There are many more pointless vehicles out there so I don’t feel the need to attack Nissan for thinking up another one. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.

While Cadilac, or more properly Lincon, should revive the 4 door convertible, I’ll give a few points to Nissan for trying even though it is not a very attractive attempt.

Uglier than my 05 STi, which is pretty ugly!

Ewww, nasty – hope Nissan doesn’t drink that Kool-Aid.

BTW, don’t know if anyone else noticed, but the Murano in the photo is the last generation model, not the current one.

Some have proposed the idea of a 4 door Cadillac convertible. I think that’s a neat idea, but they sure can’t do it with the DTS. Unitized construction + 4 doors – top = major body flex. I know there are unitized 2 door convertibles, but throw 4 doors into the equation and I think that’s a recipe for structural issues. Even with reinforcing it would probably have all the rigidity of a wet noodle. The scenario would be altogether different if it were a body on frame design. And for that matter, isn’t the Murano of unitized contruction as well? I wonder how Nissan will overcome the structural issues.

I loved the concept of the Murano – an SUV without the pretenses that normally come standard. You don’t use your Explorer for anything but groceries, the Murano said. Why not drive an SUV designed for all the things you DO use them for?

Except an SUV without the Ruggedness Factor is a vehicle without a point. Those who shop for true practicality based on needs already own a Subaru station wagon. Those who enter the market looking for an SUV are still thinking “Well, what IF my wife and three of her friends suddenly go into labor during a record snowfall?!” And those who actually notice what cars look like are wondering why the hell is the front badge on this thing SO. DAMN. BIG.

Still, at least it’s something different.

Funny, just today in one drive from Santa Monica to Pasadena I saw *three* new XLRs with no plates and the California temp reg sticker on the windshield. Not to mention I was in the XLR-V I’ve been driving for the past 2-1/2 years.

As for the drop-top Murano, no. Convertibles are heavy enough compared to their tin-roofed kin. Two things America needs right now are a four-door Caddy convertible, and a modern version of the ~1947 – 1970 Jeepster.

Phil

“Would a School bus sans roof sell?”

I’ve seen farmers use school buses sans roof as giant pickup trucks, usually loaded with hay bales. I’ve also seen white water rafting rental companies use them as haulers too.

As far as a convertible Murano goes….throw some Ford Explorer-edition Firestone tires on that sucker and watch as passengers get chucked out at an even more alarming rate.

N85523 – your right, why is there no DTS convertable?

OTTO SALES -an open top amtrac train? be still my foolish heart!

i agree with liberman – 4 door converts are da bomb. i watch “Green Acres” regularly, and Olivers magnificent ’60’s (or 70’s?) lime green metallic Lincoln 4 door convertable often gets a wonderful beauty shot in front of the manse.

Four doors are great! Yeah datsun, or whatever ur called now. I would buy one in a second.

So what could be better than a Top Gear-approved Murano? A Convertible People Carrier Murano, of course!

I dig convertibles, but they’re an awfully small niche market. Who knows if this bird will fly, but I hope they build it. I like seeing more drop-tops on the street; it means I might be able to buy one used in a few years.

Jeep been Nissan to the punch with the 4-door novelty and the Wrangler is a perfect fit for such a configuration (with the exception of the door posts). The Murano looses focus with the top dropped and while it would make the car marginally cooler, that would be akin to making a senior-citizens’ spelling bee marginally more interesting. (Yes, they do exist, and they do have a national competition.)

Possibly the convertible Murano will not be sold as a Nissan at all, but will, as Chrysler moves toward a fully re-badged Nissan lineup, be the new Wrangler (with some boxier body panels tacked on of course).

The Earth will then open up and all those involved in that project will be swallowed into hell.

If Nissan is actually moronic enough to build a convertible Murano all I can say is that it will pale in comparison to the Stutz Bear http://www.madle.org/esub.htm , and, I predict, also sell in lower numbers than the Stutz Bear.

All of these questions have NOT been answered here so it is very hard to speculate as to what a Conv Morano would look like.

At first I had the same WTF thought but I than began to think about a modern day VW Thing and can now see some possiblities with this concept.

Oh, I have spent a good deal of time with a last gen Morano SE AWD and found that it handled VERY well for a jacked-up cross-over design, was nicely powered, had excellent cargo room, and was rather comfortable. IMO I could not ask for more from what is essentailly a “lifted” Maxima wagon.