MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
How much are the Alpine A110 going for theses days? A lovely looking car!
Or howabout an old Alfa
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1254663
Currently in a 340: rapid, but feels like a big heavy bus in the corners
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Alpine is a great shout but I doubt you'll get one in budget that's good?
Have you got a garage and are you worried about residuals?
You could find something really fun and quirky that wouldn't be practical - Morgan, Elise, Ariel Atom, KTM X Bow
Civic FD2 Type R for half the budget
I think you need to refine your requirements a bit and really think hard about what you will value in this car. At the moment it feels like you have a Venn diagram with no intersection. For example will you value the experience of perfecting a heel-toe downshift going into a corner or are you more bothered about the car being a thing of beauty? Obviously the two are not mutually exclusive but I think taking a step back and really being honest with yourself will help. £25K is a lot of money so ideally you want to get this right 1st time around.
If you really value a 'drivers' car IMO you need to be focussing on naturally aspirated over forced induction, 3 pedals, RWD and a proper diff. Engine placement not really a constraint but even with the 1st 3 constraints the list is already very small without even thinking about how the thing looks, age, mileage etc. I think the Cayman is a good shout and then depending on if you have a garage something like an Elise.
I don't think BMWs fit the bill unless you go something a bit older like a really tidy E92 M3 with a manual 'box, but TBH they're like hens teeth. The modern BMWs are lovely things but all the current/newish M cars are turbocharged and things like the M135/140 don't have a proper diff.
I had a facelift M135i with the N55 engine and ZF8HP auto 'box and whilst it was a great little car it's not the absolute weapon people make them out to be. Fantastically fast in a straight line and fine in the corners but only up to about 7/10ths.. it's pretty prickly beyond that and things get out of sorts quite quickly!
Robowns - you really should redline your car! That engine and gearbox combo is sublime. Just make sure everything is up to temp, pop it in sport mode (gearbox and car) and give it some beans (on an appropriate piece of tarmac of course). Leave it in auto if you're afraid off bouncing off the limiter (easy done 1>2 on the paddles) and it will give you lovely and perfect whip-crack upshifts time and time again. The 4.9s 60 time is easily achievable in the dry on the Pilot Supersports.
I traded my M135 in for a Tesla 3P so agree with the comments above about the performance. It is an absurdly fast car.. the 3.2s 60 time feels conservative and it has 4 doors and 5 proper seats! not to mentioned running costs of approx. 1.5 pence per mile. But a drivers car it is not.. The steering is very direct and it corners very flat but there is no hiding 1.8 tonne of saloon car.
The Alpine A110 is a great shout but £25K won't cut the mustard. That Boxster Titusrider linked to is very nice indeed, lovely motor and I certainly wouldn't discount a Boxster over the Cayman suggestion, but as above just need to work out what is important to you. I would absolutely love an Elise but I've no where to keep one and don't have the £17K or so I need to get the one I would want.. it's in the plan but it is a long term one.
Cheap? It was nearly £70k new with the options?
Wasnt a dig mate - might’ve been £70k but that was a good few years ago. Just think you rate it highly for a reasonably priced car, a great thing in my book.
And aye to the above, a sad state of affairs from me. Live and work in central London so it sits on my drive 99% of the time.
F’inell, that’s nice – surprised it’s not worth more tbh
If I had a garage to house it in, I’d be doing a bit more research and warming the credit card up
I suspect because although its a factory V8 and serms tidy it's not "original" with all those flares and spoilers.
Really good original cars are £25k, conocurs ones even more.
I’d stretch for something like a Golf GTi TCR or Clubsport. Understated, fairly uncommon and interesting (for VW nerds like me). Also likely to hold value fairly well due to the rarity.
