smart roadster
The closest you’ll probably get to a street legal go-kart is the compact and curvaceous smart roadster. It’s tiny, low and great fun to drive. It’s also still a bit unusual in Cyprus, so a good choice if you want to go topless and stand out from the crowd. Available with a 698cc, 80 bhp engine, it’s not a particularly fast car, but it’s certainly fast enough to be entertaining, and as you’re so close to the ground you get an enhanced impression of the speed you’re doing. It also boasts probably the best ride of any small sportscar anywhere.
Price: £13,500
VW Beetle
Forget memories of hippies in battered soft-top Beetles in the ’60s: the 21st century version is a different kettle of fish. Gone is the old Beetle ‘whine’ and, though the shape is reminiscent of its ubiquitous predecessor, today’s Beetle is very much a modern car with all the features we’ve come to expect in this day and age. It’s available in Cyprus with a 1.4 or 1.6 litre powertrain, delivering 75 and 102 bhp respectively. The electro-hydraulic powered roof does not disappear beneath a flap when folded, but remains on show – a design element which harks back to the 1949 original.
Price: from £13,950
Saab 93
World famous for its safety, Saab’s topless option, the 93, also looks pretty cool, and drives like a dream. Its torquey 150 bhp 2-litre turbocharged engine offers plenty of power where you want it, and its size means this can be a family car as well as an open-top motor. The leather interior, automatic climate control (which adjusts to heat levels in open-top mode) and high-grade trim put the 93 at the higher end of the convertible market, and a 5-star EuroNCAP safety rating (the only soft-top car to receive the maximum five star ranking) means you’ll be safe too, in the event of an accident.
Price: £27,900
Mercedes SLK Roadster
The second generation of the compact two-seater boasts several details which take their cue from Formula One, and goes some way to addressing the chick’s car label which put some male motorists off the first one. The car’s chassis, steering and six-speed manual transmission have been given a sportier edge, while the vario-roof has been further developed, and the roadster now turns into a coupe in just 22 seconds. Standard equipment includes head/thorax sidebags, adaptive front airbags and two-stage belt force limiters.
Price: from £29,700
Mazda MX-5
Originally based on classic British sports cars, the latest edition of the MX-5 debuted in Geneva earlier this year and is a real ‘driver’s car’. The front-engine rear-wheel drive configuration, with the engine positioned ahead of the driver but behind the front axle, gives a 50:50 weight distribution. The soft top is simple and folds down flush with the car’s rear deck. The short-throw sports gear change makes for fun motoring, and there’ll be a choice of 160bhp 2-litre or 125bhp 1.8 when the car arrives in Cyprus by the end of this year.
Price: Expected to start around £20,000
Renault Megane Cabriolet
The first vehicle equipped with a folding glass roof. With four proper seats, a boot worthy of a saloon and a luxurious interior this is another ‘family’ car, but its Gallic style also appeals to singletons who want to look cool in summer. It is fitted with numerous active safety features: ABS, Emergency Brake Assist, ESP with understeer control and a tyre pressure monitoring system. Available with three powertrains, the petrol engine range comprises a 115bhp 1.6 16V and 136bhp 2.0 16V. There’s also a 120bhp 1.9 dCi diesel engine teamed with a six-speed gearbox.
Price: £14,300 to £22,500
Mini Cooper S Convertible
The iconic Mini made its comeback a few years ago, manufactured by BMW. All variants are available with drop tops, but if you’re going to splash out, it makes sense to opt for the top of the range Cooper S. Though it’s powered by the flexible 1.6 litre, four-cylinder engine used in the Mini One and the Mini Cooper, the addition of a supercharger and intercooler enables the Cooper S to produce 170 bhp at 6,000 rpm. It races from 0-100 km/h in 7.4 seconds and accelerates from 50-75mph in fourth gear in 6.6 seconds. Top speed is 134 mph and fuel consumption is 32.1 mpg.
Price: £17,500
