On this site we like to think back to the time when the affordable convertible was the most normal thing in the world. Renault’s first open Mégane is an excellent example of this, but did you know that you can turn it into a real roadster in a few minutes?
What is the similarity between a Rolls-Royce Dawn and the first Renault Mégane Cabriolet? Okay, you fools, they are both cars. And yes, astute ones: they are both convertibles. However, we mean something more specific: both cars offer the possibility to cover the rear seat with a voluptuous lined panel. Rolls-Royce calls it the ‘Aero Cowling’ and asks no less than € 26,369 euros for the cover, which is simply placed over the still present sofa. The result: a (according to Rolls) sportier appearance and a closed ‘storage compartment’, under and in the cover plate.
For that 26 grand you can also buy all Renaults Mégane Cabriolet of the first generation. No, really: all open Méganes from before 2002 that are for sale on our site cost € 25,571 at the time of writing. There are at least two copies with the accessory that matters today: the Roadbox.
The Roadbox is called that, because it is a box and it turns the Megane into a Roadster. At least, that’s what Renault itself thinks, as evidenced by the brochure we found in our archives. Unlike Rolls-Royce, it is not a cover plate for over the sofa, but a combination of cover plate and access hatch that replaces the sofa. The video below shows how this works: the sofa can literally be removed in a few moments to make way for the hip-shaped, partly sprayed-in storage compartment. The ‘double bubble’ on the aft deck fits wonderfully well with the Mégane, which by nature already has two such bumps behind the rear headrests.
As far as we know, this concept was never copied except at Rolls-Royce. Actually quite crazy, because it sacrifices the rear seat, which is already very rarely used by convertible drivers, for a storage compartment that is certainly useful. At the time, Renault promised no less than 182 liters of extra space, which means a huge improvement with a regular luggage compartment of 281 liters. Also clever: the roller shutter in front of the ‘Roadbox’, directly behind the front seats, simply closes and opens with the central locking. Get over that at a Dawn!