I’ve 20k cash to buy a nice fast 4 wheeled affair, i’m leaning towards a Porsche Cayman.

I’ve looked at 5 series, mercs etc but still keep coming back to Porsche.

Have i missed anything? Is the Cayman a good call?

Its a second car so ill be doing low miles.

Diesel Alfa?

MX5 and several really nice holidays.

Lotus Exige. What better way to announce your midlife crisis than having an out-and-out trackday monster as a Sunday Best garage queen?

Go to Carribean every winter.

Is there any reason not to Porsche though?

Good call mr ox.

‘Straight on autotrader”

I have thought about this a lot but alas finances have dictated that it’s not gonna happen any time sound ( Damn the strong Pound )

I would go for a Boxster, but as bike Mike said, I would not splash all the available cash on the car alone. If you have the holidays sorted use the rest of the money to use the car, track days trip to the Nurbergring etc.

The Boxster is a good mix of comfort, speed and handling, so you could enjoy country runs to the pub / cafe and going round a track. I was speaking to friend who had both a Caymen and and Boxster, and he said the Boxster just felt more special.

Have a look at petrolicious on Youtube for some great inspirational videos of people who really enjoy their fun cars ( warning it may get expensive)

Edit Elise/Exige are great cars but pretty full on, although I would love one, I would never get the wife to go in it you may think this is a good thing, but I would want something we could both enjoy.

A thought. You can still maybe just about squeeze a Honda NSX for around the £20k mark, if you do it via one of those Jap import auction middleman type places. I’m thinking New Era Imports and the like.

You’d have a car cooler than the Fonze when he’s woken up feeling particularly cool. They’re extremely exclusive, still pretty quick by today’s standards, and given the way prices are going over here for the NSX, a rapidly appreciating asset.

How much is an Ariel Atom? Surely enough fun and impracticality for a proper mid-life crisis?

I see a real problem for anyone not advocating a caterham, hookers and blow.

Caterham?

A friend has one and does hill climbs with it and another friend is thinking of getting one as a track day car (also thinking about an Aston Martin which falls into the same price bracket).

I’m having a similar crisis at the moment, albeit with a slighty lower cost ceiling. £20k would get you a nice 911.

Boxster is worth a look – convertibles are great.

If you’re happy with something older, a TVR?

Anyone with experience of the mystical Boxster engine bearing problem?

Later ones (07 onwards IIRC) were upgraded and fixed so provided you get one often this you should be fine. jambalaya off here owns a Cayman..
I looked at a Boxter, you can get an 09S for what you are prepared to spend.

i’d go boxster too. has to be a later ‘s’ though. bearing issue pretty much sorted i believe. still a sportscar, so still ‘relatively’ expensive to run, if you actually use it.

leave TVRs alone unless you fancy doing a re-chassis at some point.

I have been running a Cayman for the last five years.
Brilliant car. The precision with which you can position it on the road is amazing.
Comfortable, reliable and carries a surprising amount of luggage.
It’s a bit thirsty. I get about 19 to the gallon.

E46 M3, plus a good few grand in the bank for holidays and fuel.

I had this similar “dilemma” this year, and on my list were:

Porsche Boxster or Cayman
Elise/Exige
Caterham
VX220

I drove all of them, most on a track as well as on the road, and ended up plumping for a Cayman, as the best blend of out and out handling/performance, pose factor, and everyday usability. Had it a couple of months and still get that flutter of excitement when I walk up to it.

Things to watch out for are clutch: (320bhp can eat these quickly, if mis-treated) and those engines don’t like being over-revved so if you can get one with a recent ecu download to show that it hasn’t been over-revved, that’s better. Not a problem with the pdk gearbox, but a manual can be over-revved on the downshift.

With your budget, its do-able, but be VERY selective, so as not to just buy a load of trouble.

Hmmm…

Got a nice early 3.2 boxster a while ago and tbh glad I didn’t pony up for a newer one..

it’s a nice car and surprisingly practical but with the speed limits an general traffic madness around here it’s just not fun anymore 🙂

Mine just sits on the drive and occasionally goes to spain..So my midlife Chrisis is The reverse of everyone else’s …riding everywheres so much more fun..

