Convertible Reviews

THIS Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet does not have stereo controls on the steering wheel.Imagine this! In a $300,000 motor car a driver has to reach across and twirl an old-fashioned knob to adjust volume. What in Henry Ford's name are these people thinking?Well maybe, just maybe, the folk in Stuttgart are thinking that anyone smart enough _ in soul and savings _ to buy one of these machines is a tad more interested in listening to the sounds of that rear-mounted motor than Johnny Be Good. Or that anyone smart enough to buy a Carrerra GTS can probably function on more than one plane at the one moment.This is not a Playstation car. It is far more involving than that, far more involved. And yet for all the fury available the GTS is a sweet, well-mannered beast that sits most handsome in the middle of the current 911 pack.VALUEThe GTS Cabrio is one of today's best incarnations of the 911 range. Add a Carrera 4 body to the rear-drive 911, lift power to an even 300kW, add some RS Spyder wheels and here's an impressive Porsche. It is simple, elegant and with more sports character than most. These are the prices for Maseratis and the like; Ferraris are more expensive. Hard to put a value on exclusivity plus engineering.TECHNOLOGYThe 911 3.8 litre's flat six here takes on redesigned intake manifold, modified cylinder heads and engine electronics to gain the GTS 17kW over a 'standard' Carrera.There's Porsche's suspension management system, Porsche's stability management helping out a chassis design that's been refined and refined over decades. (Even if the business of having an engine hanging out the back is a bit old-tech.) The rear track is 32 mm wider than a Carrera S, allowing for extra driver confidence and speed under cornering.DESIGNGo ahead and stare. This is one of the finest-looking, most handsome of 911s to hit the road with simple and bold lines, an elegant sufficiency.Some of this drooling may be prompted by this particular Cabrio being dressed in white with black roof and black wheels adding contrast.The GTS sits wider at the rear with the body 44 mm wider than a Carrera S but the interior is familiar, comfortable and sporting. "When you hold your breath you should at least be able to do so in comfort," notes Porsche's Rolf Frech.SAFETYAlong with Porsche's primary safety features - great chassis management, great brakes and steering _ there's the electronic aids of stability management system, six airbags and pop-up roll bars for the Cabrio.DRIVINGA Porsche 911 never fails to delight and this GTS proves, yet again, how great sports machines can bring life to the most jaded of motorists, adrenalin flowing as the car heads toward the next turn.Down a gear, maybe two, a little brake and turn. Into corner, car and driver balanced between throttle and wheel. Almost out and into the throttle as the machine squats and heads into the sunset.It is not always about driving fast, even if the GTS Cabrio can top 300km/h and jump from 0 to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds. It is not always about cornering with confidence at inordinate speeds and setting brilliant point-to-point times over lonely country roads.Indeed the Cabrio is one of those super cars just as happy about a run to the corner shop. It is always tractable, easy to use in city traffic while remaining a very special car.For there is something, almost intangible, about how the sum of these parts come together in a package that always feels alive, always communicative.Fast or slow, the 911 is forever talking to the driver, whether through that perfectly weighted steering and balanced chassis _ for smooth and linear progress through turns _ or the bark from that engine when prodded _ for smooth and smart progress well past Australian speed limits.It is this balance of power and prowess which makes an ordinary driver look and feel special. And this particular Cabrio ran the optional seven-speed PDK transmission, one of the slickest, most adaptive autos on the planet; this, plus the optional Sport Chrono package, sharpens the experience further with millisecond gear changes and more dynamic engine responses.VERDICTHard to be objective here. Porsche's sporting heritage, the 911 GTS Cabrio's style and punch combine to produce one of the best sports cars, albeit one of the more expensive, for many a day.

We just love the back to basics approach of the Porsche Boxster we have been driving all week.

