Going topless

However, this week, Peugeot's sassy 307CC (coup-cabriolet) goes on sale, a bit late for open-neck open top driving, but nonetheless, it should set the pace in street cred for the young, and young at heart, enough for them to look forward to next year's summer.

In the meantime they can drive with the hard-top keeping them snug from harsh autumn and winter winds and rain.

With a throaty 2.0-litre engine, kicking out either a perky 138bhp or simply awesome 180bhp, the 307CC will be heard as well as seen.

It is a genuine four-seater coup, so friends can share the fun, too.

But did you know that it was Peugeot who invented the concept of a powered retractable hardtop back in the 1930s, with the production of the Peugeot 401 Eclipse?

That handy little innovation all but disappeared for six or so decades, and Peugeot brought it back to the mass market two years ago with the 206 Coupe-Cabriolet.

The little 206 has since been Britain's best-selling convertible, and this affordable little flyer changed the perception of cabriolets as being wheels only for the wealthy.

However, this year's must-have small soft-top has been Ford's Streetka, which sold out the first production batch well before the actual public launch.

With the step-up in size of the 307CC, Peugeot's new wind-in-the-hair experience is destined to underscore the firm's trend-setting tradition.

Prices start at £18,300 on the road for the 2.0-litre, and it is bound to be the more popular of the two versions. With 16-inch alloy wheels, it comes with either a five-speed manual gearbox, or the Porsche Tiptronic automatic transmission, with sequential control. The 180bhp version is from £20,900 on the road.

The 138bhp engine develops its power at 6,000rpm and 190Nm of torque at 4,1560rpm. In manual form it can canter from 0-62mph in just under 11-seconds, while the automatic version takes a longer 12.7-seconds. Economy figures at the combined rate has the manual returning 34.5mpg, and the automatic just that bit less at 31.7mpg. All-important exhaust emissions, important for many seeking tax-saving motoring, shows the manual 138bhp producing 194g/km, and the automatic 211g/km.

The more powerful motor, the 180bhp version, was first seen in the 206GTi 180, and only comes with the manual gearbox, plus bigger 17-inch alloys.

Power develops at 7,000rpm and 202Nm of torque at 4,750rpm, and with its manual gear only, leaps from 0-62mph in a flat ten seconds, says Peugeot. Fuel economy shows a combined rate of 32.1mpg, while the emission figure is 210g/km.

The change from coup to cabriolet is achieved at the touch of a button, the rigid roof, the long curved glass rear windscreen all disappear into the boot, with the complete cycle of change in either direction taking no longer than 25 seconds, and this includes the optional raising of windows. Putting the roof up or down can also be carried out while moving, as long as it is no more than six miles an hour. With a mobile roof, safety is worth a mention, because there's still the perception that a roofless car doesn't quite have the rigidity, or crash-resistance, of a hardtop.

Worry not, for the 307CC has a rigid structure and good protection for all four occupants, winning a commendable four stars in the recent Euro NCAP (crash protection test) classifications.

In addition, careful consideration has been given to possible rollover situations. The Pug has the very latest generation of telescopic roll-over bars, with electronic roll-over detection, plus the benefit of inbuilt electronic stability, and anti-lock brakes with emergency assistance.

The two standard trim options can also be upgraded by an either full leather pack, or just a part-leather trim pack.

For example the 180bhp model comes with a plain Titanium black/grey finish, and is fitted with half leather half mesh seats, with a black fascia panel with four chrome-ringed dials on a white background to match.

The interior has other nice styling touches such as aluminium foot pedals and gear knob, and a central button allows any of the four passengers to open or close all four windows simultaneously. There is also automatic air conditioning with a temperature controlled glove box, heated powered door mirrors, and automatic windscreen wipers with rain sensor.

Front seats are sports designed, sliding and with multiple adjustments. Also they are set low, as in a true sports car. The boot opens by remote control, and the radio aerial is cleverly hidden in the rear spoiler. The boot has enough room for a full size spare. A screen separates the space reserved for luggage from that needed for the folded roof when the car adopts its cabriolet mode.

For gadget freaks, the 307CC is ready to be fitted with satnav and telephone services, plus a seven-inch TV screen for map display. It also uses new technology for door opening ... for example, on opening a door, a special sensor detects the hand even before it grips the handle and sends an instruction to lower the window by a few millimetres so that the door can be opened easily. There are also rear parking sensors available, while the interior anti-dazzle mirror is standard.

Updated: 12:26 Friday, October 24, 2003