Mini John Cooper Works Convertible

Cute only goes so far. Fast and cute goes a lot farther (comments posted about girls you knew in college will be deleted upon reciept).

But fast and cute will cost you money, just like that girl in college (I'm invoking one-time editor/founder privilege).

This is the story of the Mini John Cooper Works Convertible. Its base price is $10,000 and change more than a base Mini Cooper Convertible, but that ten grand buys you the difference between 118 horsepower and 208....between a top speed of 123 and a top speed of 146...while giving up only 3 miles per gallon in both city and highway fuel economy (the EPA says 25 city/33 highway).

                       

It also gets you a six-speed manual Getrag transmission, 17 inch alloy wheels with run-flat tires, and red Brembo front brake calipers. All of which covers going and stopping. And it handles like a slot car.

                      

Inside, it's six-way adjustable sport seats with height adjustment, an on-boarad computer, a leather three-spoke steering wheel and the Sport button...which produces quicker throttle and steering response....neither of which was in short supply to begin with.

This is one of those cars that will put a grin on your face that will take days to go away.

No, $34,700 for a Mini convertible isn't cheap....nor is the $38,400 as-tested price (Mini threw in a cold weahter package, premium package with alarm, automatic air conditioning and chrome interior and exterior accents), Xenon headlights, custom paint, a Bluetooth and USB/iPod adapter (frankly, Mini's got....what's the German word for cojones?...charging $500 for that piece...which most automakers are including free of charge)...and white turn signal lights ($100? Really?) .

But find another convertible with this blend of speed, handling and fuel economy...and then find one anywhere near $38,400....much less $34,700.

A truly exciting car today...and, because it's likely to sell in smallish numbers, a collector's performance machine you'll be glad you kept years from now.

Read more »

2011 Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible Unveiled At NY Auto Show

More pulse-quickening stuff from the New York International Auto Show as Bentley showcases the 2011 Continental Supersports Convertible.

The juicy details: Twin-turbo W12 with 621 horsepower that can run on both gasoline and E85 bioethanol.

0-60: 3.9 seconds.

0-100: 9.6 seconds.

Top speed: 202 mph.  It's 198 pounds lighter than the Continental GTC Speed model.

                         

And the Supersports Convertible features a "unique, driver-focused cabin".

For you? $280,400.

Full press release from Bentley here.

Read more »

8 Vehicles You Probably Didn't Know You Could Still Buy New

 

Looking for a real bargain? Here are 8 cars dealers can't wait to get off their lots...because they aren't even being made anymore. One of them hasn't been in production since Fall 2007, but you can still find it, likely at a big discount.

From Automobile.

Read more »

Jaguar XK Convertible Review

And so it goes. Jaguar changes ownership again...this time moving to Tata of India.

So, can they build a proper Jag?

That's a question best answered over years of ownership, but my week in the 2010 XK Convertible suggests they won't miss a beat.

What's new? Well, power is up...now at a standard 385 horsepower as the XKR reaches 510.

And the rotary dial gear selector from the XF sedan has made its way into the XK. Does anyone really like this? A knob larger than BMW's iDrive that controls only one thing...the gear? And I'm on the record as not liking iDrive...or any intrusion of a "mouse" into the console. A lever would do just as well...in fact, better. As bad as Jag's old automatic J-gate shifter was, there was some sense of having locked in a gear. And that's not there with the rotary.

And then there's price. Base for the XK Convertible is now $88,150. Ours had only one option...HD Radio (digital broadcasting technology that makes AM sound as good as FM and FM as good as CD, while allowing up to 3 additional channels to each FM signal). It costs $300, and there are several issues. Perhaps the biggest: There are so few cars with HD available, and even home units cost $300, that there's nearly no one listening...and that means broadcasters are getting edgy. There's a real chance, unless manufacturers start making HD Radio standard equipment(and cutting themselves out of $300 per car) that broadcasters will abandon HD Radio as a failed experiment sooner or later. And you'll be $300 lighter with a radio that gets nothing but plain old analog AM and FM.

