BUYING FEATURE
We look at five different approaches to the hardcore sports car
1 - Toyota MR2
ENGINE 1794cc/4-cyl/OHC
GEARBOX RWD, 6-speed manual
POWER 138bhp@6400rpm
TORQUE 125lb ft@4400rpm
0-60mph 8sec
TOP SPEED 131mph
ECONOMY 37mpg
WEIGHT 1030kg
PRICE NEW £17,150
VALUE NOW £750**-**£5000
2- BMW Z4M
ENGINE 3246cc/6-cyl/OHC
GEARBOX RWD, 6-speed manual
POWER 38bhp@7900rpm
TORQUE 269lb ft@4900rpm
0-60mph 5sec
TOP SPEED 155mph
ECONOMY 23mpg
WEIGHT 1485kg
PRICE NEW £33,815
VALUE NOW £5000**-**£20,000
3 - Fiat Barchetta
ENGINE 1747cc/4-cyl/OHC
GEARBOX FWD, 5-speed manual
POWER 29bhp@6300rpm
TORQUE 121lb ft@4300rpm
0-60mph 8.7sec
TOP SPEED 118mph
ECONOMY 33mpg
WEIGHT 1056kg
PRICE NEW £11,995
VALUE NOW £1500**-**£8000
4- Nissan 350Z
ENGINE 3498cc/24v V6/OHC
GEARBOX RWD, 6-speed manual
POWER 276bhp@6200rpm
TORQUE 268lb ft@4800rpm
0-60mph 5.9sec
TOP SPEED 155mph
ECONOMY 24mpg
WEIGHT 1525kg
PRICE NEW £27,000
VALUE NOW £3000**-**£10,500
5 - Lotus Elise (S2)
ENGINE 1796cc/4-cyl/OHC
GEARBOX RWD, 5-speed manual
POWER 118bhp@5500rpm
TORQUE 124lb ft@3000rpm
0-60mph 5.7sec
TOP SPEED 126mph
ECONOMY 38mpg
WEIGHT 785kg
PRICE NEW £23,183
VALUE NOW £9000**-**£18,000
It’s that time of year again. You can feel the evenings getting longer, the temperatures rising (at least to somewhere above freezing) and we’re all thinking about dusting off our classics for the summer months to come but what if you’re thinking about life with the top down? What are the options out there? And which one would you ideally like in your driveway?
Here's a diverse selection of roadsters – something for everyone, starting with the cheaper end of the scale. That said, values of the mid-engine MR2 and the front-wheel drive Barchetta are beginning to rise. Both offer droptop enjoyment on a mountain drive, with the delicate styling of the Italian giving it an exotic feel. The less practical MR2 more suits the B-road thrillseeker, meanwhile. Speaking of which, both 350Z and Lotus Elise are a joy to drive, but approach performance driving in very different ways. The Lotus is, as you’d expect, one of the greatest handling sports cars ever built – little comes close to the way it makes you feel on a moorland road. Yet, surprisingly, the Nissan is almost as engaging to drive and has a better soundtrack. It’s also easier to live with. And then there’s the tame looking Z4M which is, in fact, the hooligan of the group. It’s a ground-based missile. But do you need such a thing, when a bargain Barchetta puts a big grin on your face for half the price? Let’s see what the team thinks…
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