If BMW would offer the X6 as a convertible . . .

[Bigfoot]

I would have my dream car.

Hey BMW, build the X6 convertible!:thumbup:

[chonko]

I have doubts- but who knows.

[Bigfoot]

I used to drive convertibles . . . until I realized my children need me alive and Expedition bumpers were at the same height as my head.:thumbdwn:

I bought my first X5 in 2000 because it was the safest vehicle on the road.

I have always wanted a combination convertible/SUV.

The Jeep Wrangler is cool, but you cannot drive one to work every day without scrambling your brains.

The Dodge Dakota convertible pickup was a good start . . . but that experiment did not evolve or last long.

I want: safety, sporty, fun to drive, good looking, elevated driving position, AWD for Minnesota winters, and I want to put the top down!

Hey BMW: Build the X6 Convertible and don't forget the heated steering wheel.

(A 335xi convertible with heated steering wheel might lack the safety of a larger/higher vehicle, but they don't even build such a car.)

[volkfox]

I think you get close to convertible (or at least Targa) with Panoramic Roof

It will be tricky to implement on the slanted roof like X6 but surely BMW will offer it in some form, because it is available for X5 and more importantly the smaller X3

As far as safety goes, this is a whole lot different discussion
I do not think we have good statistical data that supports "the larger the better" claim

A more nimble vehicle may better avoid the danger in the first place and is less prone to tipping over. Besides, crashing into a stationary object of a large mass (trees, walls, etc) reduces the mass benefit of a larger vehicle to a point when it no longer matters.

From this point of view, a defensive driving class refresh and common sense will give you better survival chances

[klu123]

I remember back to 1990s, Isuze tested market with so-called "the first off-road-ster in the world", not a Jeep Wrangler type of SUV convertable, but a sports convertable on top of a SUV body.

How did the market respond to it? As C&R said, "now we understand why there was no off-roadster before ..." Translation: there is no market for such a kind of "innovation"!

[Bigfoot]

Well, they never asked me!

I did love the Isuzu VehiCROSS. Unfortunately, there was no headroom in those things. If the seat moved lower and they made it a convertible, I'd be all over it.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/2/Picture_0091.jpg

There is a market, nobody else has figured it out yet.

:(

[Bigfoot]

There is now hope for me . . .

Audi Cross Cabriolet Quattro

Don't let the concept tag on Audi's Cross Cabriolet Quattro fool you. Our sources say the German automaker's Los Angeles show car is definitely what we'll see when the Q5 arrives in early 2009. The two-door four-seater forges new ground in the SUV market with a convertible soft top that stows in just 17 seconds for a view undisturbed by B-pillars or a roll bar.

Powering the concept is the latest ultra-low-emissions, turbocharged, 3.0-liter, 240-hp I6 diesel mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Underpinnings borrow heavily from the rest of the Audi family, with chassis and drivetrain from the A4/A5, combined with the Q7's continuous damping controls and electric ride-height adjustment. Audi drive select also appears, with its three preset engine, transmission and suspension configurations. Ceramic disc brakes provide stopping power.

Inside, the concept features a 505-watt Bang & Olufsen digital sound system, Audi's Multi-Media Interface with Google Earth navigation and a touch pad for screen selection. Large doors provide easy access to the back seats.

Look for the production Q5 to bow in either New York or China next spring, with U.S. sales beginning in 2009.