The weather’s been grand, I’ve loads of time off and I’m surrounded by some of the UK’s best driving roads up here in Scotland. I’ve been thinking of convertibles again and getting misty eyed for my old MX5 but cost no object what was or is the best convertible car ever built? Does the classic British roadster do it for you? How about a BMW or Mercedes? To me it has to be fun above all else but there’s a convertible for every man or woman but which one was the greatest of them all in your opinion?

I get the appeal of a luxury convertible like the Mercedes SL or Jaguar XJS, in fact I’ve nearly bought a 124 series E Class cabrio in the past, I just like the lines and the quality of the thing but I know that it’s absolutely no fun to drive and there’s my problem, convertibles should be fun and thus I’d get bored quickly. The SL is the same but cripplingly expensive, even the 5.0 V8 was no fun to drive.

I’ve driven many a happy mile at the wheel of an MX5. It’s hard to think of a car that can thread a twisting Scottish B road together like one of these. The gear- change is rifle-bolt slick and the steering had loads of feel. The twin cam 16v motors love to rev and they’ll put up with serious abuse so you’ll never fear exploring its limits often even if it cost you £800. The roof is usually a simple manual affair with little to go wrong. They’re reliable, fun and cheap. What’s not to like?

I’ve had an entertaining spin in a series two Lotus Elise 1.8 when a good friend made the mistake of handing me the keys and letting me loose. His face when I had its rear stepping out on the nearest quiet twisty B road was a picture. These handle and steer better than anything else on the road, they even ride well, they’re a joy. The gearbox however was the Rover built PG1 version and was pretty awful. He messed around with various fixes but it was always the weak point and proof that I was right when I told him to spend more on the Toyota engined version. That it later popped a head gasket in typical K series fashion only upset him more and he flogged it to delve into bangernomics via a Fiat Coupe 20v I found nearby. The later Toyota engined cars are utterly reliable and a hoot to drive but the interior looks like something from the 80’s and they’re awful to get in and out of.

I’ve also had the pleasure of a track day at the wheel of an Aerial Attom with a supercharged Honda VTEC motor in what is basically a shopping trolley. It’s mad, it’s a scream but it has no roof so you’ll hate it as a road car. I’d have one as a track toy if I was rich though. I don’t know why Lotus didn’t opt for Honda VTEC motors in the Elise, they’re so much more alive than the Toyota units they currently use.

I’ve driven and sold loads of family hatchback derived cabrios over the years but they’re too compromised to recommend in most cases. A car designed to have a roof whence it is chopped off it wobbles around like jelly falling off a toddlers plate. Scuttle shake is a horrid thing which will ruin a run in many convertibles especially 80’s chop-shop efforts such as the Escort and Astra. Even the hugely expensive Saab 900 was a blancmange on wheels, the later Cavalier based models were horrid and had a nasty habit of splitting its bulkhead. Modern examples like the Audi A3 are much improved but mostly come with fat wheel and brick hard suspension along with a daft price tag and a rattling Diesel engine.

Smaller cars are often more enjoyable to drive but chopping the roof off a favourite hot hatch like the 205 GTi typically ruined the handling and ride. There were packaging issues with a folding roof on a small car never built to have one too meaning most ended up looking like a prom, see Metro or Mini cabrios for examples. So no supermini cabrios can win for me.

So what convertible would I say is the best ever made? Easy, it’s the Mazda MX5. My personal favourites are the early Mk I 1600’s, and the current model with the basic 1500 motor, the simpler the better. I’d love another one but I’m banned from buying anything with only two seats. A Lotus Elise with a Toyota motor comes a close second but cost counts against it. A good MX5 can be had for £1,500 which would barely buy the boot badge on the Lotus. Jaguars Mk II XK comes third, it’s open air luxury with an angry engine note, sadly quality is no better than an average supermini despite the price.

Edited by SLO76 on 09/05/2020 at 23:56