California Dreamin': Mercedes-Benz CL Convertible
Filed under: Wheels
If the environmental activists are right, the planet should be getting warmer every year, so if the world's really going to hell in a proverbial handbasket, you might as well enjoy the weather behind the wheel of a convertible. But while there are plenty of delectable cabrios and roadsters on the market already, some want something a little different. Fortunately there are skilled chop-shops that can lop the roof off just about any car and replace it with a folding canvas top. One of the most experienced is California's Newport Convertible Engineering, whose portfolio includes such recent and varied conversions as a Hummer H2 sport-utility, Toyota Prius hybrid, Cadillac CTS sedan and the Mercedes CL coupe you see here. Benz has been talking about bringing back the CL cabriolet for some time, but evidently one customer was tired of waiting. The conversion job costs about $10,000, but considering that this donor vehicle cost six figures already, that seems like just a drop in the bucket.
