M OT O R I N G
“The centre console . . . controls
everything from the radio to the sat nav.
It can even track your flight reservation”
that? Well, to do it may be easy, but to do
it well is fiendishly difficult. For a start,
a roof is the easiest way of tying a car
together. Take it off and the handling can
feel like the four corners of the vehicle are
only on the most casual terms with each
other. Over the years many manufacturers
have got it wrong. In this age of number-
crunching though, engineers have no
excuse for getting it wrong and the
78
integrity of the Evoque Convertible is
comparable to coupé sibling.
Then the other classic error when
removing the roof is to leave the
design looking like it was involved in a
rather terrifying accident. Land Rover’s
designers were adamant this would not
happen to their baby. Firstly, the hood,
when erected, is carefully proportioned
to echo the striking roofline of the
G UA R D S P O LO C LU B
coupé. It is produced by legendary fabric
roof suppliers Webasto and works on a
Z fold principle. This also ensures that,
when lowered, it disappears completely
into the rear deck without affecting the
rear visibility or the car’s clean lines.
The factory has even developed unique
doors for the model with frameless
windows that give an uninterrupted
line around the cockpit.