From the Toyota MR2 with its rough edges, to the more civilised Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 Kompressor, these sports cars are dream rides
REVIEW
Gavin Foster
Toyota MR2, R209 000
Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 Kompressor, R305 000
MG Rover MGF, R234 950
I was like a dog with two sets of bollocks and a salt deficiency.
First Toyota phoned and offered me their lively little MR2 sports car for a week, and then DaimlerChrysler pulled a bright yellow six-speed manual Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 Kompressor out of the hat.
After a recent diet of 4x4s and family saloons the thought of driving a pair of two-seater sports cars back-to-back seemed like just the business. Then came the e-mail from MG Rover South Africa, inviting me and my partner to the launch of their MGF roadster on the Friday of the same week that the other two cars would be on test. Vita suddenly started looking decidedly dolce.
But now it’s all over. My wife’s had to give up the SLK and commutes in her Golf once again, hoping nobody sees her, and I took the kids to school in a diesel bakkie this morning, much to their chagrin. They feel they’ll never live it down.
So how do they compare? Three open cars, all expensive, ranging between R 209 000 and R 305 000 in price, all two-seaters, and all guaranteed attention-getters? Let’s start with the fun factor, and here, for me, there’s a clear-cut winner. The Toyota takes first prize hands down.
With its hard, sporty suspension and mid-engine layout it handles like nothing else on four wheels, and its lightweight 975kg mass makes the 1794cc 103kW four-cylinder engine feel a lot more powerful than it is. Top speed is claimed to be 206kph, and the zero to 100kph dash is reputed to be over in eight seconds. The MR2 can be thrown about like a go-cart, and it never feels anywhere close to getting into trouble. With another 40kW or so it could be a really great car.
Second comes the MGF. Also mid-engined, it’s a little less cutting edge in terms of handling than the Toyota, thanks partly to the extra 100kg that it weighs. Driven hard it could be induced to understeer, and the softer, more comfortable suspension made it more comfortable but took away from the out-and-out driving experience. Although its 1796cc engine is rated at 107kW it felt less lively than the Toyota as well, but we have to bear in mind the nearly 20% altitude-induced drop in engine output in Gauteng, where we drove the MGF at the launch.
All things being equal the Toyota and the MG are closely matched in terms of straight-line performance the MGF is reputed to top out at 209kph, with 100kph coming up 7,9 seconds after launch.
Most refined of the bunch, and therefore for me least appealing to drive, was the front-engined Mercedes. Although the fastest of the bunch, with a top end of more than 235kph, thanks to its 120kW supercharged 2982cc four-cylinder engine, it just felt too civilised to compare with the other two as a hooligan car. David Bullard stirred up a hornets nest by describing the BMW Z3 as a “gays'” car. The SLK would probably be loved by hairdressers, male or female.
Apart from the fun factor, what about practicality? Here the tables are turned somewhat, with the Toyota running at the back of the pack. There’s no boot, so anything you want to take with for the weekend will have to fit into the smallish luggage bins behind the front seats. Then again, in a car like this you shouldn’t need much more than a couple of toothbrushes, a slinky little nightie and a bottle or two of champagne … When the weather changes the fabric roof can be raised or lowered in a jiffy about 30 seconds is all it takes.
The MGF is very much more practical, with a full-sized boot proving handy for married couples who might feel the need to take extra clothing with for their weekend away. The car’s soft top also needs to be manually raised or lowered, but that also doesn’t take too much time. It is, however, a little more finicky to operate than the Toyota’s.
The Merc however takes first prize in the practicality stakes. Its magical disappearing tin-top deserves a place in the Smithsonian Institute. At the touch of a button the Vario folding roof unpacks itself from the boot without any manual intervention at all on the part of the driver, converting the car into a hard-top sports coupe within a minute.
The process is just as easy to reverse. The only problem is that the roof occupies half the boot when folded down. Still, you can’t expect to have it all in one package. The trouble is, with the roof up the car’s so damn civilised that you start thinking how nice it would be if it had some place for passengers in the back.
So, which would I buy? Easy. I’d take the R305 000 asking price for the Mercedes, and buy a Toyota MR2, which would leave me R96 000 change to buy something sensible for the family. When I buy a sports car I want it with all the rough edges left on. I know that’s not logical, but I love motorcycles as well …
What does she say? “I’d have to choose between the Mercedes and the MGF, and if money was no object I’d go for the Merc. That roof is absolutely stunning. The MG is great at the price, though (R234 950). The Toyota? Nice to look at, but the ride is just too hard for my liking.”