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Another MX5 here, had it 10 years now. Just so much nicer to be in the fresh air rather than hemmed in by glass and pillars. It passed the MOT yesterday first time so will keep it until next winter then consider a change. Won’t go back to a hardtop though, I have the SMax for sensible and useful.
Cabriolets are not cool.
Sports cars are not cool.
Both can be fun.
The word “cool” is not cool. Or on fleek for that matter.
Had a VW Eos (silver with red leather seats - a must as everyone can see the interior). It had the most space in the rear for two growing children and a MASSIVE boot (to store the roof, naturally). I looked at all the typical suspects at the time (Volvo, A4, BMW), and this was the most spacious. It was heavy (very heavy steel beams under the floor) but looked like a transformer when the roof packed away. Everyone thought it was cool when you pressed the roof button. To be honest, I liked the large glass roof more, and would get a Targa top next time. Or a two-seater to prevent the buffeting from the rear. The back two seats were not heated and were not a pleasant place with the roof down at almost any speed. But winter driving in the sun with heated seats and hot air on the feet was great and I miss that.
Cabriolets are not popular in hot countries, as it can be too hot to put the roof down. That and I would always wear a cap anyway.
A good rule of thumb:
”Would Jeremy Clarkson approve?”
If the answer is yes, then not cool. Or on fleek.
I found this today. I really want it but I'm not really in a position to pounce on it...
https://bbrgti.com/blogs/cars-for-sale/2013-mazda-mx-5-sport-tech-bbr-stage-one-turbo
Driving this through Southern France, Northern Italy and Corfu, is definitely not cool. In fact, it's a f***ing oven. Great fun coming back through Switzerland though
That engine in that car and rwd! 😍 😍
An S2000 is on my list, but the prices are getting further away from my budget. 😕
@the-muffin-man I missed them when they were ~£3000 at the bottom end of the market as I couldn't afford to insure one, paid double that ~5 1/2 years ago and it's been steadily rising since. Not an investment as such, but enough to be essentially 'free motoring' outside of fuel costs for the most part. Plus it makes nice noises!
@sharkattack that's a lovely car, my friend has just purchased the same age BBR185 (so slightly tuned engine/suspension by them, but not the turbo conversion) and absolutely loves it.
I have an MX5. Driving around with the top down makes me feel like an absolute dick. But that's OK because I am an absolute dick, so, I have embraced it.
(it's kind of offset by it being really scabby, so it's not like I can really be posing... I think the personality of the car was perfectly summed up when I found an unopened packet of generic viagra under the seat, it is the exact motoring equvalent of cheap boner pills)
Kramer
Free MemberA good rule of thumb:
”Would Jeremy Clarkson approve?”
If the answer is yes, then not cool. Or on fleek.
Much as i loathe the man, that rules out Merc 600 Grosser, classic Minis, Escort cossies, Ford GT, mk1 CR-X, MK1 Scirocco, GR Yaris, Aston Virage, Ferrari 355, E46 M3 CSL, 675LT, Lex LFA.
If you're saying all those are uncool then I'd like to know your definition of what is cool!
@Tracey. That looks an absolute cracker👍. Compliments to her for her efforts and to you for bringing up someone with the drive to work for hard for her dreams 👍👍
Thanks. I think she will be doing some more work on it over the winter.
Last winters project was an Evo 5
Kramer
Free Member
@multi21 – that’s the point, any “nice” car, by definition cannot be cool, because you’re trying too hard
Ah I'm with you, I reckon 8 year old me would have made a pretty compelling case for an f40 being cool though 😎
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@Tracey. 🤣🤣My son's EVO V looks equally immaculate, but yellow! Haven't got a photo to post (even if I could 🙄), but I'll work on it 👍
Ah I’m with you, I reckon 8 year old me would have made a pretty compelling case for an f40 being cool though 😎
Children are almost exclusively dorks and so cannot be arbiters of cool.
@Kramer tbf Tiff Needell owned one of mine and loved it. I suspect he's a lot better at driving it than me...
Children are almost exclusively dorks and so cannot be arbiters of cool.
That may be the case but are you suggesting an F40 isn't cool?
