W
E NEED TO VISIT MY IN-LAWS, WHO
live roughly 1,200 miles away, in a
state with a ton of COVID deaths.
So, in the name of minimizing the
likelihood of any of us requiring
intubation, we’re driving there,
probably in my 2004 Volvo wagon.
The weeks before any road trip, I’ll involuntarily
daydream about which money-no-object cars I’d
choose for that drive and why. My current top pick:
the new Mercedes-Benz Metris Getaway ($70,000,
more on p.14). It’s an unofficial successor to the V W
Vanagon, down to the pop-top sleeping space, and
the ideal tool for traveling by land in a pandemic, at
least until I’m comfortable driving a full-galley RV.
My second choice: a two-seater, one with butt-
numbingly stiff suspension, and a pretend jet fighter
cockpit interior. Impractical, yes. Also, tiring. But
I’ve always found intense driving to be meditative,
especially after the four-hour mark. It’s novel to be
that focused on just one thing for that long. And I
must not be alone, because while crossovers and
pickups still dominate the market, manufacturers
keep building great drivers’ cars.
Of the dozens of new models I’ve test-driven so
far this year—in preparation for Pop Mech’s a u t o
awards, out now online—here are four exceptional
two-seaters I would recommend to any drivers with
money and a long trip on the calendar. And to fel-
low daydreamers building their fantasy garages with
nowhere to drive.
MAZDA MX-
$26,
I keep waiting
for the designers
to slip up, but
Mazda still builds
the most joyfully
agile and afford-
able convertible.
Purists will save
weight with the
soft top, but I’d
pay extra for the
RF version’s
electric hard roof,
for highways
and winter.
TOYOTA 86
$27,
Yes , it ha s rea r
seats, but it would
be negligent to
omit this afford-
able, rear-drive,
naturally aspirated
gem. The Supra's
faster, but not nec-
essarily more fun.
When negotiating
price, mention
that Toyota is
likely updating the
86 for 2022.
PORSCHE
718 SPYDER
$97,
A roaring flat-six
engine connected
to the best man-
ual transmission
in any new car.
Clumsy shifters
like me will like the
Auto-Blip func-
tion, which kicks
up the revs to the
right spot when
downshifting.
2020
CHEVROLET
CORVETTE
$59,
The first
Corvette with an
engine behind
the seats lives
up to the huge
hype: incredible
power-per-
dollar value in
a Ferrari-grade
exterior. Warn-
ing: Bring a
friend, because
that targa top is
clumsy for one
person to remove.
The Best
Cars for
Long Road
Tr ip s
// ALEXANDER GEORGE //
From the
(^2) Editor
8 November/December 2020
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