10 Best Retractable Hardtop Convertibles

2018 Mazda MX 5 Miata RF Grey Roof Action Profile

When summertime rolls around, there’s nothing more fun than a convertible. But for most people, the prospect of living with a convertible all year long is a problem. If you live outside the sun belt, you want a warm, dry coupe or sedan for the winter months.

But what if you could have the best of both worlds? Here are 10 cars that provide the comforts of a hardtop and the joy of a convertible – all at the touch of a button. Admittedly, most of these you wouldn’t really drive in the winter. But they do have convertible hardtops.

2018 McLaren 570S Spider

If you want to go big, there’s no better candidate than a McLaren supercar. Several McLaren models offer a convertible hardtop, but the 570S Spider is the brand’s most affordable model at just under $200,000. In addition to the disappearing hardtop, the 570S will give you 562 horsepower and a zero-to-60 time of three seconds flat.

If you can find a place to do it legally, you can take the 570S up to 196 mph with the top down, but it’s not clear that anyone has ever actually done that. If that’s not enough for you, McLaren also offers the same hardtop convertible design in the more powerful 650S and 675LT Spiders.

2018 Ferrari Portofino

If your tastes run more to Italian grand touring roadsters, the Ferrari Portofino could be the hardtop convertible for you. The all-new Portofino brings full high-end sports car credibility, just in a less showy package than a true exotic. But you still get 591 twin-turbo horsepower plus Ferrari’s great refinements like the F1-derived rear transaxle, high-performance stability control, and a very attractive package with the roof up or down. The Portofino retails for about $214,533.

If you want to save a little money, the 2017 Ferrari California T that the Portofino has replaced also came with a hardtop roof that disappeared into the trunk. The California T was one of the best-selling Ferrari models ever made, so there are still plenty to choose from.

2016 BMW Z4 Roadster

Coming back down to Earth for a bit, the BMW Z4 Roadster was made as a hardtop convertible from 2009-2016, with your choice of several engines. Compared to the exotics, Z4 prices started at a very affordable $49,700. Even though the Z4 has been out of production for two years, BMW still lists the hardtop convertible as a current model on its website because a new generation is expected later this year. Although the concept prototype shown for the new Z4 used a traditional cloth convertible top, we don’t yet know for sure what kind of roof the next Z4 will offer.

If you just can’t wait that long, read on; BMW offers the greatest number of hardtop convertible options of any automaker.

2018 Mercedes-Benz SLC Roadster

After pioneering the convertible hardtop market with the SLK back in 1996, Mercedes now offers the compact SLC Roadster with a convertible hardtop at a starting price of $48,400. The SLC features a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine rated at 241 horsepower, but what you really care about is the fact that the roof is made of tinted heat-reflective polycarbonate, so you can see through it even when the top is up.

Taking the top up or down is accomplished in about 20 seconds, and can be performed at speeds up to 25 mph. If you want a little more zip, you can step up to the AMG SLC 43, with a 3.0-liter V6 engine with an impressive 362 horsepower and a starting price of $61,350.

2018 Porsche 911 Targa

If you want to go retro but still get the convertible hardtop experience, consider the Porsche 911 Targa. This fully modern sports car is designed to look like Porsche’s legendary removable-top-panel Targas of the 1970s and ’80s, but the whole back end of the greenhouse lifts up now, and the top disappears into its own compartment.

The 911 Targa delivers 370 horsepower and features all-wheel drive, and comes for a starting price of $110,300. And if you want a little more power, you can upgrade to the 911 Targa 4S, with 420 horsepower. That car will do the 0-60 run in just 4.2 seconds, and it also comes with all-wheel drive.

2018 Ferrari 488 Spider

If you prefer your hardtop convertible Ferrari with the engine in the middle, the 488 Spider was designed for you. Powered by a 3.9-liter turbocharged V8 engine rated at 660 horsepower, the 488 will do 0-60 in three seconds flat. The seven-speed F1 dual-clutch transmission shifts in less than one-tenth of a second.

Opening or closing the roof takes a little longer, but only about 10 seconds or so. What’s innovative about the Ferrari 488 Spider is that the top does a little back-flip into the trunk. No one will blame you if you just sit in the shade and use the remote key fob to open and close the roof a few times. The 2018 Ferrari 488 Spider starts around $272,700.

2018 BMW 4 Series

If you want space for four passengers and a real trunk in your hardtop convertible, check out the BMW 4 Series. From the low end you can choose the 430i with a 2.0-liter turbo engine and your choice of rear- or all-wheel drive, or the 440i with a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine, again with AWD as an option. Your family-friendly convertible hardtop starts at $53,945.

If you’ve got the money and want the power, the M4 delivers 0-60 times of 4.3 seconds from its 425 horsepower turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine, with your choice of a six-speed manual or seven-speed double-clutch transmission. For $78,195, the M4 convertible could be your daily ride.

Photo by BMW

2018 Mazda Miata RF

The low-price leader (by a longshot) among hardtop convertibles is the Mazda Miata RF, for Retractable Fastback. This model replaced the older Miata PRHT (Power Retractable Hard Top) model, and it’s among the most striking Miatas ever made. The Miata RF completely discards the Miata’s flat-backed traditional sports car look for a swooping fastback design that recalls the 1970s Corvette.

The Miata’s two-piece top folds back towards the rear of the vehicle, while the fastback cowling lifts and replaces itself. You’ll always have a rear window in the Miata RF, which helps reduce wind buffeting. The Miata RF starts at just $31,910, making it by far the most affordable choice.

2018 Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster

If you want something a little more upscale than the smaller Mercedes-Benz SLC, consider stepping up to the SL 450. This car bears one of the oldest and most storied names in Mercedes history, and it lives up to the legend. Powered by your choice of a 362-horsepower twin-turbo V6 or a naturally aspirated V8 rated at 449 horsepower, the SL Roadster is a powerhouse starting at $89,195. Of course, there’s also an AMG version of the SL. The AMG SL65 Roadster comes with a 621-horsepower V12 engine for $222,995.

But the Mercedes-Benz wizardry doesn’t end with the engine choices. The AMG SL65’s convertible hardtop is not only transparent, but Mercedes offers Magic Sky Control to electronically darken the overhead glass to your liking.

2018 Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster

We’ll end our list with another Italian supercar. The Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster might be the king of hardtop convertibles, but you’ll be doing the converting by hand. Simply unlatch the two-piece top and stow the pieces in the front trunk. Then you can enjoy the sound of the 740-horsepower V12 engine as the designers intended.

On top of that, the Aventador comes with all-wheel drive, all-wheel steering, and an active suspension that owes more to a state-of-the-art race car than to anything else on the road today. The Aventador also has active aerodynamics to keep the whole package stable with or without the top in place. With a price around $460,247, the Aventador is also the most expensive vehicle on our list.