Convertibles in the Dead of Winter

Before I experienced driving a convertible, whenever I saw someone driving one in the dead of winter, I used to think, “It must be freezing, are they just toughing it out? They don’t really have to drive with the top down, do they? lol”

But once I actually experienced driving with the top down, I clearly understood that even in the dead of winter, you want to drive with the roof open.

In fact, when asked if you can drive a convertible in winter, I believe as long as it’s not snowing, there’s absolutely no problem. Just the other day, I decided to drive the Boxster alone to buy some coffee beans, and I thought, “Since I’m driving, I might as well put the top down.” Driving with the roof open felt incredibly refreshing.

It felt so good that instead of heading straight home after buying the coffee beans, I got carried away and ended up driving all the way to the Royu Driveway lol

In the Case of the Boxster

Regarding our Boxster, why driving with the top down in the dead of winter is absolutely no problem is because the interior stays quite warm even in winter.

When driving with the top down, I turn on the heater, directing warm air mainly to my feet, and it’s quite warm. At first, I set the temperature quite high thinking it would be cold, but it ended up being too hot, so I lowered it.

I usually keep my outerwear on while driving, but lately it’s been so warm that sometimes I think, “I could totally take it off.”

Also, our Boxster is equipped with optional seat heaters. I don’t use the seat heater much because my thighs tend to get hot (to put it simply, I don’t like my thighs feeling hot), but my husband seems to use it.

Moreover, this winter has been especially warm. I recently stopped by the Royu Driveway, and I recall that last year and the year before, there was usually snow piled up along the roadside at this time, but that day there was none at all.

In fact, the wind around my face was brisk and pleasantly cool, while my feet stayed warm—truly a case of “cool head, warm feet.” Driving with the top down was more comfortable than keeping the roof closed.

By the way, when I asked my husband about “driving with the top down in the dead of winter,” he said this:

Convertibles are definitely better in winter than in summer. It feels great to drive with the air conditioning blasting at night in summer, but daytime is pretty tough. It depends on the person, but if the outside temperature is around 10°C, it’s fine, and personally, I can handle it down to about 5°C. But when it gets close to 0°C, the Boxster lets in a lot of wind, so your head and neck get cold.
By the way, our Boxster has a manual air conditioner on purpose, so we can directly adjust the heat and airflow, which is very convenient.
When driving with the top down in the dead of winter, sometimes families in minivans peek over at me with a look that says, “Are you crazy to be out in this cold??” but I want to shout out loud, “You’ve got to try it at least once!”
Winter open-top driving feels like a hot spring bath with a cool head and warm feet—it’s truly wonderful. The engine sound, the wind, the scents—all come in directly and it’s amazing. Many people have a prejudice against convertibles. I was the same, so I understand well, but I strongly recommend owning one and experiencing it at least once.

That was his take.

More Dangerous Than Winter Is the Dead of Summer

As my husband mentioned, driving with the top down in winter is no problem, but what you really need to watch out for with a convertible is summer. No matter how much you cool the interior with the air conditioning, direct sunlight beats down mercilessly from above, so it still gets hot. Plus, you get seriously sunburned (my husband got quite a sunburn on his forehead).

Also, it’s not just hot, but there’s a risk of heatstroke, so for your own safety, I think it’s best to keep the windows closed as much as possible in summer.

Time flies, and spring is just around the corner. I think nothing beats driving a convertible through cherry blossom-lined streets in spring, so if I get the chance this year, I definitely want to do it again.