Why do people "hate" convertibles?

[VaSteve]

My 911 has been having intermittent problems for nearly a year, I sent the MSD unit out for repair and had it fixed. Today I took it for the first test drive for about 40 miles of backroad driving. I left the roof on since I didn't want to deal with it and didn't want the sun in my eyes.

I was thinking about how I've been on this board for nearly 7 years and folks say that they hate convertibles. I was curious as to why?

[Zeke]

I don't think people hate Targas, or "convertibles" as you call it. Many may note that race cars don't come from anything but a non sunroof coupe. Alright, so if you have a race car, fine.

Frankly, I don't prefer a Targa from any standpoint. But, I've never "hated" them. We had a Targa for 15 years and have had 2 914's plus the Boxster.

I guess if you look at the record, I don't mind them at all.

[legion]

In general, convertibles are heavier and have a more flexible chassis than their hard-top counterparts. They are usually designed for people who put "look at me" above performance. In general, convertibles do not make good sports cars or ruin an already good sports car. This is a pretty purist sports car crowd on this board.

There are exceptions though. The Boxster, Pontiac Solstice, and Mazda Miata come to mind. These were all designed from the ground up as convertible sports cars, and they do both very well. Of course, the Cayman and the Solstice Coupe are more capable cars than their roofless counterparts.

[azasadny]

I love my Targa and I would have a Cabriolet, if I could!

[imcarthur]

My standard answer is: jealousy. But it is deeper than that. You are very exposed in a convertible (even much more so than a targa). You can't pick your nose etc. So it helps if you're a bit of an exhibitionist.

Ian

[VaSteve]

Originally Posted by legion

In general, convertibles are heavier and have a more flexible chassis than their hard-top counterparts. They are usually designed for people who put "look at me" above performance. In general, convertibles do not make good sports cars or ruin an already good sports car. This is a pretty purist sports car crowd on this board.

I'm hardly someone that considers myself to be a "look at me" type, I bought mine since it was something I saw as a kid and liked. I do find the Targa top to be a bit of a PITA when removed and surely the car does lack in stiffness. I had no idea about performance driving or any of that when I got my Targa. To do it again (with an open top car) I would prefer one of the 996/7 variants or a Boxster so as not to mess with the top. I heard a guy once say that he gave up motorcycling and his Boxster was as close as he could get to that feeling of open road freedom.

I think some of the fussing on the board is more due to the anti- "look at me" aspect as opposed to the structural inferiority.

[GH85Carrera]

I drove a 914 for over 25 years. I grew to HATE the wind noise. I never drive with the windows down in any of my cars.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by legion

In general, convertibles are heavier and have a more flexible chassis than their hard-top counterparts. They are usually designed for people who put "look at me" above performance. In general, convertibles do not make good sports cars or ruin an already good sports car. This is a pretty purist sports car crowd on this board.

There are exceptions though. The Boxster, Pontiac Solstice, and Mazda Miata come to mind. These were all designed from the ground up as convertible sports cars, and they do both very well. Of course, the Cayman and the Solstice Coupe are more capable cars than their roofless counterparts.

What? A sports car is not always a race car. All the sports cars of the 50's when the genre began were roadsters. All the pics of early sports car racing were roadsters. Many sports cars like the Mercedes 190 were not at all race cars.

They were all convertibles by modern definition.

[450knotOffice]

I disagree that convertibles are designed for people who prefer to be "seen" over pure performance. Many, many people buy convertibles because they want the open top, wind in the hair, sun on the head, sky all around feeling when they drive. There's a big market for that.

I don't see much "hate" on this board for convertibles, but I do see a rather high-brow attitude from Coupe owners toward open topped cars.

By the way, open topped Porsches are still outstanding sports cars, capable of maintaining a very fast pace during spirited canyon carving, if not just a little less finely honed than their Coupe brethren. They are not "ruined" by their open tops.

[RWebb]

well, legion is right - in general, most people are surely motivated by that - we just are not a very typical sample of the public

I wish I had a nice roadster at the beginning of every summer. I'd rather not have people look at me tho -- I just want the closest thing to a motorcycle that can carry an attractive woman and luggage. That's one of the goals of a sports/GT.

With a closed car, you never feel like you are part of the forest when tooling around on the narrow back roads here -- the roadster has a superior feel in terms of your visual experience. I started a topic here a while back on the smallest car (physically).
small sports cars - roadsters

Small size gives you something and so does an open car -- I guess a flying carpet would be better, but a Bug-eye Sprite or a 550 is as close as we can come right now.

[BeyGon]

Targas are great, a big advantage, more head room, if you are taller than average, -what is average-, they are great.

[Oh Haha]

Interesting.


I prefer 911s in coupe form but I don't "hate" converts or targas. I feel those versions ruin the 911 shape as it was intended.

Even the 993 targa has that goofy "point" where the roof and side glass meet. I would have one of those but not the older ones.

[Zeke]

Here's a "convertible" no one hates:

[911boost]

Specific to the 911 Convertibles, I know that most wrench's hate them. The top is extrememly complicated, and parts are hard to come by, and typically very expensive.

I enjoyed driving mine with the top down, it was easier to hear the flat six.

[Jim Bremner]

I do not care for the wind storm, the noise the sun on my skin baking me to cancer.

Other than that I like the way certain cars looc as a convertable.

I couldn't see owning a XK120/140 or E type with out it being a ragtop!
Same with a speedster, a '32 ford roadster or a Aston Healy 3000 or 100/4

[masraum]

Originally Posted by legion

In general, convertibles are heavier and have a more flexible chassis than their hard-top counterparts. They are usually designed for people who put "look at me" above performance. In general, convertibles do not make good sports cars or ruin an already good sports car. This is a pretty purist sports car crowd on this board.

That's exactly why most folks here disparage Targas and Cabs. There are also folks that don't like what those two body styles do to the aesthetics of the 911.

I'd probably actually prefer a stiffer body.

I had a targa, and thought that it was great. I liked the visibility that the large rear window provided, and I like the ability to pull the top if I wanted. I didn't go out looking for a targa, that's just what I ended up with. I now have a miata, I didn't go looking for a convertible, but I wanted a car that would provide me with a similar to the 911 driving experience and reliability at a good price. It just so happened that the only car that fits that to a T is the miata. I rarely put the top down in the miata. I shave my head and I don't tan well. My favorite time to have the top down is driving at night, especially if the stars and or moon are out. Looking up at the night sky is pretty nice.

Based on my last 3 cars, I, obviously, don't have a problem with topless cars much like Milt.

[Mark Henry]

I like my 914 with the roof off. Wife hates it as it musses her hair and she's afraid that she won't be able to get the top back on, she's only likes it if I'm with her.
Kids love it.

My dad always said convertibles were dirty, but he was an old fart and I guess they only had dirt roads back then.

[nynor]

i don't hate them. i just want some sheet metal between me and the pavement when i turn the car turtle.

then there is the extra weight. and body flex. and extra crap to have break. and...

[Joe Bob]

Cabs rule, coupes drool....

[Evans, Marv]

One of the real enjoyments in life I remember was tooling along in my A.H. 100-4 on a cool, starry night with the top down. I might buy a convertible for my wife and drive it when she isn't.