the Porsche Boxster GTS.
It is the second time that a car from the legendary German automaker’s stable has been selected for the honor. The Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet was the Convertible of the Year for 2013.
With a base price of $73,500, the Boxster received more first-place votes than any of the other class winners to win top honor. The Boxster also beat out the Chevy Corvette Stingray, Ford Mustang and Nissan 370Z in the Performance Convertible competition.
Other class winners were the Maserati GranTurismo Convertible in the Luxury Class that also featured the Mercedes-Benz SL400 Roadster and the BMW 650i. The Mercedes-Benz E400 Cabriolet was scored the winner in the Full-Size Class over the Infiniti Q60 IPL, BMW 228i, Lexus IS350 and Volkswagen EOS Final Edition.
The 2016 version of the Mazda MX-5 captured the Small Convertible Class for a second straight year over the Volkswagen Beetle R-Line, Fiat 500c Lounge Cabrio and Jeep Renegade.
The 2015 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe was recognized as the winner of the Super Luxury/Exotic Trophy as the only entrant in the Class.
More than 60 members of the SAMA organization spent the day scoring 17 vehicles from 14 manufacturers on various aspects of the world’s top droptops at the event, which was headquartered once again at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne Resort.
“This was an exceptionally fine field this year,” said Paul Borden, SAMA vice president and chairman of the event. “It’s a difficult task to distinguish between such great vehicles with each a winner in its own right. But our members look forward to it each year.”
In addition to the two Porsche models, other Convertible of the Year honors have gone to the Audi RS5 in 2014, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster in 2012 and the Audi R8 Spyder in the inaugural event in 2011.
“As a longtime customer, we congratulate Porsche on earning top honors this year,” said Matt Williams, director of business development for the Haartz Corporation. “The Boxster features our high-performance acoustic topping material, which enhances the sporty feel of the vehicle. There was a great selection of vehicles this year showcasing some of the best technology in soft-top convertibles.”
SAMA is an organization of automotive journalists, representatives of media organizations, corporate communications specialists, marketing and advertising representatives, and auto manufacturers related to South Florida’s dynamic automotive industry. Based in Miami, it was formed in March 2007 and has grown to include more than 140 members from across the United States and Latin and South America.
The Haartz Corporation (Haartz) is a world leader in highly engineered and uniquely designed convertible toppings and interior surface materials. The company’s world headquarters and North American manufacturing operations are located in Acton, Massachusetts, with additional manufacturing in Mannheim, Germany and coming soon to Pune, India. Beyond these manufacturing locations, Haartz maintains offices in Detroit, Munich, Tokyo, Delhi, Irapuato, Mexico, Shanghai and Chongqing, China. Employing over 400 people worldwide, Haartz has been a trusted automotive supplier since 1907, and continues to be privately owned and operated by the Haartz family.
For more information, go to www.haartz.com and join the conversation on Twitter,@Haartz.
