First Drive: 2011 Audi R8 V10 Spyder
Chas Murphy, until recently the U.S. product manager for Audi’s TT, Audi R8 and RS sports cars, said of the R8 V10 Spyder: “You have to drive the car. It can’t be put into words.” Well, we drove it over the hills and through the woods of the Cleveland (Cali, not Ohio) National Forest, and we can put it into words. Rather, we can put it into one word: unfair.
The ways in which the R8 V10 Spyder is unfair leave us thoroughly taken with this open-air supercar and yet a little melancholy. You see, as good as the Audi R8 V10 Spyder is – and there’s no doubt about that – when you look at it, what you behold is the dumbing down of driving civilization. On the upside, this particular kind of dumb is among the most rewarding, outstanding kinds of idiocy you could ever hope to achieve.
The R8 V10 Spyder is a tweaking of the R8 V10 Coupe, an exercise in making only the changes necessary that would allow the coupe to lose its roof yet maintain its composure. But since this is Audi, those tweaks are abundant and subtle. According to Jeff Kuhlman, Audi of America’s Chief Communications Officer, the brand’s consumers spend a lengthy chunk of time researching their purchases, so Audi feels that it’s duty bound to reward those investigations with a plethora of things to find.
Categories: Audi, Auto Review, Car Review, Convertible Tags: Audi
First Drive: 2011 Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible delivers the goods
As we see it, there’s one major problem with the 2011 Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible. No, not the $280,000 asking price, or even the give-us-a-break curb weight of 5,269 pounds. We also aren’t talking about the fact that this basic chassis has been around since 2003. Nor are we concerned that there exist very few places on earth where you can even maybe-kinda-sorta properly experience the thrust of the Supersport’s twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12′s profligate output. Get this: 621 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 590 pound-feet of torque available between 2,000-4,500 rpm. Did we mention this one’s a convertible?
Furthermore, the topless Supersports’ problem does not involve the fact that there are very, very few people in its target demographic. You know, the guy that wants to take three members of his family for a ride at 197 mph with the top down (Bentley would like us to point out that with the top up, the Supersports Convertible will hit 202 mph). Thing is, out of the earth’s 6.7 billion inhabitants, there will surely be around 400 folks that fit the bill, coincidentally about the same number of these topless Supersports Bentley intends to build. No, the problem with the Bentley Supersports Convertible is that the preposterously humongous carbon-ceramic brakes feel a bit squishy coming down from 165 mph. Mind you, at 130 mph, the stoppers work like anchors.
Categories: Auto Review, Bentley, Car Review, Convertible Tags: Bentley
2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder drops a weight class and hits harder than ever
The blueprint goes something like this: Take an aging sports car and raid the corporate parts bin for a few high-performance items likely stolen from a flagship model. Tweak the suspension tuning, throw on some wider rubber, pare down the standard features, add a smidgen more horsepower and then make a few cosmetic changes so it stands out on the showroom floor. Finally, slap on a more expensive price.
We’ve seen it done many times, but rarely executed so well. Using the recently freshened Porsche Boxster S as a starting point, Porsche has developed an entirely new Spyder model that joins the Boxster lineup as its new flagship. While the two-seater follows the aforementioned recipe, we have to admit that it appears to be anything but kit-based and shortsighted.
Porsche recently gave us some seat time with its latest concoction in the mountains above Malibu. What has the automaker done to distinguish the Spyder from its lesser Boxster siblings? What key ingredients have been added – or are missing – to make it so special? Is it the best-handling Porsche model in today’s lineup?
Categories: Auto Review, Car Review, Convertible, Porsche Tags:
Beijing Motor Show 2010: Mitsuoka Galue Convertible is all kinds of wrong
If ever there was proof that just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should, it’s Mitsuoka Motors. Case in point – the Mitsuoka Galue Convertible, which we’ve finally gotten to see in person here in Beijing. Sadly, we cannot un-see it. Why anyone would take a perfectly serviceable contemporary Mustang convertible and transform it into this is beyond us. Then again, this is the same company that created the Orochi.
The Galue ‘vert’s front end apes an older Bentley while the tail is lifted straight off a late-1990s Cadillac DeVille. It’s all terribly wrong in so many ways. Just be happy that we’ve opted to spare you the sea monster-like Orochi, which was sitting on an adjacent turntable. It was so awful that the unfortunate model standing next to it collapsed from embarrassment.
Categories: Auto Show, Beijing Motor Show, Convertible Tags:
Officially Official: Renault drops the top on Megane at 2010 Geneva Motor Show
For 2011, Renault is launching an all-new version of its Megane coupe-convertible. Like the last generation model and most of its European market competitors, the Megane gets a folding hardtop, but somewhat like its competitor the Volkswagen Eos, this one lets the sun shine in even when closed. The Megane gets an all-glass roof, which, while letting you see the world, will probably do nothing to help the car’s center of gravity. On the other hand, the black finish does help to visually hide the roof when it is raised, a stylistic windfall that partially alleviates the peculiar proportions of such hardtop convertibles. That said, this doesn’t really appear to be a high-performance proposition, so we’re guessing that more potential customers won’t care about the extra weight up top anyhow.