The other problem is one that I ran across in the last Jag convertible I tested. And that is that the standard 525 watt Bowers & Wilkins audio system just doesn't sound very good. Run it loud enough to compensate for the usual convertible noises and it can't get there. The whole thing sounds thin and bordering on distortion. Admittedly, the acoustics of convertibles, both in terms of extra noise and limited places to put speakers, are a challenge. But other manufacturers found their solutions long ago.

Anyway, with HD Radio and transportation charges, the bottom line was $89,300. EPA estimates, if anyone is counting, are 16 city/22 highway.

The XK is what it is and you're either a likely buyer or not. The good news is that a change in ownership so far appears to not be a factor in your decision.

Jeremy Clarkson at Top Gear pretty well nails how gorgeous and how much fun it is to drive in this piece, done before the power bump, the rotary shifter and the sale to Tata:

Read more »

Lexus IS 350 Convertible Review

Despite some drawbacks (air and water leaks, an easy target for knife-wielding thieves, noise that drowns out the stereo, the need to preserve TV-ready hair, sunstroke in five minutes or less....okay, those last two are strictly my problems), I'm a sucker for convertibles. Always have been. My Uncle Ron drove nothing else...a '55, '60 and '63 T-Bird (the '63 was a Sports Roadster) and a '69 Mercury Cougar XR-7. Riding in Uncle Ron's cars was always a big treat...and that's probably where I got it.

One of the best ways to address most of the above problems is a retractable hardtop. Top up, it's just like driving a fixed-roof coupe...top down, you've got a convertible.

Until now, you could get one from Lexus, but only one...the SC 430. Styling? A matter of taste. Price? 66 grand and change, base.

But this year, Lexus brings a new prize to the party...the IS 350 Convertible. As you can see in the photo above, it's a retractable. It's also, at least in my opinion, a bunch better looking than the SC 430 (also a retractable hardtop), a bunch more contemporary (the SC's been in production 11 years now, with no substantive changes) and a bunch more affordable....with a base price of $43,940. A bit of a bargain can be had by opting for the IS 250 Convertible...you give up about 100 horsepower (getting 204 instead of 306), but the base price falls to $38,940. Whether there's 5 grand worth of enjoyment in the bigger engine is your call.

All we've been exposed to is the 350...and it was a very nice ride. Since it carries the IS badge, there's more of a sporting feel (at least by Lexus standards)...and it's got more usable room (though not tons of it) than the SC430 for the driver and passengers (just don't take that back seat seriously).

EPA estimate: 18 city/25 highway.

With headlamp washers, the Luxury Package (Bi-Xenon high-intensity headlamps, adaptive front lighting, heated and ventilated front seats, leather, wood, memory seats, illuminated scuff plates, and rain-sensing wipers), and a nav system that also upgrades the audio system to a 275-watt Mark Levinson AM/FM/5.1 Surround DVD system, the bottom line wound up at $51,860.

That's up there for the size of the car (apart from the new HS hybrid, the IS is the smallest Lexus) and the level of the luxury, but more than 20grand cheaper than a similarly-outfitted SC 430. Your call.

Here's a cool CGI video created for the Lexus website that shows off the retractable hardtop's operation and other features:

Read more »

Pontiac Solstice GXP Review

GM built a reputation over the years (especially the bad years) of introducing cars that weren't quite ready and then refining them during the production run so that the final few years of a model were pretty close to perfect.

Well, this wasn't supposed to be the end of the Solstice (or Pontiac, for that matter), but events have overtaken the once-mighty GM and this is in fact the end of the line for Pontiac.

And, wouldn't you know it...the last Solstice is way better than the first. Part of it certainly has to do with the fact that the Solstice I just drove for a week was the GXP...the one with the 260 horsepower turbocharged engine. Yep, it's quick.

Plus, there's been some attention to niggling little details...the reverse-hinged trunk actually shuts on the first try now...ending the frustration of jumping out of the car, closing it again, getting back in and finding the "trunk ajar" light still illuminating on start-up.

