The folding metal hardtop for convertibles is hardly a novelty these days, having been around for the past 15 years, but have you ever wondered why there aren't any four-door versions of the same in existence?
The answer lies in the obvious packaging difficulties of stashing a huge lid in the vehicle's hindquarters if the traditional three- or five-piece arrangement were used.
Well, the puny and obscurely named Dutch carmaker Savage Rivale has pioneered an ingenious solution, which it plans to demonstrate on its equally peculiarly named Roadyacht GTS sedan.
The vehicle, which makes its public debut (albeit in fixed roof form) at next month's Top Marques show in Monaco, is equipped with a novel Retractable Telescopic Multi Panel (RTMP) roof mechanism, developed by Inalfa Roof Systems, and the beauty of said system is that it splits the folding roof into several glass panels, enabling it to retract within a compact space.
You can see how the system works via an animated video below.
If the clever roof system finds acceptance among mainstream manufacturers, it could potentially create a whole new genre as it doesn't seem that far-fetched to imagine there would be a ready and willing market for a convertible that offers four doors as well as the security and refinement of a hardtop.
In the meantime, Savage Rivale stands to gain a jump on the field if the innovative sedan/drop-top makes it to production. That said, most of these projects never make it past the rendering or scale-model phase, so we're not holding our breath.
For what it's worth, the car looks decent in the rendering and video sequence, with rakish lines that appear inspired by offerings from the likes of Pagani and Koenigsegg.
Technical details about the Roadyacht GTS are sketchy, but as far as we know, its carbonfibre body is draped around a chrome molybdenum frame, while propulsion duties are taken care of by Corvette-sourced 7.0-litre LS7 V8 that's been tweaked to pump out just shy of 450kW and 750Nm, relayed to the rear wheels by a six-speed auto.
The car allegedly features height-adjustable Koni dampers and a tailor-made air-suspension system, while stopping power comes from huge discs with eight-piston calipers up front.
Although there are no images of the cabin, there are said to be multiple touch screen displays that enable control of the doors, climate controls and entertainment. And, befitting the car's nautical moniker, the floor is decked with wood.
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