Toyota Celica or Z4

Nissan 350Z for something modern, Porsche 944 for something older.
Mk2 MX5 for cheap, minimum of a 1.8iS for the LSD and that little bit more power.

Another vote for Z4 here.

£5K should just about get one, probably 4 cylinder, older/higher mileage
£10K will get a nice spec 3 litre low miles/more recent

Tell them what the MK2 MR2 Turbo’s nickname is….

????

MX5 deffinatly ticks many of the boxes.

Mine is an 18 years old MK1, i’ve done just under 100,000 miles in mine since i bought it in 2006 (car is showing 171,000 on the clock) – have gone road tripping around Europe in it with the wife, have gone camping too with her and the 5. boots plenty big enough once you take the space saver tyre out – since it says on the wheel its not to be used on a steering wheel, or on a driving wheel, on a RWD car thats impossible.

Rust to the sills between the rear wheel and the door can be a problem – usually just the outer skin of metal, but its caused by blocked drainage channels from the soft top, so when you see the bubbling, its too late, the panel has rusted from the inside out (and affects pretty much all MX5s at some point) costs around £500 to get sorted properly (asking on MX5 enthuisast sites will get you a local body shop who will do good work, as the cheaper jobs dont last and you end up paying to have it sorted again soon!)

For me, i love the Mk1 but they are getting very old now (cheap tho at around £1-2k) a Mk2.5 which i think is from around 2002, i think, till the Mk3 was introduced is a good model to go for.

Mk3s if you can find one with the Ebach springs factory upgrade fitted, this is the original suspension fitted outside of the EU which brings the stance of the car down an inch or so, bringing the suspension geometry back into factory guidelines.

It was found that to meet EU bonnet height laws raised suspension was fitted, but the suspension geo wasnt changed, so the raised suspension threw out the camber angles and blunted the handling.

????

hedgemonster or something I’d imagine

That was very naughty of you. Please don’t make statements like that without giving people the full picture please. Tell them what the MK2 MR2 Turbo’s nickname is….

Well, yes, but….
The Widowmaker and I got on famously for a number of years with no issues. It was only when I was considering swapping for something a bit quicker that it spat me off the Edinburgh ring road backwards into a hedge. Thankfully not on fire.

Mini cooper S convertible.

4 seats, great fun to drive, reasonable mpg, tax an insurance and well within budget.

OP how tall are you and your other half?

I found the MX5 a bit cramped with me being 6ft 2! One thing to consider if going the MX5 route.

Boxster gets my vote.

Had an S2000 and a Subaru Impreza. Subaru all the way!

Ran an MX5 as a daily runner for about 7 years. Very reliable, can fit a cello in it! (ok only if you don’t have a passenger)

Mk2.5 probably the best choice and great fun to drive, not so fast you scare yourself but it just feels fun even at low speeds. Ideally avoid really big wheels as blunts the handling feel. No need for power roof. Could lift with 1 hand and do up at lights in about 7 secs. Drops even quicker. Keep going above 30mph and you don’t even have to stop to put it up unless it is really pissing it down.

Seriously thinking about buying one as a cheap summer set of wheels because I miss it. Toddler and sprog on way means it is not viable really 🙁

Honda S2000, cracking cars.

Feels special while at the same time being cheap to run.

And your granny could do doughnuts in one

One of the most fun cars I have ever owned was a Ford Racing Puma.

Rare, great looking, cracking engine and one of the best handling cars you’ll ever drive.

Pick one up nowadays for about £6k.

Boxster.

Always feels special, lasts forever, reasonable prices. I tried them all (S2000, Z4, CLK, SLK, Elise) and it was the best by far.

Don’t be put off by reverse badge snobbery; they are great.

I’m watching this thread with interest.

My son is about to go away to university leaving me with a big saloon car that while very nice, is also very big. I rarely use the thing anyway and once he’s flown the nest I’m thinking why do a need a four door car? The wife has an A3 which would be fine for carting things around when needed so hmmm. S2000….

Another vote for the Boxster. I had an Elise which was undeniably good fun, but if you ever wanted to just cruise and relax it fell short. I’d love one again, but not as a daily driver. Now have a Boxster which is very comfortable, MASSES of luggage space (for a 2 seater sports car) and sounds amazing*. Test drove a Z4 and although it looked great from the outside, once sat inside it didn’t excite me at all.

*[EDIT} and of course is ACE fun to drive. My wife prefers driving it to the Elise, even though the Elise was a lot more unique

My other half has a 2000 Mk2 1.8 MX5. Has had it since 2002. It’s had very little go wrong with it, and is used pretty much every day, all year round (she usually leaves it if it’s been snowing, but that’s only as we live down a singletrack untreated lane, at the top of a hill).

Hard top goes on during the winter.

