Sports cars have always been every boy’s fantasy. Nothing beats the power, precision and agility that a sports car can offer you; and just for the absolute joy of driving everyone should own a sports car; at least once in their life-time. If you are like me and have been thinking of buying one, you must have already done your research and narrowed down to a few models which suit your pocket and your lifestyle. When choosing a sports car the most debatable and difficult comparison is coupe vs convertible?
A few basic differences of the two are listed below:
Weight
Though most people think that a convertible weighs lesser than a coupe, it is actually the other way around. Coupes have always been the preferred choice of enthusiast car racers. A coupe has a solid metal frame whereas a convertible has soft folding hood, and all the mechanics which are required to operate it. The mechanics add an extra 100 to 200 kilos of weight to the total car’s weight.
Speed
Most of the speed tests are done with a convertible’s roof up, so experts say the weight doesn’t affect the speed that much. However, anyone who understands physics would know that aerodynamics are better with a roof up and opening its top might affect the pickup of your car but probably by a few milliseconds.
Shape
Coupes boast clean lines and an overall sleek sports car shape. A drawback with some of the modern day convertibles could be that they look amazing with their tops down; however, can look a little queer with the top intact in its customary place. A classic example of this is Audi R8 and R8 Spyder, this is because sports car are usually designed as coupes first and then into convertible versions.
Safety & Weather
Of course, the biggest advantage of owning a convertible is you can enjoy the cool summer breeze hitting your face, which you can’t if you have a coupe. Unfortunately, the weather we have in UAE we cannot enjoy a convertible as much as we would like to. The scorching summer sun makes it impossible to even think so, during the day in our part of the world. Some people even argue that a coupe is more rigid and sturdy due to its solid metal frame and thus making convertibles slightly unsafe. In the worst case scenario, if a convertible rolls over the lightweight frame offers practically no protection like the steel frame of a coupe does.
Cargo Space
A coupe offers you more trunk space, whereas most convertibles offer very limited space as the hood and its mechanism folds in the back when rolled down. This is especially true in case of hard top models; however few models offer almost the same cargo space with the roof intact.
Operating Costs
The operating costs of both are the same. But you must keep in mind that over the long haul, if you need to get the soft top replaced or repaired the complexity of their mechanical nature can prove to be quite heavy on the pocket. However, this happens rarely, and the likelihood of a failure is less in the newer and more durable models.
I hope these basic differences of coupe vs convertible would make it easier for you to make a smart choice.