the 'what car' musings thread
Discussion
I have taken the plunge and procured a lovely little MX5 Roadster Coupe thing from a nice chap some of you may know called Imthishan who runs a couple of motoring websites out here.
Having chosen to drop my budget I got down to a choice between a Mini Cooper S and the 5. Having picked it up yesterday I've had more fun on the commute to and from work today than I have done in years!
It is not the fastest thing, but it is fast enough to make the most of sweeping on and off ramps around town without threatening the wallet when I hit the cameras on the straights. Great stuff.
Having chosen to drop my budget I got down to a choice between a Mini Cooper S and the 5. Having picked it up yesterday I've had more fun on the commute to and from work today than I have done in years!
It is not the fastest thing, but it is fast enough to make the most of sweeping on and off ramps around town without threatening the wallet when I hit the cameras on the straights. Great stuff.
Edited by Hitch78 on Wednesday 4th April 12:03
I care not, never really have. I had a MK1 in the UK that died of rustisillitus but I used to love turning up at clients offices to earn my ridiculous 'Big 4' consulting fees in that 2k car!
Everyone in work had a laugh today and some of my, er, asian colleagues just cannot come to terms with how I don't insist on driving a big brand new car to show that I am doing ok in life. I think a couple of them are worried for me as there was much scratching of heads going on.
To be honest my budget was cut to allow some long term investments to be made which is a short term sacrifice I'm more than happy to make. And having had a 987s and a Mustang GT since I got here I can honestly say that anything more than 200bhp is too expensive in fines for me to run!
Now where did I put my curling tongs...
Everyone in work had a laugh today and some of my, er, asian colleagues just cannot come to terms with how I don't insist on driving a big brand new car to show that I am doing ok in life. I think a couple of them are worried for me as there was much scratching of heads going on.
To be honest my budget was cut to allow some long term investments to be made which is a short term sacrifice I'm more than happy to make. And having had a 987s and a Mustang GT since I got here I can honestly say that anything more than 200bhp is too expensive in fines for me to run!
Now where did I put my curling tongs...
I rate this version of the MX5 only slightly behind the origianl, (which wins because of the popup headlights).
Its nippy, handles well, not too thirsty and I could well imagine it would be great fun on the off ramps along SZR. I rate them so highly that I recommended one to my mother when she retired and she had a whale of a time driving around Cornwall in it.. ;-)
In all fairness, she had a highly modded Cooper in the 60s and any petrolhead tendancies myself and my brothers have are due to this and the way she used to throw an original 205 GTi around.
Its nippy, handles well, not too thirsty and I could well imagine it would be great fun on the off ramps along SZR. I rate them so highly that I recommended one to my mother when she retired and she had a whale of a time driving around Cornwall in it.. ;-)
In all fairness, she had a highly modded Cooper in the 60s and any petrolhead tendancies myself and my brothers have are due to this and the way she used to throw an original 205 GTi around.
Hitch78 said:
So long as it's just a blow dry you're after!
I'm thinking of taking it on a couple of track days but they seem to be drawing to a close for the year and it needs new tyres and brake fluid at the least before that happens. I have no talent whatsover but I'd like to give it a go!
I'd do it I'm thinking of taking it on a couple of track days but they seem to be drawing to a close for the year and it needs new tyres and brake fluid at the least before that happens. I have no talent whatsover but I'd like to give it a go!
You won't be the fastest thing on the straights, but you will have a whale of a time on the twisties.. In all seriouness, I think its a fantastic car. They hold the road unlike anything else at the price, (excepting an Elise) and you'd have to spend a lot of money to equal it. Put it this way, in the hanmds of someone who knows what they are doing, I've seen these giving a lot of trouble to far faster machines.. 
Psychobert said:
...but you will have a whale of a time on the twisties...
And which 'twisties' might these be then? Interchange 2 from Jebel Ali direction to Safa Park? Al Barsha roundabouts?Or are you talking about driving for an hour out of town, just to find a decent set of corners?
oilydan said:
And which 'twisties' might these be then? Interchange 2 from Jebel Ali direction to Safa Park? Al Barsha roundabouts?
