We've seen a few spy pics of the next-gen Chevy Cobalt that's due in showrooms around 2010, but none so revealing as these. KGP Photographers caught the car wearing only some light camo paint to obscure its new lines, which it doesn't do very well as the Cobalt's chunky proportions are there for all to see. Up front we find a new interpretation of Chevy's split grille that looks great on the smaller Cobalt flanked by sharp headlights that appear to crawl up the front fenders a bit. Meanwhile, the front bumper is occupied by three traditional air intakes and a pair of fog lamps. Notice the character line that runs the length of the vehicle right above the door handles where the sheetmetal begins to cut dramatically up towards the greenhouse in a concave shape. The same effect has been used by Volvo in the past to give its passenger vehicles the broad shoulder look.

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Building a car is an enormously complex and expensive process. With all the safety regulations that have to be met in order to sell a new car, startup companies that want to build electric vehicles have mostly taken one of two paths to the road. The first is one taken by companies like Zap and Aptera. Those companies are building three-wheeled vehicles which are classed as motorcycles and thus exempt from safety rules.

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Blazing toward 8400 rpm in sixth gear on an autobahn in a BMW M3 is already intense. Doing it in the brand-new Convertible -- roof down with a more direct sonic route from eight open throttles and four fat tailpipes to your ears -- is more intense still. Doing it with the brand-new M DCT double-clutch transmission, the shift lights blinking, just a finger-tap from an instantaneous (and we mean instantaneous) shift to seventh? Well, that's probably all the intensity most of us will ever need.

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German print magazine Auto Motor und Sport claims to have insider info that the Audi A5 Cabrio will be revealed at this autumns Paris Motor Show. The A5 cabriolet will replace the A4 cabriolet and Audi plans to start production of the convertible at their own production facility at Neckarshulm. The current A4 Cabrio is built by sub-contractor Karmann.

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A new red-coloured soft-top roof will be the key feature of new Vauxhall Tigra variant called the Sport Rouge.

Prices range from £15,705 to £17,195 and it replaces the current Sport model. Like the metal-roof Tigras, the top retracts in 20 seconds.

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Hot off the catwalk the stylish Sport Rouge is the latest edition to the Tigra range featuring a dynamic new change to the drop top roof. The new Sport Rouge replaces the Sport model, and features a whole host of standard equipment.

Perhaps the most eye-catching feature is its roof which is now covered in a stylish Bordeaux Red coloured fabric. Designed to appeal to those who love the look of a fabric soft top but who also want the convenience, security and safety of a hard top, the Sport Rouge offers the best of both worlds. As with all Tigras, the new-look roof can be raised or lowered in just 20 seconds.

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The Wiesmann GT has been on sale for almost three years now and in that time there have been very little changes to the car’s specifications, except for the introduction of the M5-powered MF5 last year. That’s set to change as the German niche sports carmaker is planning to launch open top roadster versions of its current MF4 GT and high-performance MF5.

The new models are strictly limited for sale in Europe but with production expected to increase to 350 units annually (Wiesmann will build 250 cars this year) there’s hope more exports will start. At the end of the year the first RHD versions will be delivered to the UK, reports AutoWeek.

The MF4 continues to run BMW’s 362hp (270kW) 4.8L V8 engine while the MF5 newcomer packs the potent 5.0L V10 from the M5/M6. Weighing just 1,250kg, the Wiesmann GT MF5 will sprint from 0-100km/h in just over four seconds and reach a top speed in excess of 280km/h.

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Just when you thought the Camaro madness was about to die down, resourceful Chevy fans at Camaro5.com have come through again with some more sneaky handiwork.

This time the fan site has posted pictures of a completely undisguised Camaro convertible, with the top down and everything. The roofless pony car is a natural extension of the coupe, though lifting the lid has a bit of a lengthening effect, somewhat negating the standard car’s aggressive lines.

With the luxury of four seats, and the advantage of being box-fresh, we don’t doubt that if the price is in line with Ford’s Mustang, Chevy will be able to sell a boatload of these ragtop Camaros.

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Fiat revealed its long-awaited 500 Abarth at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. AutoCar is now reporting that Abarth is creating a new version of the speedy Fiat 500.

Word on the street is that Abarth and Fiat are working on a convertible version of the minicar that could go on sale as early as 2009. The report also said that Fiat is also considering two Abarth-only models that will follow the Fiat 500 Abarth Convertible.

Power for the convertible is expected to come from the same 1.4L 16v turbo engine, the 500 Abarth produces 135 horsepower with a peak torque of 151 lb-ft of torque.