Later boxster with 9A1 engine don’t have an IMS so don’t suffer and it’s not a mystical problem the bearing fails and your left crying as it lets the chains slip and your engine turns to a mess of poo

Great suggestions from Ox.
NSX is a good shout, pricey servicing and running costs though. Rare, cool and an investment.

I’ve just cured my midlife crisis with a used:

MX5 and several really nice holidays.

If you can’t put the roof down, your midlife crisis will continue to eat away at you.

9A1 Boxster engine are they all of the 07 models?

I’ve got a new Cayman GTS. It’s everyday usable, comfy seats, torquey engine, enough comforts. But then when you hit the right road it turns in to a beast of a car. I’ve had it 4 months now and still like a school kid when I go out for a drive.

here is the problem though, whilst it still feels special at 10 miles an hour, it’s very fast and very capable, and whilst it’s 100% down to the driver I’m probably going to be selling it to stop me getting in trouble.

Cars are funny things. As a kid, I always though, when I was rich and famous, I’d have a 911 with the big silly spoiler on the back. Now, if I won the lottery and had time for dicking about in a car without having to worry about practical things, it would be a lotus Elise/Exige.

In reality, my car musing rarely go beyond a Berlingo Multispace or a Toyota Verso (or something very similar)

I had fast cars in my youth.
I had sports cars when I was a little older.
I now have a big planet killing 4X4 and love it to death.
There’s too much traffic, too many cameras and too many potential problems to enjoy a fast car these days.

9A1 engines are in the Gen 2 models, roughly from 58 plate onwards

People are getting confused with the minor IMS bearing change on the Gen 1 engines around 07 model year.

I had a Cayman S for a couple years, got written off when some tube decided to ram me in the rear. Great car, really felt special and the way it handles was just sublime. Mine was a 55 plate, bought it at about 7 years old and was in the OPs budget. Was always aware of the engine risks but never had a problem personally.

The thing I rwlly loved about it was the handling, it felt like you had to try and drive it smoothly to get the best out of it, and as someone with no pretensions that I am Ayrton Senna, it always felt like it could catch you out if you didn’t. The steering feel was just so good and as someone said above you could place it so accurately.

Would recommend one, only caveats would be obvious point s like the engine thing and budgeting enough for repairs servicing etc.

There’s too much traffic, too many cameras and too many potential problems to enjoy a fast car these days.

Which is why my mid life crisis (number 7) car will be an old classic.

Not with those wheels, I hope.

I would buy the Caymen if I wanted a sports car to use every day, but for a weekend car it’s got to be a soft top.

And if it is a true 2nd car, would have to be an Elise, Caterham, Westfield.

Not with those wheels, I hope.

No, they’re not very nice. Hopefully get the original spoked wheels.

Not with those wheels, I hope.

No, they’re not very nice. Hopefully get the original spoked wheels.

Those look like MG Maestro wheels 😯

I had a 1500 Spitfire and it was great fun.
And yes, get rid of those wheels, otherwise it’s a fine looking car.

Lotus Elise or Exige. Go for post 2006 with the Toyota engine and bills will be small.

I’ve just sold my Elise 111R, it cost bugger all to run. Service costs are pretty much the same a Toyota, 4 tyres cost £320, insurance was £200 a year.

Whatever you buy do your homework. I looked at Porsche before buying the Lotus and backed away, my pockets weren’t deep enough to run one.

S2000

Lots of nice 911s available for £20k or less. We’re all recommending our own cars, right ?

Howabout something with a barking V8 in it, an Audi RS4 or a Lexus IS-F

Had an Elise. Wont have another. Poor build quality and overrated in my opinion
Had a TVR. Wont have another. See above, although Chims are cheap for V8 noise.
Had Westfields, would definitely have another. Actually discussed with Mrs TJ about mid life crisis of building one soon. A mate has built 5 and has a full workshop to make bits and help.
From a car point of view, I am looking at a Z4 m Coupe for the next toy. Very rare, actually starting to appreciate and the straight 6 is pretty reliable, except for Vanos issues.

Howabout something with a barking V8 in it, an Audi RS4 or a Lexus IS-F

The running costs on that era RS4 are pretty brutal, especially now they’re getting on a bit. The M tax on parts is nowt compared to the RS tax. I love the B7 RS4 a lot but I don’t think it’s special enough for a weekend toy…as a fast every day car, great if your pockets are deep enough.