A sports car comes with different types of bodywork, including coupé and cabriolet. To help you choose between these two types of sports cars, it is necessary to know their general characteristics.
The characteristics of a coupé
A coupe is a derivative of the sedan, but in a more dynamic form. The particular aspect of this type of bodywork is its lowered shape. Most coupes have a hood that is wider than the rear trunk. A coupe generally has only 2 side doors, but can hold up to 5 seats for some models.
Currently, there are two types of coupé, namely the classic coupé derived from the sedan (Alfa-Romeo 4 C; BMW Z4; Lotus Exige; Peugeot RCZ; Porsche 911) and the 4-door GT grand touring coupé, a premium and recent version (Mercedes CLS; Porsche Panamera; Audi A5 Sportback). If you are more of a fan of German cars, you can choose between a used BMW coupé or a new one.
The characteristics of a convertible
As for the convertible, it's a combination of a coupé and a convertible. Indeed, a sporty convertible has the similar shape of a coupé, but with a retractable roof in the rear trunk made of soft black canvas, with a rear window in flexible plastic. It still has 2 doors, but some models offer up to 5 seats.
In particular, there are also several versions of convertibles, which are the classic convertibles (Renault Wind; Panhard Dyna convertible; Daihatsu Coppens), the roadster convertibles that you will find in used BMW (Nissan 350 Z; Chevrolet Corvette convertible; BMW Z3 and Z4. ), the 4-seater cabriolet (Audi A3 cabriolet; Peugeot 306 cabriolet), the coupé cabriolet (Mercedes SLK; Opel Tigra TwinTop), the targa cabriolet (Jaguar XJS Targa, Fiat X1/9), and the Spider (Porsche 550 Spyder; Renault Spider).
The criteria for choosing these two cars
Choosing a sports car is based on a few criteria to be taken into account, namely: price, design, insurance and utility of the car. For price, the price range of these two types of cars is not very wide. In terms of design, they are both rare models, but the convertible is available in several models and makes. On the insurance side, whether it's a convertible or a coupé, insurance is always expensive because of their considerable value. In terms of utility, for driving outdoors or in the sun, the convertible is favourable. But the coupé is more of an all-purpose vehicle. In addition, the roof of a convertible is more fragile, even if you can put it back on in case of rain or cold, for example.