OV9

After all this talk of soft-top cleaning products on the fleet thread....

I'm very much a tin-top (tin foil?) kinda guy. 90's Griff excluded (still love 'em), I will "always" prefer the solid roofed option, but I know many enjoy the feeling of the wind in your hair / on your cranial skin / over the top of you wooly bobble-hat / on your helmet (steady now).

For the infrequent times when I could put the roof down on my Boxster, I would say it was worth it. There was a definite addition to the driving experience and I would say that some of my most memorable drives were roof down.

Mid 2020 when the roads were deserted, I drove Oxford to Cambridge across country with the roof down the whole way and it was magnificent.

However given the hideous way in which it would retain moisture inside I will now wait until I own a garage before buying another.

Explosive Newt wrote: Mon Nov 06, 2023 1:53 pm For the infrequent times when I could put the roof down on my Boxster, I would say it was worth it. There was a definite addition to the driving experience and I would say that some of my most memorable drives were roof down.

Mid 2020 when the roads were deserted, I drove Oxford to Cambridge across country with the roof down the whole way and it was magnificent.

However given the hideous way in which it would retain moisture inside I will now wait until I own a garage before buying another.

Similar, although I don't even have a decent exhaust note with the stock pipes, from inside the car.

I've got convertibles out of my system. As I've noted elsewhere, I'm looking at E9x 335is to turn the wick up on, but the only reason I'd get a convertible (folding hard top) would be if it was the right price/condition and there were no coupes/estates/saloons available at the same price/condition.

Much like Mr Newt above, I love owning a "good" (as in, well made) convertible in the Boxster 981

I try and get the hood down whenever possible (the frustration here is that I can only do that when the roof is dry, not just when it's not raining - i.e. if it's been raining, I can't put the roof down until the roof dries out)

But every time I do, it's an experience - and I love it!

We were in Wales last week, and even though the weather was very mixed, I had a great, top-down drive, in the dark and it was just brilliant

I've no idea if I'd buy another (yet) or if this is just an itch that needed scratching, and it'll lose its appeal over time...

Roof down V8 AMG goodness....fuck yeah. (Despite many questions over my sexuality and/or hairdressing career choices)

I've been in Caymans (Caymen?) and Boxsters and have never been able to understand why you'd buy the hard top. Then I discovered the rear boot is actually smaller on the Cayman.

Same with the MX5 and RF; the roof is so good and so easy to use that there's no point adding weight and complexity just to have a hard roof over your head.

I have been in a mid-2000s Merc SL when it was nearly new and the folding hard top creaked annoyingly. I'd also avoid pretty much any folding hard top as a consequence.

Verts have never really interested me. I prefer the tin top version.

FFS man. I'm a biker and also have owned multiple soft tops. These polls suck balls!!

There's a time and a place for both soft and hard (matron).

tim wrote: Mon Nov 06, 2023 4:24 pm FFS man. I'm a biker and also have owned multiple soft tops. These polls suck balls!!

Jeez - option 10 grumpy

I’ve had Elise/Z4/Boxster. Roof down definitely does add more than a little something to the experience for me.

The Elise and Boxster were both garaged. The Z4 wasn’t, so took a bit of looking after. Not sure I’d get another soft top without having a garage.

Elise roof was obviously a pain in the arse but I only ever drove it in the dry anyway so the roof was off even when it was in the garage. Z4 one worked well but the Boxster wins as you could put it down/up at up to 30mph (I think).

I used to love open top cars and have had many over the years, but a skin cancer diagnosis a few years ago alerted me to the benefits of coupe versions.

PaulJ wrote: Mon Nov 06, 2023 5:25 pm I used to love open top cars and have had many over the years, but a skin cancer diagnosis a few years ago alerted me to the benefits of coupe versions.

Wear a sombrero

DaveE wrote: Mon Nov 06, 2023 1:57 pm We were in Wales last week, I had a great, top-down drive, in the dark and it was just brilliant.

That's the way

I'm mixed on what I'd prefer these days, with big glass roofs another option to feeling less confined that would probably be utilised more often than a folding roof (although they add a chunk of weight up high). I've always thought it a pity the CLK didn't get the glass roof from the Sport Coupe.

Don’t really see the appeal. I’d take a cayman over a boxster, would probably fit a hard top to an Elise. Prefer my cars with no sunroof and if possible a black headlining.

nuttinnew wrote: Mon Nov 06, 2023 6:13 pm

DaveE wrote: Mon Nov 06, 2023 1:57 pm We were in Wales last week, I had a great, top-down drive, in the dark and it was just brilliant.

That's the way

I'm mixed on what I'd prefer these days, with big glass roofs another option to feeling less confined that would probably be utilised more often than a folding roof (although they add a chunk of weight up high). I've always thought it a pity the CLK didn't get the glass roof from the Sport Coupe.

I hate full panoramic glass roofs - they let in/reflect too much noise at high speed. At least on most older cars you could then press a button and a headliner would cover them up and reduce noise.
Tesla style roofs which many competitors are also using are the worst - so smoked even passengers barely see much out of them, noisy, still get uncomfortably hot in direct sunlight when it’s 25+ outside and in general zero benefit for the driver as you can’t even see out of them when driving.

Mito Man wrote: Mon Nov 06, 2023 6:43 pm At least on most older cars you could then press a button and a headliner would cover them up and reduce noise.

I'd assumed that and hadn't considered there'd be ones without

I'm not a convert, I'm a pervert.

For day to day, I'll take a hard top. I'd prefer one with a sunroof and deal with my car becoming the penultimate driving machine. For a weekend toy when the sun is shining, a soft top is lots of fun.

Mito Man wrote: Mon Nov 06, 2023 5:41 pm

PaulJ wrote: Mon Nov 06, 2023 5:25 pm I used to love open top cars and have had many over the years, but a skin cancer diagnosis a few years ago alerted me to the benefits of coupe versions.

Wear a sombrero

Can we get branded driving sombreros?

Definitely a good thing and being able to get the top down on a cold winter's day whilst being wrapped up warm, heated seats on etc was a simple pleasure I do miss.