Convertible Reviews

Craig Duff road tests and reviews the 2015 BMW M235i convertible, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Ewan Kennedy reviews the Holden Cascada at its Australian launch.

Paul Gover reviews the Holden Cascada and Astra VXR

Philip King road tests and reviews the Porsche 911 GTS Cabriolet with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Later, the Mercedes C-Class was also in Lexus’s sights as Mercedes quietly moved it from the boring sedan into the sporty sedan segment.All Lexus are immaculately finished inside and out in a tradition that has been with the marque since day one in 1989.The quality of materials and workmanship not only makes the car a delight to look at and sit in, but also makes for high level reliability.Interior space is good for a rear-drive car, but the little Lexus has less room than a front-wheel-drive of this size would have.Try the back seat for size if adults will be frequently using it.The quality of materials and workmanship makes the car a delight to look at with high level reliability.In its earlier iterations, it’s possibly best to regard it as being a two-plus-two rather than a four-seater for adults.Later models are better but still nothing special.That’s for the sedans, the IS hardtop convertibles, launched in July 2009, are very tight in the back seat, as is generally the way in this class.The first Lexus IS generation used straight-six engines, for smoothness; and rear-wheel drive for precise handling balance.Later it changed to V6 powerplants to free up space at the front.Power for the IS200 originally came from an engine with a capacity of just 2.0 litres, hence the ‘200’.While many praised the car others said it didn’t have enough grunt to match the chassis so a 3.0-litre IS300 was introduced in 2001.Splitting the difference is the IS 250, (yes, 2.5 litres) which replaced both the 200 and 300 with the introduction of the second generation IS Series in 2005.The third generation Lexus IS retained the 2.5-litre V6 in uprated format and added a 3.5-litre V6, to the lineup.Lexus decided to tackle the German marque’s high-performance divisions with a hot model called Lexus F.Things became interesting in the powerplant field with the introduction of a hybrid powertrain, the Lexus IS300h, in the gen-three car in July 2013.This time around the engine is a four-cylinder petrol 2.5-litre assisted by an electric motor.The ‘300’ indicates the hybrid provides the sort of performance normally requiring a 3.0-litre unit.After years of competing only against the mainstream models of BMW and Merc, Lexus decided to tackle the German marque’s high-performance divisions with a hot model called Lexus F in October 2008.With a 5.0-litre V8 engine and semi-race suspension, steering, brakes and serious aerodynamic enhancements it’s something right out of the ordinary from a Lexus point of view; deliberately so, the Japanese marque really wants to make a statement.Note that the Lexus F shouldn't be confused with the Lexus F Sport, which is a far tamer model, sold from 2010, with the same engine output standard IS 250 or IS 350 on which it is based, but with uprated suspension, steering and brakes, as well as a sportier look in body details.Spare parts and servicing are reasonably priced for a car in this class.Lexus dealers are fairly limited in number, particularly in rural areas, though that situation has changed in recent years as major country cities are now being serviced.Some senior Toyota technicians are trained in most aspects of the car. Toyota is, of course, the parent company of Lexus.Insurance is generally moderate in price for a car in this price and social class and we haven't noticed any worthwhile variation between the major companies in normal premiums.Look for damage to the bodywork and the interior trim and remember the car should be close to immaculate in all areas.If not it may have been mistreated by an uncaring owner.During your test drive check for anything out of the ordinary in the way the car drives, sounds and feels.Look over the complete vehicle, preferably with the owner’s handbook in front of you, these are complex cars.At the very least, test each of the functions on the stereo, climate-control, windows and door locking.Make sure the engine starts virtually instantaneously, idles so smoothly that you can barely feel it and doesn't hesitate when accelerated.The automatic transmission should operate almost imperceptibly and not hold onto any gears unnecessarily.A manual gearbox should be smooth and light not baulk on any changes, no matter how fast you make them.Unless you’re very confident in your technical ability it’s silly not to call for a professional inspection.Don’t rush into specific details of a car when checking it out - rather do an overall walk around to get a big-picture of its condition.

