Comparison Tests
It's spring at last, the Dow is flip-flopping, and — if you're in the right bracket and the damn market goes back up — the Bushies will be giving you just about enough of a tax cut to buy an expensive convertible. For sure, there's nothing like a shiny new convertible to scoop up the joys of spring and blow 'em right into your face. And we have some pretty blossoms in the bunch this year.
For one, the new Jaguar XK convertible, with an all-aluminum body, is now light enough in naturally aspirated form to run within a half-second of the previous generation's supercharged version. Launched close to the debut of its coupe equivalent, the XK convertible benefits from having been a part of the original engineering job. Which means it's inherently stiff and sturdy by design — Jaguar says 50 percent more so than its predecessor, which was known for shivering and shuddering its way across rough surfaces.
The new XK convertible is powered by a 300-hp, 4.2-liter V-8 via a six-speed ZF transmission with a specially massaged manumatic system for super-fast shifts. Traction control, dynamic stability control, and Jaguar's CATS variable-damping shock-absorber control are standard. The fabric convertible top is fully automatic, able to stow itself in about 18 seconds, and as we've become accustomed in Jaguars, the interior is a welcoming blend of burl veneer and soft leather.
Even more welcoming — particularly in this expensive grouping of convertibles — is the XK's as-tested price of $85,200. That makes it the least expensive bloom in the bunch.
Further along the price spectrum is another recent addition to the convertible clutch. It is Cadillac's $100,000 XLR-V, powered by GM's supercharged Northstar V-8. This blown four-cam jewel produces 443 horsepower and 414 pound-feet of torque, with 90 percent of that torque on tap between 2200 and 6000 rpm.
Accompanying the big power boost is a full round of suspension and equipment upgrades over the standard XLR, including larger brakes, recalibrated Magnetic Ride Control, the addition of a rear anti-roll bar, unique badging, polished stainless-steel exhaust tips, and special wood and leather interior surfaces. But what makes it eligible for this particular spring-break bash is its fully automatic retractable hardtop, bringing coupe-like insulation and refinement to the droptop realm.
Targas aside, Porsche's 911 has had a full convertible version in the lineup since 1983, and this is true of the latest-generation 997 models, too. For this test we ended up with a 3.6-liter Carrera model in order to have automatic transmissions in all the cars. It is possible to specify the more-powerful Carrera S cabriolet at less than $100,000 and stay within our budget for these cars, but Porsche couldn't supply one with an automatic.
What might have happened to the rankings had we tested the 3.8-liter Carrera S will have to remain the subject of conjecture, but we have to say that the 325-hp Carrera seemed to us a nicely balanced vehicle, even if that figure represented the second-lowest power output of the group.
No droptop shakedown would be complete without a Mercedes-Benz SL. After all, an SL hardtop convertible won a similar contest in our October 2003 issue against three of the brands you see here, and it has since benefited from a face lift and an important engine transplant. The SL550 debuted at the Geneva auto show earlier this year with a freshened face and a new-generation four-valve 5.5-liter V-8 punching out a respectable 382 horses. With a long-running reputation for astonishing stickers, the Benz SL clocked in at a dizzying $102,375. We'll see if it's worth it.
If there's a Mercedes in the mix, there has to be a BMW nearby, and the 650i brings a 4.8-liter V-8 to the party for 2006, producing 360 horsepower, 35 more than the preceding 645Ci, and with 30 more pound-feet of torque. New wheels distinguish the car from last year's model, and the active steering feature that troubled many of us has been dropped from the optional Sport package and is now available as a stand-alone item.
Despite boasting the lowest base price in the group, the 650i wore a $1000 head-up display among its optional extras (the Cadillac has one, too, included in its price) and a stunningly pricey active cruise-control system ($2200) that helped bump the sticker to $87,640. As tested, only the Jag was cheaper, if that's the right word here. Playing in this league is clearly the privilege of the well heeled.
