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Wheels.ca - June 25, 2009
Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00) Written by Elizabeth Burns Saturday, 27 June 2009 14:48
Time to go topless for summerLORRAINE SOMMERFELD FOR THE TORONTO STAR June 25, 2009While I don't consider myself much of a convertible girl (tangled hair, sunburn, bugs in teeth), when offered a chance to pilot Mazda's new 2009 MX-5 GT for a week, the Beach Barbie in me yelled out "yes" before I could shut her up.I'm glad she did. Having this much fun in a car should be illegal.In brilliant yellow (it's technically called Competition Yellow – think peanut M&M), this car is impossible to ignore. A friend followed me clear across Toronto, never losing sight of me for more than a moment or two, even on a congested 401 packed with trucks.The kids didn't know I was picking the car up, so I sat in front of the school waiting for Ari, 14. In a long line of minivans, it sparkled like a little gem. I noted many of Ari's friends squinting, then pointing, and no doubt saying to themselves "Wow. Look how cool Ari's mom looks."When he emerged through the door and finally realized it was me, he immediately suggested I show him how fast it could go."Is this the new Miata?" he asked."Yes, but you can't call it that. It's an MX-5," I told him expertly shifting through the downtown core."Little rusty on the stick there, eh mom?" he asked, grabbing his backpack as it headed for the window."Shut up."The beauty of this little baby is in the handling. I was happy to get past any 400-series highway, and steer it to where it really shines: twisty, sunny back roads, dappled with the shade of overhanging trees, blazing past grazing livestock and freshly planted hectares. The throaty growl of the 2-litre engine gives you a full-on experience of both the car and the road; the beauty is that you feel you're going faster than you are, which means no speeding tickets to punch a hole in your day.The car I tested had a hardtop, which tucks itself neatly away with the touch of a button. Actually, the interior compartment has been designed to maximize every inch of space. It took me a couple of days to discover the fuel latch, hidden in a spare compartment between the seats. But even putting 900 km on the car, I only had to pull it once – 70 bucks of premium fuel for a jam-packed week.Rule No. 1 in a convertible is that everything in the car becomes airborne. I stowed my purse and camera in the trunk, wisely showing a friend how handy the little key thing was. It's actually a sensor, and after you depress the unlock button, you turn a built-in key to start the car. Another button on the sensor unlocks the trunk. As I was explaining this to him, I put my purse (containing the sensor) into the trunk. And banged it shut.You know that feeling you get when you've done something really stupid? I stared at the closed trunk, realizing I'd just locked myself out of the car. And then, the most amazing thing happened. It started calling to me. The sensor somehow knew it was in the trunk, and that I was not.I gingerly reached for the trunk release, and I may have actually cried out a little as it opened. The sensor jumped into my arms. Finally. Something stupid I'd done that I wouldn't have to admit to my editors.I wanted to keep this car, at least for the summer. I mean, of all the driveways in all the towns in all the world, she did drive into mine.Lorraine Sommerfeld's column appears Thursdays on wheels.cawww.lorraineonline.caToronto Star| < Prev | Next > |
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