Which would you prefer to hire, cabriolet or coupe?

The Pros for hiring a Coupe

Space - The technology behind the retractable cabriolet roof is outstanding, but even the most lightweight and streamlined need to go somewhere. This does have an impact on rear space which means the coupe models are able to offer more storage area. With storage already at a premium with supercars, this could make a difference if you plan to travel with luggage.

Better handling - At higher speeds, there is a notable difference between a coupe and cabriolet when cornering. The extra rigidity of a coupe makes for a cleaner ride.

Lighter - Coupes are lighter than their cabriolet siblings as they don’t have to carry the extra weight of the retractable roof mechanisms. This also affects the overall handling characteristics of the car.

The design and shape - All supercar designs start with the perfect coupe silhouette. The shape and lines are what makes these cars beautiful. Cabriolet versions can still look stunning, but will never fully match up to the coupe version.

For anyone wanting to buy a supercar, there are also additional considerations such as insurance, maintenance, resale value, plus the additional cost of a cabriolet over a coupe. Fortunately, these are of no concern to our hire customers who just have to decide what they prefer.

Wedding car hire

As you would imagine, a large number of customers hire the cars for their special day. So, what is best for weddings?

Cabriolets have the flexibility to allow brides to choose on the day which they would prefer - top up or top down. One thing to consider with your wedding car hire is who is travelling in the car and where people will sit. Cabriolets tend to be slightly more limited for rear passengers. Cars such as the Bentley GTC Speed are fantastic for weddings, but we do need to consider how comfortable the bride will be. Large dresses, with long trains would need to be accommodated. Cars like the Bentley GTC have ample room for adults in a normal situation, but any substantial wedding extras could cause discomfort, and that is the last thing we want.

Some brides prefer the enclosed space of a coupe over a cabriolet. Not all brides are totally comfortable with being on show all day and the wedding car is one of the only places they can find a little quiet time away from the crowds.

We love to hear that our cars will be part of a celebration, and for customers that need peace of mind, we are more than happy for couples to pop in and take a look at our cars before they commit to hiring to make sure the car is right for them.

Cabriolets are a popular choice for weddings

Would a cabriolet be right for your special day?

Why are some Cabriolets called Spyders, and some Roadsters?

The etymology of the words associated with topless cars is fascinating. The word Cabriolet is derived from the French Cabrioler, which means ‘a leap in the air’. It was often used by furniture makers to describe cabinets which had four curved legs that resemble a jumping motion. It was then associated in the 17th century with small two seat horse drawn carriages that due to their light nature would leap about on the tracks. The word cabriole means ‘to leap like a goat’, which comes from the same derivation and could be another reason why these small, topless, carriages become known as cabriolets. Furniture makers were heavily involved in early car manufacturing, so it is understandable how the term was then transferred over to topless cars.

The term Spyder is used by a number of supercar marques to market their convertibles, most notably Ferrari and Masterati. The word has a similar history to cabriolet, in that these small carriages often had larger wheels with numerous thin spokes to compensate for the extra movement. They were referred to as ‘spiders’ in some quarters, and the name then transferred over to cars that didn’t have a fixed top as they resembled these small nimble carts.

There is an alternative theory which is that a misheard phone call by an Italian journalist referring to a Porsche ‘Speedster’ was mistakenly reported as a Spider. This could account for why so many Italian cars use the term spyder.

Roadster is the term most commonly used in the USA to describe what we would call a cabriolet. A roadster was a horse which was used to travel with, as opposed to a working horse for the land. The term then jumped over to cycles and then cars, in particular those that had the open air feeling of horse travel. In the UK we do use the word roadster, but it tends to refer to a small two-seater such as the Morgan Roadster or weekend fun cars such as the Lotus Seven.