Convertible Reviews

But this little beauty looks a lot better with its top off, so I was not about to cover up when I took her cruising to the beach, the pizza place, the shops, the gym ... I wanted to show her off everywhere.Roof on and the Tigra – Holden's latest two-seater and sporty convertible – is just another plain-Jane-looking car on the road.And roof on makes negotiating lanes a bit tricky, thanks to some very awkward blind spots, when the over-the-shoulder view is blocked by the side roof panels.Luckily, other drivers seem to be wary of being suddenly cut off from what obviously looks like a "girl's" car and make way.A push of a button and the hydraulically-operated fold-back hardtop roof – which brought back childhood memories of playing with Transformers toys – takes the Tigra from corny to cool.No man-handling required.Blocked vision and reversing are no longer problems when there are no bits of car to get in the way.But be prepared to repeatedly conduct the "top goes up, top goes down" routine, as all your friends will want to see it fold itself magically away.Pity it only has two seats, so just one at a time can join you for a ride.With one of these friends itching to feel the wind in her hair, a daytrip to Brighton was a must to find out how the car shapes up for attention against the other convertible and cruising cars.The Tigra held its own in receiving curious glances and words of admiration from passers-by.It was the perfect way to enjoy the spring sunshine – lathered in sunscreen, of course – and get some fresh air.However, a cruise down Hindley St in the early hours of a Sunday morning drew a few crude comments and, for the record, my dad wishes he drives a car like this.The boys outside the Woolshed were impressed it was a Holden.You get used to arriving at your destination without a hair in place because she is just so fun to drive.The Tigra has just enough grunt to be zippy off the line without fear of retribution from police and, as a front-wheel-drive, it whips around tight corners.The sports exhaust gives the engine some oomph without distracting from the tunes.Its racing seats seem custom made and racing pedals complement the sporty look.The Tigra comes only with a manual transmission – which adds further to its "cool" factor – and the shortened stick shift easily slips through the five gears to 110km/h on the open road.Three-point parking is a bit harder when you have to lift up the stick's collar to knock it into reverse.It is not very practical, with little boot space and for most of the year the weather's cold and/or wet, so the roof should stay on.But where is the fun in that?

But they cost soooo much. Since the demise of Daihatsu and its sub-$30,000 Copen dinky sports car, the mantle for the most affordable roofless drive goes to Peugeot with its 206CC 1.6.It sells for $32,990, two grand more for the auto.But the big thing to consider here is the CC's metal folding roof. No longer do you have to suffer the anxiety associated with a vinyl roof soft top convertible as the CC's roof is all metal and folds electrically into the boot. Crooks will need an oxy torch to cut through the roof instead of a pen knife with vinyl. And foul weather is quickly and totally excluded at the push of a button.A "tin top" is the perfect roofless set up and gives rise to the car's name: CC equals Coupe/ Cabriolet.And it's a sexy looking little critter, styled by Bertone and featuring some novel touches like the twin boot "handles", ribbed boot lid, extremely angled windscreen and angry front end.Pointy at the front, rounded at the rear, you can't mistake the CC for anything else on the road and it looks good with the roof up or down.Bearing in mind this is a small car, the two rear seats are pretty well a waste of time unless there are small people in the front and back. Room inside the cabin with two aboard is good.We have secured this little beauty for the summer season and have already ventured forth to the beach, the lake and out on a Friday night ( with the roof off of course).It creates a buzz when you arrive somewhere and everyone looks. Kiddies love to see the roof deployed or retracted.The test car is a 1.6-litre auto, a four speeder with sequential change mode. Five ratios would be better but as it stands, the little Pug gets going neatly and willingly flicks up or down a cog or two as needed. If it doesn't make things happen fast enough for you, there is always the sequential mode.It rides and handles with a degree of sportiness and the chassis seems rock solid, roof up or down.Safety concerns have been well dealt with as the CC has four air bags, roll over bars, ABS and electric brake force distribution (EBD).Engine performance is good for a 1.6 thanks to the 80kW/147Nm output. Fuel consumption is minimal averaging around 8.0 litres/100km.