Or are you talking about driving for an hour out of town, just to find a decent set of corners?
Err.. Not been here long enough, but I assumed there would be some somewhere.. Or are you talking about driving for an hour out of town, just to find a decent set of corners?
That was my complaint when I had a Boxster S here - no roads capable of having fun on.
In this thing it is a different story as the game is more about maintaining speed than planting the right foot so every roundabout, U turn and slip road is fair game - especially with a waggy rear and LSD. Current favourites are the hairpin from the Al Ain/Oud Metha road onto Al Khail on the south side of Business Bay bridge or the fast S from Al Khail onto Al Ain road when heading in the other direction. The two roundabouts on the cut through from Hessa St to Umm Suq in Al Barsha 3 are great fun too.
In between it is as boring as anything else of course and it is completely gutless above about 140!
In this thing it is a different story as the game is more about maintaining speed than planting the right foot so every roundabout, U turn and slip road is fair game - especially with a waggy rear and LSD. Current favourites are the hairpin from the Al Ain/Oud Metha road onto Al Khail on the south side of Business Bay bridge or the fast S from Al Khail onto Al Ain road when heading in the other direction. The two roundabouts on the cut through from Hessa St to Umm Suq in Al Barsha 3 are great fun too.
In between it is as boring as anything else of course and it is completely gutless above about 140!
I really am having trouble deciding where to go from here...
I keep switching between C5 RS6, B7 RS4, then took a leap to C6 RS6 and Yorky threw a C63 AMG into the mix. Now heading towards an E60 ///M5.
I like the thought of a V10...., the C6 RS6 has the unit they use in the Lambo so could mean big bills?
I keep switching between C5 RS6, B7 RS4, then took a leap to C6 RS6 and Yorky threw a C63 AMG into the mix. Now heading towards an E60 ///M5.
I like the thought of a V10...., the C6 RS6 has the unit they use in the Lambo so could mean big bills?
oilydan said:
I really am having trouble deciding where to go from here...
I keep switching between C5 RS6, B7 RS4, then took a leap to C6 RS6 and Yorky threw a C63 AMG into the mix. Now heading towards an E60 ///M5.
I like the thought of a V10...., the C6 RS6 has the unit they use in the Lambo so could mean big bills?
C6 RS6 stands out for me there. Too many C200 AMGs around to opt for the C63, which is a shame. I keep switching between C5 RS6, B7 RS4, then took a leap to C6 RS6 and Yorky threw a C63 AMG into the mix. Now heading towards an E60 ///M5.
I like the thought of a V10...., the C6 RS6 has the unit they use in the Lambo so could mean big bills?
Hitch78 said:
C6 RS6 stands out for me there. Too many C200 AMGs around to opt for the C63, which is a shame.
Thats whats putting me off any form of AMG - so many of the damm things around I'd never find it in a car park.From what I remember of the RS6 the bills are eye waveringly high. I had a whale of a time a while back in an RS4, but it really needs something other than a straight road to get something from it..
i think you'd be better looking at the executive saloons - bmw 7series or alpina b7, audi 4.2 A8l or the v10 s8.
going to be similar running cost to the amg or rs flavours, but you get ALL the toys in the best pacckage for dubai - silky smooth wafting and a stable of german show ponies ready to run when you need them.
can't see the amg or rs being tracked or hustled through hatta, and the right colour combo s8 / 7er has much more kerb appeal imo.
nice choice to have though mate!
going to be similar running cost to the amg or rs flavours, but you get ALL the toys in the best pacckage for dubai - silky smooth wafting and a stable of german show ponies ready to run when you need them.
can't see the amg or rs being tracked or hustled through hatta, and the right colour combo s8 / 7er has much more kerb appeal imo.
nice choice to have though mate!
oilydan said:
Spotted a rather lovely CLK63 AMG which went right to the top of the list....until Mrs Oilydan saw it had only 2 seats
Then saw the CL63 AMG behind it. Ooooh the noise... and all the toys...
As and when the lottery I could see that CL being my daily snotter, I love them.Then saw the CL63 AMG behind it. Ooooh the noise... and all the toys...
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