Chris Stack

Meh, I've always considered any two-seat convertable a roadster. Heck, Mercedes even calls the SLs roadsters.

As far as the Elise goes, I'd say that it isn't really between the MZ4 and the S2000, but maybe you want to be technical and it is. Whatever.

Bottom line is that you have to spend at least $10k to buy a new roadster/convertable that is as capable as the S2000 out of the box.

Slamnasty

Um, the Corvette actually *was* built from the ground up as a topless (or, non-fixed-roof) car. Both the C5 and C6 began their development life this way. So, in the Corvette's case, people calling it a roadster is not wholly inaccurate.

I can understand the 350Z, and probably the TT since it's a glorified Golf. But the terms "roadster", "convertible", "cabriolet"...these are interchanged a lot of times for marketing reasons, whether they're accurate or not. Hyundai used to make an Accent GT (GT of course meaning "Gran Turismo)". I doubt anyone here would seriously roll one of those down Woodward or Rodeo on Friday night, regardless of how accurate the "GT" in this case is.

i_heart_my_DB8

Yeah, I know the corvette was developed with the full intention of it being a convertible as well.

However, what I meant was that in my dimented utopian mind, a car should only be called a "roadster" if it was truely conceived to be a 2 seat ragtop convertible and ONLY a 2 seat ragtop convertible. (Miata, S2000, Sky/Solstice, Boxster, Z3/4) If a car is also offered with a fixed roof, then the drop top version is simply a convertible version of the coupe. (911, Corvette, TT, 350z, 430 Spyder, Gallardo, Mercielago).

Of course, exceptions to this rule would include the Z3/Z4 and their respective M coupes, because those cars were originally penned to be pure roadsters, and fixed versions were added AFTER. Funny how roadsters turned coupes are often great drivers cars, while great drivers cars turned convertible are often mushier and heavier...

I did not include the Cayman in the above paragraph of "exceptions to true roadsters" because Porsche's marketing has brainwashed me into believing the Cayman is NOT simply a roofed Boxster, but an entirely new car .

Saint_Spinner

That probably puts the Viper in a weird situation....no coupes were planned when Gen I and Gen III were designed...I remember Dodge specificaly saying: "Don't hold your breath on a coupe version of the SRT-10"...ofcourse 3 years later one came out.

Chris Stack

[QUOTE=i_heart_my_DB8,Aug 2 2006, 02:16 PM] However, what I meant was that in my dimented utopian mind, a car should only be called a "roadster" if it was truely conceived to be a 2 seat ragtop convertible and ONLY a 2 seat ragtop convertible.

i_heart_my_DB8

Tricky semantic (and often off topic) arguments make the day go by faster .

Well, I never said anything about platforms. While the generic "3-series" platform was never created specifically for a roadster, the Z3 that was generated on TOP of it (and Z4 as well), were created specifically to be roadsters, with no fixed roof versions in the works, although both spawned coupe versions in the future.

Simply having two seats in a convertible does NOT make it a roadster. If there is a coupe version as well (excluding the example above... again...), then the drop top version is simply a convertible version of the base coupe.

My version:

Roadster= 2 seat ragtop penned with NO coupe version (S2000, Solstice/Sky, Miata, etc.)
Cabriolet= 4 seat convertible penned with NO fixed roof version (new Volvo and VW, etc.)
Convertible= Any droptop that began life as a fixed roof car, OR with a rigid roof (350z, TT, SLK, 911, etc.)

Vert= What a gay person calls any of the above. I hate this term. Cab is much more stomachable, but not much less gay.

Chris Stack

Darn right. Next up: "Sports Car"


See, the problem I have with your definition is that I think "convertible" is all-encompassing, and it includes the subset "roadster" and "cabriolet." IOW, every roadster is a convertible, but not ever convertible is a roadster. Your definition wouldn't allow for that, and doesn't really allow for issues of platform sharing; IE, new Volvo is technically an "S40 convertible". The Volvo is about as much its own product as the Z3 was; both are very heavily based on sedan platforms. The intricacies and nuances of what constitutes "a fixed roof/coupe version" when platform sharing is so rampant makes it EXTREMELY hard to classify a lot of cars. Make it easy. Just count seats

Also, if you place the SLK in convertible because of its rigid roof, you should know your cabriolet examples also have rigid roofs.

To sumarize: my definitions are better

i_heart_my_DB8

I agree with this statement. My main gripe was that the term roadster was being abused and mis-used by marketing () departments, and then was transferred down to the general populous incorrectly.

[QUOTE=Chris Stack,Aug 2 2006, 12:12 PM]To sumarize: my definitions are better

PLYRS 3

yo stack,

you can't say most and have disqualifiers....

Slamnasty

I have heard the (S)RT/10 called a roadster before. I think the (S)RT/10 fits the term better than the Elise. The Elise is much more of a Corvette or 911 Targa coupe-style car than it is an RT/10-like droptop