Straight 5 Engine Convertible Cars:

Something of a rarity, the five cylinder engine is traditionally used by both Audi and Volvo although a number of other manufacturers have experimented with them. The earliest designs date back to Henry Ford concepts of the 1930s. The unusual number of cylinders is selected based on a compromise between the smoothness of a six cylinder engine and the economy and compact nature of a straight four. For this reason the layout works particularly well with diesel cars.

There haven’t been many 5 cylinder convertible cars but the straight 5 layout produces a pleasant and distinctive exhaust note. Perhaps the best known five cylinder car is the Audi Quattro rally car and its road coupe equivalent. Audi recently revived the concept for a performance engine and it is used in some of their smaller RS cars.