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It’s the cheaper, four-pot petrol version of BMW’s smallest cabrio, the 120i Convertible.

We drove this car’s six-cylinder cousin, the blue-and-white propeller’s 125i drop-top, back in January, and it attracted an impressive four star verdict. That car had Munich’s award-winning magnesium 3.0-litre petrol six under the bonnet though; now we find out if it stands out as clearly with a lesser 2.0-litre petrol four-pot doing the donkey work.

What’s it like?
Our first steer in a 120i Convertible is also our first chance to try one in right-hand drive form. Moving the car’s primary controls to the right has brought no compromises to the position of the steering wheel or pedals. BMW has even moved the handbrake from left to right: less fastidious continental manufacturers should follow its lead.

The 120i Convertible’s Hams Hall-built petrol four-pot serves up 168bhp and 155lb ft of twist – outputs which the car’s 1.5-tonnes smother to a noticeable extent. The engine likes to be revved, and does its best work between 4000- and 7000rpm; below 4000rpm it’s a little lacking in potency.

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The ideal antidote to the winter blues – the new Audi A3 Cabriolet – can be administered by Audi Centres from this week as the brand’s first premium compact class ‘open top’ opens for order in standard, Sport and S line trim with OTR prices ranging from £20,750 to £27,060. Deliveries will begin in May.

The guiding principle behind the latest Audi soft-top was the achievement of the best possible balance between the essential fun factor of a roadster and the refinement and day-to-day usability of a fixed roof premium class car. As a result, the A3 Cabriolet not only converts to topless mode and back extraordinarily rapidly, but also genuinely accommodates four passengers without ruling out impressive luggage capacity that is expandable thanks to the standard split/fold rear seat.

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The sixth generation of the Corvette, the 2008 C6, offers customers a choice of coupe or convertible left-hand drive models delivering legendary American supercar performance with great style and quality – plus even better value, with ‘more for less’ pricing starting at £45,995, a reduction of £1,600 from last year, despite the significant engine upgrade.

The Corvette C6 features innovative technologies to combine high performance thrills with a luxuriously-appointed interior. The incredible performance of the 6.2 litre V8 power plant is discreetly managed by advanced Active Handling (ESP) and Traction Control systems. Low weight and super-smooth aerodynamics mean that both the Coupe and Convertible models are capable of 186 mph and can accelerate to 62 mph in just 4.3 seconds with the manual and 4.4 seconds with the auto paddle-shift transmission.

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After Audi unveiled the almighty R8 V12 TDI at the Detroit Auto Show, I asked the obvious question and they made it clear that they had no plans to build a production version. Now that the disappointment has subsided somewhat, Audi is offering up a consolation prize, although it's not known yet if the US market will get a crack at it. For the first time since the original TT debuted ten years ago, Audi will be offering a version with a diesel engine. A 170 hp, 258 lb-ft 2.0L TDI will be available in both the TT Coupe and Roadster. Putting the torque down through all four wheels by way of a six-speed manual gearbox, the coupe will run 0-62 mph in 7.5 sec, with the ragtop accomplishing the feat in 7.7sec. While by no means blistering speeds, the nature of diesel engine torque will mean that the TTs will feel quick everywhere. The real upside to all of this is the fuel economy of this claimed world's first diesel sports car.

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Alfa fans have been a bit disappointed that the Italian automaker reportedly decided to push back the debut of the highly anticipated upcoming Junior model past the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, and Bertone's unveiling of the BAT 11 concept remains up in the air, but just the same, Alfa Romeo will have plenty to show us next week. In addition to debuting the production – and we use that term loosely, considering only 500 will be made – version of the 8C Spider, Alfa will be unveiling updated versions of its unspeakably gorgeous Brera and Spider models.

Thankfully, the Italians know better than to attempt improving on a masterpiece, so Alfa hasn't messed with the award-winning design to any great extent. The wheels, brake calipers and suspension components have been replaced with lighter-weight aluminum versions, which should help address the cars' lamentably underwhelming performance relative to its design by taking a chunk out of its unsprung weight. The subtle changes continue inside, where redesigned seats offer a sportier and more ergonomic driving position, another drawback often reported on the first-generation model.

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For those of you who are lucky enough to be able to afford a Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet yet are not satisfied with the 480 HP of the stock 3.6-liter biturbo boxer engine, German tuner Techart has announced that it will reveal a supped up version of the car at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. The GTstreet convertible’s tuned boxer engine generates a whopping 630 HP allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 345 km/h or 215 mph. More details on the car will be released at the Geneva Show.

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