We've seen more than our fair share of roadsters in the CNET Car Tech garage this summer. Here is our roundup of the ones that brought the most sunshine into our lives.
The 2008 Audi TT 3.2 Quattro skimps on neither performance nor cabin gadgets. The convertible version of Audi's unique little coupe gets a remake for 2008, with some minor exterior updates and a full range of interior tech.
Mazda's legendary MX-5 Miata is evolving. First, it borrowed the pronounced fenders and angry, slanted headlights from its RX-8 big brother, and this year it's traded in its old cloth roof for a sleek, retractable hardtop. The 2007 MX-5 Miata PRHT (the acronym stands for "power retractable hard top") is a stylish roadster that looks equally good with the roof up or down.
With its flared wheel arches and front fenders, gleaming 18-inch alloy wheels, and curvaceous sheet metal, the two-seater is one of the most eye-catching cars ever to leave a GM production line. Its turbocharged, 260-horsepower engine gives the GXP the performance to back up its pretty-boy looks.
The 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP looks--and drives--like a sports car. With its whirlwind turbocharged engine, great handling, and gorgeous looks, this mini-Vette is an ideal weekend getaway car, if you don't bring any luggage.
The 2007 Honda S2000 is the yardstick for non-luxury roadsters. With its 8,000rpm redline, razor-sharp handling, and precise, six-speed manual gearbox, this track-tuned two-seater is a car you will dream about driving while you're stuck in the office,
The S2000's engine is a work of art, whether you're listening to it, looking at it, or feeling its power. It's a 237-horsepower, 2.2-liter four-cylinder with a red aluminum-alloy head cover and an oversize radiator, necessary for keeping the heat down when it's cycling at 7,500rpm. The engine uses Honda's VTEC variable valve-timing technology to help it put out more than 100 horsepower per liter of displacement.
A potent V-8 engine and advanced handling technology make the 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL550 a pleasure to drive, while its stunning exterior profile--with the retractable hardtop--lets the world know you've arrived.
The SL550 has the performance credentials to earn it distinction as more than just a pretty face. With an all-aluminum 5.5-liter V-8 and Mercedes' Advanced Body Control technology, the SL550 has great driving dynamics and refined--although not overwhelming--power on tap.
Like the Solstice GXP, with which it shares most of its DNA, the 2007 Saturn Sky Red Line combines its dashing good looks with dashing performance, courtesy of its sport-tuned suspension and turbo-charged, direct-injection engine.
In contrast to the Solstice's curvy body styling, the Sky boasts aggressively arched fenders and a menacing mesh-trimmed front profile, giving it a Batmobile brawn. Being the performance-tuned version of the marque, the Red Line also features some unique styling cues, including chrome-trimmed dual exhaust outlets, 18-inch chrome-clad wheels, and a couple of brake-cooling vents in the lower front fascia.
The baby of the Porsche lineup inherits some of the family performance jewels. The Boxster S goes from standing to 60mph in a shade over five seconds, courtesy of its 3.4-liter, horizontally opposed, six-cylinder engine producing 295 horsepower.
The Boxster's midengine configuration lets Porsche balance this car out by putting the bulk of its weight in the center, instead of over the front or rear axles. The car's handling benefits immensely.
