Hell...in the 997 cab you don't even have to stop to raise or lower the top...good to go up to ~30mph.

I have had convertibles for the last 15 years. There are up sides and down sides to be sure.

The up sides are you are able to have fun driving at the speed limit. Country drives are more fun because you are out in the environment you drive through. There is nothing like a drive on a nice summers night with the top down.

The down sides are more maintenance. They are harder to see out of then a normal car with the top up. There is more road noise. Your wife leaves the top down in a thunder storm and floods the car with an inch of rain and you have to remove the window switches to pour the water out so they will work again. Ask me how I know.

But in general for me it's worth the extra cost and work. That said I do live in Maine and have not used them in the winter as my daily driver in years. But even then it was not that bad dealing with the top in a snow storm. Besides you are to busy to worry about wind noise and loss of heat through the top when you are trying to keep an E36 M3 pointed in the right direction in 6" of snow.

I have had this 99 M3 for 11 years. It was in storage for the last 3 years after my son passed away. I felt guilty having fun. But a swift kick in the butt from my wife and threats of her selling it got me playing with it again. I have considered replacing it for a newer one a few times but every spring I fall back in love with it. I have always been a sucker for the E36 body style. Before that I had a Classic Saab 900 Turbo convertible. Was tons of fun as long as you did not push it too hard. Can you say "Chassis flex"? Because it sure could. But even with that it was still fun.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1472558799.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1472558816.jpg

why not exactly?

i daily and winter drive a nearly 30 year old drop top, in minnesota. snow and ice is far easier on the top than a solid rain storm.