2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible

The Chrysler Sebring convertible took a break for a year and came back toned, sculpted, and stiffer, based on a new platform shared with the sedan. While it resembles the four-door, 3.1 inches more overall length and two fewer doors have certainly cleaned up the exterior. It also now offers a choice of three roofs: vinyl, cloth, and a retractable hard top. All three raise and lower at the push of a button (and can be lowered with the keyfob), use a glass rear window with defroster, and take about 30 seconds to drop. All will accommodate four sets of golf bags (or 11.3 cubic feet of luggage), top up or down, except the hardtop convertibles, which still fit two sets of clubs, top down.


The Chrysler Sebring convertible uses the sedan's engines and transmissions: a 173-horsepower four-cylinder and a 2.7-liter, 189-horse V-6, both backed by a four-speed automatic or a 3.5-liter V-6 with a six-speed automatic. The four-cylinder is coarse and doesn't have enough gusto to get this 3750-pound car going with any alacrity. It may be great in a smaller vehicle, but it's not the right fit here. Combine that with a hesitant four-speed automatic, and you have a Thrifty car rental weekend special. The smaller V-6 is certainly a better engine choice for the Chrysler Sebring. While it has only a bit more horsepower than the four, its 25 pound-feet additional torque makes a noticeable difference. Unfortunately, Chrysler didn't back this engine with the six-speed automatic, a move that keeps the MSRP lower, but also keeps the driver from getting a bite out of the 2.7. The 3.5-liter combined with the six-speed is the most entertaining. Off-the-line acceleration is smooth and shifts are quick, but neither the Sebring's steering nor handling is going to make BMW shake in its boots.


Chrysler Sebring pricing starts at just over $26,000-lower than in 2006-but goes up quickly as you add features, which we realized upon learning of our Limited's $38,000 as-tested price. The base model isn't available with the hard top-for that, the midlevel Touring package is required, and the metal roof adds $1995 to the bottom line.

2008 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet

Okay, however unsurprised we may be with the Porsche Turbo Cabriolet’s appearance, it’s not as if we’re not salivating. We find the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet as delicious as the current Porsche 911 Turbo coupe. The convertible will be powered by the same frighteningly powerful 480-hp 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six as the coupe and offered with the same choice of six-speed manual or Tiptronic S automatic transmission.



The additional weight and rigidity compromises of the convertible will dampen performance just a tad, with only a claimed 150-pound weight gain. When the hardtop is capable of a 3.4-second sprint to 60 mph, who are we to bicker about a few 10ths when the sun is beaming on our smiling faces?


Slated to be released this September, the Porsche 911 Turbo will be Porsche’s fastest open-topped car since last year’s $440,000 Porsche Carrera GT, and the most expensive car in Porsche’s current lineup. Base price in Europe will be equivalent to roughly $172,000, a $30k smack above the previous generation car, while in the U.S. the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet is a relative deal starting at $137,360

Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet

The run of Porsche 997-series 911 variants continues with the launch of the 911 Turbo Cabriolet.

The cabrio features a three-layer soft top, which opens and closes in roughly 20 seconds, according to Porsche, and features a low balance point. Despite extensive convertible-specific chassis reinforcement, the open-top version of the 911 Turbo weighs just 154 pounds more than its hardtop sibling.

With a drag coefficient of .31, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is on par with the hardtop's number. The automatically-deploying rear spoiler extends slightly further than the coupe's, helping the cabrio to generate negative lift at the rear axle. Six airbags are standard equipment and the rollover protection system features steel tubing integrated into the windshield frame along with extendable rollover protection behind the rear seats.

The Cabriolet comes with the same 3.6 liter, bi-turbocharged six-cylinder boxer engine as the coupe, which generates 480 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque at 1950 rpm. With the optional "Sport Chrono Turbo Package," an overboost function can push torque up to 500 lb-ft. Manual transmission-equipped models can accelerate from 0 to 62 in just four seconds. With Tiptronic S the time can be cut to 3.8 seconds, Porsche claims. Both versions can reach speeds of up to 192 mph.

Among the standard equipment on the 911 Turbo Cabriolet are Porsche's Active Suspension Management (PASM) system, bi-xenon headlights, 19-inch forged wheels with two-tone appearance, A/C, wind deflector, and Porsche Communication Management (PCM) - a navigation system with a 5.8 inch color monitor, and a Bose Surround Sound System.

How much for the Porsche blow-dry effect? The cabrio's pricing is listed at 126,600 Euros (roughly $172,000 at current exchange rates, but expect U.S. pricing to start at around $136,000) and will be available in September, according to the automaker.