Hybrid drop top

13th March 2008

It’s a cabrio, but not as we know it! Drop-top specialist Webasto has lifted the lid on its latest roofless concept: the LigHT (Light Hybrid Top).

The German firm – which made the sliding soft-top on the original Mini – claims to have created a ‘new category of roof’ by combining the best bits from a retractable hard-top with the flexibility of a more traditional fabric hood.

The roof on this concept (right) weighs only 14kg – made possible by combining polyurethane with a paper honeycomb structure to create a rigid but lightweight material.

And the innovations don’t stop there. When the roof is folded, it lies flat on the rear deck of the car, sitting flush with the surrounding surfaces. This sidesteps one of the major drawbacks for convertibles – it doesn’t take up any boot space when retracted. Webasto says the LigHT concept offers a glimpse into the future, so expect car manufacturers to adopt elements of it soon.

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