Follow us on TwitterCarThrottle Asks: What’s The Best Summer Car?
It’s 92 degrees and sunny here in Raleigh, North Carolina. The antique air-con in my 900 SPG doesn’t have a chance of keeping up with the heat, so I just roll down the windows, peel back the sunroof, turn the fan up, and bask in it. I generally tend to think of the 900 as more of a winter car- the heater’s monsterous, heated seats are nice, and the front-heavy front wheel drive chassis is more advantageous for getting up snowy hills than attacking corners. It’s days like these I dream of having a summer car.
For me, a summer car has to have a drop top. That’s a no-brainer, obviously – convertibles and summer are like peanut butter and jelly. Feeling the wind in your hair, smelling the world around you, hearing the crickets chirp on a warm summer night – not really things you can do in a coupe. Plus, for tall guys like me, a convertible eliminates the whole ‘head room’ issue. But there are a lot of convertibles – what’s it gonna be?
If I’m being realistic, it’s a 2nd-generation Mazda Miata (MX-5) LS. Hardly austentatious or extremely rapid, but on a hot summer day it’s an easy car to love. It does the whole “convertible” thing better than any other car. Want to put the roof down? Click two latches, grab the handle, and flip it back. Maybe 10 seconds. Starts raining? Reach behind you, flip the top up, and click the two latches in place. Who needs a power hard top?
I also tend to think that enjoying summer driving is more about the experience rather than sheer speed. You can’t revel in the beauty of the world in a Cateram R500, even if it’s got no roof – you’re too busy focusing on nailing apexes, overtaking three cars at a time, and balancing lurid smokey oversteer. That’s why the Miata’s a good choice – it’s only got 142 horsepower, so it’s not going to set the road on fire, but it’s enough to be fun. Mate that with a perfectly balanced rear-wheel-drive chassis and one of the best 6-speed manual shifters out there, and you’ve got driving pleasure distilled down to it’s core.
Second choice? A classic Saab 900 Turbo convertible. Of course. It’s all the things I love about the 900 but with more al fresco motoring. Don’t mind the wobbly cowl shake or the turbo lag, just enjoy the sound of the exhaust, the smell of the open road, and bring 3 of your closest friends along for the ride.
How about you? What’s your ideal summer vehicle?
I don’t think I’ve ever even sat in a Miata. How’s that for rugged, belligerent masculinity? (Insert Tim Allen-style grunting here.)
Here in Arizona, it’s a bit hot to go driving around with the top down during the day, but after dark, temps dip into the mid-90s and I bet they’re perfect. I wouldn’t know, though, as I don’t have one.
For me, the perfect summer vehicle might be an older 4WD like our Isuzu Amigo. It’s got a soft top out back, but a hardtop over the front seats with a pop-out sunroof. The rear seat folds forward, leaving plenty of room for coolers and camping gear, and it will go just about anywhere. It’s perfect for getting out of town on the weekends.
At the lake, it’s a snap to shift into 4L and idle up a rocky beachfront before rolling back down to the water’s edge, hooking the tow strap to the Tahoe with 24″ chrome wheels that – surprise! – can’t pull an empty jetski trailer out of the water. You just ease the slack out of the line, give it a little gas, and listen for wheel slip that never comes, as the little ‘Ute drags 4000lbs of fail up the hill.
Beyond that, thinking of things I do out here in the summer, something larger, smoother, quieter, with long legs makes for a nice drive to SoCal or Vegas.
Fun stuff to think about!