Needing a little "bling" in its lineup, Saturn finally convinced parent company General Motors a sports car could elicit positive results. Although the Sky convertible wasn’t exactly unique when it came out a year ago, it provided Saturn with definite eye appeal.

And even if car shoppers didn’t buy it, at least they were taking a good look at the attractive Sky, a better version of the Pontiac Solstice, another GM product.

This is the ultimate cute car, which is why there aren’t many men tooling around in a Volkswagen Beetle convertible.

Although the adorable Beetle is still loved by women, the luster has worn off somewhat over the past decade even for the fairer sex. The Beetle has become commonplace and there is no big fuss or heads turning when the little “bug” is cruising down the road.

Six years after its return to United States distribution, the Mini Cooper is no longer a novelty retro. Yet until the Smart, the Daimler-Chrysler mini-car, arrives next year, the Mini-Cooper is still the shortest car available in the United States.

As such, the English-built sports car still attracts more than its share of comments. I've now driven the last three years of the Mini, and I have no reason to change my mind from my original experience. Everyone has somthing to say about the Mini, and it's the most fun car I've ever driven.

In 2005 and last year, my weekly driver was the S convertible, the supercharged version with 172 horsepower. With my 2007 test drive, I still zipped around in warm, early fall California weather — mostly with the convertible top down. This time, I had the standard 1.6-liter convertible with 115 horsepower and the Mini's new six-speed automatic transmission.  

The Saturn Sky was introduced as the manufacturer's first "high-performance" convertible sports car as a 2007 model although it was first available in the spring of 2006.

And If there's one sure thing about the Sky, it's the new sports car's attention-grabbing appearance. Passersby stopped me at traffic signals and asked questions. Restaurant patrons came to my table and inquired. Neighbors wanted to know about the Sky, and even friends who care little about cars were interested.

Driving a nicely performing convertible with the top down on a sun-baked day is about as good as it gets. But the varying functionality and quality of convertible tops can easily diminish the experience.

With the 2007 Eclipse Spyder, Mitsubishi is attempting to squelch the concerns of convertible buyers who may constantly wonder just how long their vehicle's ragtop will work properly.

After restyling and adding improved safety features to the Eclipse coupe for 2006, the convertible version became available for the first time this month (March, 2006). And it's impressive.

The attractive Volvo C70 (2006) can hang with any of the premium convertible coupes on the market. It's one cool vehicle and possesses all the typical safety features one expects from this safety-conscious Swedish manufacturer.

Hardtop convertibles have been around periodically in the United States for about 50 years. And from the early years of Ford Fairliner to the current offerings of several manufacturers, the same question always arises: How mechanically sound is the retracting hardtop mechanism?

The success rate has greatly fluctuated, but that hasn't stopped several high-end manufacturers — BMW and Lexus, for example — from returning to the niche model in recent years. And now Volvo has joined the fun with a newly designed, attention-grabbing sedan.

Just inside the main entrance to Pebble Beach, Calif., the road makes a sweeping, downhill, left-hand turn. It's the beginning of a 3 1/2-mile stretch along the 17-Mile Drive and it's an ideal place to test drive a car.

Abrupt turns and steep, short ascents and descents dominate the route as it progresses past high-profile, oceanfront homes. I've driven the route more than 100 times, but it's never been more enjoyable than during the several recent journeys I made on the circuit en route to Pebble Beach Golf Links. My weekly drive was the 2006 Honda S2000.

Introduced in England in 1959 and first available in the United States from 1960 to 1967, the Mini-Cooper is back. It's been a unique sight on American roads for the past three years, thanks to unique BMW business savvy.

The Mini-Cooper wasn't the top priority when BMW purchased the Rover Group -- Land Rover, Rover, MG and Mini -- in 1994. BMW was more interested in the luxury SUV market. But six years later, Rover was sold to Ford and BMW adjusted its plan.

The new Mini-Cooper is among the results. For 2005 that includes my test drive for the week, the S-convertible with a six-speed manual transmission.

Like other retro vehicles in recent years, the Mini-Cooper has found a market some 40 years after its first success. What drivers enjoyed in the 60s -- an affordable, quick, efficient and fun-to-drive car — is what they get now.

No one forgets their first car. For me, it was a 1962 Volkswagen Bug. With my own savings, I bought it from family friends in 1972 for $500.

It was beige, in near-pristine condition, had a four-speed stick shift, the original Blaupunkt AM/FM stereo radio and chrome front and back bumpers. The VW insignia shield, a rare decal near the front trunk handle, was intact. I drove the car everywhere and washed and waxed when it didn't need cleaning. I learned how to change the oil and adjust the valves, which to this day is the full extent of my mechanical knowledge.

My reminiscence is likely not too dissimilar from many other folks' VW memories. Which is why in a round-about way Volkswagen's New Beetle returned to the market in 1998.

The Volkswagen-buying public also wanted a new convertible Beetle, and it took five more years for it to return. It debuted in 2003 with hopes of reversing the Beetle's falling sales from the previous three years.