Base price is $28,460...quite a bit more than a Miata, but again, more powerful, too. The tester was loaded up with a Premium Package (leather, steering wheel audio cotrols and Bluetooth), air conditioning (yep, it's an option), 18-inch chrome wheels, the Monsoon audio system and a rear spoiler.

Bottom line: $32,125. Not a bargain, but not bad.

And...this is a huge surprise...I beat the EPA mileage estimates by a large margin. They say 19 city/28 highway and in my mix of city street and freeway driving I saw 32.5 for the week. I've beaten the government numbers before, but not by so much. I wonder what it would've done if a six-speed manual were available instead of the five-speed.

It's not my first choice for a 2-seat roadster (the Miata wins that one based on handling, build quality and sheer fun), but if you've never driven the Mazda and love the look of the Solstice (and a lot of people do), now's the time.

Read more »

I Feel So Much Better Now...

After three weeks of agonizing over whether I was too tough in my review of the Chrysler Sebring Convertible, Jon Stewart tops me. Thanks, Jon.

Wait for it...it's about 1:40 in.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Carmageddon '09 - Lemon Aid
comedycentral.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

Read more »

Mazda MX-5 Miata Review

After 20 years, we should all be so over the Mazda MX-5 (Miata).

But we're not. At least, I'm not.

Equipped with a new, larger, smiling grille, the slick little two-seater hugs you until you love it. It's quick, handles better than most any other car you could name, and makes a strong value argument. Base price for the top of the line Grand Touring model is $26,350. The base model? $21,305.

Even optioned to the max, the Grand Touring I drove managed to slide in under $30,000(at $29,170).

It's the modern-day equivalent of the Austin-Healy I wanted as a kid. Only better. Way better.

EPA says 21 city/28 highway. I say go drive one.

Read more »

Chrysler Sebring Convertible Review

For 11 and a half years, I've told people that the great thing about being an automotive journalist is that no one makes a truly bad car anymore.

Hmm.

Yes, the Yugo is dead and gone...but words cannot express the huge wave of depression that came over me every time I got behind the wheel of the Chrysler Sebring convertible.

Regular TireKicker readers know I have no problem with American cars in general or Chrysler products in particular. I have, prior to TireKicker, enjoyed and given favorable reviews to previous-generation Sebrings and their forerunner LeBarons.

The 1999 Chrysler Sebring convertible was actually attractive and appealing. I mulled over what it might be like to own one.

The regression over a decade here is staggering.

The 2009 model makes a bad impression with flat-out ugly styling, compounds it with a cheap interior, multiplies that with an unrefined powertrain and tops it off with numb handling that still manages to telegraph the feeling that something could happen at any time and it's likely to be bad.

I haven't driven a car that felt so out of touch with what could be built since....I don't know....maybe 1982?

EPA says 18 city/26 highway. Base price $29,370. As tested (with electronics convenience group, electronic stability program, uconnect phone and destination charges) $31,620.

Not that it matters. I wouldn't take one as a rental.

Chrysler makes several fine vehicles. This one they need to get off the lots and off the streets before someone on President Obama's automotive team drives one and thinks that this is where the loans will go.

Read more »

Nissan 350Z Roadster GT Review

There's a lot to be said for buying the final year of any design. The main point is that the bugs have all been ironed out. So, as much as I'm waiting with great anticipation for the new Nissan 370Z, the final-year 350Z Roadster is looking mighty good.

I was among those disappointed with Nissan's execution of the new Z when it first landed. Way-too-cheap materials (especially in the interior) marred what could have been an incredible bargain. To Nissan's credit, they've worked on the Z continuously over the past five or so years, to the point where it's hard to find fault with the outgoing Z.

I recently spent a week in the Roadster GT, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The base price of $41.570 takes care of a 306 horsepower, 3.5 liter V6, a six-speed manual transmission, electric soft top, 18 inch wheels, 8-way power driver's seat (4-way for the passenger), keyless enry, power everything, a 7-speaker Bose audio system that can actually be impressive with the top down at speed (a neat trick) and a bunch more. The only options were floor mats for $95.00 and an $1800 nav system that I'd skip in a heartbeat.

