Three for the road: is there a roadster in your dreams? The Advocate's gearheads investigate your options as they put three sexy models to the test.

Every auto lover dreams of speeding along the golden California coast in a roadster with the top down. It's even more fun to take the trip as part of a sharp and skillful gay, lesbian, and transgender team. I invited transgender actress Calpernia Addams and lesbian writer-producer Leslie Thomas to join me in driving three very special roadsters from Los Angeles to Monterey and reporting our impressions for Advocate readers. We drove the all-new 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata; a preproduction version of the 2006 Nissan 350Z Roadster; and the already ravishing 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG, which remains unchanged for 2006.

Each of these incredible roadsters has its own distinct handling, power, class, and price range. But they're alike in this: Their true personalities don't come out until you tickle them just so. And tickle them we did, working these cars hard over roads from windy two-laners to freeways. We won't go into detail about our top speeds: Let's just say we do indeed believe the Mercedes can reach 60 miles per hour in 4.8 seconds. Likewise, we made good use of the Z's manual-mode automatic transmission and wound out all six of the MX-5's gears. With safety in mind we worked as a team, with walkie-talkies in each car, alerting each other when roads were clear for passing or, in one heads-up moment, when a roll of carpet came bouncing down the blacktop.

Weil writes on automobiles for The Advocate.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

The moment it debuted in 1989 the Miata began to revive the roadster market in America. (It maintains its reputation as the most popular racing car on the amateur Sports Car Club of America circuit.) Modeled after British roadsters, the Miata MX-5 is less about muscle than about being a quick and nimble extension of you. True to its heritage, the MX-5 remains sporty, and it gains ground in key areas like power. Its normally aspirated 2.0-liter, 170-horsepower engine is available with a five- or six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Our tester was the six-speed manual.

Priced from $20,435

Personal take: Daniel Weil

"A really fun car, simple and easy to drive--no need for the brainpower it takes to operate sophisticated navigation and audio systems. The roof retracts easily; the exterior is sporty, with a nice-sounding exhaust. The interior is comfortable. The shifter operates almost with a flick of the wrist." Be advised: If you put a cup in the center console cup holder, it will interfere with shifting.

Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG

Racetrack meets Beverly Hills--this speed demon is distinctly Mercedes, with design cues, performance, and engine roar that reflect the brand, s commitment to serious racing. The high-performance AMG version is the hottest of the SLK offerings, with a nice 355-horsepower V-8 and lines influenced by Formula One racing. The hard-top convertible roof folds like magic, and an optional Airscarf system extends your topless-driving season by delivering warm air through the headrests. Entry-level SLKs are just as beautifully designed and appointed as well as more forgiving of novice drivers.

Priced from $62,275

Personal take: Leslie Thomas

"I experienced actual tingling in the pit of my stomach on acceleration in this V-8. Its 355-horsepower engine makes on-ramps into mini raceways, and the transmission is sporty and killer-fun to play with, besides offering actual help in maneuvering through traffic. There's also that 'wow factor when people see that not only is this car hot-looking but it performs like a rocket." Be advised: "Placement of the cruise-control lever, right above the turn-signal lever, twice caused me to activate the cruise control when I meant to signal a turn."

Nissan 350Z Roadster

Zenthusiasts will love it. Interior and exterior design cues reference the original Datsun 240Z, introduced to the United States in 1970. The new model's power soft top, with glass rear window, folds neatly behind the seats, leaving enough trunk space for two golf bags. The Z continues to offer a standard 3.5-liter DOHC V6, producing 287 horsepower in the five-speed automatic and 300 horsepower in the six-speed manual. Choose from Enthusiast, Touring, and Grand Touring trim levels.

Priced from $34,850

Personal take: Calpernia Addams

"It was very difficult to choose a favorite from among these three hot cars, but the Nissan Z matched my personality the best. The shifting colors of its paint job [Interlagos Fire] made me think of Mystique from X-Men, its seats seemed to hug me, and the controls were easy to figure out. With the top down and Sheryl Crow blasting on the awesome sound system, I felt like a movie star." Be advised: Before you put the top down, make sure your hat is secure. The cockpit's on the windy side.

Calpernia Addams is a car enthusiast and actress whose story was made famous by the award-winning Showtime film Soldier's Girl. Through her Deep Stealth production banner, Addams is currently at work on various film and TV projects, including the short film Casting Pearls.

Leslie Thomas's work in film and television adds further dimension to her life as a car fanatic and experienced mechanic. Growing up in Bakersfield, Calif., Thomas loved to hang out at her uncle's mechanic shop. "I'm not sure if I liked it because of the highly organized baby-food jars full of nuts and bolts or because every time Uncle Henry opened one of his storage cabinet doors, a different '40s nudie-girl poster would be revealed."

Road rally report card

                  MX-5       350Z       SLK55 AMG

Engine             A           A            A
Transmission       A           B            A
Braking            A           A            A
Ride               B           B            A
Handling           A           A            A
Design             A           B            A
Comfort            B           A            A
Trunk space        B           B            B
Driving fun        A           A            A
Fab factor         B           A            A
Sport factor       A           B            A

Each grade represents an average of drivers' individual opinions.
Cars were not graded in comparison to one another.