Whatever the weather (and, let's face it, it tends to be bad) it seems that motorists can't get enough of cars that quickly and easily morph between comfortable coupé and rain-in-the-hair open top roadster.
Among the latest to make an appearance on the market is the four-seater Astra TwinTop, from Vauxhall, a worthy replacement for the Bertone-designed soft-top cabriolet which formed part of the old Astra range.
The unique bit about the TwinTop is that its steel folding roof comes in three parts, presumably requiring smarter jiggery-pokery than some of its rivals.
According to Vauxhall, the benefit is space (205litres of luggage with the roof down) and a better overall look because fewer design compromises were required when it came to the rear end. A clever, easy-load facility makes it easier to utilise the boot space when the roof is folded.
While I won't argue with the luggage and rear seat passenger space, I think cutting the roof off the latest Astra and replacing it with a folding top has somehow spoiled the sleek lines of one of the most stylish cars to hit the roads in recent years.
It still has the incredible sexy front end of the three-door Astra, but it comes with a bit of a bland rear end.
It's a little like sticking a supermodel's face on the body of a size 18 sumo wrestler.
Impressive
That said, TwinTop doesn't look too bad with the roof down, an operation taking around 30 seconds and involving an impressive display of electronic rearrangement. The roof mechanism includes five electric motors, eight hydraulic cylinders and 13 separate sensors.
And, let's face it, it's with the roof down that you'll be wanting your coupé cabriolet of choice to look its best. There's an engine option in the TwinTop range to suit most tastes, including a 150PS 19litre CDTi diesel, the first diesel in a roof-less Astra.
There are also three petrol engines: a 105PS 1.6litre, 140PS 1.8litre and a 200PS 2litre.
I tested the new 1.8litre petrol engine and found it to be powerful enough for the job at hand without feeling overly sporty, even if it did carry a Sport badge on the back.
I've driven most of the other CC models on the market - closest rivals are the VW Eos, Peugeot 307 and Megane CC - and I have to say that this wasn't the most rewarding experience when the roof was in place.
It might only have been around a relatively short time, but the Astra is already beginning to feel a little bit ordinary.
That said, the TwinTop really came into its own when the roof was folded into the boot, with none of the wobble and flex which you sometimes get with a coupé cabriolet.
In fact, it's said to be 30 per cent stiffer than the old Astra cabriolet and was designed as a CC from conception rather than created by cutting the top off the saloon model.
In terms of safety, the TwinTop comes with standard fixed hoops. There's also an option to have solid aluminium safety bars which deploy with 0.2 seconds in the event of a smash. A family of four could live with the TwinTop as an every day car and it's priced competitively for this sector of the market at between £16,995 and £20,695.
Model: Vauxhall Astra TwinTop Sport 1.8litre petrol
Price: £18,295
0 to 60mph: 10.7 secs
Top speed: 130mph
Insurance group: 10E
Economy: 36.7mpg (combined)
C02: 185 g/km
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