One thing I think about when fantasizing about owning a convertible is being able to head up the coast for a romantic weekend getaway. But would this metal foldaway top leave enough room in the trunk for a couple of overnight bags?

I didn’t bring along a romantic partner but I had enough camera gear to allow me to do a proper test.

First I loaded the trunk while the top was up. A carry on suitcase, similar sized camera bag, tripod case and a few other knick-knacks. About the minimum I’d take along on my fantasy adventure.

Now the trick --- drop the top and see if the bags are crushed or if the top stops dropping before it should. Thirty seconds later the top was down and it was time to check the bags.

I was surprised – there was room. It was snug but there was even a way to extract a bag without hoisting the top. Very impressive. I’m not sure about the other retractable hardtop competitors but this is a must have feature in my opinion.

You’re not going to rely on this vehicle to haul the family’s steamer trunks (do they still sell steamer trunks) down to the docks for an around the world cruise. But if you want to do a little grocery hauling, commuting or think you might have a little romance in your heart this drop top could stylishly fill the bill.

With Spring around the corner and summer not far behind the world is awakening and the thought of dropping the top and hitting the road is beginning to make sense again. But if you have your heart set on one of the new C 70s you better let your local dealer know now – the cars are sold out through July. The car started to make it into dealers’ hands mid way through last year and brought in a respectable 3,941 customers. Volvo estimates that they’ll sell about 8,000 C 70s a year just in North America. This is what the previous convertible model used to sell worldwide.