South Africa has the perfect climate for drop-top motoring. Our beautiful vistas and warm climate make it convertible heaven for those brave enough to embrace the African sun in all its glory. It's sad then that convertibles and cabriolets don't sell as well as they should locally. However, this is not only a South African problem, but it's also a global one.
Open top sales have decreased significantly over the last few years with the buying trends swaying towards the raised ride height and perceived security that an SUV offers. SUVs offer more in the way of practicality and comfort and modern SUVs drive just as good as their sedan counterparts now, so the reasoning is not all that difficult to understand.
If you're reading this, chances are that you're looking for a convertible roadster, either as a weekend car or maybe you're one of the brave few (you need to be an enthusiast to share the roads with tall SUVs in a low-slung sports car).
The Mercedes-Benz SLC
The SLC is, or rather was, a successor to the evergreen Mercedes-Benz SLK that served well from 1996. It was renamed the SLC when the third generation was facelifted in 2016 to bring it in line with Mercedes-Benz's new naming convention.
We're using the past tense because the SLC has been discontinued as of 2019, largely due to poor sales volumes and the shift in buying habits.
There are still many available in the used car market, with a variety of options and models available and most can be had for a rather respectable amount. Three models were made available to South Africa, we saw the SLC 200, SLC 300 and the Mercedes-AMG SLC 43
The SLC 200 offered 135 kW and 300 Nm from its 2.0-litre, inline 4-cylinder. The SLC 300 featured a similar 2.0-litre, inline 4 setup but had an improved output of 180 kW and 370 Nm. The pinnacle that is the SLC 43 AMG utilized a 3.0-litre V6 that churns out 270 kW and 520 Nm, complemented by a wonderful soundtrack.
Recommended: 4 things you need to know about the Mercedes-Benz SLK
The competition
Roadsters, as we mentioned, are a dying breed and as such there are not too many options. We're selecting the two closest German rivals in the form of the Porsche 718 Boxter and the recently reintroduced BMW Z4. The BMW Z4 was put to bed for the same reasons in 2016 but the joint venture with the Toyota Supra project prompted BMW to create the sixth generation Z4 that released at the end of 2018.
Porsche 718 Boxter
The 718 Boxter continues down the road that was laid out by the original Boxter in 1996. There are currently 7 versions on offer with 4 different engine outputs. The base Boxter produces 220 kW and 380 Nm from a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder. The Boxter S and Boxter GTS share a similar 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder and these produce 257 kW and 269 kW respectively. The Porsche 718 Boxter Spyder is the only one that offers a 6-cylinder engine with a displacement of 4.0-litres. Here power is rated at 309 kW and 420 Nm.
Pricing on the Porsche 718 Boxter starts at R968 000 for a new model and rounds off at R1 394 000 for the Porsche 718 Boxter Spyder. Used prices for 1- or 2-year-old models range from R700 000 to approximately R1 000 000 for last year's model.
BMW Z4
Only two engines are on offer with the BMW Z4 locally, a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder and a 3.0-litre straight-six. The BMW Z4 sDrive20i produces 145 kW and 320 Nm while the BMW Z4 sDrive M40i will give you 250 kW and 500 Nm.
The Z4 is available as a new vehicle with prices starting from R760 000 with the sDrive M40i costing you R1 037 000 before you check the options list. Used prices are still rather high as the vehicle hasn't been around for too long but we spotted a few for anywhere from R700 000 through to R1 000 000 for an M40i.
Running costs
All three of these models should still be covered by their respective warranties and service plans and as such service costs are negligible. The only concerning factor with vehicles as new as this will be the fuel consumption. Here's how they fare based on the claimed average consumption figures:
Mercedes-Benz SLC
SLC 200 - 6.1 l/100km
SLC 300 - 5.8 l/100km
SLC 43 - 7.8 l/100km
Porsche 718 Boxter
Boxter Auto - 6.9 l/100km
Boxter S Auto - 7.3 l/100km
Boxter GTS Auto - 8.2 l/100km
Boxter Spyder - 10.9 l/100km
BMW Z4
Z4 sDrive 20i - 6.5 l/100km
Z4 sDrive M40i - 7.4 l/100km
Verdict
If your heart is set on the three-pointed star, the best option appears to be the SLC 300 that offers the best blend of affordability, standard trim level and fuel consumption. Track yourself down a low mileage, one-year-old Mercedes-Benz SLC 300, drop the roof and enjoy all that open-top motoring as to offer.
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