Lotus Evora's are starting at 20k now - https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/lotus/evora?sort-by=PriceLowToHigh
I like a lot of what @nickewen has said
I REALLY enjoyed my 325 BMW, I had factory fitted LSD and it was manual. It sounded lovely and was fun, it felt fast but these days wouldn't really cut it in the fast stakes (think 0-60 in around under 7s)
So interesting for me would be something manual, and usable. By usable I mean not a huge giant of a car, you want to be able to get past cars safely and easily, but light and fun enough to be fun at cornering
I think I’ve suggested it before on similar threads, but find the cleanest mx-5 MK1 or 2 possible and put a rocketeer V6 kit in it. Don’t think you can get much more character for the money. Admittedly much older than 10 years …
That's what I'm up to at the minute...
Donor
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Work in progress
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Oooh shiny carbon bits 🙂
That looks like a riot!
reminds me of this fantastic video -
Porsche 911 (996) with enough of a war chest to fix all the stuff that breaks.
Well I bought my fun car and loving it so far, boxster highly recommended 👌
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Very nice that @titusrider
I'm not convinced on the red roof with silver paint, but very nice anyway 👍
Last time I had 25k cash to spend on a new car I spent:
5k on a car.
5k on a bike.
5k on a holiday.
10k on the mortgage.
🙂
Not even close – 34 for a 2016 and 41 for a 2008 says the internet
And your redline is 7k, not 8k, unless youve had it mapped out 😉
My Audi, however – 8250rpm and I redline it every time I go out 😉
Will do these speeds in each gear
1st Gear redline – 41.5 MPH
2nd – 68.4
3rd – 98.2
4th – 130.3
5th – 167.3
6th – 205.5 (theoretical) limited to 155 as a standard car, 174 deristricted, but read they are actually good for 190
Should be able to kill lots of cyclists and pedestrians even in second gear? Really?
Sorry, I don’t know how this Top Gear forum works but part of my above post was from theartistformerlyknownasstr, apologies, but I have an adverse reaction to people who like speeding on public roads. By all means redline on a racetrack and then usually the only people you are risking is like minded people.
Redline!=speeding. Unless you're in 2nd or above in most modern porsches..
Lovely 981 there Titus.
That Boxter does 75mph in 2nd gear. Not sure why they are so high geared other than it means that they still are slower than the more expensive 911 0-60mph.
Also it means you don’t have to change gear very often... not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing.
Should be able to kill lots of cyclists and pedestrians even in second gear? Really?
So there are no roads in the UK where you can legally hit 68mph?
Thread resurrection time!
So - at the end of the year I should be in a position to buy myself a car just for me - daily driver, 10k a year, short journeys, only me (and the dog) in it 95% of the time. Something fun at low speeds. Ideally no more that 2 years old.
My mind has mulled over the usual suspects - MX5, GT86, Fiesta ST, Polo GTI - but they all seem a bit, dunno - grown-up and polished.
I keep watching videos and reading reviews of the 180bhp Abarth 595 Competizione though - I know it's not the fastest, best handling, biggest, etc., and it's relatively old-tech. But it just looks bloody good fun and ideal for the country lanes and B-roads I drive.
My 17 yr old daughter (who hates Fiat 500's with a passion) - said she'll disown me and wants to know when I'm getting lip-fillers and botox. 🙂
Anyone have any experience of them?
No experience but here is a review of one as a dog car 😉
Unimog.
You know it makes sense.
I so want a Unimog. Always have, the old school bubble one preferably but I'll take any. Finding a <10yo one for £5k would be a struggle though (yes I have looked!).
To the OP - can you get a Nissan GTR for that? Would be my shout if you can.
My mind has mulled over the usual suspects – MX5, GT86, Fiesta ST, Polo GTI – but they all seem a bit, dunno – grown-up and polished.
You should drive 3 of these to check them out. Ditch the Polo.
The Fiesta is excellent. The GT86 is brilliant but flawed. The Mx5 is a dependable classic.
I'd only buy a GT86 if I was determined to make the most of the RWD set up. It depends if you like dangling your back end out on soggy roundabouts. It used to be my favourite thing ever to slide around in a car but now I'm not bothered. I'd probably prefer the top down cruising of the Mx5.
