Bargain heatwave busters | Six of the Best
To the committed, a £15k convertible appeals year-round - but if there was a perfect time, it's right now...
BMW Z4 35i, 2012, 67k, £13,990
You know it, we know it, everyone knows it: it’s ruddy hot out there. Scorching all day sunshine that deserves pools and piña coladas, but which is being endured through Powerpoint decks and iced lattes. Convertible prices rise in the summer, every year, with the mercury; the same way turkeys cost more in December. So how about great convertibles that, relatively speaking, don’t cost much at all? £15k barely buys an EV snotbox these days, though that’s what’s being asked (or less) for each of these. Including a very smart BMW Z4: the E89 tends to be forgotten somewhat now, 10 years after production ended and without the Bangle association, but in 35i form it boasts more than 300hp from a turbo straight-six and a dual-clutch ‘box. Nice red leather here, too. And to think this used to be the ugly BMW…
Mercedes SLK55 AMG, 2008, 78k, £15,950
In the pantheon of very silly AMGs, there’s absolutely a space for the SLK. Typically offered with a range of forced induction fours and wheezy V6s, it was never really on the radar of enthusiasts. That was until the decision was made to fit a 5.4-litre V8. There wasn’t a Mercedes safe from the 55 AMG treatment back in the day, with everything from G-Wagen to S-Class getting the M113 stuffed into it. The SLK was surely the cult hero of the bunch, for the sheer lunacy of its car size to engine size ratio. It still wasn’t the greatest convertible in the world to drive, but that seemed largely irrelevant in the presence of such a motor. This split-rimmed and bespoilered car looks like it has a story to tell alright; rest assured more sombre specs are available at less than £15k if you must.
Nissan 370Z, 2011, 65k, £12,850
Here’s one you’d forgotten about. Because think Japanese sports cars of the '00s, and it’s a choice between S2000 and MX-5. Discuss Nissan Zed cars of the era and the 350 will come to mind, resurrecting a classic coupe in style for a new century. Heck, even a conversation about the 370Z would probably lean towards the NISMO, given it was the first time such a car was offered in the UK. But the seldom-seen Roadster absolutely warrants inclusion: better looking than the soft-top 350Z, rarer than the coupe, and surely more interesting than the usual alternatives with its brawny V6 and manual gearbox. Buy elsewhere for a swish interior or the last word in sophistication - but if entertainment is the order of the day, look no further.
Alfa Romeo GTV 3.0, 2001, 46k, £13,000
Of course, if you’re buying a convertible partly to listen to the melody coming from the engine bay, you can hardly do better than the Alfa GTV - because we all know the Busso will reach parts of you that no other budget option can match. It’s the engine’s presence (not to mention increasing rarity), that has seen GTV prices raised from the dead in recent years. Factor in low miles and it’s hardly a surprise to see this family-owned example at £13k. A much newer MX-5 would be more dependable, obviously - but you would not start grinning inanely every time your foot goes near the accelerator pedal. Also, the Spider (even on the wrong wheels) will never stop looking good under a setting sun.
Audi TT RS, 2012, 73k, £13,990
If you’d like to combine fair-weather usage with white-knuckle performance, you needn’t look any further than the TT RS. It has all the nuance of a brick falling into a skip - but it goes like the clappers and corners like a slot car. There is the soundtrack of the inline-five to enjoy as well (rest assured, it sounds all the more intoxicating in the older variants), and because the TT didn’t change much stylistically over its long life cycle, most punters won’t know how old it is - especially if you’re minded to acquire a new private plate. Admittedly this one looks like a roller skate on black wheels, but it’s done acceptably few miles and the gloss red will help hide your sunburn.
Porsche Boxster, 2005, 34k, £14,925
The PH hive mind has sufficient personal experience of old Porsche Boxsters to suggest that considerable forethought ought to be given to any purchase - but we’re equally aware of the pay-off, too. All that nuance missing from the TT is alive and well in arguably the best roadster of the modern era. A Lotus Elise will amplify those pleasing sensations even more, of course, though, as ever, it suffers on the usability front. A well-tended Boxster is quite capable of being all the car you’ll ever need - or all the car you’ll need for a very hot summer anyway. This one has pleasingly few miles, pleasingly few owners and pleasingly few advisories. Tempted?
Good cars when working though!
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/auction/20440327
The best bit? They made loads in the 23i spec and you can get nice ones for under £8k.
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19787112
I only use mine as a fun/occasional car, and it's currently showing 22mpg on the fuel computer, so I'd get through some fuel in it if I was using it everyday I'd imagine though.
The log book says it's black, but it actually looks a bit like brown in the shade though! I've had some kind comments from folk when I've been out in the sun in it about the colour and the car, and I thought that was nice. Plus they're a rare car, so it's nice to see something a bit different from time to time I think.
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