“The sun’s out… get the roof down!” That’s the general rule of thumb for many drivers. And certainly, there are few more satisfying ways to savour summer than on a beautiful stretch of road with the wind in your hair, which explains why some of the coolest cars on the road are cabrios. But beware… not all convertibles are created equal! In the rush to cash in on customers’ seemingly insatiable desire for roof-down motoring, manufacturers have served up an array of questionable drop-tops over the years. Here’s a look at some controversial convertibles that didn’t quite hit the mark…
Chevrolet SSR
Sometimes radical ideas work in the car business. Think Nissan ditching traditional family cars for SUVs, or BMW realising that coupe-SUVs were a viable proposition. And sometimes they don’t. The Chevrolet SSR, launched in 2003, is a case in point. The SSR – short for Super Sport Roadster – was an unlikely mixture of pick-up, convertible and muscle car that comprehensively failed to live up to the promise of its name by being neither sporty nor a true roadster. It wasn’t very super either, truth be told. To use one of the most famous motoring clichés, it answered a question that literally no one had asked, and its challenging looks and underpowered V8 ensured it proved a short-lived flop.
Range Rover Evoque Convertible
A bit of a contentious one, this. The standard first-generation Evoque was undeniably a smart, desirable car. And while a drop-top version, in theory, shouldn’t have worked, there was sufficient interest from potential buyers to persuade Land Rover to press ahead with one (albeit cautiously, as demonstrated by a 2017 launch strategy that targeted ‘lifestyle’ media coverage rather than more cynical car journalists). So, was Land Rover successful in its execution? With the roof down, the Evoque looks plausible if not entirely convincing; with the roof up, much less so. The fact it came with a clutch of compromises, such as iffy dynamics and minimal boot space, makes the Evoque drop-top hard to love, even if a certain type of poser will love it.
Suzuki X-90
Was it overconfidence that doomed the X-90? Having enjoyed success in the nineties in what were then fairly niche areas of the market with the Vitara SUV and Cappuccino roadster, Suzuki really went out on a limb with the X-90. The two-door, two-seat SUV featured a pair of removable roof panels that delivered wind-in-the-hair motoring – but in reality, the X-90 was a desperately flawed concept. The challenging design, poor handling, limited off-road ability and wheezy petrol engine were a major turn-off for buyers, and ensured the X-90 was in production for only a couple of years.
Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible
People buy convertibles for a variety of reasons, but a desire to look stylish is generally accepted to be among the most prominent. How does that possibly explain the PT Cruiser cabrio then? The original retro-styled hard-top was a divisive enough proposition when it arrived in 2001, but the addition of a convertible version did nothing to enhance the Chrysler’s credibility. A particularly ugly roll hoop, combined with the car’s rather high sides, saw it attract unflattering comparisons with a pram, and poor build quality and an unappealing drive added to the tale of woe.
Citroen C3 Pluriel
The C3 Pluriel seemed a sound idea in theory. As a four-seat family convertible, it promised plenty of flexibility and versatility thanks to a number of different roof configurations. The full open-air cabriolet experience required removing rails around the roof and doors, though – and that’s when the problems started. The rails were often difficult to detach, and then there was the issue of storage – there was nowhere to pack them away in the car, which meant driving roofless became something of a gamble that it wouldn’t start to rain. Questionable build quality, including reports of leaky roofs from owners, didn’t make the Pluriel any more desirable.
Lexus SC430
Google the SC430 and it won’t take you long to unearth a host of stories about it being hailed the ‘worst car in the history of the world’ by Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson. Spoiler alert: it’s not. Not even close. But the drop-top, launched in 2001, wasn’t nearly as good as it should have been, and certainly failed to inject the expected sparkle into Lexus’s worthy, but unexciting, line-up of the time. There were a number of drawbacks but the chief complaints surrounded the ungainly design, cramped rear and insufficient power from the V8 engine. Those who anticipated a sporty drive would also be disappointed.
Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet
What WERE they thinking? Even now, that’s the question you just cannot help asking yourself when it comes to the convertible Murano, a car not unfairly described by Bloomberg as ‘arguably the strangest of the 21st century’. It seems incredible that a mainstream maker like Nissan would throw caution to the wind and green-light a drop-top SUV for production, but in 2002 – more than a decade before the Evoque – the Murano bellyflopped into American showrooms, impressing no one with its ghastly styling, dynamic shortcomings, poor packaging and high price. Rumour has it that the Murano was a pet project of controversial ex-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn; although unconfirmed, this would be a logical explanation for production of a vehicle that makes absolutely no sense. It would also justify Ghosn remaining in exile in Lebanon for a little longer…
Yugo Cabriolet
How do you make one of the world’s least desirable cars even more of a turn-off? You produce a convertible version. In the late eighties, the basic Yugoslavian Yugo hatchback rivalled Skodas of the era as a punchline punchbag due to its cheap materials and dismal reliability. With the Fiat 127 it was based on first launched in 1971, that was perhaps no surprise. But in 1990 a cabriolet arrived, supposedly to propel the Yugo into a more exciting new era. Sadly, it did nothing of the sort. Only a few hundred were made, and although the design was inoffensive enough – some might even argue it was looked quite smart from certain angles – a lack of power, the same basic feel and a sizeable price premium meant it was a particularly hard sell.
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