The eight best convertible cars to buy in 2024

1. Ariel Atom 4R

If you’re going to have a car with no roof, then why not go the whole hog with a car that has no roof, windows, doors or, well, anything past a scaffolding chassis and an engine? Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Ariel Atom.

While you don’t get much bodywork, Atom spends its money where it counts. Power comes from the Honda 2.0-litre used to power the Civic Type R which feels rapid enough in its own right, so imagine how fast it feels in an Atom that weighs roughly half as much. Acceleration is vivid – 0-62mph takes 3.1 seconds with no help from the four-wheel drive – and the Ariel tops out at 170mph, which is heady when you consider it not the most aerodynamic contraption you’re ever likely to meet.

2. Abarth 500c

We question whether an electric hot hatch could ever have the charisma of rorty forebears like the Mk1 Golf GTI and Peugeot 205 GTI, but the Abarth 500c makes a decent stab of it while providing wind-in-your-hair fun thanks to its peel-back, sardine-can fabric roof.

The 500c adds a different flavour to the hot hatch recipe. Its off-the-line acceleration will humble a long list of more exclusive petrol-powered metal and, thanks to having regenerative brakes and no gears, it’s an incredibly relaxing car to drive. Abarth hasn’t lost sight of its mission – to provide fun on four wheels – and because of this, the Abarth has an external speak that replicates a boy-racer’s sports exhaust, right down to the drone you get at motorway speeds.

3. Mercedes-Benz-AMG SL

In some ways, the Mercedes-Benz SL is a polarising car. Non-car people love its sporty looks, lavish interior and performance drive. Car people think it is heavy, not well-built inside (once you peel away the chintz) and not really all that sporty. 

The problem is that the SL sells in droves in sportscar terms and can’t be ignored for that reason. And you can see why it strikes a cord. The SL can be S-Class comfortable thanks to its air suspension and multi-layer fabric roof, but on the right roads, you can still have fun with it, especially if you go for one of the V8 models with a soundtrack to match the performance. Is it the most engaging? No, but you won’t find many sports cars that get close to the SL’s broad repertoire.

4. Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

For too long, Europeans have turned their noses up at the Chevrolet Corvette, a car that couldn’t match the sophistication of Porsche and Ferrari. How do you beat the competition? You join them.

With startling results, Chevrolet based the new Corvette on one of the best sportscars ever made – the Ferrari 458 Italia. Thanks to its Ferrari-aping flat-plane crank V8, the Corvette can rev to 6,700rpm, and its soundtrack combines a high-pitched scream with the off-beat rumble of a Detroit-made V8. Factor in the mid-engine layout, and finally, we have a Corvette that can deal with the best the Europeans offer.

5. Mazda MX-5

Born of a team of Californian-based car nuts who somehow infiltrated Mazda’s ‘80s product planning strategy, the MX-5 was inspired by the European roadsters the guys working on it loved so much. Realising the MGs, Fiat Spiders and Austin Healey Sprites they loved were on the verge of extinction they managed to bottle that spirit into a neat, minimalist modern roadster many credit with saving the breed entirely. Four generations and three decades on the modern MX-5 successfully captures that original spirit, albeit with modern looks and running gear.

6. Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0

Inspired by the minimalist Speedsters and Spyders of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, the Boxster’s mid-engined layout and relative affordability gave Porsche something of a headache, given in many ways it’s objectively a superior product to the more senior 911, especially as a convertible. That sense of untapped potential has recently been lifted as the 911 has matured and moved further upmarket, not least with the new GTS 4.0 version and the return of classic six-cylinder power in place of the turbocharged four-cylinders in the rest of the 718 range. Also available in the Cayman, this stellar engine is best enjoyed in the open air where the evocative sound and perfect handling combine for a fantastic driving experience. It might actually be the best car in the Porsche lineup, a bold statement, but driving it fitted with the PDK only convinced us more.

7. Maserati MC20 Cielo

The Maserati MC20 was a surprise favourite supercar last year and with the arrival of the open-topped Cielo, its talents are now available alfresco. That 630PS punch shouldn't be spoiler by the open roof either, as the carbon tub should aid the retention of stiffness without having to add too much weight. Stylish, rediculously fast, beautifully-calibrated and a relative bargain compared to an equivalent Ferrari, the MC20 should be atop anyone's supercar shortlist, as should the Cielo be atop anyone's super open-top shortlist.

8. Rolls-Royce Dawn

Back in the early days of Rolls-Royce its models were all open topped so there’s a decent heritage for the Dawn to draw upon there. Modern-day Rolls-Royce is a very different brand of course, the Dawn following its Wraith and Ghost brothers in using BMW running gear and interior fittings and combining traditional styling with modern tech. Spotters will identify a few of the BMW bits inside but, fear not, in character and style the Dawn is pure Rolls-Royce and a beautifully stylish cabriolet that looks as good roof up as it does with it down. Effortlessly powerful and gracefully rapid, the Dawn is a successful modern twist on Rolls-Royce values and fancy enough to make even that S-Class Cabriolet look a bit ordinary.