BY PATRICK BEDARD, PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL DELANEY
Resort Wear: We suffer balmy days and soft breezes, not to mention mussed hair, to shake out three value-priced convertibles.
ust in time for those lazy, hazy days of summer, a comparison of convertibles that don’t break the bank. (more…)
BY RAY HUTTON
Well, the swallows come back to Capistrano,and so do the rumors of Alfa’s return to the U.S.
Alfa Romeo has a fine heritage but a difficult recent history, particularly in the U.S. In the early 90s, the Italian marque limped away, just as too many of its 164 sedans had done. (more…)
Lexus SC 430 Summary
The 2007 SC 430 is a 2-door, 4-passenger luxury convertible, available in one trim only, the Convertible.
Upon introduction, the SC 430 is equipped with a standard 4.3-liter, V8, 288-horsepower engine that achieves 18-mpg in the city and 25-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.
Prices = $65,455
BY ERIK JOHNSON
Ford rustles up another Mustang. Say howdy to the Mustang Shelby GT convertible.
Stop the servers! Batten down the hatches! Cover grandma’s ears”we’ve got breaking news so big, we wouldn’t be surprised if this event is the fulcrum upon which the apocalypse will finally turn! (more…)
BY JARED GALL
Audi decides its fantastic RS 4 is safe for U.S. consumption in convertible form as well.
Maybe you need a 420-hp, 8250-rpm V-8 in your family convertible. Or maybe you need to peel the top off of your 420-hp, 8250-rpm, V-8“powered family sedan. Either way, the time to rejoice is now. Audi has announced that it will be bringing its RS 4 cabriolet to the U.S. for 2008.
Mechanically identical to the RS 4 sedan, the RS 4 cabrio is powered by a high-winding 4.2-liter direct-injection V-8 herding 420 horsepower through a six-speed manual to all four wheels. The conversion from sedan to convertible cuts the door count to two and adds about 300 pounds to the RS 4’s saddle bags, but the RS 4 cabrio should still be good for 0-to-60 toots in 4.8 or so seconds.
The other great”as in scale, as in uh-oh”addition in the transformation from sedan to convertible is in the price. Audi has yet to announce pricing for the convertible, but figure on paying at least $8000 more for the droptop two-door than for the sedan, meaning a cool $77,000.
First thing we’d do after driving this sweetie off the lot (well, after the break-in miles, anyway) would be a top-down rip through a nice, long tunnel, since the 4.2 screaming to its 8250-rpm redline is one of the tastier exhaust symphonies this side of $100,000.
Those with the money will want to wipe up their slobber, get to the nearest Audi dealership quickly, and throw down a deposit, as only 300 2008-model RS 4 convertibles will make it to the U.S. Keep an eye out for them starting this fall.
The 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class is a 2-door, 2-passenger convertible sports car, available in 3 trims, ranging from the SLK280 Roadster to the SLK55 AMG Roadster. (more…)
The 2007 Volkswagen Eos is a 2-door, 4-passenger convertible, available in 3 trims, ranging from the Base to the 3.2L.
Upon introduction, the Base is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 200-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 23-mpg in the city and 32-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard. The 3.2L is equipped with a standard 3.2-liter, V6, 250-horsepower engine that achieves 22-mpg in the city and 29-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.
The 2007 Volkswagen Eos is all-new for 2007.
Prices = $28,110-$36,970
The 2007 Chevrolet Corvette is a 2-door, 2-passenger sports car, or convertible sports car, available in 7 trims, ranging from the Coupe LT1 to the Z06 LZ2. (more…)
The 2006 Dodge Viper is a 2-door, 2-passenger sports car, or convertible sports car, available in two trims, the SRT-10 Convertible and the SRT-10 Coupe.
Upon introduction, both trims are equipped with a standard 8.3-liter, V10, 510-horsepower engine that achieves 12-mpg in the city and 20-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard.
The 2006 SRT-10 Convertible is a carryover from 2005. The SRT-10 Coupe has been redesigned for 2006.
Prices = $81,895-$83,145
The 2007 Bentley Continental GT is a 2-door, 4-passenger luxury coupe, available in one trim only, the Coupe.
Upon introduction, the Continental GT is equipped with a standard 6.0-liter, W12, 552-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 12-mpg in the city and 19-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.
The 2007 Bentley Continental GTC is a 2-door, 4-passenger luxury convertible, available in one trim only, the Convertible.
Upon introduction, the Continental GTC is equipped with a standard 6.0-liter, W12, 552-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 11-mpg in the city and 18-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.
Prices = GT $169,990
GTC $189,990
