Drive: Convertible Bonds

I finally got around to reading T.C. Boyle’s Worlds End. A satirical, 480-page romp through the early colonial days of the Hudson Valley through the late 1960s chronicling generations of two families and a tribe of Kitchawank Native Americans locked in an epic struggle for survival. 

In one of the novel’s many fever-dream sequences, our cursed antihero, Walter van Brunt—already an embittered, bilateral amputee haunted by ghosts—careens around Peekskill in a flashy MG convertible. In Boyle’s more than capable hands, you can feel the raw power of the British roadster as his gripping prose pushes you onward…to inevitably fantasize about owning a convertible of your own. (Or at least it did for me.) And while the timeless design of the MGAs and MGBs of the 1950s and ’60s remain popular choices for collectors, the Cyberster, MG’s new roadster, is pushing the famed marquee into the future: sleek, sculpted and fully electric. So, daydream worthy in every sense.

The bad news? The Cyberster isn’t yet available in the US. But before you start feeling like one of Boyle’s downtrodden characters, here are a few drop-top, super luxe EVs headed stateside that can help you soak up the summer on the open road.

Maserati GranCabrio Folgore

Maserati doesn’t do anything mezza sega, so far from whispering into the electric age, they’re bellowing in Italian like an opera diva. The GranCabrio Folgore (that’s “lightning,” for those not fluent in drama) is the brand’s first all-electric convertible, and it’s exactly what you’d expect: gorgeous, sensuous and absurdly fast. Built on a tri-motor setup that delivers a neck-snapping 818hp, the four-seater can hit 60mph in just 2.7 seconds, all while pampering you in quilted leather and carbon fiber. There’s a dwindling number of convertibles in the automotive space, so whether you’re a misanthrope with a prosthesis or simply a fresh-air admirer, the Folgore is currently your only electric option in production.

Polestar 6

Well, at least for now anyway, because the Polestar 6 is looking to crash the party. If the GranCabrio is a symphony, this two-door hardtop convertible is Swedish techno. Taken as a whole, it’s too-clean lines, minimalist everything and a focus on performance screams science lab more than racetrack. Put another way, I can’t stop imagining the luminous ribbons of TRON unfurling behind its ultra sleek taillight. However, the 6 is no slouch. With production unfortunately delayed in favor of the Polestar 7 SUV, the company says it’ll eventually deliver a 0-to-60mph time of 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 155mph thanks to a dual-motor setup and 800-volt architecture—meaning it charges faster than you can say “Scandinavian design.” It’s a concept car that made it off the sketchpad intact, and when it lands, it’ll likely be the most avant-garde drop-top on the road.

Carice TC2

If nothing else, I’m a sucker for timeless design. So, when I first laid eyes on this 1950s-style roadster that looks as if it was shrunk in the wash, my heart fluttered a little. Reimagined for the electric age by a team of Dutch futurists with what appears to be a working time machine(!), the Carice TC2 is charming, elegant and made almost entirely of composite materials. Weighing in at a mere 1,400lbs, the gorgeous automobile is a featherweight with enough spunk to make suburban errands feel like Goodwood. The kicker? This modern callback to MGs and Porsches of old isn’t yet available in the US, but the company is actively seeking export partners—so keep your fingers crossed. In the meantime, it’s a cult favorite in Europe, beloved by design nerds and slow-car-fast evangelists alike.

As I can attest first-hand, reading isn’t only fundamental, but fantastical—especially when you keep the top down while driving.