Now, should you first see the C70 with its hardtop roof closed, you might think, “Has David Finkelstein lost his marbles? That's a coupe, not a convertible!” In fact, that's one of the design features that makes the new C70 so special: Closed, its roof appears seamlessly attached to the rest of the vehicle, and the C70 looks like a sleek coupe -- not a convertible in drag. At the press of a button, however, the roof stows away in the trunk, and you're cruising along with the wind blowing in your hair.

And you will cruise in the C70. Grab hold of the standard six-speed manual transmission and coax 218 horsepower out of its 2.5-liter, 5-cylinder engine. Add in power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering and front-wheel drive, and the Volvo C70 is a joy to drive, a convertible that can compare favorably to the BMW 3-Series, the Audi A4 or even the Saab 9-3.

Inside, the C70 is as luxurious as any convertible on the market. It features the latest in upholstery technology to resist intense sunlight and rain, power-operated driver and passenger seats, plenty of legroom and storage space, dual-zone electronic climate control, and a 12-volt power outlet. The standard audio system offers an in-dash 6-CD changer with 8 speakers, but audio enthusiasts will have difficulty resisting the premium audio package: a 14-speaker, 910-watt surround-sound system.

Of course, when you think of Volvo, you think of safety, and as sexy and powerful as it is, the C70 doesn't slouch in this department. In fact, the C70 boasts renowned safety advances from bumper to bumper. These include a reinforced-steel structure, inflatable safety curtains and automatic “pop-up” computer controlled roll bars engineered to protect all occupants.

Although some industry observers have questioned how stylish the new C70 actually is, few motorists will be able to resist its charms, especially after they compare its stylish exterior to the first-generation C70. Volvo expects to sell 10,000 C70s in the United States this year, but with a base price just under $39,000, that will likely be a conservative estimate.