To help celebrate the MX-5 Miata’s 20th anniversary, Mazda will show the MX-5 Superlight concept at the Frankfurt auto Show this September. And to wet our appetites, the Japanese automaker has released a few renderings of just what this speedster will look like. An homage to early race cars, the Superlight has no windscreen or...
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With the launch of the IS convertible, rumors started almost immediately that Lexus might build a high-performance F version of the retractable hard-top. Now it appears those hoping for such a drop-top beast will get their wish. According to a report by Car & Driver, a convertible version of the IS-F will be due out...
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We wouldn’t go so far as to say that the folks at AutoExpress are just making stuff up, but the prospect of a smaller MX-5 Miata (the MX-2) does sound unlikely. Still, the British auto pub is reporting that such a vehicle is in the works and could be here as early as 2012. This...
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Mercedes was expected to delay the launch of the E-class convertible by six months, but by the looks of this mostly completed version it appears near completion. If these spy photos are any indication then the drop-top E-Class might be ready in time for its originally scheduled debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this Fall,...
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Lamborghini has just released dozens of stunning new photos of its latest exotic, the LP560-4 Spyder. This drop-top Lambo first launched at last year’s L.A. Auto Show and news of the model has been relatively quiet. The release of these photos, however, comes as customers start to take deliveries and the Italian automaker begins to...
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Those waiting for a drop-top version of Audi’s R8 won’t have to wait much longer. The car is set to debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September and it appears as though Audi is out doing some final testing – as these Nürburgring spy photos show. In Frankfurt Audi is expected to debut the...
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The Camaro Convertible has been an on-again, off-again model for Chevy. Officially, it is now on-again and in case you don’t believe the rumors, here are a few pics of the car sitting outside GM’s Oshawa, Canada plant – where the new Camaro is assembled. No doubt the decision to go ahead with the car...
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Toyota has finally made the decision to stop producing the Solara Convertible. It’s not likely to be missed. The Coupe model was discontinued last summer (in case you hadn’t noticed), but Toyota decided to keep up convertible production as there were no other drop-top models in the entire company’s vehicle lineup. A few months later...
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Toyota appears to be readying a convertible version of the iQ minicar that is currently on sale in Japan and Europe. The report comes from Japan’s Best Car magazine, which suggests much of the basics will be kept including a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 99hp and 92 ft-lbs of torque. Fuel-economy for this engine...
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According to two more than one reliable source, Audi is set to unveil the roadster version of its awesome R8 at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September. But that isn’t the only R8 set to debut. The R8 Roadster will be available in both V8 and V10 versions with 420 and 525 horsepower respectively. A...
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Those patiently waiting for a new E-Class Convertible or Wagon will have to wait a little longer. According to a report in Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport both versions of the E-Class have been put on hold as Mercedes-Benz searches for ways to balance its books. In order to limit expenditures (in both development costs...
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Sadly it looks like the very-cool Volkswagen BlueSport Roadster may never see the street. VW has not confirmed the car’s status but apparently a company representative told a group of media who were in Australia for a Volkswagen press event that it just didn’t make economic sense considering the global recession. This would no doubt...
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To coincide with the launch of the new IS250 C and IS350 C hard-top convertibles, Lexus is releasing a line of F-Sport performance parts for both models. Manufactured in-house by Toyota’s performance parts division TRD (Toyota Racing Development) the parts are essentially the same as those already offered for the sedan models. While there aren’t...
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Last week French auto pub L’Automobile reported what it said was a leaked photo of an upcoming MINI vehicle and now they have more news to share. Unconnected to that vehicle, the magazine says MINI will bring a Roadster concept to the Frankfurt Auto Show this Fall. The new model would use a soft-top but...
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It’s not exactly the sort of news worthy of a celebration, but some cautious optimism is certainly appropriate as word comes that the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky might not suffer the same fate as almost every other fun vehicle under the General Motors umbrella. Fritz Henderson, GM’s new CEO said that the company would...
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Lotus has confirmed that it will introduce a Purist Edition of the Elise for sale in the U.S. this year. The philosophy behind this new model is to bring the Elise back to what it was when it first crossed the pond and landed on U.S. shores. That means it will be a more basic...
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The original V8-powered R8 had only been on the streets for a few days when rumors began to surface about a drop-top roadster version of the exotic Audi. Then Audi threw a curve ball with the 12-cylinder turbo-diesel R8 concept before unveiling the V10-powered monster. Now that the V10 R8 is on the streets,...
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Ahead of the New York International Auto Show, Nissan dropped the cover (and the top) on the roadster version of its new 370Z. Normally convertible versions of coupes aren’t all the different from their hard-top cousins, and while that is mostly true here we have to hand it to Nissan on the design of the...
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When you’re an automaker, there are two ways to significantly improve profits. First, you can sell a vehicle to as many people as possible, using the “economies of scale” approach. Second, you can sell a reduced number of vehicles at a higher profit margin, feeding off an increased demand and a reduced supply. The Lamborghini...
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As automakers downsize their payrolls, many are also looking to downsize their auto offerings by producing smaller and more affordable vehicles. While we expect as much from the GMs and Toyotas of the world, luxury and sportscar makers are also hopping on the band wagon. We recently reported that Audi is now selling a less...
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With the economy in its current state, many people can’t (or aren’t prepared to) shell out big bucks for a sportscar. Audi understands this and so it is offering its U.K. customers a new version of its TT Roadster – with a smaller engine. The new TT Roadster 1.8 comes with Audi’s turbocharged 1.8-liter powerplant...
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The Camaro Convertible is back on track say the latest industry reports. While several media outlets (including Motor Trend) recently reported the indefinite future of the drop-top muscle car, MotorTrend is now reporting an about-face by General Motors. The apparent reason for putting the model on hold was that the German supplier of the convertible...
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