And on top of that, an F40 that pissed off Ferrari so much that they forced the owner to debadge it.
Utterly awful! Definitely not cool...
Whatever, personally I'd say having the balls to chop an LMP F40 is pretty cool but what do I know? Would absolutely have a Liberty Walk widebody as well.
I found this today. I really want it but I’m not really in a position to pounce on it…<br /><br />
how much bhp does that have? I had the standard 2.0 and it was woefully under powered for such a good chassis
Also the drivers seat needs to be mounted much lower in the car
Hopefully That would be enough to give the mk3 a bit of personality/ character
how much bhp does that have? I had the standard 2.0 and it was woefully under powered for such a good chassis
Minimum 260bhp so 100 more than standard from what they call their 'Stage 1' turbo conversion. Stage 2 needs an uprated clutch and remap and will see over 300bhp.
All this and it would attract zero attention from anyone. That's much more appealing to me that anything that looks flash.
I keep hankering after one of these - the Z4 35is. 3l straight 6 twin turbo
I'm definitely not cool
That may be the case but are you suggesting an F40 isn’t cool?
Show me an F40 driver who doesn't look like they're trying too hard. They mostly look like Jay Leno.
Not. Cool.
Car in 'only affordable to multi millionaires driven by typical multi millionaires' shocker!
The LMP I specifically linked is still driven in anger (raced), if that's not cool Im not really sure what is. Can we have examples please?
I keep hankering after one of these – the Z4 35is. 3l straight 6 twin turbo
I’m definitely not cool
They look really good now IMO, but I'm not enough of a car enthusiast to understand why they might be naff to those who really care.
I'm glad we don't really have this received wisdom about what's cool or not in MTB - unless ur bik is Saracin of course.
I was about to dig out a photo of my 1961 Triumph Herald convertible (with Vitesse bonnet) until I saw Binners's photo of his Vitesse.
In 1972 the now Mrs BigJohn and I drove it down to Skewjack surf village in Sennen Cove and felt very cool sitting up on the top of the back seats, eating our picnic sandwiches stuck in the massive queue on the Exeter bypass while everybody else was sweltering stuck inside their Morris minors and Cortinas.
It was my first car. I had another, a D reg, as my third. They were both shit. But not as bad as my second car, a 1958 Beetle.
The BMW Z4 is a cracking looking motor, early ones with the big Z just behind the front wheels in the lines of the bodywork
A 3.0i or if you can find a 3.0si and stretch the budget a bit more although I did really fancy a Honda s2000 but good ones too expensive
The newer Z4 does look less cool and much more flabby but probably a much more refined turbocharged engine
I've got a Mk1 Audi TT V6 Roadster. Cool? I don't care!
@squirrelking that is impressive rather than cool. Cool is how something looks (largely) and that yellow shape looks awful. Engineering point of view, it is impressive, but that is a very different thing to being cool as going by the looks, it very much isn't.
@squirrelking “cool” is the exception in motorsport rather than the rule.
I have a 2008 E85 Z4 in grey with red leather. The design is timeless imho and I have the top down whenever I can. Given me 8 years of trouble free motoring so far and the car I'm most happy just pootling around.
I keep hankering after one of these – the Z4 35is. 3l straight 6 twin turbo
I had the pleasure of driving one on the Isle of Man for a weekend.
Not a sports car. It’s a BMW lost its way car. The ride is terrible and it drives a bit numb, no different to a 3 series. Yep quick enough, sounds ok but not a sports car
I once owned an MG Midget, a chrome bumper one, not the horrid plastic bumper one, and it was fun to drive, but it would jump out of second all the time, and the soft top leaked, but it did have a full tonneau cover, so driving it at any time it wasn’t raining was fun, because I just turned up the heater and I was toasty. It got nicked one night, and I had to go down to Wales to get it back. 😖
I sold it to a mate, because it had been damaged and I couldn’t be bothered to deal with it. I’ve no ambition any more to own an open-top car, I’d have to wear a hat in fine weather because a sunburnt head isn’t at all comfortable, especially when it starts shedding large quantities of skin… 😝
However, I would make two exceptions; one would be a Vitesse, like Binners posted. I’ve always had a liking for those, having a central box-section spine chassis, with suspension hanging off each corner, and the bodywork fixed on top, reducing flex as a result. With a 2ltr straight-six, a bit more go than a standard Herald.
