Sports Cars


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    Mazda MX-5, 2006: The Weekly Driver

    Certain cars acquire their reputation via buyers' gender or age group rather than the size, style, price or performance of the vehicle. Volkswagen's Beetle and Chrysler's PT Cruiser are surprisingly popular among women drivers. The Honda Element was marketed to appeal to young drivers, but it's been successful among urban families who enjoy recreation.

    Like the Beetle and PT Cruiser, the Mazda Miata has had great success among women drivers and it's become the world's best-selling two-passenger convertible. But Mazda had other plans, and they're overtly apparent considering the 2006 version.




    Pontiac Solstice, 2006: The Weekly Driver

    The Pontiac Solstice is less expensive than its two primary competitors, the Honda S2000 ($33,150) and the Mazda MX-5 ($20,435). And that presents a dilemma. The new roadster has the most unique design of the trio, and several other keen innovations.

    Yet the 2006 Solstice falls short in several areas, and that makes the debut vehicle an uncertain choice regardless of its economical attractiveness.


           
       
       
     

    Mini-Cooper 2006: The Weekly Driver

    It's been 40 years since the Mini-Cooper first stopped being offered in the United States. But it's now been five years, including the past years of the current redesign, since the vehicle's U.S. reappearance. And just like yesteryear, the pint-sized car is as easy like now as it was when it debuted in England in 1959.

    The Mini's recent global resurgence was greatly enhanced in the film The Italian Job (2003). And that jolt was perhaps only outdone by the debut of the Mini's first convertible in 2005.

    And yet what could top that in 2006? How about the John Cooper Works (named after the car's deceased original namesake) and/or the Checkmate Package?




    Honda S2000, 2005: The Weekly Driver

    The 30-mile stretch from Willits to Ft. Bragg along Highway 20 in Northern California is an ideal place to drive a sports car. The two-lane road offers tight switchbacks, extended flat stretches and plenty of climbs and descents.

    On a warm, spring day and with a convertible top down, anyone who enjoys the combination of shifting gears, fresh air and the open road will thrive on the route. It's a drivers' nirvana tucked among forests of Redwood trees and rolling hills.

    And so it was recently when my wife and I spent a getaway weekend. We drove the segment twice en route and returning from the Mendocino/Ft. Bragg coastline to Sacramento in a 2005 Honda S2000.


    Acura SRX, 2004: The Weekly Driver

    As Acura's entry-level vehicle, the RSX is positioned in the sporty coupe class. It's perfectly categorized. With its stylish, contoured exterior, firm contouring seats, tight-shifting, six-speed manual (Type-S) transmission and compact racing steering wheel, the RSX is an economically priced sports car that's fun to drive and grabs its share of attention on the road.

    My test drive for the week couldn't have been more conspicuous. The shiny red hatchback model drew a lot of attention, including a quick conversation with two retirees who "bolted" out a neighborhood barber shop to take a look at the car while I was at the nearby post office.


    Honda Accord, 2004: The Weekly Driver

    Winding country roads provide great driving delight. They give sports car owners ample proof why they often sacrificed luxury and comfort for speed and excitement.

    In Northern California, the wine country roads through the Napa Valley and Mendocino Coast are prime examples -- at least for drivers. There are plenty of stretches where passengers susceptible to car sickness may be in trouble. But for a driver, the deep turns and switchbacks require plenty of shifting, maneuvering and accelerating skills.  So with a 2004 Honda S2000 as my weekly test drive, could there have been a better location for a getaway weekend?

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