Summer is officially here with the top down on these luxury rides...
By Ben Lobel
Who doesn’t want to be breezing along in a convertible when the sun is beating down? For mere mortals, there is a burning desire to jump in a parked cabrio and relieve it of its ostentatious owners. For the ostentatious owner, theirs is a cooling trip between conferences or a thrilling drive in the country. The following rides are this year’s best droptops, period.
2009 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet
This one has been worth waiting for. Described as the most refined and technically advanced convertible Porsche has ever built, the 2009 Turbo Cabriolet is the last word in speed, precision and exhilaration. It combines the performance of the Turbo S Coupe with the versatility of an electric folding roof. The electro-hydraulic operation of the roof means the driver can open or close the top automatically in just 20 seconds. “But that could be 20 seconds of a relentless storm!” you scream. Well, you may get a little moisture on your summer power suit, but adverse weather conditions won’t affect the handling of this ride. It boasts exceptional anti-lock brakes, and even if you did go spinning off into the tempest, the Turbo’s crumple-zone body structure will probably ensure that the injuries you pick up won’t be severe enough not to allow you to jump back behind the wheel to repeat the frivolous experience. The point is, it’s a sports car. Observe: 3.6 liter DOHC 24-valve turbocharged 6-cylinder engine capable of producing 415 bhp. 0-60 in approximately four seconds. As the website gushes, it’s power, it’s torque, it’s acceleration. Aesthetically, aerodynamically, resistance is futile.
2009 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class SL600 Roadster
The classic sporty Mercedes, the SL has been lusted after since 1957; that’s more than 50 years of outstanding performance. And the SL didn’t get saggy past 30 – in ’87 the boxy grille was looking as perky as ever to the token materialist of the decade. Now, with half a century of pouting under its corset, this SL is still looking the part. In the guise of the SL600 Roadster you can probably even take her home to your mother, such is the combination of looks, elegant moves and polite engine – much quieter than the barbaric growl of the SL550 model. But this is no girl next door. At around $129,363 she’s no cheap date, so you better fall in love. Thankfully, this is an easy option. The twin turbo 6 liter V12 produces 517 bhp, and you’ll be presenting your own torque show with 612 pound feet of power from 1900 to 3500 rpm.
And the convertible aspect? Clearly, we’re above making jokes about taking her top off, so let’s just say the roof slides away quicker than Detroit’s auto industry. If you feel this is 100 percent the point of the car, feel free to get rained on. However, quite simply, you should enjoy it for its sheer luxury.
Lexus IS 350C
The upcoming Lexus ISC has been introduced as ‘the first convertible with the skill and courage to slay nighttime’. There’s a time and a place for clumsy press office-esque garblings, and here is not that place, but what this one is trying to say is that it was designed with your ‘crazy’ nights on the Strip, Collins Avenue and the Magnificent Mile in mind. Oh, and the top slides back in 20 seconds. Could it be that the magical 20 seconds, rather than being the eye opening pinnacle of rapid sliding, is just industry standard for today’s cabrios? Not that I would suggest such a thing of course, as this one is worth bigging up. To rule both daylight and dusk, the ISC 350C has 306 bhp, 3.5 liter V6 and has way more character than the IS 250 version, which feels somewhat underpowered.While not quite matching up to the above choices, you can be safe in the knowledge that the ISC model is a high-performance car and good value for money too.