It was a good little hardtop convertible before, and now the Volkswagen Eos has more to offer with a new facelift and extra goodies in the cabin.VALUEThe new Eos comes at a $500 premium to the existing models, putting the 103kW/320Nm turbodiesel at $49,990 and the 155kW/280Nm petrol donk at $51,990. Standard gear includes an alarm system, leather upholstery, dual climate-control, airconditioning, rain-sensing wipers and rear parking sensors. And now also Bluetooth and multimedia connectivity.TECHNOLGYVW says it takes the electro-hydraulic roof system just 25 seconds to raise or lower. The Eos was the first car to feature a five-piece hardtop with an integrated tilt/slide glass sunroof, and in day-to-day use it gives owners the choice of near sedan comfort with the roof up, or going all the way and dropping the top - but the in-between with just the sunroof open can be noisy so go for either one extreme or the other.DESIGNThe Eos front is unmistakably VW, with the wide, three slat grille running into wrap-around halogen headlights. It has a refined arched-roof coupe look with the roof up without being overtly sexy, but the convertible look has too many flat planes, even if that is the latest trend. The chrome strip around the waist helps break up the look a little - and advertises to 5500 existing Eos owners that you've got the latest model.SAFETYThere's only four airbags on the Eos. It's a bit hard to pack too many into a car where the roof comes off, but it still misses out on the knee bag that is available on the VW Golf. The Eos does have the latest software, though, with ABS brakes backed by brake assist and hill start assist, ESLP and an electronic diff lock (the system brakes the inside wheel when it detects imminent spin). A pair of rollover protection barriers are hidden behind the seats and the active head restraints are designed to minimise whiplash.DRIVINGThe Eos flexes enough to be unmistakably a convertible, but the chassis still sits flat on the road. The petrol engine is well ahead of its diesel counterpart, posting 7.8 seconds from 0-100km/h against 10.3 seconds. The tradeoff comes at the bowser where, while both engines are down by 0.2litres/100km on the previous model, the petrol still 7.7litres/100km against the diesel's 5.9litres/100km.The manual version has vanished in the update. VW spokesman Karl Gehling said only 15 per cent of buyers had opted for a clutch, so it was tossed out. That makes the six-speed DSG semi-automated transmission the only choice, but it's not a bad one. The ride can bash over larger bumps, but at highway speeds it's unlikely you'll shake up the chardonnay on that picnic drive.VERDICTFor those who like the occasional run in the sun but don't want the compromise to comfort that comes with a cloth roof, the Eos will continue to be a breath of fresh air.

There's a future for the electric car if they can make it as sporty as the two Porsche Boxster plug-ins at Challenge Bibendum.

It's been almost 10 years since the last Volkswagen Golf convertible was sold in Australia, and when the new one arrives later this year, it will be only the fourth model made since 1979.VALUEBut it goes on sale in Germany next month at a $8000 premium over the five-door Golf so could get here for $29,990. Compared with the Eos at $46,990, that's a great price and a great package. But it's a little engine and perhaps there'll be more interest in the 1.4 or 2-litre powerplants that better suit the DSG auto transmission and give a bit more oomph.DESIGNIt looks considerably shorter than the Golf hatch, despite sharing the platform and drivetrain. Because of that, it's certainly neat and appealing.Notably, it doesn't share any body panels with the hatch. The roof is a clever design that incorporates lots of hidden slivers of metal to keep it taut and flush against the body and glass.TECHNOLOGYThe engines exist in other current Volkswagen models though there are now two BlueMotion versions that include stop-start, regenerative braking and low-drag tyres to get fuel consumption down to 4.4 litres/100km and emissions of 117g/km CO2 for the 1.6-litre diesel. The rollbar function is taken up by two bars that automatically deploy when the car reaches a predetermined angle. Having two bars means space for an opening from the boot to carry long cargo.SAFETYIt should replicate the Golf's five-star crash rating. Standard kit includes seven airbags, the auto rollbars, electronic stability control plus a host of anti-slip wizardry, and the simple ability to be nimble and stable enough to hopefully avoid a prang in the first place.DRIVINGIt's lithe and predictable, as solid and confident on the bitumen as any quality big car, and is one of the rare automobiles that melds with the driver.The 2-litre petrol is fuss-free and has bulk torque to perfectly suit the DSG auto. It's also smooth and very quiet. The 1.4 TSI is a great engine and Volkswagen has overcome some initial mechanical problems so it's now reliable. More than that, it's just a buzz to drive.It works by using a supercharger to boost the little engine for rapid acceleration. It cuts out at 3500rpm and the turbocharger takes over.But my favourite is the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol, with the manual box. Weaving through the hills around St Tropez, it is such an engaging machine that demands the driver keeps it on the boil - 2500-6000rpm is best - which means shuffling the six-speed box.It is light and that shows up in how responsive it is into and out of a sharp - believe me, St Tropez hill roads are really sharp and very narrow - bends.By comparison, the diesel had superb torque but you feel the weight in the nose that manifests itself as understeer. The 1.2 is almost free of understeer.VERDICTIt may have been a long time returning, but it's welcome back.

