Even a mild “cooking” Caterham feels massively fast. Which is what it is all about, surely? Mine was only 120bhp, with the Caterham six speed – fantastic fun all the time. You can use the really close stacked gears to short-shift just as easily as you can use it keep it on a fast boil. Bit frenzied on the motorway though.

The weight is so low that the performance is maximised to a degree that you can’t really appreciate until you’ve tried it. Even engine braking is much stronger – it’s jolly good fun blatting around and virtually never needing the brakes.

I did once try the Blackbird, at a Caterham event at Brands Hatch, which is just another level of excitement entirely. However the clutch was a bloody liability.

A light car doesn’t need a turbo IMO. And it’s more predictable and will rev more quickly.

Turbos are great when fitted properly but they do limit the engine’s useability in many situations. Especially for track type loon cars.

An Elise with a supercharged CTR engine – now that’s a fun track machine…

Best thing ive driven in the category your looking in (and ive driven a few) is probably the vx220t im shopping for a clean one at the moment. Pretty well built and reliable, not bad money to run and after an initial high deprecation they seem to be holding value well now. Also some great tuning options to give it a shove towards supercar performance figures if you wished to go that way.

That or you could buy my lovely (notthrasedatallooohnosirhonest) 172 cup 😉

Male menopause Druidh? Going to grow a ponytail as well?

Light small good handling car in the MX5 MR2 lotus Vx220 caterham mould IMO – unless you want a classic.

Metro 6R4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tDHzBbbqRY

No Male Monopause here TJ – I’ve plenty of testosterone to go around.

Anyway, isn’t it you that desperately needs a haircut?

Hey – I reckon that if I have the money, I may as well put it to good use. Think of it as doing my bit for the flagging economy.

What car did you always want when you were younger but couldn’t have?

Ten grand buys a pretty wide range of cars?

Jenson interceptor?
Alfa spider
Classic 2 door merc?

TandemJeremy – Member
What car did you always want when you were younger but couldn’t have?

One of these

Other than that, I’ve never been a big car fan. Motorbikes for fun, cars for practicality.

You want a shot in mine Colin?

Hang on did you not always hanker after some 90s jap hatchback?

I’d say either MX5 Mk1 or Mk2 (but not Mk 3), Elise, Caterham/Westfield or Suzuki Cappuccino.

I wouldnt get anything fwd, or 4wd ie evo’s or scoobys. fwd is just dull and 4wd you have to be a bloody good driver and go stupid speeds to get any where near the limit of grip and therefore have fun.

Elise’s just give you an amazing buzz theres just some thing special about them, however on the road you will never be able to push them, and as has been said above I wouldnt want to push one on the road because they will be snappy.

I’ve only driven a Caterham on the track but imediately thought it was easy to drive and you could have fun on the road without it snapping.

MX5 easy to drive quickly but an absolute ball I had a Mk3 and wish I had got a Mk1 or Mk2 like mates of mine, they were much more involving to drive and felt more like a sports car than a normal car. Get a 1.8 with limited slip diff though.

Best car I have drivn on the road though was a suzuki cappuccino, 3 cylinder 650cc turbo charged. Not the quickest thing 0-60 but quick enough in gear with instant acceleration, fantastic brakes, and limited amounts of grip made it the most fun car I have ever driven on the road even though it was limited to 85mph.

IMO dont go for power, balance, power delivery, sensitivity give you a much bigger grin that lots of power.

Porsche 944 S2

possibly the best car i have owned…

I love it!

Dann

smart coupé brabas?

Ohhh Lancia Stratos – Kit car???