After much anticipation, earlier this year BMW introduced to the United States its 128 series. It’s the German manufacturer’s reasonably priced coupe and convertible, and it couldn’t have been introduced at a better time. From my weekly drive with the 128i convertible and its 3.0-liter, 230-horsepower inline six-cylinder engine, the car is an unqualified success.

With no responsibilities on a recent sun-drenched Saturday afternoon, the candy-apple red sports car seemingly recognized my surprising block of free time and was beckoning for some action. Given my week with this vintage version of this 1960s dream car was coming to an end, I decided it would be a shame not to enjoy a carefree drive in the 2008 Ford Mustang Convertible. 

Needing a little "bling" in its lineup, Saturn finally convinced parent company General Motors a sports car could elicit positive results. Although the Sky convertible wasn’t exactly unique when it came out a year ago, it provided Saturn with definite eye appeal.

And even if car shoppers didn’t buy it, at least they were taking a good look at the attractive Sky, a better version of the Pontiac Solstice, another GM product.

This is the ultimate cute car, which is why there aren’t many men tooling around in a Volkswagen Beetle convertible.

Although the adorable Beetle is still loved by women, the luster has worn off somewhat over the past decade even for the fairer sex. The Beetle has become commonplace and there is no big fuss or heads turning when the little “bug” is cruising down the road.

Six years after its return to United States distribution, the Mini Cooper is no longer a novelty retro. Yet until the Smart, the Daimler-Chrysler mini-car, arrives next year, the Mini-Cooper is still the shortest car available in the United States.

As such, the English-built sports car still attracts more than its share of comments. I've now driven the last three years of the Mini, and I have no reason to change my mind from my original experience. Everyone has somthing to say about the Mini, and it's the most fun car I've ever driven.

In 2005 and last year, my weekly driver was the S convertible, the supercharged version with 172 horsepower. With my 2007 test drive, I still zipped around in warm, early fall California weather — mostly with the convertible top down. This time, I had the standard 1.6-liter convertible with 115 horsepower and the Mini's new six-speed automatic transmission.  

The Saturn Sky was introduced as the manufacturer's first "high-performance" convertible sports car as a 2007 model although it was first available in the spring of 2006.

And If there's one sure thing about the Sky, it's the new sports car's attention-grabbing appearance. Passersby stopped me at traffic signals and asked questions. Restaurant patrons came to my table and inquired. Neighbors wanted to know about the Sky, and even friends who care little about cars were interested.

Driving a nicely performing convertible with the top down on a sun-baked day is about as good as it gets. But the varying functionality and quality of convertible tops can easily diminish the experience.

With the 2007 Eclipse Spyder, Mitsubishi is attempting to squelch the concerns of convertible buyers who may constantly wonder just how long their vehicle's ragtop will work properly.

After restyling and adding improved safety features to the Eclipse coupe for 2006, the convertible version became available for the first time this month (March, 2006). And it's impressive.

The attractive Volvo C70 (2006) can hang with any of the premium convertible coupes on the market. It's one cool vehicle and possesses all the typical safety features one expects from this safety-conscious Swedish manufacturer.

Hardtop convertibles have been around periodically in the United States for about 50 years. And from the early years of Ford Fairliner to the current offerings of several manufacturers, the same question always arises: How mechanically sound is the retracting hardtop mechanism?

The success rate has greatly fluctuated, but that hasn't stopped several high-end manufacturers — BMW and Lexus, for example — from returning to the niche model in recent years. And now Volvo has joined the fun with a newly designed, attention-grabbing sedan.

Just inside the main entrance to Pebble Beach, Calif., the road makes a sweeping, downhill, left-hand turn. It's the beginning of a 3 1/2-mile stretch along the 17-Mile Drive and it's an ideal place to test drive a car.

Abrupt turns and steep, short ascents and descents dominate the route as it progresses past high-profile, oceanfront homes. I've driven the route more than 100 times, but it's never been more enjoyable than during the several recent journeys I made on the circuit en route to Pebble Beach Golf Links. My weekly drive was the 2006 Honda S2000.