Springtime Means Convertibles

With spring having sprung, the automotive industry always manages to somehow focus on…you guessed it…droptops.

This year will mark the debut of some quality examples from this automotive genre. We’ve already touched on BMW’s new Z4, a nicely done update to their previous two-seater with a folding hardtop and a pair of smooth and powerful inline-6 cylinder engines available.

If you want something a bit larger, say perhaps with four seats, there are a couple of new choices worth a look…

Infinity, who has been targeting BMW for several years now, is releasing a retractable hardtop version of its G37 coupe, due out June 19th. This would be a competitor to BMW’s 3-series convertible. The G37 convertible has nice power, decent looks with the typical Infinity design language and is overall a quality piece. It is a bit more on the GT side as opposed to sports car though, as the convertible is 453 pounds heavier than its coupe counterpart due to the top mechanisms and extra structure bracing throughout. Trunk space with the top stowed also gets a worse than average score.

Another new competitor in this class would be Audi’s new A5 and S5 cabriolets, coming to dealers this fall. Audi decided to buck the trend and stay with a folding cloth top for this one, sighting weight and space-saving reasons. These cars are stunners, like their coupe counterparts, and have the excellent Audi interiors as well. With an easily best in class top-down trunk space, Quattro all-wheel drive and a sporty driving experience, these Audis will make a compelling choice.

And now for something really cool…

Introducing the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder… Italian rocket-ship looks and a 560 horsepower V-10 engine a few inches behind your head. Need we say more..?