And the nominees are...
Drop Top - The Driver Profile: Sunshine junkie.
Easy - any car with a removable roof when a fixed roof car just misses the mark, every time.

Torque Galore - The Driver Profile: Torque-monger. Any car that has gobs of torque at any rpm range, doesn't require much shifting as a result and pins you to the seat in the straights.

Slice and Dice - The Driver Profile: Performance fanatic. Light, agile, high revving, more fun for the driver than the second class passenger with very sporty styling, often a coupe is preferred for a stiffer chassis.

GT Cruiser - The Driver Profile: Boulevard king. Treats the passenger(s) with the same luxury and respect as the driver, smooth ride, easy to get in and out, often has a token back seat, heavy but comfortable.

While some cars fall into more than one category, I think many drivers tend towards a particular style of car. You don't have many people say their favorite type of car is a big comfortable grand touring sports car that their significant other enjoys for a casual weekend cruise and then they own a Lotus Elise, which is exactly the opposite of that. No, they want a Mercedes-Benz SL or a Ferrari 550 Maranello. Or the person who wants a convertible to enjoy the wind in the hair and then they own a Cayman S. No, they choose a Boxster or a Corvette convertible.

I am impartial to the Slice and Dice category. Give me a coupe, light weight, edgy styling and I am thrilled. The Cayman S, BMW's new or old M coupe or M3, Lotus Elise (hard top on, please), Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Porsche 911 C4S, Ferrari 360 Modena (Challenge Stradale, Mmmm), F430 (Scuderia is better yet) or Lamborghini Gallardo (Superleggera...) or Audi R8 to name but a few. I like the torsional rigidity of a coupe and generally, with few exceptions, the roof line looks far better on a coupe. Chopping the top loses a lot of the cool design appeal incorporated into the roof line.

Weigh in with your opinions. What category do you prefer? Did I leave out a category? Feedback wanted!

Labels: Club Sportiva, convertible, exotic car share club, GT, sports coupe, torque monster

Are you a coupe or convertible person? Most people have a strong preference one way or the other. For those who like convertibles, having a top on the car botches the experience. Our Club Members are often pretty vocal one way or the other.

Personally, I am a coupe fan. Though oddly, for the past six years I have driven three different convertibles as my daily drivers with another two previous targa top cars before that. I think it is sheer coincidence I've been driving so many convertibles, but it was probably about five years ago I became more a fan of coupes than convertibles. Hopefully here soon I can finally get back to enjoying a coupe for my next car. ;) I have/had a 2006 BMW Z4 3.0Si, 2005 Honda S2000, 2002 Honda S2000, 1982 Ferrari 308 GTSi, 1995 Honda Del Sol Si (in order of ownership). It's a motley crew, but all were fun cars when I had them.

I like coupes for several reasons. One, I am not a big fan of getting tons of sun and wind while driving, plus all the noise top up or down. Besides, in San Francisco, it is often too cold to drop the top. Keep in mind, I am using my car as a daily driver, not a weekend car, so that has an impact on livability. I'm on my phone a lot while in the car commuting and coupes are quieter. Also, as the hard core sports car fan I am, I like a bare bones sports car, and that is typically not a convertible. Though the S2000, one of the cars I drive, is one of those pure sports cars and happens to only come in convertible form.

These days, more car manufacturers are introducing folding hard tops that solve this issue. The key is when the top is up, the design has to look fully integrated and not make-shift when the top is up such that you are compelled to put it down. The folding hard tops are improving, for sure and even Ferrari is getting into it now with the new Ferrari California.

So, in which camp are you? Do you prefer the sun and wind of a convertible? Or do you prefer the sleek roof line and chassis rigidity of a coupe?

Labels: Club Sportiva, convertible, Driving experience, exotic car share club, sports coupe