Jaguar XK is a large, powerful sports machine. More GT (grand tourer) than sports car it returned to Australia in October 1996 after an absence of many years.Our preference is for the all-new model XK launched in May 2007 as it's considerably lighter than the older one thanks to its all-aluminium body. It's till not exactly nimble but holds the road well and provides plenty of driving pleasure.Generally these cars are fine on Australian roads, but aren't always happy on the really rough stuff. Try it for yourself if you live in an outlying region.Older Jaguar XKs are showing signs of becoming a cult car but are still very reasonably priced. This could change over the next few years so now might be a good time to buy. No promises, though...The shape of the Jaguar XK is unashamedly based on that of the famous Jaguar E-Type. From the nose, with its big oval opening, to the rounded tail this design works exceptionally well.The convertible has a soft-top in the traditional manner. We love thatThe dashboard uses a traditionally styled, timber-faced design with smallish, round instruments it looks just right in these big British sports machines.Jaguar XK is sold as a closed coupe or a convertible, the convertible has a soft-top in the traditional manner. We love that - folding hardtops don't have the same pure feeling as a rag-top.Power comes from a V8 engine, interestingly, the first engine of this configuration ever used in a Jaguar as the company had made its name building beautiful looking straight sixes. Initially the V8 had a 4.0-litre capacity. That was raised to 4.2 litres when the engine was heavily revised in 2002. Further changes with the new model of 2007 improved it again.Even better is the 5.0-litre V8 first imported to Australia in January 2010. It is offered in natural or supercharged aspiration.At the top of the performance tree sits the 'Jaguar XKR with R features'. With semi-race suspension, Brembo brakes and an emphasis on serious motoring it's a car to dream about from a Jaguar enthusiast's point of view.The older automatic transmissions use Jaguar's clever J-gate mechanism to allow a fair degree of 'manual' control over it. Good as that system was in its day it feels a bit old fashioned when compared to the latest generation of paddle-shifting automatics.Some bemoan the lack of a manual option in a sports car, but Jaguar's market research had shown fewer than five percent of buyers would have opted for it.Jaguar's dealer network in Australia is long established and operates efficiently. Spare parts aren't cheap, but we've seen worse.Better built and more reliable than older Jaguars, the latest Jaguar XK models are complex cars and servicing and repairs should be left to the professionals.A professional inspection should be regarded as essentialInsurance isn't overly expensive - provided you have a good driving record and live in an area where theft is seldom a problem. There are likely to be higher charges for the supercharged engines.A professional inspection should be regarded as essential. You may wish to do some initial checks to save racking up too many inspection bills, but don't fall into the trap of making your own decision to save a few dollars.Be sure the engine starts promptly, idles smoothly and does not blow smoke from the exhaust when the big Jag is accelerated hard.Be sure the automatic transmission goes into gear within about a second of the selector being moved into Drive or Reverse. Check the 'manual-gearbox' functions work correctly.Look for rust in the lower areas of the body. It is not normal but can be expensive to repair. At the same time look for signs of previous crash repairs, such as mismatched paint or ripples in the finish.Check the condition of the interior trim, carpets and dash-top for excessive wear and/or rough treatment.Also look at the condition of the boot. Hard driving can slide luggage around and cause tears and scratches.If are water stains on the convertible's seats ask the seller to remove the carpets so you can check underneath.A genuine Jaguar battery should be fitted as other units may not provide enough power and the electrical relays may not work.