A shiney scalp middle aged bloke biffs through the traffic in a roof-down roadster. Not a good look, is it? And I should know.Pity, because at a time when some states seem poised to levy fines and demerit points for so as much mentioning "fun" in the same sentence as "driving", the Mazda MX-5 remains an unadulterated dose of jollies.It's become easily the world's most popular roadster largely because of its affordability, but this perennial Mazda is also a dynamic classic and an almost unique experience among new cars. If you've the least drop of petrol in your veins, you must drive one at least once.Nothing to touch it at this price. The alternatives we suggest aren't entirely comparable except in so far as they will drop their tops.The base soft roof touring, which really is all the MX-5 you need, starts at $42,460, the Roadster Coupe range with it's foldaway hard top of lightweight composite materials begins at $47,200. Our "special" edition gets nice silver paint ( metallic blue or black if you prefer), beige seats and grey stitching around the wheel and handbrake with Bilstein shocks.Otherwise it's stock. Moreover, it's gift that'll keep giving. Well-maintained MX-5's with more than 150,000km on the clock are not uncommon.Simplicity is the key. Although the folding hard top folds up or away at a button's touch, still it needs to be manually latched.  The revable, willing and able 2.0-litre atmo four is driven through a short throw six-speed manual. There are auto MX-5s and these are not bad, but they remove some of the interaction which is central to the roadster experience.For once "classic" isn't a misnomer. The MX-5 remains all of that  a (still fairly) lightweight, low slung, rear-wheel-drive two seater that exists to be driven for the sake of it.Generation three has been with us for six years, but the diminutive shape shows no sign of ageing. That's what comes of being (sorry) a classic.Time has been less kind to the inside which is looking distinctly last decade. Some of the plastics, especially around the centre storage bin serve to remind this is a budget sports car. If you want opulence, by all means spend at least twice the money on a German roadster for nothing like the return in terms of what one of those brands bills as sheer driving pleasure.Four crash safety stars is not of the top drawer but acceptable. Anti-skid brakes bolster discs, ventilated up front solids on the rear. While the limited slip differential allows you to burst out of corners, it's equally a safety measure for the distribution of power to the driving wheels.Dynamic Stability Control, Mazda's take on what most car maker's call an electronic stability program, is among the most sympathetically tuned in the business. It cuts in deftly when called upon, but you need to be speaking loudly.The absence of a spare tyre is acceptable in a tiny roadster, though that's no consolation if you cop a flat.As ever, a delight. The MX-5 has never been about outright power, though at under eight seconds from standing to the 100km/h mark it's handily quick and, being so sweetly petite, almost always feels fast.Rather, as cars become more cosseting and forgiving, this remains about intimacy and instant response to your inputs. Yes, the MX-5 has acquired heft due to modern necessities as airbags and (unforgivably in the eyes of purists) that folding hardtop, but there is nothing, repeat, nothing, quite like it at anything like the money.Turning through that wonderfully alive and accurate steering is paper cut sharp. Though a joyous device when pushed, perhaps the greatest thing about the MX-5 is that under the ever more draconian enforcement regimes of our revenue hungry state and territory governments, you need not chart extremes to enjoy it.Top up or scalp scorchingly down, it gives you something back on a suburban roundabout or dodging through city traffic.The iconic yet completely contemporary sports car.

