We haven’t officially put Ayn Rand on our must-read list, but we have been lately mulling a few of her principles, particularly the one about the virtue of selfishness. Should you suddenly be handed a fistful of dollars, for example, would you buy a new bus for the church or head straight to the nearest Porsche dealer?

No hands, please, it’s a secret ballot. Those of you in the latter category—and you know who you are—may want to divert some of your overtaxed attention to the following pages. Upon them we have lashed down and dissected four of the newest, fleetest, it’s-all-about-me convertibles in the $45,000 to $60,000 range, a group we regularly check in on for reasons that are, of course, selfish.



Three of our sunshine scoopers—the Chevrolet Corvette, the Mercedes-Benz SLK350, and the Porsche Boxster S—are still wrapped in Visqueen from the factory redesign shop. The Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 is a brand-new model constructed on the foundation of the old Mercedes-Benz SLK32 AMG. Two seats are the maximum number for entry in our test, and six is the most common cylinder count. Even the Corvette has six—six liters of V-8, that is. Six is also the popular gear-ratio supply, at least where there are manual transmissions. The Crossfire shifts its five-speed automatic via computer.

America’s dream machine tops the alphabetical lineup, the sixth-generation Corvette catalog very recently fleshed out with a $52,245 convertible that bludgeons pavement with the same 400 horsepower as the coupe. We asked for and received the $1495 Z51 performance package, which includes larger brake rotors, lower gear ratios, firmer suspension settings, and a run-flat rubber upgrade to Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires. A system to lower your top electronically goes for $1995 (manual tops are standard), the polished rims another $1295. OnStar, a DVD navigation system, and the million-gadget march of the Preferred Equipment Group, which among other things includes a digital head-up display, ratcheted our Corvette’s price to $62,080. Hey, you’re worth it.
Assembled by Karmann in Osnabrück, Germany, the base 215-hp Chrysler Crossfire blazes with flair but dribbles with performance, which is most likely one reason the company has a nine-month stockpile of unsold cars. Peel back the molten-lead skin of our $49,995 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6, and you’ll find a huffy 3.2-liter supercharged V-6 from the AMG goody bag. It’s worth 330 horsepower. Chrysler’s SRT department kicks in fat Michelin Pilot Sport rubber, a double-rigid suspension, and suede-lined bucket seats to better maintain your posterior in place. Larger, fine-spoke wheels and a humpback fluke on the tail raise the visual butch factor. A $1200 navigation option incorporates a simple black-and-white display into the radio head unit, meaning this SRT-6 can be stoking your own head unit for $51,195.

The Mercedes SLK comes off a clean sheet this year with increased dimensions, a redesigned folding hardtop, a revamped strut-and-multilink suspension, and a V-6 that is virgin from the cam caps to the oil pan. We originally asked Mercedes for the new $62,520 SLK55 AMG with its familiar 355-hp, 5.4-liter V-8, but at test time the only press car was still on a ship somewhere in the Atlantic. As a place keeper, Mercedes rustled up a $46,220 SLK350 with the new 268-hp, 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve V-6. Less power, perhaps, but eligible for a value award at $50,150 with options such as the Power Equipment package, a CD changer, and metallic paint. No one can recall the last time a Benz was the low-buck car in a test.

SUVs, Inc., of Zuffenhausen—oh, you didn’t know the Cayenne SUV is the bestselling Porsche by a factor of two?—answered in yellow to our request for the remodeled 2005 Boxster. It’s a $53,865 S model with the warmer 276-hp, 3.2-liter flat-six. Extra curve in its shapelier I’m-not-a-911 bodywork is among the manifold refinements. The Boxster S order sheet lists 96 factory options, from $115 floor mats to $8150 carbon ceramic brakes. Spend a hundred grand on a Boxster S (are you worth that?) or just $58,355 for one like ours with 19-inch alloys, a Bose stereo, xenon headlamps, heated seats, and a clear plastic wind blocker.

Okay, we’ve studied the goods. It’s time to rip open the blister packs and go play.


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Fourth Place
Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6

Highs: Art deco motif commands attention, supercharged thrust, sticks to corners.

Lows: Lamentably stiff ride, cramped cabin, everything feels old.

The Verdict: Flash Gordon styling hides a tired Mercedes hand-me-down.

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Third Place
Mercedes-Benz SLK350

Highs: The sweetest-handling Benz ever, engine spins with fury and finesse, hardtop is a robotic ballet.

Lows: A button mêlée on the dash, less money brings home more horsepower elsewhere.

The Verdict: Even in third place, the new SLK is a winner.

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Second Place
Chevrolet Corvette

Highs: Mr. Incredible’s V-8, cockpit quiet with the top down, XL cabin and trunk.

Lows: Body pitches and bobs, nanny electronics designed by and for dullards.

The Verdict: The same tantalizing Corvette experience, only more.

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First Place
Porsche Boxster S

Highs: 100-percent fat-free steering and chassis, willing motor makes lusty music, notable leaps in finish quality.

Lows: Feels gutless next to the Vette, rattling wind blocker, some silly ergonomics.

The Verdict: Balanced in all that it does.