Caterham has not spent a lot of time on roofs or concepts for that matter, peddling the same basic open-air effort in the Seven that Lotus invented in 1957. Which is why the AeroSeven is such a departure, obsessing with advanced aerodynamics in its slippery bodywork to create staggering wing-free downforce. Roofless and ruthless.
Honda’s study of a high-end European tourer, the Argento Vivo was unveiled in 1995 with the mind to give Merc and BMW the willies about their dominant new SLK and Z3 roadsters. Styled and built by Pininfarina, it was far more upmarket than the incoming S2000, with a wood-lined cabin and retractable polished aluminium hardtop.
Concept of the year in 2010, the 2uettottanta was a celebration of Alfa and Pininfarina’s long-standing love-in, paying homage to the iconic Sixties Duetto by revamping the unloved 2005 Spider into something altogether more special. Borrowing design cues from Alfa’s 8C, this little roadster put brawn and beauty into an affordable package.
Ignore the fact the Renault Argos was built on a first-gen Twingo platform, and that it is matte grey all over and looks the same from the front as it does the back. This is an exercise in minimalism and symmetry, with retractable wing mirrors and doors that slide within the bodywork so as not to disrupt its outline for a second.
As daft as it was stunning, Lambo’s 2005 Concept S was based on the Gallardo, but split driver and passenger into two entirely separate pods. The space between the twin aero screens served to improve aerodynamic flow over the car and also increased cooling by funnelling air into the mid-mounted V10.
To celebrate 20 years of the MX-5, in 2009 Mazda did what we’d been willing it do for years. The Superlight was a pared-back, lightened and more focused version of the MX-5. Weighing just 995kg, with a bespoke chassis, Bilstein shocks and bigger brakes, the Superlight promised a far more intense experience. So very doable, but it remains a one off.
The only electric car in this line-up, the EX1 set the bar ludicrously high for its emission-free peers, smashing records over the mile and round the Nürburgring. With 340bhp on tap from twin motors balanced over two driven axles, it’ll slap you to 60mph in 3.5 seconds on the way to 162mph. There’s that, or there’s the fact that it looks Batman’s weekend toy.