The heat is on to get younger - and young at heart - owners into the new Mercedes-Benz SLK. Droptop sportscar driving fun all year round is the aim for of the third incarnation of the Mercedes-Benz two seater.The new hard-topped convertible has been endowed with the styling cues of the SLS AMG and the more recent CLS, as well as more efficient BlueEfficiency powerplants - two-turbo four-cylinders and a petrol V6, claiming up to 25 per cent better fuel economy.Australian SLK buyers will be offered the SLK 200, 250 (in lieu of the 300) and 350 models with only the seven-speed automatic when the model line-up arrives in the third quarter, but a diesel model offered in Europe is unlikely to make it here.What will make it here is the next AMG model, but details on the high-performance model's engine choice and other details are yet to be finalised.VALUEPricing is not yet set but Mercedes-Benz says the prices announced in Melbourne at the Australian International Motor Show mid-year will be close to the $92,000 starting price of the current model, with extra features to more than off-set any small increase.The range kicks off with the SLK 200 and SLK 250, both powered by the 1.8-litre direct-injection turbocharged four-cylinder; the 200 delivers 135kW and 270Nm; the 250's outputs from the same engine jump to 150kW and 310Nm .The SLK 200 claims 6.1 litres of premium unleaded per 100km and a 0-100km/h time of seven seconds. The SLK 250's thirst is 0.1 l/100km more, but the sprint time drops to 6.6 sconds.The 3.5-litre V6 engine in the SLK 350 - also seen in the new C-Class (on which the SLK is based) but not on the Oz-bound list - generates 225 kW and 370Nm, claiming the sprint to 100km/h is completed in 5.6 seconds. The V6, which claims fuel use of 7.1 litres per 100km, has been revamped to use third-generation direct injection and piezo injectors.Among the features list is the stop-start fuel saving system, Bluetooth phone and music link, leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather seat trim, seat heaters, trip computer, centre infotainment satnav display, LED running lights, the Airscarf heaters and a veratile (if small) boot with a reversible floor.The new SLK also has three suspension set-ups - standard steel-spring suspension, a sports-tuned version of the conventional system or the Dynamic Handling option, which adds the Sports button to sharpen up the chassis with electronically-controlled dampers.TECHNOLOGYThe SLK range now features stop-start as standard, appeasing the greenie conscience a little, but the most obvious hi-tech feature is the clever roof.Anyone who likes transition spectacle lenses will love the new world premiere (optional) Magic Sky Control roof, which transforms from transparent to heavily tinted at the touch of a button.The glass pane of the roof panel is altered by electricity - the particles are positioned to allow light through, until the voltage drops, when the particles re-align and partially block the light.The Dynamic Handling package includes the company's Direct-Steer variable-ratio system and the torque vectoring brake system, which brakes the inside rear wheel on corner entry to help the car turn in.DESIGNThe SLK has been given the new family nose, with the long bonnet, rear-set cabin and abbreviated rump all combing to complete an aesthetically-pleasing package, roof up or down.The company cites its iconic 1950s 190 SL, the new CLS and the SLS AMG all as styling influences. The bonnet and front wings are made of aluminium, but use of composite materials in the rear and lightweight steel, the body remains rigid but 13kg lighter than its predecessor.The interior oozes ergonomic character and quality, thanks to materials used - more SLS cues can be found, with the four round, galvanised air outlets.SAFETYAs you'd expect there's no shortage of safety technology - active head restraints, adaptive headlights, tyre pressure warning system and day-time running lights.There are dual front airbags, including a head airbag for lateral protection in the head impact area, as well as a side thorax airbag in the seat backrest.Added to the SLK's list is the drowsiness detection system Attention Assist, PreSafe and PreSafe Brake - which can hit the brakes autonomously if the detects a rear-end collision is imminent.The SLK can also have Distronic Plus active cruise