Hard tops are heavier, more expensive, and more complex. With cars as long as the 8 series the weight distribution and handling are noticeably different top up vs top down. Driving around that is really annoying. Hard tops often have an annoying rattle. Soft tops these days are multi-layered with a rigid material in the middle and can be made to be just as quiet as hard tops. Soft tops take up less trunk space. They can be operated at higher speed than hard tops. Basically there’s no real advantage to hard tops anymore. They’ve all gone from the market except the Miata RF. Even Ferrari moved to a soft top.
Hard tops are heavier, more expensive, and more complex. With cars as long as the 8 series the weight distribution and handling are noticeably different top up vs top down. Driving around that is really annoying. Hard tops often have an annoying rattle. Soft tops these days are multi-layered with a rigid material in the middle and can be made to be just as quiet as hard tops. Soft tops take up less trunk space. They can be operated at higher speed than hard tops. Basically there’s no real advantage to hard tops anymore. They’ve all gone from the market except the Miata RF. Even Ferrari moved to a soft top.
Except for the portofino