Looking for a unique and fun 2 or 2+2 seater for under £30k

[jimxms]

Hi chaps, here's the situation. I've got a chunk of money burning a hole in my pocket, and after driving nothing but the family hauler; a Lexus LS460 for the past few years, I want something for myself. My criteria is pretty precise and I think I may have already found my dream car, but before I bite the bullet I want to make sure that I'm not missing any other potential candidates...

1) under £30k, ideally under 25.
2) rare (in the UK at least) and a head-turner. I don't want a BMW, Merc, Porsche, Audi, Ford....etc
3) bloody fast in a straight line. I prefer the thrill of being shoved back into my seat, smoking tyres and trying to stay pointed at the horizon rather than twisty country lanes.
4) as already mentioned, a 2 seater or 2+2 would be even better for those occasional school runs.
5) menacing looks.
6) not too old (2000+ ish). I would still like some fairly modern touches.

I narrowed it down to a Corvette (c6 most likely).

I was also considering:

Bentley Continental GT - but I dont think it will be 'raw' enough. I imagine them to be a bit squishy like my Lexus.
Jaguar XK-R - doesnt really meet (2) criteria.
Dodge Challenger SRT - might still be a candidate
Ford Shelby GT 500 - probably cant get them under £30k and their interiors are pap.

Any other potentials I've missed?

[jimxms]

Axionknight said:

Save a few quid more and buy an Aston Martin Vantage. You'll need an "oh st, something has broken" fund, though.

Ah yeah I should have mentioned - that was another thing that turned me off the Bentley. Some level of 'reliability' would be nice.

[jimxms]

Risotto said:

How much do you not want a Porsche? A 996 Turbo would otherwise fit the bill. Not exactly rare but hardly common either and fulfils your other criteria. Nor do they suffer from the engine issues that plague the regular 996.

Alternatively, how about some sort of Monaro? Or one of the more powerful Caterhams? No idea how much Nissan GT-Rs are these days, although they seem fairly ubiquotus by comparison with some of the stuff on your shortlist..

Edited by Risotto on Wednesday 2nd September 21:55

I did have a 996 Turbo on my eBay list as it goes. I like the car and I'm sure its great to drive too, but It's just not unique enough unfortunately.

Monaro is a great shout, but most people will see it as an old vauxhall with a bodykit tacked on.

GT-R I did consider, but the good ones are still asking £40k and they want to save you, not kill you so doesnt quite fit my criteria.

[jimxms]

Speed 3 said:

TVR Tuscan, T350 or Tamora. Don't believe what you've read about reliability. Last of these T-cars can be really well sorted, bespoke design and 350-400 BHP in 1100kg don't make them shabby with the right foot. Latter two now particularly rare.

I'd totally forgotten about TVR's

Off to the classifieds I go!

[jimxms]

Podie said:

Stretch the budget / negotitate.... 500bhop - 1999 Marcos Mantis GT Spyder - Supercharged



http://www.redlinesportscars.com/marcoscars.php

Oh wow!

Now that really is something special. If its a dealer I may be able to finance 5-6k to make it happen.....

I know nothing about these cars so I'll have to do some reading up. I assume they use an engine made by another car company?

[jimxms]

Grey Ghost said:

OP, the car below will tick most of your boxes:

http://www.powersperformance.co.uk/used/slug/43-t3...

The warranty on the engine is excellent (not that you'll need it) and I'd expect if you arranged to see the car it would be a worthwhile visit

Thats a beauty! I just showed it to the wife and she hated it though.

Time for a new wife me thinks.

[jimxms]

So........I've gone and bought a Corvette

2008, one owner, 20k miles, jetstream blue, z51 performance pack, manual.

[jimxms]

Grey Ghost said:

I rather like that

Thank you. First port of call is a wheel refurb. They aren't bad, but the rest of the car is mint. I'm thinking of gunmetal grey/shadow chrome....



I think it works pretty well.