control, the Intelligent Lights and Speed Limit Assist, which spots speed limit signs using a windscreen-mounted camera.DRIVING The tight, twisty and mountainous roads of Tenerife gave the SLK plenty of scope to shine and in some ways it did.The small turbo four powerplant in the SLK 250 sampled first makes all the right sort of noises, thanks to a "sound generator" that enhances the powerplant sound track, particularly the intake noise. The extra plumbing works, but the powerplant feels a little hesitant to get into its stride coming out of tight hairpins.The ride quality in both the base and electronically-damped cars is very good - even on the steep, frost-bitten sealed goat tracks - delivering decent body control as well, but some more accuracy and feel to the steering wouldn't go astray.The 250 and the seven-speed auto seem a good team, with downchange blips when the transmission's sport mode is engaged, although the ratio change could be snappier - it is being touted as a sportscar after all.The V6 powerplant doesn't need fancy plumbing to make nice noises, delivering deceptively quick progress, although it felt a little light on low-down torque. The seven-speed auto tacked on the back of the V6 had "issues", defaulting from the manual change mode using the paddles to the full-auto Economy mode - on a couple of the V6 cars.Mercedes-Benz staffers suggested heat and altitude on a spirited hillclimb drive might have initiated a protection mode.The aerodynamic performance of air deflectors with the roof down was effective, which meant little in the way of cabin buffeting, even well above normal highway speeds; the heated seats and the Airscarf neck vents kept the sub-10 deg C ambient temperature at bay.VERDICTAs a year-round proposition, the SLK - in either guise - is a capable all-rounder, but drivers looking for a scalpel to carve corners will be looking elsewhere in Stuttgart.Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class.Price: from around $92,000.Engine: 1.8-litre turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder, 3.5-litre direct-injection V6.Transmission: seven-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive.Power: 135kW, 150kW; 225kW.Torque: 270Nm, 310Nm; 370Nm.Performance (seconds 0-100km/h, top speed): 7.0, 6.6, 5.6; 237km/h, 243km/h, 250km/h (governed).Fuel consumption (litres/100km): 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, tank 60 litres.Emissions (g/km): 142, 144, 167.Suspension: independent, coil springs, gas-pressure shock absorbers, stabiliser bar (front); multi-link independent, coil springs, gas-pressure shock absorbers, stabiliser.Brakes: four-wheel discs, front venntilated discs, with anti-lock, stability control systems.Dimensions: length 4134mm, width 1810mm, height 1301mm, wheelbase 2430mm, track fr/rr 1559/1565mm, cargo volume 335 (roof up)/225 (open-top) litres, weight 1470-1540kg.Wheels: 16in (17 in on 250 & 350).

Luxury boulevard cruisers have a new way to glide the streets as BMW unveils its bling-bling 6-Series convertible.Expected here in June with pricing to repeat the outgoing versions quarter-million dollar-plus tag, the new 6 is a sharper, more athletic and better focused two-seater.BMW pulls no punches as it launches the car in Cape Town. Its Australian spokesman, Piers Scott, says it will mark a substantial jump in sales - improving on its 30-plus annual average for the convertible."That's not including the M version and it's not including the coupe," he says. "When they come, we expect even stronger buyer response."BMW is breaking a few rules - including some of its own - with the new luxury convertible.For once its being launched - unprecedented - before the coupe, which is due in Australia in the last quarter of this year.Second, because we may not all need the bi-turbo V8 of the 650i, there's the (cheaper) option of a turbo-six, the 640i.And thirdly, though the company has crowed about the advantages of a folding metal roof, the new 6 retains a cloth lid."Fabric is lighter and a lot of the engineering and focus of this car is about saving weight to improve fuel economy and to lower emissions," Scott says. "It also folds down tighter and that means when the roof is down, it doesn't adversely affect boot space. There's only about 50 litres of boot storage difference between the roof up and down."But one of the deciding factors