Raining champ
Latest Audi A3 convertible won’t let typical Scottish weather get you down
Our climate might not be perfect for drop-top driving but I love it all the same. The wind in your hair and the rain on your face is refreshing if nothing else.
Luckily for us Scots, most of the modern convertibles can whip their top off and on again in seconds, which is a bonus when you consider we can experience all the seasons in one day.
Last week, I managed to enjoy open air motoring more than once in the fantastic Audi A3 convertible.
This new model sees the roof drop in 18 seconds and go up again in 21. And it can be done at speeds of up to 31mph. I needed to put this to the test on more than one occasion when the heavens opened and it didn’t let me down.
A sleek coupe, it looks fantastic. I wasn’t sure about the colour combo of my test car at f irst, Daytona Grey paintwork and a red roof. But it started to grow on me and I decided I loved the fact it steered away from the traditional black roof that so many boast.
The design is fantastic but, yes, there is a but, trying to get a car seat in the back when the roof is up isn’t easy.
That said, this car makes up for only having two doors in many other ways.
You can always put dad in the back and junior up front with you. My daughter loved this. Her daddy, not so much. He did grumble about leg room not being great but it’s adequate for short journeys.
When the hood was down, there were no complaints about head room. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case when the roof was in place. Up front, though, the space on offer is ideal for driver and passenger. This car is now lighter, faster and more fuel efficient than the existing model. All good news. On the road, it is swift. Hit the gas and you will be travelling at 62mph in just 8.8 seconds. It handles like a dream and the cabin was quiet. You can also get up to 62mpg, which means trips to fill up will be few and far between. Standard levels of equipment are excellent and you get everything from a leather steering wheel, an easy-to-operate infotainment system, Bluetooth connectivity and an eight- speaker sound system. If I won the lottery and was going to buy a second car for fun, then the A3 would be a big contender.