Ben Barry | Convertible | CAR Magazine Online

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Convertible

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Mazda MX-5 GT (2012) CAR review

3.5

Ben Barry, 21 August 2012 14:00

Talk about stealing the limelight: so much has the focus been on the new Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ twins that just about everyone has forgotten about one key alternative, the Mazda MX-5. Now Mazda UK are hoping to put at stop to all that, with this MX-5 GT concept. A production car would be preferable, surely… Well, hopefully that’s ...

Porsche Boxster S (2012) CAR review

3.5

Ben Barry, 09 March 2012 07:00

This is the all-new Porsche Boxster, the third generation of Porsche’s mid-engined drop-top. Just like its big brother, the 991-gen Porsche 911, there are big changes afoot: a new aluminium/steel hybrid bodyshell, significantly tweaked vital stats, a base engine that gets 200cc smaller while also gaining performance, and new electromechanical steering. Read on for our first drive review of the ...

Mercedes SL500 (2012) CAR review

Ben Barry, 07 March 2012 12:15

This is the new Mercedes-Benz SL, only the sixth SL generation to launch in six decades. And because they don’t release one very often, you can typically expect a new SL to mark a giant leap on from the last one. This new Mercedes SL (codenamed R231) is no exception. What are the key changes to this new sixth-generation Mercedes SL? ...

Mercedes SLK 250 (2011) CAR review

3.5

Ben Barry, 08 March 2011 00:01

This is the new Mercedes-Benz SLK, the third generation of Stuttgart’s folding hardtop sports car. Traditionally, 50-something females have been the SLK’s key demographic, but Mercedes is trying to shift the needle a little towards men. It’s a tricky brief : improve refinement and usability even further, while enhancing driving dynamics too. But Mercedes is bullish: ‘We were surprised when ...

Lotus Elise (2010) first drive CAR review

4.5

Ben Barry, 19 April 2010 09:24

You’ll struggle to spot the difference, but this is the third-generation 2010-spec Lotus Elise. The basic chassis, brakes and dimensions remain unchanged, but the styling is subtly tweaked (the headlights are the stand-out change, but many of the panels are gently finessed) and the base model now has a 1.6-litre Toyota-sourced engine located amidships and a six-speed gearbox to replace ...

Mercedes E250 CGI Cabriolet (2010) CAR review

Ben Barry, 30 March 2010 10:30

With the CLK convertible out of the Mercedes line-up, the four-seat soft-top niche is filled by this, the E-class Cabriolet. We’re driving the E250 CGI. What’s the spec of the new Mercedes E250 CGI Cabriolet? The CGI part tells us we’re driving a direct-injection petrol turbo. The 250 bit means this is the 1.8-litre turbo that’s good for 201bhp and ...

Mercedes E250 CDI Cabriolet (2010) CAR review

2.5

Ben Barry, 22 March 2010 12:13

All is not what it seems in Mercville these days. Take the new E-class Coupé and Cabriolet twins. They wear the proud E-class badge, yet strip away the verisimilitude and you'll spot the guts and garters from the C-class and E-class parts cupboards. But those looks are 100% new E, and we'd have to admit the new E-class convertible is ...

Bentley Continental GTC Speed (2009) CAR review

Ben Barry, 24 March 2009 10:37

Three years on from its original press launch, Bentley has just added extra appeal to its Continental-based GTC convertible with the introduction of the GTC Speed. Power climbs from 552bhp to 600bhp and torque from 479lb ft to 553lb ft, helping the Speed to crack 60mph in the same 4.8sec as the GT, while ‘only’ 195mph is on offer, roof ...

BMW Z4 sDrive35i (2009) CAR review

3.5

Ben Barry, 19 March 2009 23:00

It says something that the first-generation BMW Z4 is already off-sale, yet it still looks ahead of its time, and is still fun to drive. The second-generation model, then, has quite an act to follow. CAR has just driven it, in twin turbo 35i trim – a 23i and 30i are also available – and we can report that it’s a very ...

Aston Martin 4.7-litre V8 Vantage Roadster Sportshift (2008) CAR review

3.5

Ben Barry, 22 May 2008 17:18

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster was introduced only a year ago, but already it’s been revised, the headline stats being a V8 that’s been bored and stroked from 4.3 to 4.7-litres (new pistons, liners and crankshaft), pushing power from 380bhp to 420bhp and torque from 302lb ft to 346 lb ft. The price? It rises from £91k to £93k ...

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