for a fabric roof was the style.Scott says: "It sits a lot better and retains the lines of the roof compared with metal - there's not a huge difference but we have discerning buyers and we want the car to look absolutely right."VALUEClearly, its expensive. It will perhaps add a couple of thousand to the outgoing $245,100 650i Convertible but that's still an awful lot of bickies.It rivals roadsters like the Jaguar XK ($247,415), Maserati GranCabrio ($338,000), and perhaps even the two-seater Mercedes SL500 ($331,350) and Porsche Carrera cabriolet ($245,300).But it's actually closer in design and appeal to only the Jaguar.Typically, the 6-Series has heaps of features and a soaring (in quantity and price) options list. Few will buy it in its raw state, lured by active suspension and geek-candy ConnectedDrive that can incorporate night vision, surround view cameras and lane change warnings.I'm not saying the standard equipment doesn't impress - I'm saying you should be prepared to be lured by technology and its ability to open your wallet.DESIGNThis is streets ahead of its predecessor in looks. It is tauter, so the various body bulges seem stretched over the chassis hidden muscles. Despite being 75mm longer, it looks smaller.The cabin is neater and though it retains that BMW teutonic simplicity, you will marvel at that superb 250mm centre screen that, thanks to its matte finish, remains so perfectly clear and user-friendly regardless of reflective light when the roof is open.Then there's the stitched leather dashboard, perfectly fitting trim panels and extremely comfortable (standard) seats.TECHNOLOGYPages could be written about what's inside this thing. The electronics that run the audio, central monitor, ventilation and all the stuff layered beneath iDrive will bogle the mind and make you wonder how any owner has the time to find its end.The drivetrain now starts with the bi-turbo 235kW/450Nm 3-litre six and closes with the 300kW/600Nm 4.4-litre V8. A diesel may be available in Europe but no word about Australia.Both mate to an eight-speed automatic, drive the rear wheels and suspend on aluminium struts with the optional electronic dampers and adaptive steering of Adaptive Drive that includes active rollbars.The 640i also gets regenerative braking that charges the battery for the stop-start system. BMW says the V8 may follow later.DRIVINGBMW could have dished out a drive route of boulevards and freeways and held the launch on a sunny day to magnify the benefits of the convertible.Instead, it chose stunning roads that glued the sides of cliffs as they precipitously edged the dark threatening maelstrom of the joint of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.Some roads were smooth and tight - Chapman's Peak being the most enriching for its vista, potentially deadly for any driver error - while the equally as scenic run around the rocky gorges of FranschhoekPass was a series of blind corners on narrow, rutted cliff-sided roads.Quite deliberately, these varied road surfaces and driving conditions focussed on the car's (optional) Drive Dynamic Control that offers the choice of four suspension settings.Get it right and the Franschhoek Pass' sudden jolts is ironed out and the bodyroll through Chapman's Peak is flat. There's more - the steering is sharper, throttle response and gearchanges quicker as you go up the suspension "ladder" and at Sport+, there's barely a hint of traction control.The steering is equally as impressive and though I could query its tendency to occasionally feel a bit numb, it can't really be criticised for the job of steering a near two-tonne convertible being treated like a one-tonne sports coupe.The engine is a surprise. It does all the things you expect from a V8 with two turbochargers and while it has a rare seamless torque spread and an unruffled 7000rpm top end, it doesn't rev the heart.There's a nice burble and a subdued roar but - unlike for example the Maserati and Jaguar - it masks its soul.The 6-Series Convertible will seat two adults and two children, has a respectable "two golfbag" boot space with the roof down, and has tireless seating backed by a brilliant audio system.VERDICTA big, beautifully built and engineered GT roadster that is actually a seriously fast sports machine - sadly, to be bought by cityfolk commuting to the suburban golf club with the roof down.

