RideLust

The last convertible I had was in 1993. It was a 1972 Cadillac Eldorado that was fire engine red with white leather interior. Saying that I felt like a pimp in that thing would be an understatement, but when the top was down and that 501 cu inch big block was humming, life was good. For many motorists owning a convertible is a way of life. They provide us with unrestricted open air freedom while at the same time letting us tan up for the upcoming summer months. Just about any new drop top your going to come across is going to cost you well north of the $25,000 mark which got me thinking about what could be had for a bit cheaper. Below is a listing of 10 wonderful used convertibles that range in price from $12,000-$20,000. They’re all good to look at, provide one with the latest and greatest in safety features and can be had at these prices with around 25,000 miles on the clock. So, if you’re in the market for a new used car, sans the roof, click through and take a look at what you could be driving around in this summer.
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The Miata is undoubtedly the most fun on four wheels. And now the guys at Jota Sport have distilled the car’s bubbly personality down to a thick, syrupy shot of racetrack rotgut that can knock the most seasoned drivers on their asses. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the MX-5 GT, aka, the Mini-Hulk. Read More…

Autoblog thinks the answer is “yes”, especially since Peter Schreyer, Kia’s head of design, has long been a proponent of a low cost Miata competitor. Details vary from “vague” to “non-existent”, but popular opinion is that Kia is hard at work on a low cost roadster to compliment the Genesis coupe offered by parent company Hyundai. By limiting the model range and engine options, Kia could substantially undercut the price of drop-top amusement, cutting into a segment long dominated by Mazda.

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Mazda has dropped a huge gallery of pics (find them after the jump) of the upcoming MX-5 (“Miata” for those of you living in the past) “Superlight” concept, a roof-and-windshield-less wonder reminiscent of the recent Veritas RS III and Lotus 2-Eleven. As with most of the other eyecandy that’s dropped in the next few days, it’ll be at Frankfurt next week. With the stock version of the most recent MX-5 is a bit porkier than past models, the severe diet that this superlight has been given, no matter how impractical to live with, is probably a blast to drive. That being said, the numbers are not all that impressive, as the engine is nearly unmodified and the tiny car sashays to 60 MPH in a leisurely 8.9 seconds. All we have to say is, get Mazdaspeed to turbocharge this motor within an inch of its life and we’ll perk up like we just licked a light socket. Click through for the huge gallery of high-res images.

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Lamborghini originally denied the development of a Reventón roadster, but these pics surfaced online to prove otherwise. The exterior is crazy, with edges sharp enough to keep away from a depressed emo hipster. Inside, magnates will find loads of alcantara and carbon fiber. Power should come from the same 6.5-liter V12 producing 650hp and 487 lb-ft of torque, so I suggest you avoid the 200+mph top speed with the top down lest you be sucked out of your own whip. Price will be roughly $1.75 mil. FUN FACT: The Reventón’s exhaust system is coated with plasma-sprayed, zirconia-based ceramics, the same material used to protect the insides of nuclear reactors. Read More…

With few exceptions, when given a choice between convertibles and hardtops we usually default to the latter as their performance tends to trump their topless brethren. Not to mention that wind buffeting tends to wreak havoc on our ear-to-ear comb over. Nevertheless, as summer fades to fall, it would be a shame not to single out some affordable convertible options that could convince even the most follicly-challenged among us to lay down an extra layer of hair spray and drop our tops. Read More…

Artsy, eh?

Indeed, it’s time again for another spine-tingling, blood-curdling edition of DEATH WISH, the series where we explain our morbid fascination with improbably dangerous and fun looking vehicles of all shapes, colors, and creeds. Last week we looked at an intimidating amphibian, but this week the stakes just got a lot higher: today’s DEATH WISH contestant is French! And there’s no Maginot Line to protect you from its fury!

Today’s Implement of Destruction: the Lomax-Citroen 223

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As its impending debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show draws nigh, the 2011 Peugeot RCZ has finally bared its full production form in a series of new images. As suggested by the artfully elusive teaser images released in early July, the 2011 Peugeot RCZ is an exercise in sleek, über-luxury performance and bears a striking resemblance to its direct competition, the Audi TT. Read More…

Come live vicariously through us as we, the most prestigious automotive blog in the world, grace the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with our stately presences. We’re sure to be the star attractions – forget the live unveiling of several never-before-seen new cars, and the endless rows of priceless works of automotive art sprawled out on the golf course greens like so many unobtanium sandtraps. Surely Jay Leno and the other celebrities will probably manage to jostle themselves into the photos of our expert appraisals of the class frontrunners, but we won’t be too upset. We’ll take a break from being the life of the Concours every so often to update you, our faithful readers. So check back often, and follow us at http://twitter.com/ridelust and in our Pebble Beach live coverage to catch all of the latest updates.

You’re looking at the first photos of a new Mazda concept – the MX-5 Superlight. The Miata sorry, MX-5 is the preferred nomenclature, was already a svelte platform, but Mazda has apparently decided to emphasize the sporty aspects of the car by stripping out all (and we mean all) of the creature comforts, including such luxury items as a windshield! We don’t have many details but we’ll be happy to wildly speculate after the jump.

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