Savage Rivale is in the process of building its anomalous Roadyacht GTS, a four-door, four-seat convertible supercar. Not only is the layout of the car a bit unconventional, but the Netherlands-based company gives us a new take on the retractable hardtop.
Instead of a traditional retractable hardtop with a main roof panel, the Roadyacht GTS uses a system with multiple roof panels connected to a telescopic axis. It's an interesting system that allows the roof to slide into a particularly small space behind the cabin. Savage calls it the retractable telescopic multi-panel (RTMP) roof system. It's designing it with the help of Inalfa Roof Systems, an auto roof specialist from the Netherlands.
The system looks similar to the multi-panel system shown on the MILA Coupic concept built by Magna Steyr for the Geneva Motor Show. That system, however, uses two roof zones with glass-embedded soft panels.
We covered the Roadyacht GTS in more depth already, but a quick recap: The four-doored convertible is motivated by a 6.2-liter V-8 engine worth 670-hp. With a curb weight under 3,000 lbs (1,363 kg), that V-8 is able to push the car to 62 mph (100 km/h) in around 3.4 seconds on up to 205 mph (330 km/h).
Last we heard, Savage Rivale planned to unveil the production version of the Roadyacht GTS this year, at an undisclosed Middle Eastern Auto Show. Small supercar start-ups have a way of delaying things, though, and Savage now indicates that it will spend the next year or so testing and fitting the roof system, so we suspect that debut will get bumped.
Watch the Roadyacht's top in action in the Savage Rivale video below.
Source: Motor Authority
One thing worries me though. How will this roof perform after five years' use and 100,000 miles? If it becomes in any way ill-fitting or rattles, that will demolish residual values.
Perhaps the people at Savage Rivale could say more about the roof's 'life expectancy'.