I was momentarily inspired by Harris thrashing that GT4 on Extra Gear last week. Got me thinking - what are the options for a machine that offers a bit of a 6 cylinder soundtrack but isn't too stupidly fast to use on the road? So far I came up with the non-"S" Boxster, Z4 2.5i or 350/370Z roadster. All a bit haridressery, but offer a sensible amount of go and good sound. What do you reckon?
TR6.
E9x 335i, preferably an E92.
The 330i sound superb. Not mental fast. Quite thirsty though. I struggled to average 28mpg in mine. The z4 with the same engine would be great
For me id like a big old yank tank with. Full fat v8 up front.
Disclaimer. I'm not in it for the drive
I'm in it for the noise and the look because our roads are shite for making progress (safely)
BMW make a fabulous 6, tye 320 Coupe I had in '91 is still one of the smoothest cars I've ever driven
King....never driven any of my suggestions or yours, but had discounted anything x35i on the grounds of far too easy to go far too fast and turbo restricting engine noise....tell me I'm wrong?!
Bristol 411
A 2.7 boxster from 03 on is a great car for the cash assuming you start with a good one.
AC Cobra 289. It is fantasy, right?
Ooh...like your V8 choices. I suppose this puts a Chimera or Griff on the table then....
Oh - should have mentioned it needs to be manual for optimum "playing a tune with it-ness"! This sadly excluded Jag V8s which I do like the sound of...
DBR2
Careful with Griff and chimera
Major service on em is an engine rebuild.
A mate of mine buys em cheap when they need one and sells em high after......
But yes lush sound.
rat - that's interesting...I always assumed that the Rover v8 was pretty bulletproof
Not once you tune em esp on the more big bored blocks - is the 4.6 . They have some flaws that are exasperated when you tune em.
Prone to oil starvation on first lobe of the camshaft from the firewall.
The bombproof reputation comes from the 3.5v8 non bored version with a non stressing ,85bhp that would run on ,4 and not bother about it.
aP - Member
DBR2
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I approve. A lot.
Alfa Romeo C8! I'd post a picture cept i'm crap @ compooters.
My choice would be from TR6, Stag, Rover 3500S or Morgan V8. The triumphs because I worked on them. The Morgan because I worked on the Rovers the engine came from including a Range Rover engine factory course 😆 brilliant week including clubbing in Coventry.... 😆 😆
A Monaro/VXR8 for reasonably priced silly manual v8'ness, juicy but wgaf if it's a toy..
M5, E39 or E34
2 cylinders short of your requirement, but wouldn't say no to another 944 S2 - balance shaft smooths the delivery.
M135/235i
I love my E91 325i Touring; it's basically a detuned 330 so sounds lovely and is pretty rapid. I could get it unrestricted and it'd be properly fast.
MG ZT-T 260
or
MG ZT 260
Rover SD1
M3 CSL - possibly the best sounding straight 6 in the world.
None of that forced induction bullshit. Just a beautifully tuned, high revving s54 straight 6.
There's a couple of alternatives, but there might be a bit of searching to find tidy ones; there are other TVR's with V6 engines, like the 1991 290 S3:
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Much less complicated than the later ones, and mechanically easier and cheaper to maintain.
More unusual, and a bit rarer, but to my mind a prettier car, and again running a Ford V6, from the 3.0 Capri GT, there's the Welsh-built Gilbern Invader:
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There's even an estate version!
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gt6 running stainless steel exhausts and k&n filters.
Alfa GT V6. Stunning looks and a surprisingly practical car also and that engine is a classic...
This thread has had me looking - an 05ish boxster in seemingly great condition can be had for surprisingly little money. Not sure I'd want the bills of running it as an everyday car if that meant 10K plus miles a year but I don't do that (and have a van for bike duties) so it might not be that bad. Ponders.
6 cylinder howl but no oomph? Naturally aspirated Mk4 Supra. If you squint, they look a bit like the Ferrari 550 Maranello.
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basically a detuned 330 so sounds lovely and is pretty rapid. I could get it unrestricted and it'd be properly fast.
325i isn't a bad shout if you don't want too much oomph. My wife has one and it makes a bit of a sound but isn't too quick at all. Needs to be the later 3.0 if you want to remap it to 300i (and above levels) and will need a few other bits.
"fantasy" and "mid life crisis" - doesn't that mean something a bit lairy and silly?
And people are suggesting BMW 330s? Just a normal car isn't it?