"FUEL, sir?" Not unless you have a plug, a 30m lead and eight hours to spare.  Force of habit has taken me into a petrol station to pause, stretch the legs and put the roof up. It's a blistering Sydney day and top-down this Tesla Roadster is too hot for comfort.But of course I could have pulled in anywhere, because this Roadster, one of just a handful in Australia, is an electric sportscar. It no more drinks petrol when it's parched than you or me. If its batteries needed replenishing, then there would be no point stopping here.Besides, the Roadster is charged to the brim. Awaiting my arrival, it was connected to a special box on the wall of Tesla's nascent Sydney HQ by a cable as thick as a baby's arm. Most owners are expected to invest in one of these fast chargers, which lower the time on life-support to 3 1/2 hours. They're not cheap at $4500, but then you're not buying a hatchback.Plugged into the mains with a three-pin, you'll need to leave it overnight to juice it up for its 360km range. The rewards for your patience are running costs well below anything with an engine. At $10 a fill, the Roadster does the equivalent of about 2 litres per 100km. No sportscar - or hybrid, for that matter - can come close.Nothing comes out of the tailpipe either, because there isn't one.  Previously, my exposure to electric vehicles has been limited to a few kilometres in city runabouts, a couple of laps in experimental prototypes, and fun fair dodgems.This is the first time I've been free to explore the limits of one without a minder looking over my shoulder.  And its limits are one of the first things on my mind. The car's theoretical 360km range constantly changes in line with my right foot. Hit the throttle hard for a minute or two and the range display drops precipitously. If I switch it into Sport mode, it drops even more.My intended route covers about 200km, so it should be doable. But getting it wrong would be an embarrassing, not to say time-wasting, disaster. I realise I'm already suffering from range concern and I fear it's a precursor to full-blown range anxiety.Carmakers vary in their assessment of this ailment. Depending on the degree of their commitment to the battery car, it's either a debilitating disease that can leave you totally reliant on public transport, or it's a completely irrational fear and you just need to get a grip.Reason prevails and I press on. Putting the roof up - a manual procedure on a par with pitching a swag - has made the heat more bearable and served as a reminder of how the Roadster started life.DESIGNIt's based on a Lotus Elise, the tiny British sportscar, but with the aluminium chassis widened a bit and all the panels, in carbon fibre, bespoke to the Tesla. The Californians then fit 6831 lithium-ion batteries, an electric motor, a single-speed gearbox and a box of electronic gubbins behind the cabin. Tesla says just 7 per cent of the final car is actually a Lotus Elise.From the driver's seat it feels like more, because the cabin is extremely similar. The main difference is a small centre console where the gearstick would normally be, which houses a touchscreen to access the Roadster's brain.The thick sills that make getting in and out of an Elise so difficult are the same, as are the dash and the steering wheel. There's the same dreadful Alpine audio and satnav system used by Lotus, and the same airconditioning system with two settings: loud and louder.TECHNOLOGYPerhaps it's 7 per cent by weight, because the batteries and other stuff behind me weigh 450kg. All told, two-thirds of the Roadster's 1450kg sit over the rear axle. And that's before you've squeezed luggage into the 170-litre boot, which sits right in the tail.Uneven weight distribution is obviously not ideal and initially I'm acutely aware of it. But it's not unique in the car world. Floor the throttle and the Tesla's nose bobs up, a bit like a Porsche 911's. Also like a 911, the rear tyres have no problem getting traction down and have a mountain of grip.DRIVINGOnce you get used to it, the car feels tied down and through corners it stays remarkably flat. The suspension has to be firm to get that result, but that's what you expect anyway in a sportscar.  Usually, the price would be an unbearable ride quality, but it isn't. There's less jolting than in an Elise.Which isn't to say it's a serene place to be. Wind and road noise thunder through an Elise, with its lack of insulation and roll-your-own roof, and it's no different here. There's less engine noise to smoother the racket - and pedestrians might be oblivious - but inside the motor is louder than expected.When we're all driving electric cars because V8s have been banned, the Tesla might be remembered as one of the songbirds of the flock.  While we can still enjoy the glorious tunes that petrol can make, though, it's never going to make the charts. It sounds like a tram that's entered Formula One.The question of how much sound plays in the magic of a sportscar comes to the fore with the Tesla. Because it doesn't lack handling and it certainly doesn't lack acceleration. The first time I experienced an electric car at maximum volts will stay with me for some time.The Sport version, driven here, goes like a cat that's stuck its claws in the mains. It will hit 100km/h in under 4 seconds. That's a supercar, whatever it's got in the tank. Even if it doesn't have tank. Uphill, when the instantaneous torque comes into its own, it's fantastic. Downhill you can exploit the dramatic engine braking.With only a single gear, revs and speed move in tandem and one dial serves to measure both. The Roadster maxes out at 14,000 revs, which is F1-like, and that equates to just over 200km/h. Which isn't enough for F1, but just about enough for Sydney.The range proves sufficient as well, although there's not a lot to spare when I get back. The car's electronics step in to curb lead-foot tendencies as the range dwindles, or to prevent the batteries overheating.VERDICTThe Roadster is an extremely unusual sportscar and the company thinks as many as 40 Australians a year will be curious enough to buy one.  It has many of the drawbacks of the donor Lotus but, for the moment at least, offers something unique in the way it delivers supercar performance. Something with eco-credentials.And I find consolation in the paradox of this. Nobody, after all, needs a sportscar. It would be greener not to buy one at all. Tesla sees itself as allied to the environmental movement. I prefer to think of it as working undercover for the other side.

