Mini Cooper Roadster S

On paper, the two-seat Cooper S roadster looks fantastic. Like the base roadster, it has a chopped windshield, a manual softtop, and a trunk, and the S adds a raucous 181-hp turbocharged engine mated to a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Despite its increased power and laser-sharp steering, however, the front-drive S roadster is not quite as fun to drive as the brilliant—and cheaper—Mazda Miata. The 208-hp JCW model dials up the intensity, but it rides rough and costs even more.