The 10 Coolest Convertibles Available Right Now

Purists might tell you that a fixed roof is better than a convertible—greater chassis stiffness leading to better handling. We say to tell the self-titled purists precisely where they can shove it, because on the road, nobody is going to care about that sort of nit-picky detail; plenty of people will notice the feeling of freedom and the wind running through their hair though.

So go to San Diego, where it isn't so cold enough to turn a man's scrotum into a hard leather coin-purse in 12 minutes right now, and drive one of these on the Pacific Coast Highway: the 10 Nicest Convertibles Available Right Now.

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Base Price: $36,900

The 3-series may have grown exponentially in both size and price but don't fret, now we have the 1-Series to fill the gap that it left. It's a fun, comparatively simple, comparatively attainable, and comfortable car. With the base engine its quick, and with the stellar TwinPower Turbo engine it can take on a lot of more hardcore sportscars. We'd recommend one in a heartbeat.

Base Price: $59,070

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabrio is the classy convertible that exists largely to prove that the owners have more style than all the other upper-middle class management professionals. It takes the luxury and technology of the E-Class, and adds both fun factor and sex appeal.

Base Price: $233,340

The V12 Vantage Roadster is Aston's biggest engine in its smallest chassis with no roof. It's a brilliant formula, and if we had the cash we'd be driving one of these sensual drop-tops right now.

Base Price: $41,470

While the Nissan 370Z Roadster is weirdly expensive, considering that the coupe is about $8,000 cheaper, it still represents a great value. We're talking about a car than can keep up with the $49,500 and up (and up.. and up... and up) Porsche Boxster.

MSRP: $269,295

The Bentley Continental GTC might be the best cruiser ever made. A luxurious interior, a mountain of torque, understated style, and one of the world's most prestigious badges make the Conti more than just a car: It's an incredible experience.

Base Price: $25,695

Not all convertibles are sports cars, but all of the cool ones are performance cars. Take the Jeep Wrangler, for example, it might not be able to power through the corkscrew at Laguna Seca, but it can crawl over just about any mountain in existence. Enjoy the smell of the outdoors while you confidently traverse any part of it.

Base Price: $27,200

The Ford Mustang is one of our go to recommended cars, the combination of good looks, great engines, superb handling, and reasonable prices has us constantly putting the car in these types of lists. It's a piece of Americana that's fun, affordable, and kicks ass when needed.

Base Price: $136,300

The GranTurismo is one of the best looking cars ever made. It also happens to be an amazing performer, and has an exhaust note that has been scientifically proven to make women hornier. Chopping the roof off was the only way this car could get any better.

Base Price: $23,720

We all remember and love old school British roadsters—like the MGB and the Triumph Spitfire—but the truth of the matter is that people who own them aren't necessarily people who like performance driving; often they're hobbyist mechanics who want something that needs to be tinkered with and repaired regularly. Mazda, however, took everything that is good about the British roadster formula, and updated it with a rock-solid engine and functional electrical systems. There's a reason that a large number of professional racing schools use Miatas for classes.

Base Price: $268,250

Remember how we were talking about the on-track compromises inherent in buying the convertible version of a car in the intro? The engineers majestic car wizards at McLaren managed to make the MP4-12C Spyder dynamically indistinguishable from the coupe on track, as well as open air and better looking.