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Best Convertibles for 2022

The past decade has not been kind to the drop-top enthusiast. No matter which dealer you walk into, convertible models have been biting the dust left and right. Nissan Z? Audi TT? Buick Cascada? Volkswagen Eos? All gone. Remember the humble Chrysler Sebring/200? Well, you do now. Fortunately, though, the news isn't all bad. There are still plenty of options out there for those who absolutely must have a convertible. Whether you need something to haul behind your retirement cruiser, a performance car that can go toe-to-toe with the best in the world or just something that allows you to sling the roof back after a long day of on-location business meetings before catching the flight back to your everyday hustle and bustle, there's at least one cabriolet out there to suit your needs. Here are our picks and starting prices for the top convertibles in several categories for 2022.  For the frugal open-top lover: 2022 Mini Convertible ($34,650) Let's face it; gas ain't cheap. But open-top motoring doesn't need to be a wallet killer. The Mini is cheap (at least by 2022 standards) and an absolute joy to drive, so there's really no downside here ... except for the roof. Get it?    For the hardtop lover: 2022 Mazda MX-5 RF ($37,260) / 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible ($69,695) The number of hardtop convertibles has seriously dwindled due to weight concerns and the fact that fabric roofs have gotten so quiet, but there are still some options for those who prefer a more coupe-like look with the roof up. Our picks here are the delightfully Targa-like MX-5 Miata RF and literally any Corvette Stingray — even the hardtop has a removable roof!    For long road trips: 2022 Ford Mustang Convertible ($34,100) The first image that comes to mind for many who are told to visualize an American convertible is the classic Ford Mustang. It's not the only drop-top pony car out there, but thanks to the Camaro's tiny trunk, it's much harder to see the USA in a Chevrolet when a drop-top enters the equation. The Mustang has much more cargo space and a much larger opening, which is likely the difference between keeping your bags under lock and key or leaving them exposed in the back seat.    For towing behind an RV: 2022 Jeep Wrangler ($31,590) While many small runabouts make sense for towing behind a motor home (or nestled up inside a fancier one), the Wrangler has a serious advantage when it comes to RVing: it can easily be flat-towed.

2015 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid

When the Porsche Panamera joined the hybrid poker game with the S Hybrid, it started with a seat at the penny-ante table: engineers inserted a 47-horsepower electric motor between the gas engine and eight-speed automatic, powered by a 1.7-kWh nickel-metal hydride battery. It was tiny stakes, the kind of non-risk taken when you're trying to figure out both how to play the game and how you want to play the game. After two years of experimenting, the 2015 Panamera S E-Hybrid makes a bigger bet – the kind that requires paper bills and the maxim, "If you can't fold it, hold it." Porsche's plug-in hybrid gets every adjective we expect of a successor from Stuttgart: more complex, more efficient, more powerful and faster. Driving Notes The electric motor leaps from 47 hp to 95 hp thanks to more windings on the stator coils and new power electronics. The battery goes from a 1.7-kWh nickel-metal hydride unit to 9.4-kWh lithium-ion setup; it's the same physical size as before, still mounted under the cargo deck. Internal combustion still comes from the Audi-sourced, 333-hp, supercharged V6, but total system power goes from 380 hp and 428 pound-feet of torque in the S Hybrid to 416 hp and 435 lb-ft in the S E-Hybrid. The previous system could run a mile on electricity, this one is estimated to last more than 20 miles on e-power on the European cycle. The 0-60 dash takes 5.2 seconds, down from 5.7 seconds; top speed in electric-only mode is 84 mph – up from 50 mph. It takes 2.5 hours at a 240-volt outlet to fully recharge the battery; the Porsche Universal Charger comes equipped with a cable for that and a standard 120-volt socket. Only Panamera obsessives will notice the sheetmetal changes for 2015, but there are sharper lines on the front and rear fascias, faint revisions made to the light clusters, wider glass – over the same-sized opening – on the rear tailgate, and a wider rear spoiler. Outsiders will know the S E-Hybrid because of Acid Green highlights on the fender and tailgate logos, as well as the Acid Green brake calipers. Inside, the central tach remains, but the analog speedometer was evicted to make space for the battery power meter, and Acid Green needles dance across all the gauges. The navigation screen shows your electric driving range and the Porsche Car Connect service provides the expected, smartphone-controlled e-mobility features.

Porsche 919 Hybrid sets new qualifying record at Le Mans [w/video]

Porsche is getting off to a great start at Le Mans this year, setting a new qualifying lap record. Both Neel Jani and Timo Bernhardt clocked qualifying times in the latest Porsche 919 Hybrid that eclipse the previous record. At 3:16.887 and 3:17.767, both Porsche factory works drivers beat the record 3:18.51 qualifying time achieved by Stephane Sarrazin in the Peugeot 908 back in 2008. We should note, however, that these times are for the current track configuration. The outright qualifying record for any configuration still belongs to – you guessed it, also Porsche. Pedro Rodriguez pole position in 1971 in the Porsche 917 at 3:13.90. His teammate Jackie Oliver lapped even faster during the practice session at 3:13.6, and went on to set the fastest race lap that same year, which still stands at 3:18.4. The long and short of it, though, is that Porsche has been and remains the force to be reckoned with when it comes to outright pace around the French circuit. All that remains to be seen is whether the team can translate that pace into victory over the defending Le Mans winners at Audi and the reigning World Endurance Champions at Toyota. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 24 Hours of Le Mans : Porsche beats all records! As expected, this first day will be have been marked by the domination of the Porsche 919 Hybrid cars during the first qualifying practice and who totally smashed the record of the track. But let's be careful, Audi isn't far behind. In LM P2, an Oreca 05 from Team KCMG finished in front whereas the Aston Martins excelled in LM GTE Pro and LM GTE Am. During the free practice sessions that took place between 4 and 8pm, the competitors began carefully on a drying track after the afternoon rain. The red flag was presented only 5 minutes after the opening of the track because of an immobilized driver who had made a mistake (without any other consequence other than this neutralization) at braking point in the chicane ForzaMotorsport (first of the two chicanes on the Hunaudieres). The British driver Richard Bradley was the cause of this behind the steering wheel of the Oreca 05 n°47 of the Hong Kong team KCMG. The prototype LM P2 was brought back to the pits on the breakdown truck. A little later, the same Richard Bradley did the best time of the free session on this Oreca 05 n°47.