McLaren SLR Stirling Moss

Mercedes Benz obviously feel that the credit crunch is a just a passing thing. Not only have they recently released The SL Black Edition (with a fixed roof, so there's no room for it in these pages) but now they have introduced the most extreme version of their collaboration with racing car builder McLaren. The McLaren SLR Stirling Moss is styled to resemble the SLR racing cars of the 1950s that proved so successful in the hands of Stirling Moss.

Each of the limited edition of 75 cars will feature a carbon fibre chassis and bodywork wrapped around the SLR 722's a 650-hp supercharged 5.5-liter V8 and the five-speed transmission. Like the other SLRs it also has swing-up doors and a retractable air brake.

The open driving position and lack of weather gear (though there is a two-piece tonneau cover that can cover the entire cockpit or just the passenger seat) make this a car best used with a helmet on a race track. Once there you will find that it can reach 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds and continue to a top speed of 217 mph.

New BMW Z4 Roadster

The all new BMW Z4 Roadster is due to make it's debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, however The first photos and specifications have been released to wet our appetites.

The biggest change, as was the case with the 3 Series, is a move away from the fabric soft top to a retractable metal roof. It's an aggressive move towards Mercedes Benz and will no doubt take sales from their SLK. On the downside luggage space looks poor.


The interior, like the exterior gets a slick new look. The former with the new, more intuitive iDrive system from the new 7 Series.

Initially there will be three engine options in Europe with the larger two of these going to the US as well. The Euro-only sDrive23i will have a 2.5 litre straight-6 with 204 horsepower. The sDrive30i gets the 3 litre 6 and finally the sDrive35i adds a pair of turbo chargers to this engine to reach 306 horsepower and 0-100 kmph (0-62mph) in 5.2 seconds. Adding the optional 7-speed dual clutch gearbox to this model will shave a further 10th second off this time.

We would hope to see a Z4 M Roadster variant to follow later on perhaps with the M3's lovely V8 powerplant.

Audi A5 Cabriolet

The Audi A4 Cabriolet is due to be replaced by a soft top version of the A5 coupe in 2009.

The Audi A5 Cabriolet will use a traditional fabric roof rather than a folding metal hard top, taking just 15 seconds to open and 17 seconds to close. The cloth roof helps to preserve boot space, leaving 320 litres when folded; 135 litres less than the coupé.

The A5 will be available with a range of engines from the 2.0-litre petrol TFSI unit to a V6 powered S5 model. The S5 will use the new supercharged 3.2 litre engine from the S4 rather than the V8 seen in the S5 Coupe. The S5 Cabriolet will have four-wheel-drive as standard making it one of the very few all-wheel drive convertibles.

Prices are yet to be announced but are expected to undercut the equivalent BMW 3 series models.

MINI Convertible

The MkII MINI Convertible is finally making an appearance. The MkII hardtop was released back in 2007 but it won't be until 2009 before it's convertible sibling makes it's way to dealerships. Until now the MkI convertible has been available but it will soon make way for a stronger and lighter car.

The biggest visual difference is the now tucked away roll-over bar. Previously there were two chromed hoops, very much on show. In the new car a one piece, curved bar is hidden away behind the rear seats and will only pop up if the car is in danger of rolling over.

The new car will be available in standard and tuned S forms, with the latter featuring an air-scoop on the bonnet, twin exhausts and a rear diffuser. The MINI also features a canvas roof that can be fully retracted or closed in 15 seconds, and which operates at up to 20mph. The roof can also be partially retracted 40cm, giving the effect of a sunroof, at speeds of up to 75mph.