Mark Webber is a magician in a Porsche 918.Me? I'm rubbish.When Webber took me for hot laps at Albert Park during the Australian Grand Prix he dug deep into the incredible power and grip and technology of the $1.5 million Porsche hybrid hero, cranking up to 260km/h down the pit straight and hustling it through the corners at speeds to make a V8 Supercars driver worried.I will never forget the first uppercut of 650 kiloWatts as we came out of the Albert Park pitlane, or the moment when we went off-course at the high-speed flip-flop when Webber mis-judged his braking because he felt like he was back in his Red Bull F1 car. For a second I thought I was heading for hospital.But when I get to Phillip Island, and slide from the passenger seat across to the action station, things are very different.It makes an everyday driver look like a superstarThe car is the same one, and still brutally fast in a way that's hard to explain beyond a 0-100km/h time of 2.6 seconds and a top speed of 345km/h, but I cannot believe how easy it is to drive.It makes an everyday driver look like a superstar, and I find it easy to romp to 250 on the pit straight and corner at speeds that make a Porsche 911 GT3 look pedestrian. I have the controls, but it's the 918 that has the control.It's an absolutely brilliant car that currently sits at the top of world motoring alongside the McLaren F1 and Ferrari LaFerrari. All three are hybrids, but instead of using their electric motors to green the world they are fitted to give the effect of a battery-boosted supercharger.In the case of the 918, there are three electric motors which integrate seamlessly into an all-wheel drive package an a seven-speed PDK manu-matic gearbox with paddle-shifters and one of the most intuitive automatic systems I've struck in any car. It is far better at redline upshifts when the V8 petrol engine spins to 9000 revs and makes brilliant downshifts for hot laps.Yet the 918 will also run for 31 kilometres on pure electric power, while retaining a 6.2-second sprint time and a top speed of 150km/h.The car is only built in left-hand drive and it costs $1.5 millionThere is a lot to like about the ultimate Porsche, and some things to love, but it's not all good news.The car is only built in left-hand drive and it costs $1.5 million. It's also noisy, pretty cramped in the cabin, and takes some learning with all the electronic complications.I've only got three driving laps at Phillip Island, but Porsche is preparing me well with track time in both a 911 Turbo and GT3 ahead of the ultimate roller-coaster ride. Both cars feel lovely and fast, with the GT3 a fair bit sharper around a track with an average speed that tops 150km/h.But the 918 Spyder is something else again, which is why Matthias Hoffsuemmer - chief driving instructor on the car, with more than 40,000 kilometres of seat time - has taken over from Webber as the lead driver. He has flown from Germany to demonstrate the car, but also to ride shotgun to ensure there are no mishaps.He starts gently, showing how the car performs in full electric mode, before uncorking some of the performance I know from the Webber laps at Albert Park.The 918 is other-worldlySo I'm ready, but should perhaps give some extra background. After all, I've previously driven a wide range of supercars, from a Bugatti Veyron to a Lamborghini Aventador, and I've tackled both a Nissan GT-R and a Black Series version of the Mercedes-AMG SLS Gullwing around Phillip Island.But none of them are as whack-me-back as the 918. Or as impressive under brakes. Or capable of building such incredibly high speeds in such a short time and distance.The 918 is other-worldly. It's so, so, so fast and yet so easy to drive. Goodness knows what would happen if you strapped on slick racing tyres...To keep me properly in check, Porsche has provided a pace car for my hot laps. It's not just any car but a Carrera Cup racer, with champion driver Craig Baird driving.It's quickly clear that the 918 is faster than the Cup car in lots of conditions, as I'm able to outbrake Baird and pull alongside as we accelerate down the straight. And he's in a full race car.To be honest, I'm struggling to keep pace with the Porsche. It's so darned fast that I'm wrung out after three laps, trying to keep my eyes down the road and my reflexes tuned to the speed.Then I slow, and realise the 918 can also go slow. It's not nearly as much fun, but as my heart rate slows to something more normal I can appreciate the quality of the cabin, and the brilliant dials, and the comfort in the race-style seat, and the incredible visibility.To finish the day, I get a hot lap alongside Hoffsuemmer. If anything, the car feels quicker than it did with Webber, because I can relax and watch instead of hanging on and screaming inside.To prove the car's pace, he uncorks a lap in 1 minute 38.02 seconds. For clarity, the Porsche is on road tyres and the track is hot, and the V8 Supercar lap record belongs to six-time champion Jamie Whincup at 1:32.02.Then it's over. And I'm done.The 918 Spyder is a 21st century speed machineBut I cannot resist hitting the re-wind button and comparing it with the Porsche Carrera GT, the Germany company's previous supercar. I also drove it at Phillip Island, ten years ago.The GT was a fast, flighty, nervy car with a hair-trigger clutch and a temperamental engine. I never felt I got remotely close to exploiting its strengths, despite the speed.In sharp contrast, the 918 Spyder - did I mention the lift-out carbon roof panels, the active aerodynamics with a giant rear wing, or the top-exit exhaust pipes? - is much quicker but much, much easier to drive. And far more rewarding.There is a decade between the cars but, really, it feels like a century.

