2001 Topless Toys Comparo: Chevy vs. German Roadsters

2001 Topless Toys Comparo

Forget practicality. Forget fuel economy. The 2001 Topless Toys Comparo from Car and Driver is about pure, unadulterated grin factor. It’s a throwback to the days when you pedaled your Schwinn down the sidewalk making engine noises, wind in your hair, imagining a snarling roadster beneath you.

This comparo lines up four convertibles built for exactly that kind of childish joy: the Chevrolet Corvette, BMW M Roadster, Mercedes-Benz SLK32 AMG, and Porsche Boxster S. Each stuffs a huge engine into a small, nimble chassis, and every one can hit 60 mph in the mid-four-second range. So which one makes you smile widest?

Chevy vs. the Three German Fighters

The 2001 Topless Toys Comparo gathered cars from Bowling Green, Spartanburg, and Stuttgart for a backroads blast through Ohio.

4th Place: BMW M Roadster

BMW’s M roadster nails the old-school roadster vibe. You sit tall, arms easily draping over the doors. The engine, a 315-hp straight-six with screaming 7,600-rpm redline, rockets the 3,141-pound car to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 13.1 seconds at 109 mph. It tied the Corvette for best 70-to-0 braking at 162 feet. Fuel economy over our flogging route? A best-in-test 20 mpg.

But the retro charm comes with compromises. The steering feels too quick and light, almost video-game nervous. The old rear suspension struggles to put all that torque down without stability control constantly stepping in. And for taller drivers, the cockpit is cramped and hard everywhere.

Car and Driver called it “a tantalized preview of the next-generation BMW roadster’s potential.” For the right buyer, that engine alone might justify everything.

3rd Place: Mercedes-Benz SLK32 AMG

Mercedes threw the kitchen sink at the SLK: a supercharged 3.2-liter V-6 cranking out 349 hp, the only automatic in the bunch, and a trick retractable hardtop. That combo made it the drag strip champ, edging the others with a 13.0-second quarter-mile at 110 mph. By 140 mph, it was 1.6 seconds ahead of the Vette and 11.6 seconds ahead of the Porsche. The power delivery is seamless and insistent;no lag, no whistle, just a big shove.

But the automatic, despite quicker shifts and AMG tuning, still resists driver commands. There’s no manual option. And the steering, still using an old recirculating-ball setup, feels artificial and overboosted. One editor loved the one-button hardtop so much he ranked it first. The rest grinned slightly wider in other cars.

2nd Place: Porsche Boxster S

The Boxster S is the doodle come to life. Its mid-engine layout puts the 250-hp flat-six right behind your ears, serenading you with a dual-stage intake that amplifies the classic Porsche howl. On the skidpad, it pulled 0.93 g,best grip of the group;and in corners, the chassis rotated like the car revolves around the driver. The cockpit is perfect, the wheel and pedals ideally placed.

“There’s a strong sense of road feel in this car. I have more confidence about my traction,or lack of it,than in any of the others,” said Csere.

So why did it finish second? Weight. Each of its 250 horses has to lug 12.2 pounds around, a 22 percent heavier burden than the BMW’s powertrain. Even short gearing can’t hide that deficit. The shifter needs more rowing, and the engine sounds thrilling but feels just a little outgunned.

The American Unknown: Chevrolet Corvette

Chevy’s Corvette roadster finally made the cut for this 2001 Topless Toys Comparo after being excluded last time for perceived refinement issues. For 2001, it got a slew of detail changes adding calm, quiet, and a few extra ponies to the pushrod 5.7-liter V-8. It matches the Germans’ 0-60 time at 4.5 seconds and ties the BMW for braking glory.

The Vette’s high rear end eliminates the need for a wind blocker, and its size puts it in a different category. But the source text from the original article cuts off mid-sentence during the Porsche analysis, so we don’t have the Corvette’s final ranking or detailed driving impressions. What we know: it’s here, it’s fast, and it’s a whole lot more refined than before.

The Grin-O-Meter

This 2001 Topless Toys Comparo proves that big power and small chassis never go out of style. Whether you prefer the BMW’s raw engine, the Mercedes’ thrust, the Porsche’s balance, or the Corvette’s old-school muscle, the mission is the same: maximum smiles per gallon.

What You Should Steal from This

• All four cars hit 60 mph in under 5.3 seconds. Three do it in 4.5.
• The Mercedes SLK32 AMG dominated straight-line speed, but its automatic-only transmission divided opinions.
• The Porsche Boxster S is the handling hero, but power-to-weight ratio holds it back.
• The BMW M Roadster offers the most visceral, old-school roadster feel, with a monster engine and twitchy dynamics.
• The Corvette improved refinement dramatically, matching the Germans on braking and acceleration.

Bottom Line

If you’re shopping for a 20-year-old drop-top that still delivers modern thrills, this Car and Driver 2001 Topless Toys Comparo is your blueprint. Each car has a personality, and your choice depends on whether you value quarter-mile bragging rights, corner-carving poise, or just the sound of a big engine at full chat. And if you’re still dreaming from your childhood Schwinn, any one of them will make you bark out the engine noises again.