Masters of Topless

Spring! The shutters can be opened, the light clothes can be removed from the closet, the roof can be taken off. There's nothing better than strolling along sunny boulevards in your convertible. Topless is more! Text: Eeltjo Nieuwenhuis
Online editor: Mical Joseph After last winter with its storms and showers, we are completely ready for spring and summer. We're looking forward to terraces, summer dresses, sun and of course topless driving again. Whatever you call it – topless, with the roof off or with the hood open – driving a convertible feels just a bit more romantic. You are no longer in a bubble, you become part of the environment. You feel the sun and hear the street, you can even smell as if you are almost at the beach. Convertibles come in all sizes, from microcars like the Smart fortwo convertible to SUVs like the Range Rover Evoque Convertible. The topless Evoque has now disappeared from Jaguar Land Rover's range, but fortunately the company still offers the Jaguar F-Type Convertible. This spiritual successor to the legendary Jaguar E-Type is a traditional sports convertible. So expect sporty handling, a high wow factor and plenty of power. The F-Type R in particular with 5.0 liter V8 supercharger and 575 hp is a racing monster.Jaguar F-Type Convertible

British class

Throughout history, many of the most beautiful convertibles have come from rainy Britain. Think of Triumphs, MGs, Aston Martins or the aforementioned Jaguars. Another historic brand of British origin is Bentley. This wealthy branch of the Volkswagen Group offers just about everything you hope to find in a car with the Bentley Continental Speed ​​Convertible: extensive luxury, breathtaking acceleration and the rare combination of comfort and sporty handling. A version with all the trimmings costs about four and a half tons, but Bentley lives up to this price. The only thing you could blame Bentley for is that they don't have an electric version. But that is also being worked on. It's been five years since the Bentley EXP 12 Speed ​​6e concept car was presented, and that was certainly not a one-off experiment. People sometimes complain that electric driving is less romantic, especially because of the missing sound. And of course a big V8 sounds great when it roars past. But it is not without reason that car manufacturers spend a lot of money to make their cockpits as quiet as possible: too much noise quickly becomes boring. An electric drive is fantastic, especially for topless driving. Enjoy a quiet and odorless drive, so you can experience your surroundings all the better.Bentley Continental GT Speed ​​Convertible

Electric classics

There are currently not many electric convertibles on the market, and there is little supply, especially in the luxury segment. It is fortunate that classic cars are also being converted to electric nowadays. Classics are basically more exclusive than modern cars. Because they are no longer built, there is little chance that the neighbor has just ordered the same one. In addition to exclusivity, classic cars also have their typical classic charm. In traffic, people sometimes communicate with hand gestures, but in a classic car, other road users mainly give you the thumbs up. The number of companies that restore classics and convert them to electric is growing steadily. These can be specialist companies such as Hemmels or Schilder Electric, but also manufacturers such as Jaguar Land Rover. An advantage of such an electrical conversion is environmental. Classic cars are by definition a bit old-fashioned and therefore not very environmentally friendly. That is why they are banned from many European inner cities. Electric versions of the classic Mercedes SL, Jaguar E-Type or Porsche Targa, on the other hand, remain welcome. And that's nice, because such beauties deserve to be seen. 911 Targa 4 GTS

Timeless Targa

The Porsche Targa was launched in 1966. It is not a traditional convertible, because instead of a folding roof, the Porsche has a so-called targa roof. This is a removable, and often foldable, roof panel. The front and rear windows therefore remain in place. But with the side windows down and the targa roof out, the Targa feels like a regular convertible. There are more brands that use the targa principle, but they are not allowed to call their models that way. Porsche has established the type name 'Targa', after the successes in the legendary Targa Florio-race in Sicily, and this has become the usual name for such a construction. Even now, 56 years after the launch of the first version, the current Porsche Targa is a top model. Yet it is not the case that we have a preference for the Targa over, for example, an Audi R8 Cabriolet. Both models are sporty, topless and beautiful. And both of them make us very excited for the summer.

The new MASTERS Magazine

Want to admire all the convertible gems? The spring issue of MASTERS celebrates regained freedom after two years of corona. The value of this is underlined by developments in eastern Europe, where the freedom of an entire people is at stake. We live in a new reality, but we can make plans again, go out for dinner, meet people. The world is turning again! Only: which way? Time for new bridges, new initiatives. What this edition of MASTERS offers inspiration for.

MASTERS #49