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Motoring journalist and author Paul Guinness has been testing sports cars for more than 20 years for leading British newspapers and magazines. Here he picks the five best open top roadsters
Click to view Top 5 Open Top Sports Cars.
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Best for Touring (Porsche 911 Cabriolet) |
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 Let’s assume for a moment that your budget is generous and that you demand a soft-top sports car that’s at its best on long, intercontinental trips – the type of machine that eats up the miles with effortless ease, while still providing wind-in-the-hair thrills. |
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What would you choose? Jaguar XK Convertible? Aston Martin DB9 Volante? Quite possibly. But for my money, it would be the latest version of Porsche’s classic 911 Cabriolet every time.
This convertible version of the long-running rear-engined supercar starts at £65,260, which buys you a 3.6-litre, 321bhp version of the very latest 997-series Carrera Cabriolet. But for those who demand even swifter progress, the more-powerful (350bhp) Carrera S Cabriolet comes in at £72,230.
Glorious machines, both of them. But what if your grand-touring experience also requires the reassurance of all-wheel drive, transforming the rear-engined Porsche’s handling characteristics in one fell swoop? No problem, because both versions of the ragtop 911 are also available in four-wheel drive Carrera 4 guise, priced at £69,900 and £76,880 respectively. And when you consider that the cheapest Aston Martin DB9 Volante can’t be bought for less than £118,000, even the most expensive open-air Porsche suddenly seems like a fantastic buy.
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Effortless Performance |
 Not that this is the kind of car you buy for its value for money, of course. You fall in love with a 911 Carrera 4 S Cabriolet because of its sensational styling, its glorious-sounding six-cylinder engine, its tenacious grip and handling, its effortless performance and its ability to make even the longest journeys feel like minor trips.
Long-distance touring is a joy; and if you can find a German autobahn empty enough, you’ll revel in the Porsche’s 182mph top speed, passing 60 along the way in a mere 4.9 seconds. Those figures are impressive enough, but the whole driving experience is even more so. This amazing machine does it all with panache, with gusto and with legendary enthusiasm.
While most Porsche 911 buyers still opt for the classic hard-top coupe versions, there is – thank goodness – a steady demand for the hood-down thrills of the Cabriolet, and it remains one of the world’s most desirable sports cars.
It is, quite simply, the ultimate choice for nipping off to Naples or popping over to Paris on a whim. And, you know, in the grand scheme of things, it even offers terrific value for money compared with some of its natural competitors. Not that we’ll be admitting that to the neighbours, of course… |
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TYPICAL PRICE - £65,260-£76,880/$82,600-$92,800
For currency converter click here |
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