If you like petrol – and I love it – this feels like a betrayal. I’m in a screaming hot sports car that uses no petrol at all, and it might just be the fastest-accelerating car I’ve ever driven.The Tesla Roadster 2.5, a fully-electric two-seater built in California by way of Lotus in the UK, uses a monster stack of lithium-ion batteries to deliver the sort of straight-line performance usually associated with twelve Italian cylinders (or six turbocharged German ones).A bigger shock, so to speak, comes when you lift off the accelerator.  Remember what happened when you backed off the trigger on your little Scalectrix cars? They stopped.Well, so does the Tesla. That mass of cells coupled to a one-speed gearbox acts as a massive (and power-regenerating) decelerationunit.Which is almost a pity, since the example I’m driving is equipped with a cute combination of AP Racing and Brembo braking hardware. Tooling along in standard Sydney traffic, there’s barely need to use any of it.As well, there is also the faintest scent of hard-spinning alternating-current motor. It isn’t unpleasant, although it is more intrusive than anything you’ll experience in a comparatively-priced sportster.Other oddities include the very nature of that fearsome forward propulsion.  A lot happens in a typical high-performance car under maximum acceleration. Hundreds of intricate reciprocating, revolving and repeating parts work together to convert a sequence of controlled explosions into thrust. It’s beautiful and dramatic, if inefficient from a green perspective.The Tesla just has … power. There’s more drama in a carpet-cleaning infomercial. If you can pick out the AC motor’s high-pitched hum above the tyre noise (which is noticeable here, but usually overwhelmed by the engine in a conventional car) it sounds sort of like a turbo without an engine attached.In fact, the whole series of events leading up to any accelerative bursts is extraordinarily fussless. Turn the conventional key in the conventional column lock. Wait, out of habit, for the engine noise you won’t hear. Press the button marked D on the centre console. Apply foot to right pedal. Then sweep past almost any car on the road, at least up to the highway speed limit, which the Tesla hits in under four seconds.A handy g-meter located on the console notes the forces involved. We recorded a quick reading of 0.7 from acceleration alone. Putting aside any technical explanations, this basically gives driver and passenger an instant Botox effect. Ka-pow! No lines or wrinkles as your whole face is suddenly hauled backwards. (Braking causes the opposite, of course. An instant Ernest Borgnine effect.)Corners aren’t such an easy win. The Tesla is based on Lotus’s rail-handling Elise – although with development now shares only a claimed seven per cent of components – so the basics are all abundantly sound. But the combined mid-mounted cell pack and transmission weighs 450kg, meaning that this is one very light car (largely built from carbon fibre) with a substantially heavy and dense centre section.It’s fine around town, if you don’t mind the lack of power steering (I don’t, despite it requiring more effort than in the featherweight Elise). Just a guess at this point, but a track test might turn up some quirks. After all, 450kg is hard to hide, as Al Gore’s tailor can tell you.Which brings us to the types of buyers the Tesla might attract. At a base price of $206,188, this isn’t for the dirt and dreadlocks brigade. Nor, considering the Lotus-inherited entry and egress challenges – youthful flexibility is required – will it suit oldsters or the chunky. But if you’re a cashed-up 30-something with both the hots for Gaia and some surviving strands of testosterone, this might be the guilt-free performance car for you.One additional advantage: it’s a convertible, so the WRXs and V8s you leave behind can hear you laughing as you go. For petrol-drenched carbon addicts like me, that will be a very cruel sound indeed.