I have an 03 3 litre Z4, bought a few months ago, and genuinely been the most fun I've had in a car to date! On paper it's nothing special, 0-60 in a shade under 6 seconds and the drivetrain out of a family saloon. Honestly though, BMW really struck it right with this one. It's the perfect balance of quick enough to be good fun, but not too quick as to scare you silly on a daily basis. The 2.5i is 40bhp and a lot of torque down, and it doesn't have the sport button (sharpens throttle response, makes way more difference than you'd think) and only a 5spd box (I'm assuming we're staying away from autos in a sports car anyway!), I wouldn't but if you just want to cruise round with the roof down its still a very nice place to be... Though might as well get the 2 litre along with lower running costs if that's all you're bothered about.
What would I change mine for? Well if I could afford it, something like an 07/08 3.0si model with low milage would be lovely. Otherwise nothing else to be honest. Z4M's are silly money and have much higher running costs, and once you've driven the 3 litre, the last thing on your mind is "this car needs another 100bhp!"
K-O
Yes mine's the 3.0 6 cyl and sounds lovely. It's only 220Bhp but even without the 330 intake manifold it shifts pretty well.... 8)
It'll get to 272Bhp and 320Nm with the upgrade. That's alright for a family estate!
I imagine a Z4 with the 272 would be nice!
I'm planning to run this into the ground (another 6 years or so) then look at a 340i....
Mustang
A mate bought a Dodge Charger SRT8 which has a tuned supercharged 6.1L V8!!! Think it's something like 600Bhp at the rear wheels! Uses it as an everyday car and it's superb! Dukes of Hazard red too!!
Vauxhall Viva with a small block in it.
Anything with a Busso V6, like this 8)
My (second) mid-life crisis car was a Boxster 3.2S. It was an 02 plate for the right side of £10k and was an absolute joy. It sounded awesome and I cannot recommend one highly enough. I test drove a few and some sounded well and truly ragged, but eventually I found a well looked after one. Buy carefully and you'll get a stonking car that will never fail to put a smile on your face and is remarkably practical for a 2 seater. Granted I did avoid taking it out in the snow 😉
[url= https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7206/6774674846_52cd39df3c.jp g" target="_blank">https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7206/6774674846_52cd39df3c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/bjDYNJ ]My Boxster[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stilltortoise/ ]stilltortoise[/url], on Flickr
I'm in the same boat as Stilltortoise, although mine is my first MLC effort. Did a run up through Edale last night as the sun was setting. Bloody lovely. Not "too fast" for the road, although getting close to it. The extra torque of the 3.2 means it potters along very nicely at low revs too.
As above, there's plenty of snotters out there, and they're blindingly obvious when you have a poke around them. Mine felt cared for, although it's still eating through parts at a frightening rate, to try and keep it in top condition. (The bits for the most part aren't massively costly, but fitting them can be an exercise in contortionism). I'm hoping once I'm through the first year of ownership and have most of the immediate issues sorted, it shouldn't be too bad thereon. <<crosses fingers>>
E46 330i and Z4 3.0se use the same 231bhp M54 engine. Same block as the 325/2.5 but different intake manifold, brakes, ecu etc. It's not de-tuned, but physically neutered.
3.0si and 2.5si along with early E9*use the N52 engine which produces 262bhp in top spec. Same again re-spec and tuning. It's also worth noting that facelift Z4s are heavier with more soundproofing, better seats etc.
Only the 630i and E9* facelift models have the new, N53 engine with 272bhp and the regenerative rear axle technology, and sadly the engine is a little more brittle than the N52, which itself is a little more brittle than the M54 which is largely bulletproof.
I've only had one petrol 6 cyclinder, early E36 325i couple with many factory extras including a limited slip diff
I miss that car, it was a cracker and sounded oh so good when it was on song
I can vouch for what Daffy says about the N53 engine being brittle. I'd avoid that particular engine. I had one in my e90 325i and it absolutely loved coil packs and injectors. Depending on the particular manner in which the injector decided to lunch itself it would cost between £200-350 a pop to sort out (with 6 cylinders it is a concern). One of mine failed in the open position so when the ECU tried to shut down that cylinder due to misfire it continued to piss fuel in there eventually forcing fuel past piston and contaminating oil..
Also - uprading an N53 from 25i to 30i is not simple and costs about 2.5K IIRC (there is a 3 stage intake with some electrical gubbins to plumb in that changes the intake length according to where you are in the rev range, effectively giving a slight forced induction effect).
I think a lot of the problems are to do wih this engine being an early adopter of direct injection in petrol engines and it is a bit sensitive to fuel quality (don't think it was sod in regions with poor fuel quality). It also means the engine sounds diesely/tapatty on tickover. Mind you, my new 135i sounds just as crap on tickover.
I'd go for the Porsche. A nice early 987 in 'S' if you can get one. Mind you a mate of mine had the 245bhp 2.7 with all the right toys, colour, wheels etc. and it was a lovely car.
135i is stupid fast but if you're after "fantasy" then a Porcshe badge and a naturally aspirated soundtrack is more appropriate
