Warming up to fresh air driving

Michael Banovsky

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are long gone and, for many convertible drivers and motorcyclists, it's time to put the toys away.

But there are technologies available – beyond heated seats and a really powerful heater – that will help you get the most out of your beloved mode of alfresco transportation well into the fall – and back out of storage earlier than usual in the spring.

Wind deflectors

Though salespeople may try to get convertible buyers to purchase the sometimes-optional pop-up wind deflector, some can be a pain once you want to raise the top – and can make your pride and joy look like it has a bug screen over its rear seats.

Now, though, automakers are putting real thought into how best to manage air in a convertible.

The Audi TT and BMW 6-Series, for instance, feature powered glass rear wind deflectors. The Volkswagen Eos has a small mesh screen that pops up from the top of the windshield that complements the larger, removeable mesh screen behind the front seats.

These solutions, however novel, won't solve the problem for a true four-seat convertible, nor for an owner who is looking to improve the cold resistance of an older model.

Wind deflectors that pop into place behind the front seats deflect air by smoothing out the airflow above and beside the cabin, and work wonders to keep warm and cool air separated.

Heated grips

With such a short riding season in Canada, it's little wonder that motorcyclists will grab on to anything that could extend the season by a few weeks – such as heated handgrips.

A warm set of hands on a motorcycle may mean the difference between early storage or riding through fall colours, and beyond.

Sure, you could retrofit heated grips onto your motorcycle. But why bother if you can grab onto a pre-installed pair? BMW, Honda and others offer heated grips for their touring motorcycles.

Heated foot vents

Despite five settings for the front- and rear-heated motorcycle seats, back rest and hand grips, what's the one part of your body that Honda engineers noticed becomes frozen after a few kilometres of fall riding? Your feet.

Honda offers a foot vent that's fed from the warm air around the engine on the Gold Wing. It's controlled via a fairing-mounted lever that controls how much air reaches your toes. You may scoff at the simplicity, but any feature that allows a rider to be more comfortable in colder weather is a definite plus.

Lap vent

Some convertibles have a really tricky setting for top-down motoring, usually called "convertible mode" in the climate control system.

This setting usually means that hot air is directed to areas of the cabin that retain heat more effectively, thus reducing the amount of warm air that escapes from the interior.

But a few years ago, Lexus debuted a feature that directs air exactly where you want it.

When the top is down and it's cold outside, the system separates the climate-controlled air into two streams, directed through the foot and lap vents.

That's right, lap vents. Surely a better solution than roasting your back with the seat heater?

Air scarf

As any skater on the Rideau Canal will tell you, keeping your neck warm is key to staying comfortable in chilly conditions.

That's the principle behind the "Air Scarf" system found on Mercedes-Benz convertibles.

The system uses powerful fans and vents in the headrests to blow warm air onto the back of your neck, taking the chill out of the fall air.

Mercedes-Benz launched this feature a few years ago in its SLK Roadster, and updated the system for its new-for-2009 SL. Even better, it has a range of settings and is standard-fit on the SL and SLK.

Just don't leave the system on during summer – or you could end up much sweatier than you'd like to be.

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