"What is it?" inquires one man with his young granddaughter. "It looked pretty smart when you drove in.""Is that the new Holden," asks another inquisitive motorist at a set of traffic lights. "Jeez, it looks pretty neat."Although many of these positive comments were coming from men, Holden expects 95 per cent of Tigra customers to be female.It's a real looker with the top up or down, but looks better with it down. Lowering the roof is done electronically, albeit with the manual release of two latches and the push of a button on the side-door handle. The handbrake must be on and it takes 18 seconds.The Tigra is powered by a 1.8-litre DOHC 16-valve Ecotec four-cylinder engine, producing 92kW of power and 165Nm of torque on premium unleaded. Start-off acceleration is good around the city as is overtaking power when needed on the open road.It runs the same underpinnings as the sporty Barina SRi, sitting on a specially- tuned chassis with sports-tuned dampers, reinforced front stabiliser bars, complex front suspension mounts and a hydroformed rear axle. While the Tigra has a sporty feel, the suspension does well to iron out all but the worst bumps.It is happy to tackle the twisties, holding its own with only a minor hint of bump steer on the rougher roads.It is just as comfortable and easy to manoeuvre in the city, especially with its tiny 3.9m length. With the roof up, the cargo space measures a reasonable 308 litres; this is reduced to 147 litres when the roof is down.The Tigra also features a quirky electro-hydraulically controlled boot that opens and closes automatically at the touch of a button.It closes in two directions. It tilts backwards when opening or closing the roof, and forwards when accessing the boot. Sensors ensure one function cannot be activated until the other is complete. A beep sounds whenever the boot has been closed.During testing, the Tigra's on-board trip computer hovered between 8.0 litres per 100km and 8.4 litres per 100km for average fuel consumption.The interior is funky, but practical. You sit in, not on, the two-tone sports seats which are six-way adjustable for recline, slide and height. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is tilt-adjustable and features controls for the audio. The on-board computer is controlled by a central dial on the dashboard (or the steering wheel).The Tigra has no shortage of safety, with driver, passenger and side airbags and breakaway brake and clutch pedals to protect against lower limb injury.It also has seat belts with belt-force limiters and pyrotechnic pre-tensioners and anti-submarining ramps to reduce the risk of sliding under the seat belt in a crash.Perhaps the only drawback of this funky car is the lack of an auto transmission.Holden admits its closest rival, the Peugeot 206CC has quite a high take-up rate on the automatic version. But Opel — Holden's sister company in Germany — simply cannot supply one for the 1.8-litre engine. The short of it is, if you want a fun drive, learn to use the left leg.

MODEL WATCHThe 9-3 arrived in local showrooms in 1998, replacing the popular 900S.The range was made up of three-door and five-door hatches and a convertible.Saab convertibles have always been a little loose in terms of body stiffness and shake was a constant annoyance when driving one.What made the lack of body stiffness more annoying was that the Saab made a pretence of its convertible being a sports model. The body flexing dulled the handling.Front-wheel drive didn't help the 9-3's precision. Couple that to a turbo engine and the soft-top Saab could be a bit of a handful.The convertible was available in two models, with a choice of 2.3-litre, double-overhead camshaft, four-cylinder engine or a 2.0-litre, double-overhead camshaft, four-cylinder force fed by a turbocharger.The 2.3-litre engine would make 110kW at 5700rpm, which gave the 1368kg soft-top good performance without ever threatening to make your nose bleed. The 2.0-litre turbo engine made 136kW at 5500 rpm -- a little more zip.While the 2.3-litre was smooth, the turbo lag with the 2.0-litre engine was a real downer.Transmission choices were a wooden-shifting, five-speed manual gearbox and a four-speed auto, with final drive going through the front wheels.The 2.3-litre rag-top came with power steering, power antenna, windows and central locking, it had leather trim, cruise control, trip computer, CD player, airconditioning, front and rear fog lamps and an immobiliser.The 2.0-litre turbo had all of that as well as six-speaker sound, CD stacker, woodgrain dash and auto climate control.In 2000, Saab released the Aero model, which had the 151kW boost of an up-rated 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine. It came with many extras, ABS and traction control.IN THE SHOPThe 2.3-litre engine is a rugged unit that doesn't give much trouble, and with a chain driving the camshafts there isn't the need to service it as there is with belt-driven engines. Likewise the 2.0-litre turbo gives little trouble and also has a chain driving the camshafts.When shopping for a convertible, check for sun damage. The interior trim often cracks and the dash panel and other plastic parts may harden and crack. Leather can get very hot in the sun, so some owners happily forgo leather for cloth. If you stick with the leather, regularly treat it with a leather cleaner.Check floor carpets for damp or staining that might indicate dampness from being left in the rain with the roof down. Also check the operation of the soft-top, making sure it goes up and down smoothly without any hesitation or jerkiness.CRUNCH TIMEDual front airbags and side airbags provide protection for front seat passengers. Secondary crash protection is extensive.OWNER'S VIEWAlex Giansiracusa owns a 2001 9-3 Aero manual convertible and loves it. At 32,000km, he says it has been reliable and is therapeutic to drive. His only criticism is the turbo lag. He reckons he has bought an almost-new luxury sportscar at a reasonable second hand price.

The Porsche Carrera 4 may be safer, more comfortable and ever-so-slightly slower than the rear-wheel-drive version, but it is no less thrilling to drive.And no, Porsche hasn't lost the plot with its Cayenne, Cayman, Panamera and 20 per cent purchase of Volkswagen. But more of that later.Let's get back to the real issue. The iconic 911 now has double the range and half of those are all-wheel-drive.Porsche has made a series of AWD models before, so the technology is not new to the famed Stuttgart brand.But does it look, sound, handle and feel like a 911? That's what fans and potential buyers of the most revered car in the automotive world want to know.The answer is yes and no.The 997 version of the 911 is broader than the 996 and the C4 and C4S in Coupe and Cabriolet body types is wider again.This makes the vehicle look even more muscular in the shoulders with an almost horizontal rear wheel arch protrusion.Apart from that, plus some badging and 10mm wider tyres, there is no discernible difference.But does it handle and feel like a rear-wheel-drive 911?No. A 911 Porsche requires a certain driving style that is challenging and brings out the talent in a real driver and slaps a bad driver in the face.It's a stop-and-go car, requiring late braking, slow corner speed to avoid heavy understeer, then a brutal fire out of the corner, accompanied by a tail snap that will send some drivers directly to the naughty corner.The C4 and C4S are different. There is simply no need to brake as late, nor to wash off so much corner speed, as there is nowhere near the understeer.And because you are carrying so much corner speed, there is no need to fire it out of the corner, but if you do, there is no violent tail snap, just forward motion.If it's wet, then the experience is even quicker.That does not mean you can't play the tail-wagging game in the C4. Porsche understands the need for fun and provides plenty of latitude, but with a safety net called PSM (Porsche Stability Management), which is standard on all 911s, but in AWD it has two new braking functions.Lift off the accelerator quickly and the system "thinks" you are about to slam on the brakes, so it brings the pads up to lightly brush the discs in preparation.The second function brings the braking up to ABS threshold.The all-wheel-drive system uses a viscous multi-plate coupling with varying degrees of drive, split between front and rear. Minimum front drive in normal conditions is 5 per cent, but this can increase to 40 per cent in certain situations, so the inherent feel is of rear-wheel bias.With PSM turned off, there is a fair amount of "play" in the rear.While both have PSM, the C4S also has PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) which can flick between comfort (I use the term loosely for a 911) and sports settings at the touch of a button. It is available as an option in the C4.Both are available with a sports "chrono" package which includes such computer niceties as a stop watch, lap counter and specific mapping to suit your driving style.As for Porsche losing the plot over Cayenne, Cayman, Panamera and its VW buy-in, Porsche Cars Australia managing director Michael Winkler said: "Porsche will remain Porsche and . . . we are focusing on what we do best. Nothing is going to change."That means more Cayennes, which have dramatically lifted Porsche sales. Fans can also expect the Cayman in February, a 911 turbo and GT3 in the middle of next year, but no sign of the four-door Panamera until 2009.

Launched three years ago, the 9-3 remains one of the tidiest compact sedans on the road, turning heads that normally admire 3-series BMWs.There is a touch of class about the styling; well-proportioned, flowing lines and a departure from its Swedish ancestry with a kink towards the houses of German stylists.A few seasons into its life, the 9-3 remains a good-looking, svelte sedan.It was a winner of its class in The Courier-Mail Car Of The Year awards shortly after it landed here for sale.And much of what made it good then remain strong selling points now.The hero Aero model is a highly capable chassis, lowered more for sharper handling than the rest of the 9-3 range.This front-driver is a charm to steer and is pleasingly the best handling of its model to date.It runs the same 2-litre turbo-charged four cylinder as the rest of the 9-3 family although extra boost gives it more power and lots more torque.There is 155kW of power on tap and 300Nm of torque, yet it remains supremely restrained and well behaved.It gives the impression the chassis could handle more.Although that has been tried by the same maker before in the shape of the unruly Viggen, which gave the driver heart palpitations when the boost kicked in, the front wheels darting off left or right for an instant lane change.Turbo assistance comes on with gusto from about 2300rpm and spins crisply and truly without any jolt to the occupants through to the 5500rpm red line.The brakes are excellent and the pedal has a reassuring modular feel, instilling confidence in the driver.In terms of dynamics, the 9-3 is up there with more mainstream badges and, front-drive phobias aside, there is a compelling case to try one.Grip, cornering ability, steering sharpness and braking are on song.It is easy to keep the Aero on the boil in 5-speed automatic mode with a couple of plus and minus buttons on either side of the steering wheel spokes so the driver can manually up or downshift.Self-shifting can also be done with the gear lever pushed away from the D-for-drive position and into sequential.The ride may not be as plush and cushy as some of the European competitors, however, it is not so intrusive that it cannot be driven for long commutes to work day in, day out.Fuel consumption inevitably suffers once you whack a hair dryer under the bonnet.On this 800km test, about 70 per cent highway work, the consumption according to the on board trip meter stood at about 10.3litres/100km.Inside, the instruments are typically Saab.They are a bit busy and complicated but are easy to work after you sit and give everything a once over and try for a couple of minutes before you set off on a journey.As you would expect there are lashings of active and passive safety features here.There are six airbags to cushion occupants in case of contact.And then there are Saab's clever active head restraints, which in most cases and — unlike airbags — do not need to be replaced in the event of an accident.

It is the all-new Mazda MX-5, the first time the car has been totally renewed since it arrived in 1989. And a lot of people will not be satisfied unless it ticks all the boxes.The good news is that it does the job. It looks fresh and new, it drives a fair bit nicer, it has more space, more refinement, and is still designed and built to the same winning formula.The new MX-5 is also still relatively affordable, from $41,860.The bottom line? It is a top drive and delivers real fun. It will make its new owners, and even people who just see it driving past, smile.It still looks cute and cuddly and Mazda hasn't strayed far from the formula that has made it the world's best-selling sports car.The mechanical layout puts the engine in the front, the drive to the back wheels, and there are two seats in the middle.The roof is an easy-fold mechanical system that turns the car into a convertible in fewer than 10 seconds.So, what is new? The body is bigger and stiffer, there is more power and torque, a new six-speed automatic, multi-link rear suspension for the first time, and an equipment upgrade that adds everything from side airbags and a tilt-adjustable steering wheel to a leather-pack upgrade with a Bose sound system.There is more but those are the basics, and the basis for a continued run of sales success in Australia and around the world.Mazda says it went back to basics for the MX-5, which was developed by a new program director, Takao Kijima.He is as passionate as anyone who has led the MX-5 team and adopted the Japanese expression jinba ittai -- for the feeling of one-ness between a rider and a horse -- for his objective.He focused on everything from weight control to a bigger cabin and has delivered on all his aims.Things that most people will notice run from the upgraded 2.0-litre engine to the extra leg and shoulder room in the cabin, some real boot