base engine: 2.3-liter, 150-h.p., 4-cylinder
Wheelbase: 102.4 inches
Length: 182.6 inches
Width: 67.4 inches
Height: 56.5 inches
Curb weight: 3,130 pounds
– Toyota Celica GT. Toyota has been creating Celica convertible conversions for a decade now. But it’s no sports car. The top is power-operated, with a glass rear window and integrated defogger.
Base price: $24,383
Base engine: 2.2-liter, 130-h.p., 4-cylinder
Wheelbase: 99.9 inches
Length: 177.0 inches
Width: 68.9 inches
Height: 51.6 inches
Curb weight: 2,755 pounds
– Volkswagen Cabriolet. VW’s latest Cabriolet is well made, with a top that provides four-season drivability. It also has a real roll bar.
Base price: $20,365
Base engine: 2-liter, 115-h.p., 4-cylinder
Wheelbase: 97.2 inches
Length: 160.4 inches
Width: 66.7 inches
Height: 56.0 inches
Curb weight: 2,701 pounds.
