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| Clare Vale with ''Pearly''. |
QUESTION: I am a
successful female entrepreneur who wants to buy a sportscar that will tell the
business world in which I operate that I may be sexy, but I’m not to be messed
with. I also don’t want to (again) have the hassle of long wait for parts that
seems to be part and parcel of driving a lesser-spotted car in South Africa. And
finally I want to have fun on road trips. What do you recommend?
French curves like no other
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| The most exclusive curves in SA. |
The sportscar that will
make you stand out from the crowd is the Peugeot RCZ. As the photo shows, this
two-door has the most gorgeous set of curves on wheels in SA today and the back
has two narrow seats for two not-too-leggy adult friends.
Despite being front-wheel driven, the RCZ comes with all the goods
under the hood and a suspension that is set up to deliver a lot of driving
pleasure. A three-year warranty and roadside assistance are standard, but this
Pug retails for a relatively steep R524 000, so you’d want to be VERY successful
to drive it. And alas, because this beaut is such a rare sight on SA’s roads,
there is no guarantee that parts will be in local stock should you have a bumper
bashing.
Twins on
different pins
For the less exclusive
but still capable sportscars that come with the benefit of a large dealership
chain, take for a spin either the Toyota 86 (R239 700) or Subaru BRZ (R399 000),
which share a platform and drivetrain, but the Subaru has stiffer suspension.
Both are, however, made for the dame who knows hairpins can also
refer to narrow turns that keep on closing. SA’s Queen of Drift and stock car
racer Clare Vale loves her BRZ and — as reported in Wheels
— has already had a big turbo fitted for even more power.
The 86 comes with a Toyota Service Plan for four years or 60 000 km
and an optional maintenance plan, while the BRZ comes with Subaru Assist and a
standard five-year or 105 000 km maintenance plan. Both cars have a three-year
or 100 000 km warranty.
Mazda’s hairpin eater
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| Don't let those giggly headlights fool you, the MX5 loves eating hairpins. |
If letting your tail-end
drift loose at every corner is not quite how you roll, Mazda’s iconic MX5
roadster will earn you all the street cred you want in the office parking lot.
Mild in design with headlights that look like the car is having a good giggle,
the MX5 just loves hard cornering and it comes with three years’ roadside
assistance; a four-year or 120 000 km warranty and a four-year or 60 000 km
service plan. As the world’s best selling sports car, an older one will show you
have been a car connoisseur for a long time and a new roadster (for about
R373 000) will bear silent testimony to your taste.
Can-do classic roadsters
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| Nissan's 350Z |
Finally, you have three
classic choices which you will only be able to buy used as they are no longer
made new — Nissan’s 350Z, the Audi TT and Honda’s S2000.
A Nissan roadster in good nick still sells for R200k, but our
choice at Wheels,
the 350Z coupé, can go for a relatively low R125k. And bonus: the hard-muscle
lines of a 350Z will automatically open up a seat at any boardroom table you
care to sit down.
The TT sells from R443k new, but a second-hand one can be had for
less than R120k, making these stylish wheels your bargain sportscar of choice,
with hard-nose cornering ability.
Honda’s sleek S2000 comes with Jekyll and Hyde engine that will
meekly mooch along below 6 000 revolutions per minute, but beware when going
over that. This engine revs as high as a motorbike and demands a skilled driver.
If you are not committed to that corner, the S2000 will wrap itself around the
nearest tree faster than any 911 Porsche ever did, wasting the R190k to R225k a
used one costs these days.
We also recommend spending some time with the drivers at KZN’s
oldest racing club, Sidewayz, to learn how to control the power.