Polo GTI is a bit of a hooligan, I’ve always fancied an MX5, getting in and out would be a struggle nowadays, though. I’ve also had a bit of a lusting for the Golf R32, fantastic motor, and a bit of a sheep/wolf as far as looks are concerned.
Money no object? An MX5 with a 6.3 Corvette V8 in the front!
Probably a bit more than £25k, though... 🤣
The finest manual Porsche box/cay/911 you can find doesn't matter which one.
Really people think they are "boring" as they are the obvious choice. They are the obvious choice for good reason.
Drive one and live with one, if you get pleasure from threading through corners and aren't just looking to pose then really nothing else matters. They are that good once you learn the balance and that the brakes aren't dead just full of feeeeel. OK the cable operated gearchange isn't as nice as say, a mk1 mx5 where the lever is on the gearbox, and they cost more, are less practical than other compromises, might be slower on a timed lap etc. who cares.
I miss my 911 dearly despite driving all kinds of other stuff. I'm convinced it would dance, heel and toeing through the corners. Bliss. And it had a bike rack on the roof.
The finest manual Porsche box/cay/911 you can find doesn’t matter which one.
Really people think they are “boring” as they are the obvious choice. They are the obvious choice for good reason.
Wouldn't call them boring but they are definitely not interesting and as most people would not actually want to live with an interesting car they take safe options such as a Boxster.
I drove a Boxster for 5 years and 70,000 miles and they are nice cars but I would never say it was interesting. Just a well made and nice handling modern car like loads of other options out there.
I drove a Boxster for 5 years and 70,000 miles and they are nice cars but I would never say it was interesting
In what way was it not interesting? I test drove a 981 Cayman a few weeks back, the noise was brilliant, it drove very well, looks beautiful.
Hopefully buying a Boxter soon and genuinely interested pros and cons. I know some people say they are dull, but even in the test drive I found the chassis engaging and full of potential.
Ok maybe not like driving a Caterham but certainly way better than a MX5 or my current BMW 3 series
911 can be great drives but for connection / interaction (and lack of practicality!) they are no Elise / Caterham but for maybe 90% of the time they are better than an Elise / Caterham when you just want to get from A to B. Nice decision problem to have!
25k will get you a prime Westfield with a Hyabusa engine and some spare wheels for track days....
Would have to be a 911, 996 C2 or C4s. M135i etc area great cars, but they are just breathed on family wagons. A 911 feels special every time you drive it. Take your time, buy well and you will not loose any money on depreciation, but you will have to spend on maintenance, that is inevitable.
25k will get you a prime Westfield with a Hyabusa engine and some spare wheels for track days….
There's one of those over the road from me and I wouldn't thank you for it.
He got it for a 'bargain' at 15 grand. 6 weeks later it was making a few weird clunking and knocking noises so it went in for a service. I believe the bill was around £1100 by the time they'd corrected everything they didn't like the look of. The last time I was out with him the engine started making a metallic tinkling noise so it went straight on a recovery truck to the Hyabusa specialist. The dry sump had gone wrong and nuked every component and he's now paying off a £9000 engine rebuild and dry sump replacement. He's still got a to-do-list of things he couldn't afford to have done at the time.
Also, not having a reverse gear is quite the inconvenience when you don't have the steering lock to negotiate a tight junction on a very busy road and you have to undo your harnesses and climb out through the roll cage to push it backwards in heavy traffic.
It feels like the fastest thing on Earth when it's up and running but it's an absolute ball ache in every respect. As much as I love crazy cars I couldn't live with it.
I'd forgotten the sequential box with reverse is an upgrade on the Megabusa!!
Absolutely batshit mental cars - but yeah, practicality not the strongest point 😂😂
In what way was it not interesting?
There are lots of them so run of the mill, they drive well and are well made just like loads of other modern cars. They are great cars but they are not in my opinion interesting, i.e. to a casual observer.
