TT 3.2 DSG? Don't want to/can't spend that much.
Nissan 350Z? Gorgeous looking and modern; rave reviews.
MINI Cooper S Works? Expensive conversion; great fun though; MINIs a bit common.
Well preserved Porsche Carrera 2 964? Bags of character, low depreciation; min 12 years old now, so not tops for safety/airbags.
Honda Civic Type R? Great value and build quality; a real rocket.
MINI Cooper S? Value compared with Works; fun, MINIs a bit common.
Well preserved Porsche 3.2 Carrera? Even more character, low depreciation; even older than 964, so safety issue greater (does it matter?); lots of grunt for 13 grand.
Anything else? Can't be French or Italian. Has to be a 2+2 (does that rule out the Nissan?) Opinions welcome!
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How about the Mazda RX8 240 bhp. Quick, smooth, interesting & different.
Unsuitable for pootling 1 mile to the station, apparently!
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Or a used TVR Cerbera? Supercar quick, scary handling, wonderful noise.
btw, a Nissan Micra may come in handy for when the TVR breaks down. Which it will. Regularly.
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How about the Mazda RX8 240 bhp. Quick, smooth, interesting & different. Unsuitable for pootling 1 mile to the station, apparently!
If Mad Maxy can get away with pretending to be somebody's daughter, maybe daddy will offer one as a birthday present?
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Have you thought about the Mazda RX8? It's also apparently steam powered, so would let you into the steam fair BR meet. Think of the exhilaration of stoking the fire as you zoom down the M6 at 3 mph, soot and steam in your hair.
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Hmm. Porsche 968 has engine in the wrong place - for a Porsche.
Mazda RX-8 looks triff. Think fuel consumption's a weak point.
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Between the Mazda and the Nissan, I'd take the Nissan.
Partly because I think the Nissan looks better, partly because with it's rave reviews, I think the Mada will become a bit too common on the roads. I've already seen several of them. Although the Nissan also got good reviews, I reckon it'll remain rarer.
Just don't get it in that metallic silver/grey colour that EVERYONE has got.
If you're looking at that type of car, wouldn't consider the Honda/Maxi/whatever, if you can cope with the practicalities of owning a real coupe, why compromise with a hatchback?
The TVR's not a bad idea though, now THAT is an exhilarating car.
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BTW regarding the RX8 and HJ's comments on it. Could it be that he's using knowledge of the history of the rotary engine (from the RX7 perhaps) to make this warning?
Mazda claim they have solved any reliability problems stemming from the rotor seals. Of course that doesn't mean it's true...
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Well, after my run a week or two back, I would say that a Mclaren Mercedes SLR certainly qualifies! ;-))
Anything else is just plain slow!
Yes, I still want one so bad that it hurts!
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968 is one of the Porsche's with the engine in the right place !
Still, lots of people must like having a car with the engine in the same place as that old Skoda Rapid !
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Does it need to be new, though ? Then you could look at the 225Bhp Audi TT - these are coming down in price now the new 3.2 is out ...
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Lotus Elise or Exige.
Rocket-like acceleration, rail-like handling, simple car, no fancy computer bits, you, the car, the road.
With all that Lotus pedigree too.
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Low mileage Supra twin turbo (JZA80), unspoiled by naff mods, is certainly exhilarating and better than the quack's pills for depression! Needs to be second car, having regard to thirst and insurance. Best from a reputable importer
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Nearly forgot - Celica 190, of course ! Lots of fun, great engine ... and of course, doesn't break down (sorry Lotus!).
If you go to :
www.fensport.co.uk
They do a lot of mods for Toyota's ....
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Morgan. Incomparable style.
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The Supra is a sound choice but even better is the Mitsubishi 3000 GTO twin turbo.
Bonkers, cheap and reliable.
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The Mitsubishi is fine, but just a little cramped in the cabin and I'm not sure about service. Our local Toyota people (can I mention Struan as they are very good?) service Supra quite cheaply. The Mitsu has a rather complex 4wd transmission setup.
But perhaps I am biased!
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What about a Honda Prelude 2.2 VTi?
Fast, but not furious.
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Nearly forgot - Celica 190, of course ! Lots of fun, great engine ... and of course, doesn't break down (sorry Lotus!).
The new Lotus Elise has the same engine as the Celica!
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Plenty choices there. So your budget is between £12-25K?
TT 3.2 is expensive A3 3.2 is £5k cheaper, I bought one, it's not an exhilarating car, but it is a fast car.
Nissan 350z - not had a shot of one yet but I didn't order one as you could only buy the GT at £27,500 which I think is too much, plus I think it might depreciate quite heavily, imports doing £20k on autotrader already.
Cooper S is a great car, will keep up with anything in the twisties and top fun. I'd get a standard one and run it in then think about tuning.
I wouldn't touch a 964, but would a 968 Sport
CTR? Good but looking dated already and the Mini is the better drive.
Other choices, any TVR, a late Griff 5.0, Cerb or early Tuscan.
M3 E36, Z3M Coupe or Roadster, M5.