It takes a very special car to make a Carrera Cup racer look slow.The Porsche 918 Spyder is that car.Not just that, but the 918 can make an ordinary driver - let’s call that me - look good against a champion racer called Craig Baird.As we hot lap at Phillip Island, a track where the 918 will wind around past 280km/h with ease and generate race-car grip on road-car tyres, I’m having no trouble at all in keeping pace with Baird in the Cup car.The 918 can make an ordinary driver look good against a champion racer.The 918 gobbles him up out of every corner, keeps pace through any turn, and can brake much, much later than the track-only 911 while also offering the chance of full electric driving for 31 kilometres at up to 150km/h.This is a car that’s all about the car. I’m just along for the ride, even when I have control of the steering wheel and pedals.It’s so easy to go quickly that I have to suppress the sort of five-year-old enthusiasm I have not felt in years. It’s woo-hoo fun, and so, so, so fast.Yet the 918 is also a new-age hybrid that can run for 31 kilometres on pure battery power, and also accelerate up to 150km/h - with a 0-100 sprint time of 6.1 seconds - without dipping into the onboard batteries.If you could buy a 918 in Australia it would cost $1.5 million. But that’s irrelevant, not just because it’s only left-hand drive and cannot be registered but also because all 918 cars already have customer names against them.This 918, with the Weissach package, is in Australia for a whistle-stop tour that included hot laps at the Australian Grand Prix and a couple of very special days at Phillip Island.That’s where I get my chance to drive, and have all my benchmarks for a road car comprehensively re-set.It’s the same track where I drove a Porsche Carrera GT a decade ago, and also where I’ve sampled flat-out laps in a Nissan GT-R and a Black Edition Mercedes-AMG SLS, although my (very) brief time in a Bugatti Veyron was at the Sandown race course.For comparison, the Carrera was fast but nervy, with a trigger-action clutch; the GT-R was ballistic quick but awful on public roads; the Black beast was fast but felt very heavy, and the Veyron was awesome in a straight line but not a car I’d like to own.The 918 can really only be compared with its current supercar rivals, the LaFerrari and McLaren P1, but there are none in Australia. And I’ve yet to drive them.So it’s me and the 918 at Phillip Island, with a warm-up in the 911 Turbo and GT3 road car to get my brain (partially) calibrated for the challenge to come.When it comes, it’s almost too much.The 918 is nicely quick in full electric model and easily quicker than the Turbo and GT3 in Sport model. Then I turn the switch to RACE and it’s like hitting the afterburner switch.The car now accelerates far quicker than the Cup racer and can brake far, far later. It’s incredible to think that is a road car on road tyres.Yes, there are some downsides. Apart from the price, the legroom is not great and it’s very noisy at any speed.But I cannot help falling in love with the way it fires down the road whenever I touch the throttle, how it challenges me through the corners, and how it stops like I’ve dropped the blade on a bulldozer.It’s also incredible to feel the way so much technology - remember there is a petrol engine, a battery pack, three electric motors, and four-wheel drive - is seamlessly integrated.Would you believe it’s also at its best as a fully automatic. There are flappy paddles for the seven-speed PDK gearbox, but I don’t use them and it doesn’t need them.

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the 2015 Audi S3 Cabriolet.

Murray Hubbard road tests and reviews the 2015 BMW 2 Series convertible, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.