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Mercedes SLR: Gale-force convertibles

Mercedes SLR Roadster and Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet both promise 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds

Mercedes boldly claims that the Roadster version of the McLaren SLR will have identical performance to the current coupe. That means an astonishing roof-down top speed of 207mph and a 0-62mph time of just 3.8sec, making it the fastest full convertible in series production when it goes on sale in September.

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Finding space for the folded roof was always going to be a headache because the SLR is very tightly packaged in coupe form. Although anyone spending in excess of £300K might expect an SL-style folding steel roof, it was impossible to fit one in. Instead Mercedes developed a special fabric roof that retains its structural integrity at high speed but can disappear under an aluminium cover into a shallow cavity created behind the seats. The roof folds away electrically but is not fully automatic – the driver must unlatch it from the screen header before using the button.

Further changes to the car include a revised carbonfibre monocoque chassis to compensate for the lack of roof. The SLR's kerb weight is barely altered though and, according to Mercedes, delivers world-beating torsional rigidity for a topless car.

Prices for the SLR Roadster are yet to be announced but don’t expect much change from £350,000.

Meanwhile over at Porsche the engineers have been busy lopping the top off the 911 Turbo. Purists might not approve but Turbo Cabs are expected to account for a remarkable 40 per cent of sales once the new model hits the showroom in September. Performance of the soft-top Turbo is very similar to that of the fabric-topped SLR, with the tiptronic auto version exactly matching the SLR’s 3.8sec sprint to 62mph. (The manual verion is officially slower at 4sec dead.)

The usual body-strengthening has been carried out and, as on the SLR, there are automatically-activated roll-hoops to protect occupants should the worst happen. The result of all this work is a 70kg increase in kerb weight over the coupe Turbo. Compared with the SLR Roadster, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is a bit of a bargain at £106,180.

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