Find the perfect gift for everyoneI've been taking a lot of inspiration for my blog posts lately from the many beautiful and bad-ass cars I saw earlier this month at the 2009 International Auto Show in San Francisco. Likewise, I've been focusing on the several sports cars that really tickled my fancy at said car show, and I've been posting up Web video covering their attributes in great detail amid scenic backdrops and general fanfare. Today I'm going to talk about yet another newly unleashed sports car, the 2010 BMW Z4, but the video posted here is more of a hit-and-run affair for those of you who possessing a short attention span. So without further ado let's begin...
The official name of this car is the 2010 BMW Z4 sDrive 35i, and it sure looks pretty on the road, eh? BMW has gone out of its way to reimagine the Z4 as more of an everyday, multiseason hardtop convertible, but it's still small and punchy enough to be thought of a sports vehicle as well. One could opt for the 3.0-liter version to pinch a few pennies, but if you've got the money for a Beamer, then why are you so worried about gas mileage? Go for the twin-turbo, 300 HP version and really kick up some dust when you take this toy out for a spin. You can scope how the superconvenient retractable roof works at the 0:51 mark.
About a week ago, I read an article online about how automotive industry insiders were recently given a sneak preview of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro convertible, which is reportedly slated to begin production in the near future. With all the dire financial straits General Motors has found itself in the last few years, this is definitely good news--I'm sure that I'm not the only who would hate to see such a classic American muscle car tradition bite the dust.
In fact, there seemed to be a lot of rumbling amongst industry reports that the 2010 Camaro might have been a concept-only vehicle not for sale to the general public. Thankfully, that has turned out not to be the case, and based on an online search, the 2010 Chevy Camaro convertible seems to be readily available at many Northern California dealerships. And while the general public has yet to get a glimpse of the 2011 model, we can however marvel at the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro convertible via Web video, and here's one that will give you the low down on what this newest edition is all about.
This brief synopsis vid comes from those geeks at Edmunds.com (whose videos and analysis are almost always succinct and top notch) where they take the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro convertible for a spin along a Pacific Coast Highway. And Edmunds notes that at the time of this production, the Camaro was still a giant question mark in the mass sale plans of GM. Is it the most amazing Camaro you've ever seen? Uh, no (the '69 Camaro gets my vote for baddest Camaro ever). But I'd rather have a modest modern Camaro running the streets than not to exist at all.
(Credit:
Drop Top Customs)
Suppose you wanted to pick up a convertible Chevrolet Camaro. You could wait patiently until the rumored 2012 release date. You could hope against hope that GM actually decides to release the darn thing. However, if you've got an extra 18 grand burning a hole in your pocket, you could see the folks at Drop Top Customs about making one for yourself, right now.
Ripping back the top will give rear passengers more headroom, but not legroom.
(Credit: Drop Top Customs)
Custom convertibles usually look odd with the top up. Drop Top's Camaro avoids this pitfall.
(Credit: Drop Top Customs)That $18,000 dollar price tag doesn't include the cost of the donor car, so expect to add between $22K and $33K, depending on how much topless muscle you're looking for.
Florida-based Drop Top Customs is currently accepting orders and will display its custom convertible Camaro at the 2009 SEMA Show.
Stay tuned for live shots of the Audi R8 Spyder as our coverage continues.
(Credit: Audi)We all knew this was coming, now we have photographic proof. Images of the drop-top version of Audi's R8 have leaked onto the interwebs before the official unveiling at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show.
What does the upcoming R8 Spyder look like? Predicatably, something like the Gallardo Spyder.
(Credit: Audi/Lamborghini)Considering that the R8 coupe so closely resembles the Lamborghini Gallardo (with which it shares a platform), it's no surprise that the R8 Spyder looks a lot like an Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder with a German nose job. Like the new S5 Cabriolet, Audi will most likely equip the R8 with a powered canvas top rather than a heavier metal roof.
From the looks of the blurry photos, we expect that the Spyder will be powered by the same V-10 engine and Quattro drivetrain that powers the coupe, but hidden behind an opaque engine cover instead of under glass. But you never know, Audi's rumored electric powerplant may be hidden under that cowl.
We'll be bring you more details and better photos as they emerge as part of our continuing coverage of the 2009 Frankfurt auto show.
The GranCabrio will make its world wide debut on September 15 at the upcoming International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany.
(Credit: Maserati/Fiat Group)When we had our look at the 2008 Maserati GranTurismo, we concluded that the Italian tourer was very much like a supermodel. What could be better than a supermodel? Well, a topless supermodel...and that is what we'll get in the Maserati GranCabrio, a canvas convertible topped GT set to debut at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show.
Although it's not the first Maserati to drop its top, the Maserati GranCabrio will be the first four-seater convertible in Maserati history and joins the Quattroporte and GranTurismo as the third vehicle in Maserati's current product line-up.
Upon its debut, the GranCabrio will have the distinction of having the longest wheelbase on a convertible on the market.
(Credit: Maserati/Fiat Group)The GranCabrio is powered by a 4.7-liter V8 producing 433 horsepower, so it's has more displacement and power than the 4.2-liter, 403 horsepower GranTurismo tested last year. The GranCabrio seems to combine the GranTurismo's coupe profile and the Quattroporte's four-seater proportions, with a canvas power-retractable soft top. Its extended proportions also gives the GranCabrio the longest wheelbase of any convertible on the market. If it truly is longer than the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, this will be a huge vehicle.