To its credit, Renault has managed to retain a surprisingly large trunk on the Megane with 14.7 cubic feet top up and even 7.45 cubic feet available with the top down. The Megane has seven powertrain configurations available with six gas and diesel engines combined with manual, dual clutch and continuously variable transmissions.
Categories: Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Renault Tags:
Alfa commissions trio of 159-replacing concepts for 2010 Geneva Motor Show
Following up on a model as achingly gorgeous as the Alfa Romeo 159 – to say nothing of its Brera coupe and Spider convertible counterparts – is no mean feat. Which could be why Alfa is turning to the considerable pool of talent at its doorstep. According to the latest reports, three Italian design houses will be displaying their ideas of what the next-gen mid-size Alfa should look like.
If the source quoted by Inside Line proves accurate, at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March, Stile Bertone will show off a two-door coupe, with a Pininfarina-penned convertible and an ItalDesign Giugiaro four-door sedan sharing the stage as potential candidates to succeed the 159/Brera/Spider line-up. Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo will be taking the wraps off the new Giulietta at its own show stand.
Categories: Alfa Romeo, Auto Show, Concept Cars, Convertible, Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Sedan Tags:
Carrozzeria Touring reportedly to unveil coachbuilt Bentley Continental GTC in 2010 Geneva Motor Showe
If you were enticed by Zagato’s take on the Bentley Continental GT (pictured above), rumor has it Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera has a version of its own in the works.
Anticipated to be unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in two months’ time, Touring’s coachbuilt Bentley is slated to be based on the convertible Continental GTC, and could borrow its underpinnings from the upcoming GTC SuperSports.
Like Zagato’s Continental GTZ, the second coachbuilt Continental reportedly received support from Crewe. Since its revival, the Carrozzeria gave us such Maserati-based creations as the A8 GCS and Quattroporte Bellagio Fastback, and was recently rumored to be working on a custom Ferrari design as well.
Categories: Auto Show, Bentley, Concept Cars, Convertible, Geneva Motor Show Tags:
2010 Geneva Motor Show Preview: Renault flip-top Wind roadster
Renault has just released information on its diminutive new roadster dubbed “Wind,” a car they will debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. At just 150.7 inches long, the Wind is just about five inches longer than a Mini Cooper. In keeping with the current fashion for hardtop convertibles, the wind doesn’t use fabric for the lid. Because of its small size, the complex mechanized lids found on cars like the Volkswagen Eos or even the larger Renault Megane simply wouldn’t be practical.
Instead, the roof panel of the Wind simply flips over 180 degrees to stow under its rear deck. If this sounds familiar, think back about five years ago to the Ferrari 575M Superamerica, which used an almost identical system, albeit with an electrochromatic panel called “Revcromico.” Renault hasn’t released any details about the mechanicals or when the Wind will be available.
Categories: Auto Show, Convertible, Geneva Motor Show, Renault Tags:
More Bimmer leakage: 2011 BMW 335is images outted
BMW Canada has lifted the lid on the official specs for the 2011 BMW 335is Coupe and Cabriolet. The cars will use a 320-horsepower all-aluminum 3.0-liter inline-6 generating up to 332 ft-lb of torque.
The automaker’s decision to de-tune the same engine as the Z4is, which produces 335 horsepower, is questionable at best. InsideLine is reporting that BMW has provided three conflicting reasons why this is the case, with one official saying the six-speed manual could not tolerate more power. A second rep said the decision was made for marketing reasons, and a third said the car uses a more restricted intake. The real answer for the car having less power than the Z4is is unclear at this time.
Categories: BMW, Convertible, Coupe, Geneva Motor Show Tags:
Detroit Auto Show 2010: Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible promises four-season topless motoring
We’ve been friendly with the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class since its introduction. As much as we liked the sedan, we enjoyed the Coupes even more so. That stated, it would figure that we’re going to really dig the new 2010 E-Class Convertible. Of course, here in the D, we just get to look at the latest Benz drop top and listen to the Daimler folks make the car’s case. If we did nothing but listen to them, the E-Class Convertible is literally the most exciting thing since bagels got holes.
In reality, this is a pretty sharp looking car, especially with the top down. Turns out that the best way to remedy the awkward looking chunky C-Pillar is just to remove it altogether. Replacing the CLK as MB’s mass-market convertible, the new E-Class rag top has to be many things to many people. As such, Mercedes-Benz has equipped the E-Class Convertible with a couple of features that will allow the car to be driven with the top down year round.
Categories: Auto Show, Convertible, Detroit Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz Tags: Detroit Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz
