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Convertibles |
| Carloanshub » Cars » Types of Cars » Convertibles |
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Among the various types of cars, Convertibles are very unique. A one of a kind car, a convertible has been the preferred choice for many. Convertible Cars have always occupied a soft corner in the hearts of car lovers and car enthusiasts. Convertibles are cars with roofs that can be folded or retraced. The roof is known as 'soft top' in USA and 'hood' in UK. The roof is usually built from elastic canvas or vinyl, placed on an enunciating frame that can be folded. Some luxury class cars use tweed as material for making the roof. Contemporary convertibles are based on the mechanism of electrical retraction. Convertibles differ from 'ragtop roadster' as they have hard tops, giving enough protection from bad weather. |
In the continent of Europe, a drop-head coupe or two door convertible is also termed as a cabriolet. A hard top convertible can easily be converted into a sedan confined coup. Generally, convertibles are cars with two doors, an exception being the Lincoln Continental, which has four doors. Most of the convertibles are front wheel drive, though in the 1980s, the AMC Eagle line introduced a convertible with an automatic four wheel drive. An all wheel drive A4 Cabriolet was introduced in 2003 by Audi.
Popular Convertibles (past and present)
The history of automobiles reveals that a number of fine convertibles have been manufactured by noted automobile manufacturers. These cars are the other names for luxury and world class comfort. Some of the noted convertibles are:
- AMC Ambassador
- Alfa Romeo Spider
- Audi TT
- Aston Martin DB9 Volante
- Bentley Continental GTC
- Bentley Azure
- BMW 3 Series Convertible
- Buick Electra
- BMW 6 Series Convertible
- Cadillac Eldorado
- Cadillac Sixty Special
- Chevrolet Cavalier
- Chrysler Crossfire Convertible
- Chrysler Sebring Convertible
- Daihatsu Copen
- Ford Mushtang GT Convertible
- Mercedes Benz G-Class Convertible
Aston Martin DB9 Volante, launched in the year 2004 by Aston Martin, is a 'grand tourer'. The design of the car was the contribution of Ian Callum, and Henrik Fisker gave the finishing touch to it. Weighing 1,710 kg, the car has a power of 450 bhp or 331 kW. The car can accelerate from 0-60 mph within 4.7 seconds. A unique feature of the car is its 'artificial neural network' to find misfires of the engine.
Manufactured by Bentley Motors Limited, the Bentley Azure is one of the finest convertibles till date. The 6.8 L twin-turbo V8 engine runs on petrol and is capable of producing 450 hp. In the United States, the car costs US 320,000 dollars.
Major manufacturers of convertibles
Many historians said that the convertibles are things of the past, and Cadillac Eldorado was supposed to be the last of its kind in the United States. But, with the advent of technological and scientific evolution, convertibles started to rule the market with a renewed force. With more protective and safety gears, a modern day convertible is indeed a pleasure to ride and drive. Some of the noted manufacturers of convertibles are Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Lamborghini, Jaguar, Lexus, Maserati, Mercedes Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Volkswagen, Toyota and Volvo.
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