Following its debut in Frankfurt, Maserati will begin to market the GranCabrio starting next winter. The luxury cabriolet should hit dealerships as early as spring 2010.
There's a reason why the Mazda Miata is the best selling roadster of all time, and it ain't tech.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)Often, we get cars that are pretty good, but lack good cabin tech. And because our Car Tech reviews are weighted toward, well, tech, the cars' overall scores suffer and everyone berates us for "worrying too much about dumb iPod adapters" when we should be driving.
However, every once in a while, we get a car that is so good at what it does and represents such a purity of vision, that even a low tech score can be overcome for a high overall score. The Mazda MX-5 Miata is one of those cars that makes us forget about iPods, GPS, and other technobobblery.
While its new goofy face doesn't do any favors for the Miata's reputation as a secretary's car and its cabin tech seems to be stuck in 2004, the Mazda MX-5 roadster is one of the last true sports cars on the road today, yet also one of the cheapest.
It's all about balance and driving dynamic. Weight is at a 50/50 balance between the front and rear axles. There's not too much power, but enough to engage the chassis. Power goes out of the rear wheels, but a perfectly balanced chassis tunes out both oversteer and understeer.
The result is a car, that while sparse on the tech front, is such a joy to drive that it still managed to win over every editor who took a turn behind the wheel, making the Mazda MX-5 roadster one of the best low-tech cars...in the world.
Check out our full review and Car Tech video of the 2009 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring.
A ride in Lexus first "luxury economy car," GPS maps that don't look like maps, you won't believe what Audi has in mind for the R8, and GM gets bundled up for a swift reorganization to the tune of $30 billion!
Listen now: Download today's podcast
SHOW NOTES
• Lexus HS 250h first impressions
• TeleAtlas starts offering photorealistic GPS nav imagery
• VW dealers will sell Garmin GPS nav devices
(Credit:
Audi)
Audi loves its R8 variants. So far, we've seen V-8 and V-10 gasoline engines and V-12 TDI concept. Now, if rumors are to be believed, Audi is poised to introduce two more variants of the R8 supercar at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt: a convertible and a zero-emissions electric version.
Rumor has it that Audi has a convertible R8 in the works.
(Credit: Carparazzi/Auto Motor und Sport)The convertible has been spied testing by German publication Auto Motor und Sport, so it is all but guaranteed to be unveiled sometime in the near future. However, the electric version is something of a dark horse, subject to speculation. No one knows if it will be full electric or merely a hybrid.
Here's what Google Translate thinks Auto Motor has to say:
In addition to the convertible variant of the Audi R8, Audi wants to also prove that an electric motor can be implemented in more than just small vehicles. Thus, at the IAA also e-version of the Audi R8 will also be seen.
E-version sounds to me like a full on R8 EV to me, but we'll have to wait to see what, if anything, Audi will do.
(Credit:
Antuan Goodwin/CNET)
With the poorly selling SC 430 on the chopping block, Lexus found itself in need of a sexy luxury convertible to generate some excitement around the brand.
The IS sedan is about the same size as the SC and much better-looking. In IS 350 trim, it also extracts more horsepower from its 3.5-liter V-6 than the SC can from its 4.3-liter V-8. So, rather than update the aging SC, Lexus transplanted an updated version of its three-panel aluminum folding roof onto the IS sedan and, with a little massaging, the IS C was born.
The IS C goes from hardtop to topless in 20 seconds, which is 5 seconds faster than the SC 430.
The IS' back end has been overhauled to accommodate the new folding roof.
(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)With the exception of the new roof and two fewer doors, the IS C looks identical to the sedan. Upon closer inspection, we can see that the aesthetics have been tweaked to better fit the IS C's sporty open-air attitude. In fact, we're told that the IS and the IS C share almost no sheet metal. Of course, this is most notable around back, where the IS' tail lamps have been reworked and its rump raised to accommodate the retractable hardtop.
On paper, IS C still seats four passengers. In reality, passengers will find that the rear seats have been shifted forward by 5 inches, compromising leg room.
In the cabin, an optional Mark Levinson audio system sounds fantastic, thanks to a tweaked version of Automatic Sound Leveling that not only adjusts volume for vehicle speed, but also adjusts the equalizer to compensate for the loss of bass that comes with open-air listening. Perhaps it was our ears playing tricks on us, but the IS C's stereo actually sounds better when the vehicle is rolling than it does at a stop, which is quite an impressive feat.
... Read moreHello! For Day 2 of my Cooper Mini tribute, I thought I'd get us up to speed with a video of the brand new 2009 Mini Cooper Convertible!
Produced by our good friends at Edumunds.com, this video comes from the 2009 Detroit Auto Show that featured the debut of the redesigned Mini Cooper Convertible. I like the Edmund vids because they are good at describing not just the various features of the vehicle being profiled, but also of vehicle cost and other information that might help a potential buyer decide if a car is worth pursuing. This Mini has way more storage space than I realized...check it out at the: 40 second mark.
