5 Of The Greatest And Best Budget Cabrio

15 October 2019 Redazione Budget Cars, News

5 OF THE GREATEST AND BEST BUDGET CABRIO

Words by Carlo Brema

The wind in your hair, the sky over your head, the feeling of being part of the road itself – ask any enthusiast of open-air driving and you will always have the identical description. Driving a convertible gives sensations that can elevate the journey itself to an emotionally superior experience. And it doesn’t matter if these cabriolets, spiders or roadsters are considered as the weighted sisters compared to the rigid roof counterpart, mainly due to the different needs of how and where to stiffen the frame or for the mechanisms of those rigid tops that try to increase on board comfort and offer wider possibilities of use during the winter season. A convertible has a charm on its own, it does not ask to be driven with the knife between the teeth at all costs, but rather to be led and become the ideal partner to reach certain locations and appreciate even more its ability to attract the eyes. Of course there are different types of topless cars, but we don’t want to call into question those super-expensive ones, let alone extra-large sedans. What we are interested in today are a small handful of proposals that can satisfy the needs of a driving enthusiast and therefore guarantee considerable doses of fun once at the wheel, with an eye on the wallet, not only regarding their second hand price, but also the management costs. We have chosen 5 models, for all tastes and above all for all budgets.

MAZDA MX-5

When it comes to fun cars you will always find an MX-5, let alone if we’re sifting through the world of convertibles. The small Mazda has sold millions of units and despite having accompanied generations of motorists, it has kept intact a recipe based on lightness and simplicity. The rear-wheel drive does the rest, while it will be enough to take a look at any group or club dedicated to the cute almond-eyed roadster, in order to understand that there are legions of enthusiasts to carry on the cause of a pure driving philosophy without unnecessary frills. The first version, named NA, is the one that best embodies all the features needed to make a car ideale for everything. It has been produced as a 4-cylinder 1.6cc with 115 hp (from ’89 to ’93) or 90 hp (from ’94 to ’98), or with a 1.8cc and 128 hp (from ’93 to ’95) or 133 hp (from ’94 to ’98). Traction only at the rear, weighing just 950 kg, still proving that it is more exciting to drive fast a slow car rather than driving slow a fast one. It starts from € 1,500.

HONDA S2000

We’re still in Japan as we are talking about a more recent icon, that of the Honda S2000. In this case, unlike the MX-5, the S2000 has among its primary objectives to travel the road as fast as possible and does so thanks to its legendary VTEC capable of revving up to over 9,000 rpm. The horses are 240, the attitude is decidedly devoted to a sporting use and the squared design leaves no doubt, this is a serious car. The goodies of the S2000 are quite a lot, starting from a car body pressed to the ground, to a driving seat literally incorporated in the chassis, or the combination of the manual gearbox and self-locking differential. In addition to incredible cornering, the naturally aspirated 2.0 is able to offer a unique driving experience, letting the driver jump into an incessant race towards the red line, a value that is appreciated even more today with the arrival of the new turbo engines spread on every kind of sports cars and compared to the end of the 90s, when the S2000 entered the scene, remaining there until 2009. From € 8,500.

PORSCHE BOXSTER (986)

Some still do not know that at the end of the 90s, Porsche was going through a period of very heavy crisis. The 911 wasn’t selling enough and things were pretty bad. Fortunately, someone came up with the idea of ​​creating a completely new model, with only two seats and an engine located in the middle, still able to maintain the driving pleasure that every Porsche customer expects. The first incarnation of the Boxster, presented as 986, was introduced with a small 205 horsepower 2.5cc (from 1997 to 1999), to then accommodate the two main variants, a 2.7 with 220 and then 228 horses and the Boxster S, driven by a 3.2 and its 252 horses before and 260 hp afterwards. The design is unmistakably Porsche and the advantage of having the engine in (rear)central position offers a more friendly driving dynamics for those who are not accustomed to the flat-six hanged on the tail typical of the 911, now no longer the only possibility to access a model from the Stuttgart brand. From € 6,500.

AUDI TT ROADSTER

Let’s put it this way, rear-wheel drive is not always the ultimate answer when it comes to driving pleasure. Take for example the first Audi TT. The year was 1998 and the four rings came out with a model of avant-garde design, impossible not to stop and look at it on the street. More than 20 years have passed and the first generation of TT still looks good, especially in the Roadster version, thanks to the clean lines and the chrome roll-bars that stand right behind the seats, which remain only two compared to the four of the coupe. Produced from 1999 to 2006, the TT Roadster might also be based on the VW Golf IV platform, but conveys a sense of sportiness that is well supported by having front-wheel drive, or even better the QUATTRO system which came with 225 (1.8 cc) or 250 horses (3.2 V6). The engine is turbocharged and the cockpit is studied in detail, making the TT a true icon among the young public. From € 3,000.

BMW M3 CABRIOLET (E36)

It was logical to expect a BMW in here, but we decided not to focus on the first generation Z4, which starts from € 4,500 and still offers a modern design and a wide choice in terms of engines, but on something more mature and even more fun. We are talking about the E36 M3, a pure sports car that devours oversteer at breakfast and has a in-line 6-cylinder 3-liter with 286-horsepower and 320 Nm of maximum torque. Stiffened and sharpened compared to the previous series, the M3 Cabrio arrived in 1994 with a 5-speed manual gearbox and limited slip differential, a 0-100 kph of just 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 250 per hour (electronically limited) . In 1995, the displacement increased to 3.2cc and the power reached 321 horses, while in 1997 it will also be the first model in the world to have a sequentially controlled automatic transmission (SMG). To tell the truth it won’t be easy to find one, let alone take it home with a few coins, but it was worth calling it into question. If you’re now into the BMW thing, going back to the Z4, you should know that you have plenty of choice between the various 2.0, 2.2, 2.5 and 3.0 engines, with powers starting at 150 and reaching the 265 horses of the 3.0. Yes, this is the most powerful model of the restyled first generation (2002-2009), with the exception of the more demanding Z4M. From € 4,500.