Okay, after you read that title and get your mind out of the gutter, I’m not talking about people without shirts. Instead I am talking about some great cars. These cars are currently not offered as convertibles but should be. With the temperatures rising and the end of a very long winter behind up, having more convertibles would be amazing and this group of nine vehicles would look great with their top down, showing off their wares to the world while your cruise in one up and down the coast.
As the twin pairing, we have actually seen a car that sort of looks like these would with a topless appearance, the Toyota FT86 Convertible Concept that was features at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. So far the closest thing we have to this paring being made into convertibles is the MX-5 Miata which is a fun and energetic roadster which can be bought in the convertible model. So when will Subaru step up and offer the Miata some actual competition; hopefully very soon.
Even though this is currently not offered in a drop top, the RC F might just show up without a roof very soon. The IS convertible is being phased out and the LF-C2 concept looks like it could easily be made into the RC F without a lot of retooling. As a car that is made to rival the BMW M4, the RC F may show up with a folding hard top to stay with the trend, or Lexus just might buck the trend and give us a true convertible that folds back with the push of a button.
As the top of the luxury food chain, the Mercedes-Maybach S600 without a top would be the perfect vehicle for the royal family to show off and enjoy the ride that offers as much luxury as a spa. Those who shop in this price range already know they want the top end and will pay the extra cost to have the rear of the car easily able to be enjoyed with an open air feeling while the driver is still covered up front and fully focused on the road ahead. This model at one time was an open-top when the old Landaulet models were around; it’s time to bring them back.
A crazy sounding idea, but the CR-Z (not in the hybrid powertrain) would be an awesome convertible with its athletic stance and active driving feeling that is only missing one thing; the wind-swept feeling of the convertible. This would give the world a much more affordable convertible option and help turn the CR-Z into a true successor to the CRX.
This is seriously a no-brainer. When you have a customer base that is willing to pay top dollar for a supercar, you need to have a convertible option for those who love to have the bugs in their teeth while they are driving. The competitors all have a convertible; there is the Audi R8 Spyder, Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet, and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible. Even though there are currently no plans from Nissan to make this a reality, a little pressure from the masses may make them change their mind as they set forth to play big in the supercar world.
Why Dodge did not explore this option before bringing back the Challenger in a form that looks like it was plucked right out of the late 1960’s, I’m really not sure. Once again, like the Nissan GT-R, this should be a no-brainer. The Mustang has a convertible, the Camaro has a convertible, in fact both have had them for years, and so where is our topless Challenger? It might be a bit of a structural challenge, especially for the Hellcat 707-hoursepower engine, but Dodge really should be considering making a Challenger that can go topless in order to maximize their sales for the amazing new car with the retro look.
Now this would be style and grace along with excitement and fun, what more could we want? The roofline of the ELR lends itself to an easy transition to take the top down and enjoy the ride. With the low angles that are created there would be very little wind in the cabin, giving you a great feeling of driving a convertible without ending up completely wind-blown when you get to your destination. Even with the hybrid powertrain aboard, the ELR can still maintain some great fuel numbers as a convertible and make it easy to seriously this already awesome luxury coupe.
This car is a strange vehicle already, and it’s time to simply add to the overall peculiarity with a convertible model. A roll top concept has already been show an auto shows and the idea was one that is really cool as the top could roll forward to allow larger cargo to fit, making it into a small truck, or roll backward to give the open air feeling desired when driving. By doing a roll top the Veloster Concept did not cut the roof off and go without pillars, instead they were fully intact, making for a much different approach to the concept of a convertible vehicle.
Ok, this has been done before and it was basically and pointedly the ugliest thing on the planet. Even the Lungfish was laughing at the convertible Murano, but with the new design and sleek overall look another CrossCabriolet just might be a fun and funky vehicle that makes its way too many driveways near you. The old saying “back to the drawing board” just might apply here and become an awesome looking vehicle that is just what the doctor ordered to cure the winter blues and spring into a new light of day.
As you can see, with the weather changing, we need to have some great convertibles prowling the streets. A topless vehicle simply makes it easy for us to have a lot of fun while out cruising around at night on a slow roll to see what’s going on, or when screaming down the highway feeling the wind in our hair and enjoying the open air appeal of a convertible. With these nine not offering a convertible model, they are so obviously, in my opinion, missing out on what we really need.