The other would be the BAC Mono that FunkyDunk posted. A road-legal race car, a phenomenal amount of fun, where a sunburned head isn’t an issue ‘cause I’d be wearing a helmet. I also have Castle Combe race circuit about five miles away where I could go and play. 😁
Cabriolets are not popular in hot countries, as it can be too hot to put the roof down.
This is true in Oz. It's utterly pointless, unless you're prepared to lather yourself in sunscreen every time you drive and wear a hat. Years ago we borrowed a well sorted Triumph Stag from a friend for a week to drive around the southwest of Western Australia. He said to not bother putting the roof down as you'll get scorched. We insisted on doing it of course. An hour later, up went the roof.
I was about to dig out a photo of my 1961 Triumph Herald convertible (with Vitesse bonnet) until I saw Binners’s photo of his Vitesse.
IIRC Australian CKD 12/50 Heralds came with Vitesse bonnets for the four headlight bling.
My Mum's car was a Vitesse when i was a kid. I remember Dad removing the roof for some reason or other (they unbolt quite easily) and me saying how cool it looked, can't we keep it that way.
I always thought convertibles were daft in the UK, but someone pointed out that the UK has actually the best climate for soft tops. Neither too hot nor too cold, you can have roof down for 80% of the year if you want.
I’d quite like one, but where do the bikes go? That’s the limiting factor for me.
I had. 1967 triumph spitfire mrkII with 1275cc engine and removable hard top. Drove it as a daily runner for a couple of years great fun, not so much on the M25.
Ex got it in the divorce, mate told me about 6months later the floor fell out of the boot and she just left it to rot. Feel quite sad about that.
I’d quite like one, but where do the bikes go? That’s the limiting factor for me.
Luggage rack on the boot, I mind someone on Descent World was dailying an MGF and would just strap his DH bike to the rack.
I keep thinking about having a punt on a Talbot Samba cabriolet that is on eBay. Maybe that would be cool??!?
Scratched that itch about 30 years ago with a TVR 350i 'wedge'. Also scratched the V8 itch at the same time which made the most beautiful noise. Still can be had for not much money but not the most reliable of cars.
4 seat 'convertibles' not cool? Au contraire!
Me and the Mrs had one of these when we were first together and drove it in a similar manner.....
My first, and currently only car is an MG Midget.
My last "real" car was a Berlingo with the full length fabric sunroof.
I’m below average age for this forum so I’ve not had to resist temptation yet to live with a piece of cloth for a roof in a climate that is wet and cold more than it’s dry and sunny.
Not once in my life have I seen a middle aged man in a convertible sat in traffic and thought he looked cool.
They still have heaters, with the roof up they're no colder than a tin top.
I'm not yet middle aged (definitely wasn't at 21) and really don't care what your opinion is, I'm not doing it for you. If I'm going to subject myself to the utter misery of driving and burden of car ownership, I'm going to take any small wins I can get.
I always thought convertibles were daft in the UK, but someone pointed out that the UK has actually the best climate for soft tops. Neither too hot nor too cold, you can have roof down for 80% of the year if you want.
It's like cycling, it's great in anything other than actual rain.
I’d quite like one, but where do the bikes go? That’s the limiting factor for me.
Roof racks are available for some models which fit like an exocage , bodge something to a rollover hoop, boot racks, towbar racks, the passenger seat, there's plenty of options.
Mini Convertible here, (was the wife's but since upgrading the "main" car she now driver that more) so I get to throw the mini about.
Kid's friends love it, the kids less so. God forbid I ever rock up to school with the roof down.
Dog loves it and so do I when off to the lads cricket, just throw the bag into the back seats... Actually the lad does like it when he gets to jump in over the door a la Duke's of Hazard (not that he knows what that is)
And its fun to pick a pal up with the roof down, we get to pretend we are Thelma and Louise.... "Lets not get caught... Lets keep going!!"