Then there's the rally replicas, Evo's are totally mental, but I don't like the image, neither do the cops and the 4,500 service intervals for the AYC are a pain.
I'd get an S2000 :-)
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Surprised one of those Vaux vx220 turbo things has not been mentioned. Looks a good choice to me.
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Not really a 2+2, unless you get the passengers to sit on the rear spoiler.
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Time to get my glasses out! My mistake.
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Get a 600cc or 1000cc sports bike for £3500, you won't get anything more exhilerating unless you spend more than £200k
Spend the rest of the money on a 2+2 that doesn't do 0-60 in 3 seconds or 0-100 in 8 seconds.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
Gareth
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>> The new Lotus Elise has the same engine as the Celica!
hmmm - where's the rear passengers going, tho ..... :-((
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hmmm, good point, got a bit carried away there....
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How about a Honda Prelude Type-S? 220bhp, 0-60 in under 6 seconds and a top speed of 150mph.
Mine's up for sale at £6250 :)
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Anything else? Can't be French or Italian. Has to be a 2+2 (does that rule out the Nissan?) Opinions welcome!
whatever you choose, bear in mind report from today's times:
www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,173-1058502,00....l
Cars most flashed by a speed camera last year
1 Porsche 911 (38 per cent of owners)
2 Mercedes E-Class (34 per cent)
3 Alfa 156 (33 per cent)
4 Audi TT (33 per cent)
5 MG ZT (31 per cent)
6 Mercedes CLK (31 per cent)
7 Saab 9-3 (30 per cent)
8 Audi A6 (30 per cent)
9 Saab 9-5 (30 per cent)
10 Jaguar XJ (30 per cent)
Cars most stopped by police last year
1 Porsche 911 (34 per cent)
2 MG ZR (21 per cent)
3 Audi A3 (18 per cent)
4 Citroen Saxo (17 per cent)
5 Subaru Impreza (16 per cent)
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wot no bmw in either list!?
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Oh that\'s a highly meaningful sample. Based on 4000 replies to a survey in Autoexpress.
Pass the bin.
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for info, 1000 is a statistically valid sample of the UK adult population, according to the main opinion polling organisations - NOP etc.
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for info, 1000 is a statistically valid sample of the UK adult population, according to the main opinion polling organisations - NOP etc.
If randomly selected. In this instance, Autoexpress invited respondents. Not a valid sample by any definition.
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Absolutely.
Readers of Autoexpress are hardly a representative sample of the UK adult population, never mind the ones who had reason to respond.
Kevin...
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1000 might be statistically significant if the drivers were selected at random, but the demographic of Autoexpress will be predominantly male, aged between 25 and 55, in an upper income bracket (as indicated by the types of car listed), and in the case of this survey - penitent - ;-).
The survey has no power......
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agree its not anything like a random sample but I would have expected some bmw drivers in any survey of auto express readers.
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agree its not anything like a random sample but I would have expected some bmw drivers in any survey of auto express readers.
it seems that the theories above prove that the self-selective sample of autoexpress is devoid of bmw drivers.
or maybe bmw drivers dont buy/read autoexpress.
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Ooh look, two Honda models in the top 5 "least stopped".
Perhaps their hearing aids were turned off so they couldn't hear the siren? Or maybe the BiB couldn't get past the tailback that is always behind a Honda?
[ducks for cover!]
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no W123s either, which is a bit of a surprise, as they're usually being driven otherwise than by their owners, so you might expect them to be going more quickly than they ought.
But then perhaps that sort of person didn't read that magazine, and so didn't respond. Strange...
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I also like the euphemism "Porsche drivers...tend to drive in a more spirited fashion than your average driver". I suppose Broadmoor is full of homicidal spirited people...
"No officer, I was just driving in a spirited fashion"
That should work.....
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We're (Honda owners - except CTR) not in the Autoexpress demographic.
That reminds me, I must get one of those new-fangled ear syringes to enable me to hear the sirens wailing as I keep within the economy zone of my engine :-]
(My motto is - 'If you hear it it - it's in the VTEC zone - time to slow down').
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We're (Honda owners - except CTR) not in the Autoexpress demographic. That reminds me, I must get one of those new-fangled ear syringes to enable me to hear the sirens wailing as I keep within the economy zone of my engine :-] (My motto is - 'If you hear it it - it's in the VTEC zone - time to slow down').
Fair enough. Only teasing.
I am confused as to why there were no BMWs. Maybe they're too busy cutting people up to read Autoexpress. Or, in my case, sitting on the hard shoulder of the M40...
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OK ND no need to get hot under the collar! I was just trying add a bit of info, not comment :-)
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Briefly back on track ;-) Classic & Sportscar have a review of the TVR Cerbera this month. It's even a 2+2!
Gareth
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964s are big money to service, an 87-89 Carrera is a much better bet. Engines are bulletproof with proper servicing - refined the design for 25 years so all problems worked out.
For me the front engined Porsches aren't that special and can't compete with similarly priced Jap machines for the same money.
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