Search: Vauxhall Astra Twintop
Vauxhall Astra Twintop 1.9CDTi 16vPrice: from ¯¿½20,160 (Air) to ¯¿½21,900 (Design)
On sale: Now
0-60mph: 9.5 seconds; top speed 132mph
Average fuel: 47.1mpg
Standard equipment: (Air spec): remote deadlocking, power steering, ABS with ESP, air-conditioning, front and side airbags, electric front/rear windows, steering-mounted audio controls, rake/reach adjustable steering, height-adjustable front seats, power/heated door mirrors, 16-inch alloys, headlamp-off delay, CD player with MP3 format, leather-trimmed steering wheel.
Tiscali verdict: 7/10
Committing to canvas is a big thing in these days of cash crunch. More than every other EU nation, we Brits adore motoring in the company of Mr Al Fresco. But given our proud history of pointless vandalism, soft-topping your wheels can be a rash decision.
Hence the rise of the yob-proof folding metal motor. Mercedes-Benz's SLK pioneered the idea (for the modern era at least) but the option was hardly one for the masses. Peugeot democratised the deal with the 206CC and Renault, plus a growing train of competitors, have followed suit.
So it was only a matter of time before Vauxhall dropped in to the party. The Astra Twintop arrived in 2007. Is it an open-and-shut case for Vauxhall, or an idea best folded away and forgotten?
The best place to test a Twintop isn't the Algarve or a Nice corniche, but a typical English summer day, where the rainy intervals are about as frequent as the ad breaks on Dave.
With squiffy logic, the Twintop has not two but three component sections. This makes it possible to fold the covering bits into the boot more compactly, so the rear screen doesn't have to be set at a horribly upright angle (as per the new BMW 3 Series cabrio) and you can also build in some credible rear-seat space. I enlisted the services of a five-foot ten travelling companion for assessing the consequent rear legroom and the only noises she made were ones associated with delight.
Transformation from open to shut (an action that can be performed using the key fob remotely if you go for the Sport or top-spec Design models) is a show-off's dream. With no fewer than five electric motors, eight hydraulic cylinders and 13 sensors working in tandem, it's some sideshow. Transformation is quick enough to dodge sudden rain, though the mechanism looks scarily complicated - enough to send most Luddites, come secondhand contemplation, screaming away fast.
A decade ago, drop-top and diesel were uneasy companions but the consensus with the Astra Twintop is that the 1.9CDTi is the peach option. It trounces the 1.6 and 1.8 petrol rivals (while the 2.0 doesn't even average 30mpg) and, because it has 236ft lbs of torque at just 2,000rpm, is always ready to zoom into action with no need to flay around selecting lower gears. The six-speed 'box is precise and keen. Overall, this isn't going to out-perform any proper open-top sports car but it's a perfect cruiser - a little clattery when worked hard at low speed, but otherwise convincingly smooth.
All of which seems to add up to a credible effort from Luton. There are, however, some caveats. Ignoring the curious grandfather clock indicators and the fact that the stereo has less meat than the Vegetarian Society's AGM, to ensure the whole structure doesn't lollop on corners and stays credibly rattle-free, the beefed up front 'A' pillars are thicker than as you'll find on a standard Astra. Ditto the rear ones - so you need extra vigilance, and a bit more neck craning, at junctions.
And given the wedge shape and Vauxhall's curious predilection for lashings of chrome, it's advisable to choose a final spec that tones the final effect down: my test model arrived dipped in an angry coat of "power red", a colour choice which, it has to be said, is about as subtle as a startled rat in a biscuit tin. If your hobbies include tailgating and telling people how much you earn, you'll love it. Otherwise, choose Royal blue, or the ¯¿½350 options of black sapphire pearlescent or metro blue metallic, hues which transform what is potentially a loud car into something several degrees cooler.