Still, the fun-per-dollar factor, even with the nav driving the bottom line to $44,160, is awfully high...and with strong crash test ratings and an EPA estimated 17 city/24 highway miles per gallon, the Z Roadster GT is a fairly responsible choice (at least in the realm of two-seat sports roadsters).

A strong finish for what's become a very good car. May the next generation do so well.

Read more »

Jaguar XKR Convertible Review

I remember the thrill I felt as a tiny TireKicker when I saw the Jaguar XKE Convertible back in 1961. There was no question: I was in the presence of something special.

Even with the passage of 48 years (!), it's tough to top that design. The requirements of modern motoring make it virtually impossible to build anything that sleek and lithe (where would the computers fit?). Jaguar's attempts to evoke the old E-Type have largely fallen far short of the mark...until the current XK and XKR.

Again, practicalities keep the new car bigger in every dimension than the original E-Type, but there is a sense of something special...and a close-cousin resemblance to the current Aston Martins that's not a bad thing, either.

No question, it's a dream to drive...the XKR packing 420 horsepower mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and a computer active tech suspension with speed sensitive steering.

Downers? The Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system was just barely adequate for top-down listening at speed, and the control screen housing the audio, navigation, Bluetooth and climate settings was prone to freeze up. The only way out was to turn off the engine and re-start the car...sometimes more than once. By the end of the test, I was simply calling it "re-booting".

So, it's a mixed bag. High marks for looks and performance (with decent mileage...EPA estimates are 15 city/23 highway)...but a big question mark (as in "is it just the one I drove or is this a bigger problem?")over the reliability of the control screen. $93,400 (base price...$104,425 as tested) should buy you perfection...or at least peace of mind.

Read more »

Volvo C70 Review

They say the third time's a charm. Well, Volvo got it right in just two tries.

One of the first press events I attended as a professional TireKicker was 10 years ago and it was the launch of the first-generation Volvo C70 convertible. I was prepared to be impressed. A premium convertible with Volvo's legendary safety and structural integrity.

During the half-day drive through Central Arizona, I thought I must have gotten a bad one that slipped through. When we met for lunch at The Royal Palms Resort in Phoenix, 25 journalists compared notes on 25 identical test cars. Six words summed it up:

"It shakes like a wet dog."

Cowl shake is the common enemy of convertibles. Cut off the top of a car, and you give up a bunch of structural rigidity. It shows up in the cowl...the area where the windshield and the hood meet...and it telegraphs into the steering column. And the '99 C70, otherwise a very desirable car, had it bad.

Flash forward a decade and slide behind the wheel of the '09 C70. A lot of changes here. First of all, it's now a retractable hardtop, not a ragtop. Strong and shake-free. But the remarkable thing is how solid it is with the top down. Volvo knew what needed to be done and did it.

There's also ten years worth of tech improvements in this car, which goes faster, gets better mileage (18 city, 26 highway), possesses better-than-average handling and benefits from Volvo's huge leaps in interior design. Fine leather and real wood...Nordic Oak, no less.

The $39,240 base price gets you an exceptionally well-equipped vehicle, with a turbocharged 2.5 liter 5-cylinder engine good for 227 horsepower mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The test vehicle I drove stepped up the content with metallic paint ($475), the Dynaudio Package ($1,550 for 130 watts per channel of surround sound Dolby ProLogic II with subwoofer), an automatic transmission ($1,250, and given how good the manual was in the C30, I'd be temped to pass and shift it myself), and $750 worth of 18-inch alloy wheels.

Bottom line: $44,010. Not cheap, but in line for a premium convertible with style, substance and...solidity.

