Mercedes to unveil range of convertibles at Geneva Motor Show 2016

The world's oldest carmaker will be hoping for glorious sunshine when its Genvea press conference gets underway on March 1 as it will be showcasing a host of new convertibles.

Some of the drop-tops on show, such as the AMG S 63 Cabriolet Edition 130, built to celebrate 130 years of the automobile, made their global debut in Detroit, but for the new C-Class Cabriolet and a special Brabus-tuned Smart fortwo cabrio, Geneva will be the first time they have ever been displayed publicly.

It's hard to believe that it's taken Mercedes 23 years to offer its smallest executive sedan, the C-Class, in soft-top form. And now that it is launching a cabriolet, the company wants to position it as an ‘entry-level' dream car -- the first rung on a ladder that will ultimately end with ownership of a Mercedes SL or even an Edition 130. To ratchet up the desire, Mercedes is going to great lengths to point out that the new model will be based on the C-Class coupé in terms of lines, curves and stance, rather than on the standard sedan.

The car will be a proper four-seater rather than a 2+2 and, according to its makers, will offer "all-season open-air driving enjoyment included as standard." This means that features such as Airscarf -- hot air blown around the neck to keep occupants warm when the weather isn't -- and outside air filtering and deflecting systems could well come as standard equipment.

As for performance, the initial model line-up will be topped by a twin-turbo V6 with 362bhp on tap but that will be bettered by a V8 AMG version that could be unveiled as soon as the Paris motor show this fall.

Perhaps more exciting is the confirmation that Mercedes has handed over its latest-generation Smart car to tuning firm Brabus to work its magic. Previous Brabus Smart cars, though expensive, have been by far the best models in the range in terms of driving fun and, with the new Fortwo, the company has the best possible starting point. The suspension set-up is already good, as is the engine, and the new manual gearbox is excellent.

What exactly Brabus has done is being kept a well-guarded secret but there are hints that the engine will deliver more than 130hp and will be offered with a dual-clutch paddle operated transmission as well as a five-speed manual.