I’m 6’2″, and can fit in it (just).

who am I to argue?

Sort of depends who’s paying…. maybe.

*Drives Audi A4 convertible*

mk1 MX5 and £8k change.

MG’s are out. Bit slow.

Not with £10k to thow at it they’re not.

Good midget for £3k, then spend £7k on a toolkit from halfords and raid the contents of the frontline catalogue. Wishbones and big brakes on the front, double bearings on the back and 5-link suspension (keep the drums though), k-series or duratec under the bonet, 5-speed sequential in the middle, LSD and uprated half shafts. More power than an MX-5, less weight, masses of noise, sequential box, what’s not to like 🙂

Alternatively a low milage TF and get the HG done, £5k+ to spare on new bike(s).

You can have my very good condition MX5 Mark 1 1.8iS 1997 78,000 and £8k change. 😀

mk1 TT 3.2 V6

Another vote for the MX5 the Mk3 is not quite as connected as the earlier ones but is faster, safer, more comfortable and better built.

Although 10k does by an S2000 which has an F20 vtec lump which is a hell of a thing 9.5k redline and one of the best gearboxes in the business just a hell of a car.

I’ve been running a Mk1 MX5 for 4 years and it still puts a smile on my face most times I drive it. Cheap to run and fun to drive, what’s not to like?

If I was going for the VW 3.2 V6 engine, I’d get the R32 – bit more practical and just as quick.

This gorgeous race ready Lancia Fulvia…

that’s the worst looking Fulvia I have ever seen!

A Fiat Barchetta won’t be that different, it is a Punto underneath isn’t it?

I thought this thread was looking for a sports car – and then I see Audi TTs!

Whose got a link to that Z4 that was on ebay a while ago, the one with the huge description slagging off the car. It didn’t sell…

Land rover Defender long wheelbase. And tell her the “sport” for her “sports car” is mountain biking

There’s your uplift driver sorted for summer!

MGB roadster – V8 😀

Go on, I’ll say it.
FD3S RX7. Would come in under £5k no problems. Gorgeous styling, phenomenal handling, outrageously quick, and the rotary engine really isn’t as bad as the internet would have you believe.

BMW Z4 – bit harsh, but funny http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251088445254

given your spec i really would consider a hot hatch/gti/ gt tourer

Mk 2 Golf brilliant classic car

Lupo GTI………….absolute fun and semi practical

Clio 172/williams

polo gti 150 bhp version

renualt twingo girdino……not driven one but look fab

Mitsubhsi Colt czt

loads more

Sports cars

MX5 as above but at 15 stone and 6ft did not really fit in that well , not mega quick but fun.

Z3/$ bit underpowered but nice

TT looks fab seems to have a few problems

Nissan or the Honda are both great drivers cars , the Honda is designed to pootle if you want or rev it hard and is a monster.

The hot hactch you can get in your price bracket,and 😀 have a nice bike holiday

If it helps the SVT Mk2.5 MX-5 started being delivered from September 2001. There were still some Mk2 examples about at this time though.

Right. I’ve given this some thought.

Hyundai Coupe SIII, ‘cos it would be a decent car for that sort of money and I don’t reckon you are that bothered about badge engineering. V6 version the one to go for.
Jag XK, More of a GT, thirsty, but you’d get a soft top for the lower end of your range or a really nice one at the top end.
Lotus Elan, one of the late ’80’s, early ’90’s ones. Bit old, but almost certainly well looked after and more interesting than most.

The Hyundai Coupe II was absolutely the best handling car I’ve ever driven. I’m not sure if the chassis is the same but honestly, it was wonderful. And bearing in mind this is a front wheel drive car…Throw it into the corners seriously hard and it was awesome fun. Back end could step out but could be controlled. Mainly though it just stuck to the road incredibly well and provided a massive amount of feedback. Great car. But underpowered though. 0-60 in about 8.5 seconds I think. Still fast enough to leave most cars away from the lights and if you took it down a weavy road those guys would just disappear.

Ate petrol and tyres mind.

One of the most fun cars I have ever owned was a Ford Racing Puma.

Rare, great looking, cracking engine and one of the best handling cars you’ll ever drive.

Pick one up nowadays for about £6k.
Please, don’t. 😥
I so miss my little Puma…

Before getting a Mk3 MX5 I test drove a Z4. In comparison it felt big on the road, and not that great to handle.

Pumas never did it for me, just the same as a 1.6 Fiesta but different body shell. Didn’t drive a racing Puma mind, but I know a mate drove rally prepped versions and he said they understeered like a dog.

+1 on Honda s2000 , nothing quite like it when the motor rolls round to 9000rpm.

It’s a bit left field but you can get a decent Marlin 5exi for that budget and they’re flipping awesome.