Autoblog UK

When Ingolstadt brought the Audi A5 Coupé to market back in 2007, many Audi fans were already speculating about what a head turner it would be in 'topless' form. The autumn of 2008 already provided the first pictures of this open-top dream. Now the dream is becoming reality with the A5 and S5 Cabrio coming to market in the summer of 2009, naturally with a fabric roof and engines rated from 160 to 333bhp for the top of the range S5 model. In going for the classic fabric roof, Audi are clearly sticking to their guns in viewing a folding metal roof as a taboo. The canvas roof opens in 15 seconds, with the closing procedure taking not much longer and all this can also be done at a speed of just over 30mph. So all we need now is to wait for the summer.

For many, the Mini continues to be a cult lifestyle vehicle in compact format for fresh air aficionados. Visually, little has changed about the Mini Cabriolet, but Mini cognoscenti will recognise the changed shape of the headlights, as well as the air inlets, aprons and rear lights. Beneath the neat bonnet, however, there lurks any amount of technical innovation. The Cooper S Cabriolet zips up from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.4 secs and with 175bhp, the powerful four-cylinder turbo engine promises a top speed of 138mph (222km/h).

In times of crisis, sales figures are sluggish. We can no longer afford mid-range limousines and prestige cars, but in Germany at least, one market segment is having a better time of it: here, the government premium for scrapping your car is giving a particularly powerful boost to small car sales.

Of course, offering the right product to meet this demand is important, which is why Fiat are introducing their new 500 Cabrio. Admittedly, we would have been happier with a completely open-topped version, like the Mini, but it would presumably have cost considerably more, so we are prepared to view the Fiat 500 Cabrio as a successful compromise.

Female car fans will be enchanted. Soon, the cabriolet version of the Fiat 500 will be running round the inner city areas of Europe and be parked at chic urban locations. The 500 cabriolet, bearing the official Fiat title of 500C, will be taking its graceful world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show. Its styling is in fact a clear reference to a predecessor which caused a furore as an open-top version back in 1957. However, this 2009 version will be much more chic than the model in the wild Fifties, since it has more of targa roof than a normal cabriolet.

As there will probably be hardly anyone interested in the technology of this vehicle, let's just confine ourselves to the most important detail of the cabriolet, which is the electric folding roof. It will be available in three stylish colours: ivory, red and black, in line with its fashionable image.

Stories from the Middle East are always fascinating and '1001 Arabian Nights Car Tales' seem to get more and popular. The sheikhs from Abu Dhabi have already provided us with visions of their wildest dreams over recent months. The 'dernier cri' has now been seen standing outside the "Emirates Palace Hotel". A pimped up open-top Hummer H2. O.K. - the original Hummer H1 was also open, but this version is something special.

With its seven seats covered in lurid red leather, the H2 cabrio seems ideally suited for any harem transport. The alloys are also special equipment, but just what the additional row of lights on the bonnet are supposed to achieve remains a mystery at the time of writing. Maybe they are intended to scare camels that occasionally wander on the roads of Abu Dhabi, but it would not have been necessary. Any camel would surely know what a Hummer is supposed to look like and would probably flee in alarm from such an awesome sight, to restore its sanity with copious draughts from the next oasis.

For everyone who believes that the Kia Soul was getting to the end of its development stage to go into series production, Kia now let the Soulster take its bow in Detroit.

As a derivative of the Soul, this convertible SUV roadster is a bit reminiscent of the Suzuki Jimny convertible and thus not quite as new as its trendy name would lead you to think.

Still recognisable as a Soul from the front, the driving compartment roof opens back from the centre post, letting the rear passengers bask in the sun. In order to still provide safety and stability, there are two rollover bars that also serve as tracks for the retractable roof behind the driver's cabin.

Whoever takes to the Kia Soul will be able to find a playful version of the Korean SUV in the shape of the Soulster and should be equally enthusiastic. Either way, the Soulster can certainly be seen as a likely complement to the Soul in Europe.

The engines could be taken from the vehicle's big series brother and chassis mods would be feasible, even in small numbers. All that is required is that the roof be made waterproof (unlike that of the Suzuki Jimny) and the Soul would be a more fashionable alternative to the dusty Japanese car. But please, could we have slightly more civilised colours? After all, summer does not last all year round.

Gone are the days when concepts with big V8 engines and unlimited performance were presented. We may delight in bargains, but low cost does not mean having less fascination or fun from a car. This is precisely what VW proved to us in Detroit when presenting the Blue Sport BIO Roadster.

Apart from the name and its connotations of a diesel/muesli/low consumption engine as an excuse for what is indeed a magnificently unreasonable car in times of crisis, the Blue Sport is a true delight for purists.

Nice and compact (less than 4 metres in length) and good and light (approx. 1200 kg) you only need little in terms of power to coax respectable performance from this 'funmobile' from Wolfsburg. It's fully in tune with the times

Maximum driving fun with minimal fuel consumption: This is the standard by which Volkswagen is starting the new car year 2009 and is presenting the roadster Concept BlueSport at the North American International Auto Show.

The Concept BlueSport is making its appearance at the car show in Detroit with a Flex Silver exterior and orange fabric convertible top. The interior shows finesse in details and conveys a high level of technological fascination. Immediately visible to the eye is the intuitive and easy to operate touchscreen. Perfectly adapted to the interior are the leather upholstered seats in lightweight construction with their single-piece seatbacks.

Some might say that the Bentley Azure is something like a piece of luxury vintage furniture on wheels. Solid, unchanged and sort of timeless. Now, by comparison, the new Azure T is almost exaggeratedly 'state-of -the-art'.

The difference to its conventional brother first becomes apparent in the wider-meshed radiator grille and air inlets, as well as the ventilation air intakes on the sides behind the front wings. The sporty variation of the luxury convertible for the gentleman who views 'sporty' as driving without a tie?

Well not really, because the visual appeal is also adequately complemented by the power pack, with its 500 HP. From a regal standstill, it glides up to 60 in 5.5 seconds and with an unladen weight of over 2.7 tonnes you could, shall we say, describe the combined fuel consumption of 14.5 mpg as being 'appropriate'.

In terms of traditional British styling, the I Pod connection and optional sound system with ten speakers and 1,100 watts of amplification may seem to be the equivalent of placing an IKEA table lamp on top of a Sheraton cabinet.

Still, rather than ponder upon that, let's consider where it fits into the grand plan in terms of its grand competitors.

The Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe as well as the Maybach Landaulet suggest themselves spontaneously as candidates in that league. Although both are priced clearly above the Bentley (RR Phantom from € 420,000 and Maybach Landaulet from € 900,000).

Since the "usual" Azure starts at around € 330,000, there should still be sufficient leeway to upgrade and still undercut the other two. Bentley has yet to confirm our wishful thinking in that department.