Given that it can be 30C in Los Angeles for the motor show and three feet of snow for Detroit, it makes sense for car makers to debut their new drop-tops on the west coast.
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Which might be why three new convertibles are making their first public appearance at LA’s opening press day on Wednesday – the Ford Mustang, Pontiac G6 and Bentley Arnage.
The Mustang convertible will reach US showrooms in spring 2005 and is being billed as “the first in a string of specialty versions of the new Mustang”.
Designed alongside the recently launched coupe, the new drop-top has a more rigid body structure than its predecessor and a better sealing fabric top. It now has a glass rear window with defroster, full quarter windows and slim C-pillars, for better rearward visibility.
Base engine is a four-litre, 210hp V6 while a 300hp, 4.6-litre V8 is optional.
Coupe and hardtop convertible models with claimed true 2+2 seating join the new G6 sedan at the 2005 Los Angeles motor show.
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Bentley Arnage convertible 2005 |
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Ford Mustang convertible 2005 |
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Pontiac G6 convertible 2005 |
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Pontiac G6 coupe 2005 |
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Pontiac Torrent 2005 |
The hardtop convertible is, we think, the first 2+2 folding tin-top model from a US maker in recent years. Its Karmann-designed retractable hardtop operates at the touch of a button and takes less than 30 seconds to lower.
The G6 coupe and convertible will both be available in GT and GTP models. The GTPs will have a 240 horsepower 3.9 litre OHV V6.
GT models get a 3.5litre V6, which produces 200 horsepower.
Pontiac is also launching a new SUV called the Torrent, claimed to combine car-like agility with SUV capability and versatility. It shares parts with the Chevrolet Equinox and Saturn Vue.
It is one of the largest vehicles in its class, has a 185-horsepower 3400 V6 and comes with two- or four-wheel drive.
UK tabloid newspapers are tipping soccer star and Bentley fan David Beckham as the first buyer of the new Bentley Arnage Drophead Coupé debuting at Los Angeles.
The four-seat convertible shares the same front end as the current Arnage sedan range but the cabin and rear section of the car are redesigned.
Bentley says the Arnage convertible show car is more than just a conceptual design study and is entirely “production viable”.
“If customer demand is there, it could go into production within a very short space of time – as early as spring 2006,” a spokesman said.
Power comes from a 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing 450bhp (336Kw) and 875Nm (645lb ft) torque.
