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Or any Westfield/Caterham
I had an S2000 (which I stacked in the rain) but it was flipping great.
Recently bought a Westfield SE and it's awesome. You get a huge amount of fun/power for not a lot of cash. I have a 135bhp engine which is plenty fast enough to put a smile on most people's facces although £8k will get you into motorbike engined ones like the Megablade.
It just feels great to drive, really exhilerating and if you've got the money and inclination; keeping something like that and buying something more sensible is a great idea.
Check out the MEV Rocket as well; basically a ford focus...
I hope you enjoy it. Nothing brings out the "not like that, like this" experts like a good car thread.
Mintman - I plan to get one at some stage. Soooo much fun! An SEight would be rather fun but would probably kill me. Sounds like "car engined" versions are generally the best bet unless doing loads of track driving.
Yours sounds a lot of fun!
Slightly back on topic, a mate of a mate has put a supercharged CTR engine into a mk1 Elise - that's rather nippy.
I'm tempted by the likes of a Caterham but that'd have to be in additional to a normal car. I'm seriously considering a 2nd hand S2000 though - looks like £12.5-£15K gets a decent one.
Got rid of my CTR-GT 3 months ago. Enjoyed driving it for the last 3 years/55,000 miles. It was fine over any distance and could fit 3 bikes plus kit in the back with the seats down. Great reliability and build quality. I'm definitely a Honda fan.
The only thing I don't like about the Mugen is the looks (and fuel economy will be shocking).
Do you think in a parallel universe there is a car forum where members obsess about mountain bikes?
Do you think in a parallel universe there is a car forum where members obsess about mountain bikes?
There are fairly regular threads about mountain bikes on the forum of a owner's club I visit...
My wife has an 07 Type R. Its a proper 4 seater hatchback in terms of size and we actually put both our bikes in the back, no problems. I recently drove it back from North Wales - cross country route and really enjoyed it.
My previous cars of note were a Caterham 7 (I used to race them) and a Lotus Elise. I was impressed with the Honda - everything just works well and has that quality feel about it. It was a comfortable ride and you could really bung it into the corners.
It kind of fits both worlds quite well - fast and fun, practical too.
Mine is nothing too flash, its the crossflow engine which, by today's standards, is small and low tech. Given you don't really get anything less powerful its still good for 0-60 in 5.5sec and 120lbft torque. A Honda Fireblade engine will see 60 in 3.2sec so significantly faster. If you like working the gearbox to keep the engine in its power band then the bike engined ones are probably great. Otherwise car engine all the way. The stock Zetec engines are a popular option up from the crossflow; uber cheap and easy (ish) to fit.
The SEights sounds great but you're right; i reckon i'd go the way of the Dodo if I bought one too...
I'm seriously considering a 2nd hand S2000 though - looks like £12.5-£15K gets a decent one.
I paid £16k for a Honda approved S2000 a few years ago and it was in great condition. At the time that money wouldn't get a glass back window and multispoke wheels but then I didn't really care. You'll probbaly do a bit better now though.
Mint - I think a 2.0 litre Ford unit would be plenty TBH.
Our BM needs no work to go at fairly silly speeds so would be happy to have a car that requires prodding with a big stick to get the most out of!
'Travellingman' - Haha good job. Still, sorry about the rant though, I might have been in a bad mood last night...
it cracked me up the new Type R had only 1 more BHP than the old one, wtf was that all about??
Mint - I think a 2.0 litre Ford unit would be plenty TBH.
Current Fords are a world away from the Crossflow. A really good 2 litre duratec can make 280 brake 😯
DrP - MemberAwaits that "vtec just kicked in, yo" picture....
just for you
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it cracked me up the new Type R had only 1 more BHP than the old one, wtf was that all about??
They did something similar between the MK5 and MK6 Golf GTI, I think they reckon 200-odd bhp is about right in a hot hatch. If they put much more power in then the engineering becomes more expensive and complicated.
Do you think in a parallel universe there is a car forum where members obsess about mountain bikes?
It's all going fast on wheels innit?! Before I could drive I rode bikes, then I got into driving cars as opposed to only being allowed to read about them or be a passenger, and then more recently the annoyances of congestion, speed cameras and the sheer cost have sent me back towards (push)bikes.
I came back from Le Mans this year in an S2000 and it confirmed everything I'd suspected about it - manic engine, fantastic gearbox, tons of character once it's moving (that engine note!) and more roadholding than I expected - the benefits of relatively low weight, low CoG and excellent weight distribution. More surprising was how comfortable it was, especially being able to have a conversation at quick motorway speeds with the roof down. In the subsequent days I got quite involved in searching AutoTrader for one before my sensible side kicked in and reminded me that riding singletrack fast is a much cheaper, equally fun and less frustrating (damned traffic!) pastime.
Honda vtec engines are a bit like hope hubs, you either love the sound or hate it, personally I think they sound like they are about to explode. I've driven a few of them, s2000, accord, and integra type r's and they are absolutely useless unless you are in the power band which is way up the rev range.
Not for me I'm afraid but each to thier own, if you want to look like a boy racer chav get one!
Why not wait and year and buy one 2nd hand for about half the price?