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Nine cars we wish were convertibles

The snow has melted, the sun is shining, and the days are getting longer. At the Autoblog Detroit office we feel like our winter hibernation is finally over. And with warmer temperatures come visions of opening up a convertible roof and cruising. You know, just turn up the bass and let the Alpine blast. There are plenty of droptops on sale in the US, and more on the way (like the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata). That said, we always want more. More! More! More! In that spirit, we cooked up a list of nine cars aren't currently sold as convertible, but ought to be. Check out our picks, below. Summer's just around the corner. Subaru BRZ / Scion FR-S In some parallel universe, this car actually happened. Toyota showed us a FT 86 Convertible concept at the Geneva Motor Show in 2013, and we immediately started licking our chops over the thought of a rear-wheel-drive convertible based on the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S twins. These days, the MX-5 Miata is our only option for affordable roadster fun. A competitor to the Mazda seems like a no-brainer to us, especially since we have naught but good to say about the BRZ/FR-S as-is. Unfortunately in our present timeline, this car is as likely for production as a BRZ STI. Which is to say, not very. Dang. Lexus RC F Unlike the FR-S, a convertible from Toyota's luxury division might actually see the light of day. The current IS convertible is about to be phased out, and the Lexus LF-C2 concept from the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show is really a thinly veiled look at a possible RC convertible. A droptop RC would be plenty good, but let's reach for the starts. What we really want is to run topless in an RC F, complete with that powerful, loud, 5.0-liter V8 engine. Lexus says the RC F is a true competitor to the BMW M4. If that's true, it only makes sense for Lexus to mimic the Germans and offer its performance coupe in a folding hardtop form. Maybach Landaulet Maybach is bach back, recast as an upper crust trim level for Mercedes-Benz. The Mercedes-Maybach S600 is seriously awesome, and more luxurious than a trip to the spa. But why not go a step into the truly ridiculous levels of extravagence and bring back that open-top Landaulet? We think your local princess will love this idea, and with better S-Class bones underneath, Jeeves will have a pretty enjoyable ship to steer, too. Besides, with that slick new Mercedes design language, a Landaulet redux wouldn't be nearly as hideous as the old model, pictured here.

2019 Hyundai Veloster Turbo First Drive Review | Can't spell funky without fun

The 2019 Hyundai Veloster is a revitalized version of a type of car many mainstream automakers are slowly giving up on entirely: the affordable sports car. Rivals like the Honda Civic Si and Volkswagen GTI spring to mind, but, generally speaking, car companies crank out more and more SUVs and crossovers while this once thriving segment dwindles in numbers. That's too bad, because it takes only a few minutes behind the wheel to realize the crossover and SUV crowd are missing out on a lot of driving fun. Styling is subjective, though we'd say Hyundai's design team did an excellent job transferring the Veloster's unique three-door design into a revitalized new shape. The 2019 Veloster is 0.8-inches longer and 0.4-inches wider than before, though the most noticeable changes include the large cascading front grille, along with a cleaner and more aggressive look at the rear. The new version looks like a cross between a sport coupe and, say, a high-end sneaker. It stands out, and that's a good thing in a world ruled by crossovers. Once again, the two doors on the passenger side add a degree of practicality compared to a traditional coupe, eliminating the need to climb over a folded front seat to gain access to the rear seats. The hidden door handle helps the third door blend neatly into the bodywork. Hyundai says rear headroom has increased by 0.6 inches, though it gets snug back there for anyone close to 6 feet in height. Skip the optional sunroof, since it takes up a few precious millimeters that could be better used for the craniums of rear occupants. Cargo space measures in at 19.9 cubic feet with the folding 60/40-split rear seatback in place. Like the exterior, the cabin gets a thorough redo for the 2019 model year. The overall control layout is logical and getting accustomed to the touchscreen infotainment is quick and painless. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility are standard, a major plus point for tech-savvy car buyers in this segment. Some cabin plastics are hard and look cheap, especially the panels on the upper half of the doors, exactly where you'd rest an arm with the windows down during a sunny summer drive. But it's the dynamic bits that make the biggest contribution. Rather than removing sport-tuned (i.e. more expensive parts) from the car to keep the price low, the Veloster receives mechanical upgrades that help sharpen the handling and provide a more connected feel to the road.

Hyundai's battle plan: More crossovers, no more Azera

We're living in a crossover world, and Hyundai is open about the fact that it's been struggling to meet demand for its utility models. Without production constraints, says Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski, the Tucson compact crossover would be outselling Hyundai's perennial volume model, the Elantra. There's a wide-reaching plan in place now to make sure Hyundai dealers are stocked with the models people want to buy. Step one involves upping output of existing models. Hyundai has brought tooling into its Montgomery, AL, factory to build Santa Fe Sport models alongside the Elantra and Sonata. (The bulk of Santa Fe Sport production takes place at the maxed-out facility in West Point, GA.) This will increase the model's annual production capacity by about 50,000 units. The new Tucson, which just went on sale last year, is being afforded an extra 50,000 or so units of capacity this year, which should put it ahead of the Elantra in the company's internal sales race. View 27 Photos The second part of the plan will bring new models. A B-segment crossover is in the works. This is a catch-up move to go up against several new models that seemingly popped out of nowhere: the Jeep Renegade, Fiat 500X, Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3, Chevy Trax, and Nissan Juke. Toyota is the only other volume player still noticeably absent from, or at least not on the way to, this party, and that will be fixed with the next Scion model. The Genesis luxury brand has also promised crossover models, and we anticipate the engineers are doing all they can to get those to market as quickly as possible. Because Genesis models will be on platforms distinct from those Hyundai uses, it could be a couple years before the fancy utes land. When the lineup is filled out, bet on luxurious subcompact, compact, midsize, and fullsize crossovers. There's a good chance Genesis crossovers will outnumber its car models. As for the Hyundai brand's car models, remember the Azera? Neither does anyone else. Getting rid of this slow-selling sedan will help free up capacity as well as showroom space. The fullsize sedan is likely to continue on in other markets – specifically the home market, where it's called the Grandeur – but Hyundai Motors America won't go through the trouble of getting it ready to sell (or not sell) in the States any more.