Ok maybe not like driving a Caterham
There, you said it yourself. A Caterham is a car I would say was interesting. Used one as my only car for 3 years and covered 25,000 miles in it.
Interesting is clearly a subjective term and just giving my view of what is interesting. A mass produced car (i.e. Boxster) where there were at one time 3 of them in my village doesn't occur to me as interesting.
Kerley - fair comment.
For my own circumstance, I wouldn’t want to do my 40 miles a day in a Caterham, or justify having 3 cars in the household.
I guess approaching 50 I now want a balance of all things, comfort, performance, air con, stereo.
Round where I live I’ve not seen a Boxter or Cayman!
I went and had a look at a '78 911SC Targa at the weekend. Engine had been replaced with the 3.2 rather than the 3.0 that it came with.
It was lovely, until you got up close and then the realities of owning a 40yr old classic kick in! Would've needed a garage, humidifier etc And then what do I do with the bikes?
@the muffin man
I drove a Fiat 500 695 Bi-posto (basically the track version made road legal) some years ago on the a-roads round Canary Wharf. Great fun and lots of theatre (exposed gear linkage, perspex windows, rollbars, racing harness etc), but at the time I'd never driven anything other than the fiesta I learnt in so in hindsight can't really say 'how' good it was.
I now have a Cayman 2.9.Fab car (and very practical as well, with 2 boots). You can 'enjoy' it without going into license losing speeds, but to 'push it' you do need to be going a bit faster than you should be. It's been made much better by some exhaust work which gives it a lovely grumble.
For me, fun = a raw driving experience that you are involved in and can feel like you're putting the car near it's limits without going too fast. So, small, manual, light, naturally aspirated and revvy, something you can heel and toe in, no farty exhaust noises but a good natural exhaust note. (Gordon Murray has hit the nail on the head!)
If I could take a few hundred kilos out of the Cayman and reduce the power (and probably narrower wheels!) I think it'd be more grin-inducing. But then it is lovely to have the power to really put your foot down on those few occasions when the road is completely clear, and hear the 6 cylinders go for it!
For those reasons, in the future I'll definitely be buying an mx5 type car. Hired a Fiat 124 Abarth on hols last year- obviously a nice car (it's am MX5) but the loud exhaust was horrendous and headache inducing. I prefer the old ones, I'd love one that I could do some work on (new suspension, engine tweaks etc) and give a bit more poke than they have.
I test drove a Golf R and GTi the other week. The R felt fat and lacking any character. Didn't even sound good (built in fart noises when you change gear). Outrageously quick but I felt like a passenger just pointing it where I wanted it to go. The GTi was much better-revvier, noticeably more agile with a bit less weight (wasn't expecting to notice it, but it was very obvious). It seemed like a great car, it's hard to accept anything slower than what you're used to though!
For my own circumstance, I wouldn’t want to do my 40 miles a day in a Caterham, or justify having 3 cars in the household.
I doubt I would either, I had mine in 1996 when I was 28. I drive very, very uninteresting cars these days as driving is just a way of getting around rather than a fun activity with today's traffic, speed cameras etc,. Still enjoy driving but don't need an interesting car to enjoy it.
If you haggle, you can get a Hyundai i30N brand new for £25k.
After test driving some hot hatches, it was by far the most involving and fun to drive. It's still pretty rare on the roads, and I'm constantly being walked up to and chatted to when I park up.
Plus, it has a LSD, and probably all the extras you could want as standard. Including 1,996 driving config - although you'll only use 1!
Oh, and a 5 year warranty - which is valid for track days too.
Audi quattro UR
Just about manage that for £30k
Had to check didn’t I...
you can fit a mountain bike in a 981 Boxster but you have to take the forks off 🙂
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And both wheels went in the front when deflated (27.5)
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Pfft you can get 2 bikes, all the gear and 2 riders in a 944. Progress eh?