Read more »

Mercedes-Benz SL550 Review

A lot of cars wind up on people's want lists....but only a handful inspire awe. For more than 50 years...all the way back to the original drop top version of the legendary 300 SL Gullwing, the Mercedes SL has been one of those cars.
It's difficult to imagine improving on any one of them, until the next one comes along. The jump from the 2008 SL500 to the 2009 SL550 gets you a much more aggressive front-end styling treatment, 382 horsepower (good for a 0-60 time of 5.3 seconds) a seven-speed automatic transmission, multilink suspension, a huge glass moonroof (taking up virtually the entire top surface) and a new COMAND audio/nav system with Bluetooth.
The SL550 rolls on 18-inchers now...and the experience of driving one is nearly as heady as the attention you get on the street, in parking lots....well, everywhere. Within hours, I was fielding (and fulfilling) requests for demonstrations of the retractable hardtop mechanism (very, very fun to watch)...and comforting the inadequate feelings of the lady who parked next to me in a New Beetle ("It's all German engineering", I said, hoping she bought it).
Nobody buys them for this, but I'll mention that the seven-speed automatic is a gas saver...I averaged 22 miles per gallon in a mix of city street and freeway driving over the course of a week...making it the most economical (in terms of fuel consumption) near-supercar I've ever tested.
Base price? Um...$96,775. Good luck getting one out the door for less than $100,000. But if you can...it's a car that lives up to the price tag.

Read more »

Audi TT Roadster Review

Sleek.

What was once a study in half-circles is now a lithe, svelte machine that oozes grace well beyond its small size.

The redesign of the Audi TT makes the coupe look better, too...but the true impact is on the roadster. Put the top down on one of these and just see if the restaurant valet can bring himself to do anything other than leave it up front where it looks so good.

There's a lot in the way of performance to recommend the TT roadster, too. No, it's not a fire-breathing monster, but 200 horsepower in a fairly light body mated to a six-speed automatic is way more than adequate...and returns better than average economy. The EPA says the TT roadster will get 22 miles per gallon in the city, 29 on the highway.

And it's a fine piece as it comes stock...automatic air conditioning, a 9-speaker, 140 watt audio system with CD player, cruise control, and a bunch more standard for $36,800.

Where it can get tricky is the option list. Our tester came with an additional $9,500 worth of leather, audio upgrades, a power folding top, navigation and more ($450 for Bluetooth phone preparation?)...tab that up with the $775 destination charge and the bottom line ended up at $47,075. Ouch.

Exercise some restraint, though, and the TT roadster makes a very good case for itself as a reasonably-priced sports car that looks great, gets good gas mileage and has more performance capability than you'll probably ever need.

Read more »

BMW 128i Convertible Review

Post One on TireKicker...and the logical choice from the past few weeks of press vehicle loans is the One...officially known as the BMW 1 Series.

I had the best possible BMW baptism long ago...the first one I ever drove was a school friend's big brother's 2002tii back around '73 (we were sent up to South Lake, near Bishop, California, to retrieve his dad's friend's Benz S-Class, and since he was older, he got the flagship...but I got the sweeter ride).

The 2002tii was a revelation for a kid raised on Fords and Mercurys. Light, tight, responsive and quick,without being overpowered or nose-heavy. If this is what BMWs are about, I thought, then I need one.

By the time I started auto-journalising, though, BMW had entered into some major mission creep. The 2002's successor, the 3 Series, felt more like a midsize, the 5 was a fullsize and since 2002 (the year, not the BMW), the 7 has been a battleship. And then there are the XUV's (X3, X5). Do we need to discuss how those don't fit the first impression?

The all-new 1 Series is a great leap backward and forward simultaneously. Backward in that BMW has rediscovered compact proportions, lithe handling and speed generated by efficient power-to-weight ratios rather than just jacking up the horsepower. Forward in that this kind of backward is just what BMW and today's drivers need.

So, howzit? Fun. And it was the 128i Convertible with an automatic. BMW, send the 135i coupe (extra stiffness, don't ya know?)with a stick ASAP, please. The only downers: a slightly stubby profile and a price tag that gets too close to a 3 Series. But remember: Trading up for "more car" trades away the old-time BMW religion it's taken decades to bring back.

Read more »