First performance car? (Sorry. Another recommend me thread!)

First performance car? (Sorry. Another recommend me thread!)

Author
Discussion

SockToy

Original Poster:

24 posts

119 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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So. I have been driving a 1997 Nissan Primera for 5 years. It is not the sexy. My life is changing and in tried and true spirit I am going to cheer myself up with a nice car. Hooray!

I figure... fast. Obviously. Only car. Q-Car cred would be a bonus. Able to pack it with nice features - in particular a decent sound system, bluetooth or other link to phone for satnav/music/calls/2014 texts. Should be able to stick a pair of bicycles on it... but almost everything meets that criteria one way or another. No need for 4 seats, though rears would be nice for the occasional friend-ferry. Has to be comfy enough for Long (London-Glasgow) motorway jaunts and nimble enough for city stop-start and parking. 4wd would be nice for winter. Good DSG style auto-box would be great. Pretty.

Budget about 37k.

So. Choices.... Bentley GT... too battleshippy, and LIDL parking would be a 'mare ;-p Audi R8... running costs, eek. Nissan GT-R... seriously tempting, but the face that only a liar could love, and the dash that looks like being in a playstation. Same problem with the A45.

Hm. So.
2008 Porsche 911 4s? Worth a test drive.
2014 Audi S3 - shiny new car factor. Lots of options at that price. Q-Car'able. Comfy. practical. Possibly the lead candidate right now apart from the whole 'new car kiss goodbye to your cash in a ball of flames behind you' thing.
Maybe an M135i... no 4wd in UK though. And ugly again.

Anything else? Anyone want to really push for the 911 rather than the S3? ;-p

Head says 911. Heart says S3. Weird. Feels wrong way around ;-p

Either way, it'll be my first 'performance' car and I'll go take ADI lessons of various varieties to try and avoid putting my new pride and joy straight around a tree as a winter scarf.

neil_bmw

245 posts

228 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
quotequote all
I know you have stated some preferences above, for me, if it was my money:
C63 AMG would be my choice at that price. Or an aston V8 vantage / DB9 if you wanted a something a bit more flash.

Edited by neil_bmw on Sunday 20th April 10:19

Ved

3,825 posts

174 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
quotequote all
C63 for me too - it'll do everything you need and then some. You need shooting if you spend 37k on a four-pot turbo considering the other options you have open to you smile

Benbay001

5,794 posts

156 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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An S3 isnt going to feel special.
If i was spending that sort of money id at least want it to feel special.

rs990

130 posts

124 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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Benbay001 said:
An S3 isnt going to feel special.
I should think that anything would feel special when you are coming from a 17 year old Primera.

wemorgan

3,578 posts

177 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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OP: None of the cars you've mentioned are Q-cars to me.

SockToy

Original Poster:

24 posts

119 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
quotequote all
Wemorgan: Yeah. I figured I could do the S3 out as an A3. Debadge, standard grey paint, standard alloys, but I know what you mean... hence, 'bonus'. There's no way to hide what a 911 is ;-p

Boobles: Coming from a 17 year old primera I am the cowardliest of custards - hence the 4wd obsession ;-p hah, the Camaro is totally the right call. Stealthy QCar ;-p

ILoveMondeo

9,614 posts

225 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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V8 vantage likely the 4.2 and going to be a bit older
XKR should get a nice 5.0 for that money


Vladimir

6,917 posts

157 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
quotequote all
New M235i (just about)
Mint E92 M3
C63 AMG

Or a bit leftfield and possibly stretching the budget, the Q3 RS.

Gruber

6,313 posts

213 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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911.

Rawwr

22,722 posts

233 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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I wouldn't mind betting that an R8 will be [significantly] cheaper to run than a GTR and probably a 997/991, too.

Get an R8.

aspirated

2,539 posts

145 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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Do it. You know you want to biggrin


Any 37k R8 right now will be leggy/moon mileage/ex-hire/crash repaired, you may have to wait a while or finance a few thousand

inman999

24,852 posts

172 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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Sensibleish C63
left field F355 and parrot blue tooth
Q car RS6

MacD1

150 posts

122 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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RS4 all the way, can do everything you want bikes included :-)