I stole the idea from the Porsche Boxter thread. Sorry folks! But I just want to focus on the convertables.
Manly:
Porsche 911 and Boxter S
Ferrari
Shelby Cobra
MB CLK
MB 500SL
Jaguar XLK
Girly:
VW bug
VW golf
Audi TT
Audi A4
Porsche Boxter
Mini Cooper
Mustang
Vette
PT cruiser
Miata
Honda 2000
MB SLK
Bottom line. It’s damn near impossible to make a manly convertible. IMHO.
It sounds like its impossible to make a “manly” convertible that costs less than $45,000, from that list. I think you’re confusing the terms “expensive” with “manly” and “affordable” with “girly.”
Corvettes, Mustangs, and Boxsters in no way strike me as girly cars. Neither do BMW 3-series.
I don’t think the Porsche Boxster is girly. Just not as good as a 911-99x.
Corvette girly? When I see a 'Vette, I think ‘Sorry about your penis!’ Corvettes seem to be a penis-machine. I think the Mustang also falls into this category.
Mini Cooper. Yeah, the convertible seems a bit unmanly.
Miata. I give props to the Miata for following the true roadster tradition. But most of the people I’ve seen driving them have been women.
Is horsepower the only criterion? Is it all about acceleration? Top speed? The sound of a big engine?
How would you classify the Lotus Elise. (specsheet)
phatlewt – male Miata driver.
Mustangs are girly? The things practically come with jockstrap.
Also disagree about Vettes and Boxster.
You forgot convertible SUVs:
Wranglers are bisexual.
Trackers and the like ooze feminity.
I drove a '64 Corvette convertible for a while, and I never considered myself a girly-man. That car was a chick magnet.
A complete WAG here, but it may be that you see more women driving a Miata than men is because of size issues. The Miata is a relataively small car (inside and out), so those of the population who are larger have problems comfortably fitting inside it. Men, in general, tend to be physically bigger than women. Therefore, you’re more likely to see women in the car than men since the men simply don’t fit. 
(Sample size of… well, three here. I, at about 5’ 2" fit nicely in my Miata and have no problems driving it. My Dad, at about 5’ 7" simply can’t get his legs arranged right in order to be comfortable. My SO, at about 6’ 3" hits the roof when we go over a bump and looks like he had to be shoehorned in.)
As for the convertible Mustang being girly/manly: I’d have to say it depends on what type of Mustang are we talking about here. The original 60s’ model? The neutered version? The re-vamped version?
Same thing for the 'Vettes. I’ve noticed that the gender of the person who’s driving it seems to be strongly corrolated to the year of the car. The older the vintage of the 'Vette, the more likely it is to be a guy in the drivers seat.
<< Anything not nailed down is a cat toy. >>
What about the BMW Z4? I don’t want to keep saving my pennies if it’s gonna make me look all butch and shit…
For what it’s worth, I’m 6’0", and have driven a Miata for almost 8 years. Tried on an Elise this winter - now that was too small.
The Z4 is not girly. If I had the money, this is the car I’d buy. It took me a long time to come around to thinking that the Z4 is cooler than the Z3 though. But, the car is not going to make you look all butch and shit - it will simply show that you have great taste in cars.
And, the Audi TT is not girly either.
Although, I suppose these statemenst aren’t based on anything really - I just don’t want the cars I like being classed as girly.
And, the Miata (or MX5) is a fun car to drive. Rented one with my mom for a few days when she was in NZ visiting me. I’d never driven a small sporty car before. Great fun cruising around in it… getting her luggage in it to get to the airport was another issue altogether. I suppose realistically if I ever get enough money for a car and decide that a sports car is what I should get, this is what I’d end up with.
I (male) have had my Miata for about a year, and I love it. I’m 5’11", though, and if I were any taller, I don’t know that I’d be comfortable in it. Some of my taller friends hate riding in it unless the top’s down.
Any TVR convertible would surely qualify for “Manly” 
A convertible certainly does not need to be $45K + or a horsepower monster.
I give you manly but tame convertibles:
Triumph TR6 and TR7
Karmann Ghia
Older MGB’s
Older Astin Heally
The Morgan (with the wood chassy)
More chick convertibles:
New T-Bird
Chrysler Sebring
As for Miata… I rented one for a while when I lived in S.F. It was fun but underpowered and I felt tremendously unsafe when a lumbering Ford Executioner SUV pulled up next to me at a light. On the highway, semi trucks tried to suck me into their wake. My verdict… fun around town and weekends in Napa (though transporting a case or two of wine is near impossible) but exudes no testosterone. And again… IMHO. 
This is a track car. Period. I would love a chance to drive it on a closed course. My neighbour has a brand new one and a Mini Cooper S which he modified a bit to track.
We’re getting friendly.
No, it’s quite the little hauler. If I get the plastic bags, I can fit a week’s worth of groceries in it.
Fastest grocery run in history! Does your milk separates into whey and solids before you get it home?
Lexus SC has the reputation of being a girly car.
HHhhmm…That’s another car that sorta fits into this Thread I posted asking about a Mercedes that looked similar to an Audi TT. I’d say the Lexus looks even more like the TT (or vice versa).
Nope! But that may be due to the fact that being lactose-intolerant I’m not carting milk around anyway. But since the exhaust headers run about four inches from the front of the boot, on the drive home, I can cook whatever I plan to eat that evening.
I agree, and yet, I find the Volvo C70 more of a guy’s car.
