The 15 best convertible supercars
With the reveal of the GMA T.33 Spider we are presented with perhaps the ultimate pop-top supercar. It also got us thinking. What are the greatest supercars for sun seekers and are there even that many? The answer to the latter is affirmatively yes, and the former? Let’s get into them, concluding with potentially the daddy of them all, the new GMA T.33 Spider.
1. Ferrari F50
Ferrari claimed at the time with the F50 that it was the closest thing to an F1 experience for the road. Many didn’t think it lived up to that, even with its structurally-integral F1-derived 4.7-litre V12 that revved to over 8,500rpm, stirred via a six-speed manual transmission. Today, it’s considered one of the most valuable and special supercars on Earth, given how rare it is and it’s the last mid-engined V12 Ferrari with a manual gearbox. The cherry on the top? It can be enjoyed with the sky above your head thanks to that pop-out roof panel. Happily, many do enjoy their F50s this way.
2. Ford GTX1
Probably the least-known entry on this list is a very rare, ultra-limited version of the Ford GT that had pop-out roof panels and an extra dollop of horsepower. The Ford GTX1 was previewed with a concept in 2005 and put into limited production in 2006 and 2007. It’s not known exactly how many were made, but lord knows they’re extremely rare and highly sought-after. You may not be able to see the supercharger whirring away over your shoulder anymore in this pop-top GT, but you sure can hear it better. Though you’ll more likely be concentrating on keeping it on the straight and narrow, given it has over 700PS (522kW).
3. Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport
Ah yes, back when even the most expensive hypercars still had a bit of class, was the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. Not dripping in vortex generators and spoilers, nor glazed in carbon (if specced correctly), the Veyron GS was perhaps the ultimate gentleman’s express and the perfect Riviera cruiser. It also happens to be the only modern production convertible Bugatti. A pop-top Chiron while investigated was never produced by Bugatti in the end.
4. McLaren 600LT Spider
A roof that folds away is probably the oldest and best-enduring automotive gimmick or party piece there is. Well the McLaren 600LT Spider, along with being a truly epic thing to drive, adds something to that again. See, it has top-mounted exhausts that are visible from the cabin. It also has one of the shortest exhausts, from tip to block, ever made. The result? This thing will vomit blue flames out the back on a temperate evening, with the accompaniment of a shrill afterburner sound for those enjoying it in a Spider. There’s genuinely nothing like it on the road, a truly unique experience.
5. Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider
Like with the F50, Aston claims an F1-like experience in the Valkyrie and truthfully, they have more of a claim to it. Why? Well, you literally sit in the knees-higher-than-hips position that F1 drivers do and the thing revs to over 10,000rpm. Indeed, the Valkyrie is probably the most extreme hypercar ever made, with one of the craziest sounding V12 engines you could hope to hear. The logical thing to do, therefore, is pick up the pop-top, called the Valkyrie Spider. We can only dream about the howl of that V12 with no closed cockpit to insulate you…
6. Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder
Back down into the realm of six figures, we have another of the best-sounding convertible supercars ever made. The original Gallardo Spyder with its old-school 5.2-litre V10 (unlike the direct fuel-injected item seen in the Huracan) sings the song of a siren, tempting all who hear in closer. Better still, it can be had with the evocative click-clack of a gated manual transmission. One of the most joyous pop-top supercars is also one of the most affordable (relatively speaking). These can be had for under £100,000 if you look carefully enough. Highly recommended.
7. Koenigsegg CCX
Popping the top has been part of the Koenigsegg DNA since its first production cars. It's just par for the course. So of the range, our pick is the CCX, given it’s arguably the prettiest and the fastest of the pre-turbo cars. We reckon the supercharged Koenigseggs sound better too and sound is oh-so important when you have a convertible. Hold on tight, though. These things are rowdy, with 806PS (601kW) going to the rear wheels.
