Having spent the last couple of winters driving around in Caterham Sevens, I can cope with a drop-top in the cold and rain more readily than some of the office softies.
Not that there's any problem with the all-weather ability of the MR2. The level of grip in the wet is high and, assisted by sharp, tactile steering, it covers the ground quickly.

Much has been made of the Toyota's tricky on-limit handling. It's true that slides are difficult to control, requiring razor-sharp reflexes and skill to catch. But the messages coming through the steering wheel and chassis are so clear that you can comfortably drive just a degree below that nervous limit and press on with satisfying speed.

On the days when water doesn't fall from the sky, the heater is strong enough to allow you to lower the roof without having to don a snowsuit, while the small Perspex wind deflector saves your ears from a blast of cold air. Long, hoodless journeys are still comfortable and on a decent autumnal morning with the heater on it's a very pleasant place to be.

The catch to hold the folded hood behind the seats now requires a gentle thump to lock into place and therefore needs readjusting at the next service, but otherwise the MR2 has been running very sweetly with no problems.

Just don't tell the rest of the evo mob or they might start fighting for it again.