Want to buy!

[Crazy Harry]

Hi and welcome to he forum.

You only need the top up when you can't slip stream the rain drops. The cabin heater is fantastic and hold out for one with heated seats and its top down all year unless the rain drops are big.

OK I live in East Anglia which tends to be dryer than most of the UK but I would say its a top down ratio of about 10 to 1 top up. Went to Manchester and back a couple of days ago and never put the top up.

The drone from passing vehicles on the motorway can be very wearing and I tend to have the windows up for motorway work or if the temp drops to zero or below but never needed a coat and have only once resorted to a bobble hat after 300 miles of 5 degrees after the sun went down (it was that or raise the windows). We enjoy the wind buffeting (which is far less than in our Caterham) but you can get a wind break to go across the back of the seats.

[ph001]

I don't think anybody would argue against the idea that that driving with the roof down just feels more of an 'event' than up. As most people use these cars in a leisure kind of way, the roadster was the one that made sense to me. You certainly can use it in cold weather as the heaters are very good and seats nice and toasty if you make sure heated leather is on your tick list.

In fact, I've had some of my best drives on cold crisp December mornings below beautiful clear blue sunny skies.

[RickRob]

I do agree that the coupe is the better-looking car, irrespective of whether the roadster's roof is up or down. However, you cannot see the outside of the car when you're driving it! I am not especially hardy, but above 5 degrees my roof is down.

As already said, the heater is powerful and heated seats are great. Note that heated seats are not in all cars - I wouldn't buy a roadster without them.

You also must have a wind deflector - it is uncomfortable without one.

I have considered getting a hard top, but, again as already said, the crisp, cold winter mornings are ideal roof down conditions. And there is something very special about driving in the dark with the roof down. There were some folk on here saying that in the recent very hot weather they had the roof up, because otherwise it was too hot and they were getting burnt. I think that explains that a greater percentage of convertibles are sold in the UK than in any other country.

So, as you will have guessed - another roadster vote here.

Good luck with whatever you decide upon.

[StuPot]

I'm very very swayed towards the roadster now. As long as I'm passing other roadsters with their top down in the snow I won't be embarrassed!

And I really like the look of those hard tops even more than the Coupe!

[firebobby]

Hi StuPot, The coupe does look nice, but it just a hatchback at the end of the day
The roadster is special, as mentioned above, driving at night with the roof down is just magic. We like to travel with the roof down and when it's warm, windows down and wind break in the boot... Bliss.
Roof down motoring, sun out and laughing at the hard top drivers sat looking glum in their cars, just peering out of the windows.

[Mr Tidy]

What's he like - the Coupe looks fantastic! And it's no more of a hatchback than his GT6.

Whereas the Roadster is just a pram top - like you were probably pushed around in during your formative years.

I never looked glum in my Coupe this summer with Climate Control on - much cooler look than the beetroot features of Roadster users getting melted in this year's summer.

[ph001]

Here we go

[Crazy Harry]

Here we go

yep +1 to that. StuPot look what you've started now!

You asked about how often roadster owners drop the top - well its two camps (no not the roadster and coupe ones). Roadster ownership falls into two sub groups daily drivers and weekend cars. Daily drivers I suggest (and of which I am one) buy a roadster for the top down motoring so will tend to drop the top in any dry weather at any time of day. 'Weekend' owners I suggest will also drop the top when ever they use it - but this is weather dependent so if it rains the Zed doesn't get used.

So all in all roadsters are driven quite a lot with the top down unless the roof motor is dead (an easy and cheap fix offered by a number of forum members) - roadsters you see with the top up are probably driven by people who are not forum members and have been quotes £1K+ by BMW for a fix compared to around £100 from a forum member - or their wife /GF wont let them.

Don't know where your based but if its in Norfolk message me and you can ride out and see what the roadsters like - sure other members would help you out if you post a rough location.

[BeeEmm]

There has to be something wrong with driving with the top down, the heater on and the heated seat working on full power. There has to be. Is it that the driver is determined to drive this thing, no matter what, because they bought it and nothing else matters and they don't care what you say.... Oh s**t it's now snowing, but I don't care. What are you looking at? Do you think that I am cool, well I'm f*****g freezing, but I still don't care. I can still smile through my chattering teeth. 'Don't you shake your head at me, Tosser'.

Coupe lover.

[firebobby]

There has to be something wrong with driving with the top down, the heater on and the heated seat working on full power. There has to be. Is it that the driver is determined to drive this thing, no matter what, because they bought it and nothing else matters and they don't care what you say.... Oh s**t it's now snowing, but I don't care. What are you looking at? Do you think that I am cool, well I'm f*****g freezing, but I still don't care. I can still smile through my chattering teeth. 'Don't you shake your head at me, Tosser'.

Coupe lover.

Oh dear oh dear, how will you ever know what goes through a roadster owners head, when your stuck in the hatchback version. Its like when you ride a motorbike, you feel more alive, more in tune with nature. The smells and feel of the wind in your hair (steady mrT) the sun on you, it's just bliss really. I know you can put the ac on in your Capri hatchbacks, so can I in my van or Fiesta. Driving a rag top is special

[BeeEmm]

Oh dear oh dear, how will you ever know what goes through a roadster owners head, when your stuck in the hatchback version. Its like when you ride a motorbike, you feel more alive, more in tune with nature. The smells and feel of the wind in your hair (steady mrT) the sun on you, it's just bliss really. I know you can put the ac on in your Capri hatchbacks, so can I in my van or Fiesta. Driving a rag top is special

I recall the days when I rode my 650 BSA through the Scottish Borders between 1800 and 2100 on a summer evening, before safety helmets were legal. Wind and flies in your hair, bluebottles smacking your teeth trying to stop you grinning at the fun you were having, a million midges meeting their end on my leather jacket. Is a Roadster like that?

[firebobby]

Oh dear oh dear, how will you ever know what goes through a roadster owners head, when your stuck in the hatchback version. Its like when you ride a motorbike, you feel more alive, more in tune with nature. The smells and feel of the wind in your hair (steady mrT) the sun on you, it's just bliss really. I know you can put the ac on in your Capri hatchbacks, so can I in my van or Fiesta. Driving a rag top is special

I recall the days when I rode my 650 BSA through the Scottish Borders between 1800 and 2100 on a summer evening, before safety helmets were legal. Wind and flies in your hair, bluebottles smacking your teeth trying to stop you grinning at the fun you were having, a million midges meeting their end on my leather jacket. Is a Roadster like that?

That's it, that's living the dream
Have you put your name down for the Ace cafe meet in a couple of weeks

[BeeEmm]

Have you put your name down for the Ace cafe meet in a couple of weeks

I was going to go, but unfortunately I have an unchangeable appointment.

[firebobby]

Have you put your name down for the Ace cafe meet in a couple of weeks

I was going to go, but unfortunately I have an unchangeable appointment.

I wouldn't take the mick out of your hatchback, honest
Pity as it should be a good meet up

[whiterabbit]

Welcome.

I got my roadster as I personally don't like the shape of the coupe as much.

As long as it's not raining I drive with top down unless its very cold. I like the fresh air feel.

It's been a weekend car so I'm lucky I have car to use whens it's wets.

The hardtop roadsters would be my pick... a nice 35si.