8. Ferrari 599 SA Aperta
The first thing we thought when Ferrari let the 599 GTO off the leash was “imaging how this would sound with no roof”. We didn’t need to imagine for long, before Ferrari dropped the 599 SA Aperta in 2010. What a beautiful, sonorous thing this was, pairing that screaming V12 with a less extreme look and feel for some truly musical cruising capabilities. These are really special cars and sadly, one of the rarest modern Ferraris, given just 80 were made, commemorating 80 years of Pininfarina. Distinctly Ferrari behavior is the fact they binned off Pininfarina just a couple of years later.
9. Bugatti W16 Mistral
It’s only fitting given how tasteful the original Veyron Grand Sport is, that the Mistral is the most elegant of the Chiron-based special-run Bugattis. It’s also quite significant, given the last Mistral made will also be the last W16-engined Bugatti made, after almost 20 years of production. New CEO Maté Rimac said of the Mistral that “for the final roadgoing appearance of Bugatti’s legendary W16 engine, we knew we had to create a roadster”. We couldn’t agree more and what a lovely thing it is.
10. Noble M600 Speedster
From the uppermost boutique hypercars to, well, Noble. That’s no bad thing, given the M600 has often been described as a modern interpretation of the Ferrari F40 – a rough and ready, visceral driving experience. How do you get a driver closer to the raw sensory elements that make driving so addictive? Pop the roof of course. The result is the M600 Speedster and it’s an absolute tonic.
11. Porsche Carrera GT
Like the Koenigseggs and the Ferrari F50, Porsche went down the right road with the Carrera GT, making its pop-top inherent to the design. Two panels lift out and can be stored in the frunk, getting driver and passenger closer to that addictive howling V10 engine. Many consider this one of the all-time great driver’s supercars, with the experience only enhanced in alfresco mode.
12. Pagani Zonda Roadster
I’m a little biased on this one, because the original Pagani Zonda Roadster has always been and probably will always be my ultimate dream car. The blood-curdling sound of that early 7.3-litre V12 combined with the incomparable mash-up of aggression and elegance that was the Zonda C12’s form, with a roof that pops and those stunning wheels? It was love at first sight. Nothing tops it for me.
13. Ferrari Daytona SP3
Ferrari’s latest special project is rather captivating, isn’t it? The Daytona SP3, far from being an occasional warrior, is a supercar you can extend and enjoy. The 6.5-litre V12, while capable of revving to over 9,000rpm, is tried and true in a decades-long range of GT cars, as is the dual-clutch transmission. The chassis is from the LaFerrari, minus its hybrid batteries. The best bit, though? That pop-top, getting you closer to the action and truly completing that ‘60s inspired retro-modern sports prototype look. It’s a proper stunner and really special, even in a million-dollar hypercar market that’s as over saturated as it is.
14. McLaren-Mercedes SLR Roadster
The McLaren-Mercedes SLR is properly underrated, we think. Was it a bit confused on launch? Of course. What hypercar worth its salt has a five-speed automatic? But with time, the SLR has aged like the finest of wines. This is a piece of extreme GT car sculpture that was only made better by chopping the roof off. Unlike rivals, it could fold the fabric roof away at the touch of a button, too. If not the Veyron for that waft through the South of France, take this.
15. GMA T.33 Spider
It’s only right we follow the SLR Roadster, the last convertible hypercar with Gordon Murray design input, with the latest, the GMA T.33 Spider. Imagine splicing the Valkyrie, F50, SP3 Daytona and Carrera GT and you’re not far off this. Only this is much more elegant than possibly all of them. Aping the beautiful sports racers of the 1960s, this tiny little pop-top packs a 4.0-litre V12 good for over 600PS (441kW) and an 11,000rpm+ redline, controlled via a six-speed manual transmission. Better yet, when the roof is off there’s no hiding from that central air box that’s bolted directly to the V12 it’s charged with feeding. As alfresco supercars go, this might just be the new king.
GMA
Pagani
Ferrari
Porsche
Bugatti
Lamborghini
Noble
McLaren
Koenigsegg
Aston Martin
Ford
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