space (at the expense of a spare tyre), the improved mechanism for the roof, and better headlamps.There are even cruise-control and sound-system buttons on the steering wheel.It is also good to find side-impact airbags, larger disc brakes, more storage space in the cabin and slightly lighter steering.The new look, including flares over the wheels, makes the MX-5 more muscular without losing the car's heritage or broad appeal.Mazda Australia expects to sell 140 cars a month in the first year and has already delivered more than 450.The new MX-5 is a winner. It looks tasty and drives like a real sports car. Just what you would expect, really. It's proof the development team at Mazda knows what it is doing, with everything from the baby Mazda2 to the flagship RX-8.The new MX-5 is not better, but that would have been impossible without jacking up the price to Porsche levels. There is still room for a tickle-up, and perhaps a turbo engine, in coming years. Let's hope we don't have to wait another 16 years for the next total overhaul. From the start, the new MX-5 feels more roomy and refined and has a little more go. We found the ride a bit jiggly at first, but on home ground and over time it is not a problem.We're still a bit worried about the absence of a spare tyre and wonder why any car, but particularly an MX-5, needs four cup holders.The performance just about matches the outgoing MX-5 Turbo -- 0-100km/h in 7.8 seconds. But we most enjoyed the mid-range punch. The updated engine is really going from 3000 revs and is keen to push to the red line to liberate its 118kW.It is nicely perky, has good overtaking punch and the six-speed manual gearbox is light to use and its ratios well-chosen. We like the idea of the automatic's six speeds and paddle change, but it dulls the car.There is nothing dull about the ride and handling, though. It's turn-and-go unless you go totally crazy in a tight corner.The suspension seems more compliant than the previous MX-5, particularly in the rear, but the response to the wheel is still crisp and instant. The brakes are great.There is almost no wind buffeting in the cabin, the new top works easily, we liked the extra boot space and found the seats more comfy and supportive in the bigger cabin.The dash layout is what you expect in a sports car, but we wonder about buttons on the steering wheel, even if they help with the welcome cruise control.There are plenty of details to like, from the twin exhaust pipes to the alloy wheels.The MX-5 is really about driving and the new model is a top drive. It is a car that encourages you to take a trip, have some fun, enjoy the sunshine and relax. It is a winner.

The five speed manual Tigra holds plenty of appeal thanks in part to the folding metal roof and out-there sytyling. It's one funkadelic little drop top that scrams "Here I am."The strong visual is backed by pretty good performance from a 1.8-litre, 92kW engine lifted from the previous Barina SR.Tigra offers sports car styling with tin-top safety and security - all at the touch of a button once the roof latches are released.And it's sharply priced at a tick under $35,000.That puts is well under the Peugeot 206CC 2.0-litre and a couple up on the 206CC 1.6.But it's a newer model than that and is fully decked out inside, well nearly. Has strong performance from twin cam 1.8-litre engine, definitely on the sporty side of the ledger and economical too with 7.0-litres/ 100km within easy reach. Handling is tidy, not too firm, supple enough on rough roads and presice in the steering. The brakes match Tigra's pace and becaiuse its such a compact device, driving feel is exhilarating. Capable cruiser on the freeway, doesn't peg back on long uphilkls, has plenty in reserve and benefits from slich shifting close ratio 'box. Two seater only but the boot is adequate even with roof folded, much larger with roof up. Adequate adjustment to driving position accommodates larger people. Attractive interior, groovy upholstery, techno looking dash and console, great sound. Comes with airconditioning, power ancillaries, remote central locking but annoying boot lock (needs to be held in while power boot closer works). Body feels fairly tight with only a couple of rattles on really rough roads. No creaks or groans over the driveway. Looks sensational with Astra style front but more aggressive and high rear haunches, A real wedgey thing. But aerodynamics only rate 0.34Cd which explains some of the wind noise at high speed. Passes Euro 4 emissions regs - extremely clean but requires premium to give its best. Made in France at a specialist manufac- turer. The French connection. Love the electric power steering and ABS brakes. Has four airbags and pedal release system to limit injury in collision. Fairly weighty at 1248 kg.,Imagine if it had the 2.0-litre or 2.2 litre engine. 

Getting the auto is considered tantamount to drawing the short straw and is suffered under notice.With that in mind it makes it all the more strange that we could not find an auto for love of money at the this week's launch of the new third generation Mazda MX-5.Those that got to drive the auto first were reluctant to part with them, despite an enforced changeover midway through the drive program.Luckily we got to go for a short squirt in the auto the following morning and we can now see why our colleagues were not particularly interested in changing.The six-speed sequential shift with steering wheel mounted change paddles is a little ripper.Not only can you change gears just like a manual but this is one box that will absolutely not change up (or down for that matter) without instruction from the driver.The car itself is an impressive piece of work, an evolution in terms of appearance and revolution in terms of performance and handling.Perhaps this is a reflection of the fact that the final design is distilled from 320 different sketches, seven quarter-size models and three full-size renditions of the car each constructed by Mazda's design studios in Japan, Europe and the United States.Then there was the 97 different engine specifications, 473 different shock absorbers and 960 different tyres ghost were evaluated that the design process.We could also tell you about the Japanese philosophy of Jinba Ittai, the mystical bond that exists between horse and rider.Suffice to say that the MX-5's project manager Takao Kijima draws a parallel between it and the relationship between car and driver.Starting to get the picture?Let's just say that Mazda put a lot of time and effort into getting the third generation MX- 5 right– a car that many regard as the best thing to come out of Japan.Interestingly, Mr Kijima said a retractable hard roof was in fact considered for the car but dismissed as not true to the roadster concept, so the fabric is retained, albeit with just the one centre catch.The result is an MX-5 that is much better than its predecessor, stronger in the body and more responsive to the wheel and throttle, yet weighs just four kilos more than the old one.A 2.0-litre engine replaces the previous 1800cc model, producing 118kW of power at 6700rpm and 188Nm of torque at 5000rpm, with 90 per cent of torque delivered from 2500rpm.The engine itself is an amazing 19.1kg lighter than the old one, while the car itself is just 4kg heavier.Engineers were able to shave 84g just by using a different rear vision mirror.The new car takes takes 7.8 seconds to dash from 0-100km/h, down from 8.4 seconds.Now with double wishbone suspension front and back, it is virtually a scaled down setup of that in the RX-8.The car feels remarkably tight, with no apparent body flex.Handling is tight and controlled on twisting sections of road, with extremely good mid corner balance.The 17-inch 205/45 Michelin Pilot Precedas grip like glue, with a ride best described as firm without being quite harsh.At the end of the day, the Mx-5 is no red light racer, but revels in smoother twisting sections of the road where it darts from corner to corner.Fuel consumption which is becoming some- thing of an issue these days reduces from 8.9 to 8.5L/100km.Mazda MX-5 is priced from $41,860. 

There is servotronic steering that varies the degree of power assistance according to road speed, drive-by-wire computerised throttle control, a modern aluminium chassis, trapezoidal-link rear suspension, traction control, six-speed tiptronic paddle shifters, and, of course, Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive technology which celebrates its 25th birthday this year.That's a lot of technology crammed into this open-top beauty.Yet from the outside and even inside, there are no overt signs that this is such a technological or high-powered weapon. The differences are subtle.Two tell-tale pipes stick out the rear, burbling away with ominous intent.Subtle S4 badging on the front, rear and the instrument panel hint at the extra performance and sports-tuned suspension. Reverse mirrors are aluminium-backed and the air dams on the front are a little larger.The kind of person who buys a Tag Heuer watch in aluminium instead of gold might also appreciate the S4 Cabriolet.It costs $143,800, yet from the outside, it doesn't look any different from the 3-litre A4 Cabriolet at $101,000 or even the 1.8-litre turbo at $81,200.But the S4 driver isn't so much about show as performance and fun.And you get lashings of both here. Performance has to be tickled out of this one, though. With so much technology, it almost gets in the way of a spirited drive. Plant your foot and the supernanny makes you sit on the naughty step for what seems like an eternity but is only a nano-second. Throw the car into a corner and you get the same punishment.Yet if you gently feather the throttle and steer with light hands it rewards with lightning speed and efficiency. And there is no doubting the fun to be had in a convertible.Yet I have a number of concerns about open-topped cars: They are noisy, hot in summer, cold in winter, glary for the driver, a skin cancer concern, they lack security and cargo/passenger space, and they don't handle as well as a sedan.Drop-top fans will say that the intrusion of the elements and the cramped conditions are all part of the fun and I can see that. Plus the air-conditioning and seat warmers take the edge off. However, the handling can still be a worry.A sedan's chassis is like a tough peanut shell. Take half the shell away and it is easy to squeeze.To prevent this chassis flex and provide extra crash protection, makers strengthen the chassis with extra intrusion bars and bracing. The result is a heavier car.However, Audi has strengthened the chassis with lightweight aluminium so it's not as bad as some convertibles.Having come to terms with the cabriolet side of things, I was hooked by the car's aural and visual character, its obvious fun factor and its thrilling acceleration — 0 to 100km/h in 5.9 seconds.My only disappointment was with the electro-hydraulic drop-top which opens in about 30 seconds. That's long by modern standards.