There are no coupes.

[Crusoe]

S2000 with the GT hardtop and leave it on in summer if you don't want to put the roof down?

[xRIEx]

Bennet said:

There are no coupes.

I don't want a fast version of a boring hatch back or saloon.
I don't want a premium german brand.
I don't want a camp soft top two-seater.

I would have liked a hard top two seater. Perhaps modern take on the Mk2 MR2.
I would have liked an RX-8 with a normal engine.
I would have liked a Hyundai Coupe without the cheap materials, hard ride and sub par looks.
I would have liked a Smart Roadster without the stupid gearbox or toytown interior.
I would like it to have been built 5 or 6 years ago so I can now afford it.
I would like it to be modern enough that my wife doesn't feel like we're poor whenever she gets in it.

Anyone else find themselves in the same, or similar pit of despair?

Corvette?

Not a hopped-up version of a hatchback or saloon.
Not a premium German brand
Not camp, nor soft top

Hard top 2 seater
Normal engine
Dunno about materials, but would assume it's better than a Hyundai, and I personally love the looks
No stupid gearbox (I'm guessing here to support my point, I haven't driven one)
I don't know what you can afford, but there are some cheapish options
Get one with a HUD - that must be modern enough, it's futuristic!

[xRIEx]

steviegunn said:

Only one coupe made by: Nissan 370Z (used to have 100NX, 200SX, 350ZX),

And the GTR.

And the 350ZX was actually a 350Z; the was a 300ZX before that.

[TheEnd]

Come to think of it, I haven't seen 300bhp/ton in a while.

[xRIEx]

TheEnd said:

Come to think of it, I haven't seen 300bhp/ton in a while.

I'd noticed that (hence having to fill the gap of unsuitable Americana). Anyone know what happened to him?

[ShampooEfficient]

Monaro? If you don't mind the MPG...

[Bennet]

He probably attempted an overtake in a Corvette.

[northwest monkey]

xRIEx said:

steviegunn said:

Only one coupe made by: Nissan 370Z (used to have 100NX, 200SX, 350ZX),

And the GTR.

And the 350ZX was actually a 350Z; the was a 300ZX before that.

Toyota used to be the same.

MR2, Celica, Supra.

How come they all seemed to pack it in at the same time?

[GeordieInExile]

phil1979 said:

How about one of these?:



Added bonus of the folding hardtop.

That has weird proportions... the bonnet is far too short for the rest of it.

If you don't like the way coupes are these days then why not just buy something older?

[mft]

steviegunn said:

I know what the OP means (I'm on my second Hyunda Coupe), there are a few options:

Alfa Brera
Alfa GT
Audi A5
Audi TT
BMW 3 Series
Hyundai Veloster
Mazda RX8
Nissan 350Z/370Z
Peugeot RCZ
Renault Laguna Coupe
Renault Megane Coupe
Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT86
Vauxhall Monaro
VW Scirocco

I don't PCP or take out loans for cars and generally limit myself to around £10k inc trade in, so if I was in the market to purchase a replacement stylish coupe; 2005-6 or newer with reasonable mileage, history, etc.

What would I go for?

Let's rule out the Alfa's straight away as any one "I" buy will be utterly unreliable and ruinously expensive to continuously repair.

Price currently rules out the A5, 370Z, BRZ and GT86, plus 3 Series and TTs are going to be older or leggy.

The 3 Series, Veloster, Megane, Monaro and Scirocco aren't real coupes, at least in the styling stakes, in my opinion.

That leaves the RX8, Laguna Coupe and the RCZ, the Laguna Coupe sold in very small numbers and is quite hard to find, plus I'm not convinced by the front styling. The RX8, well would I take a punt and could I live with the mpg? Probably not.

Final option the RCZ. I quite like it despite the Aldi TT image, having never driven one I would need to because it is a pig to drive then I'll be done with coupes for a while and will be buying a saloon or hatch next.

Edited by steviegunn on Thursday 24th April 11:36

You didn't exclude the 350z, but it didn't appear on your final list? I'd much rather have one than an RCZ...

[kambites]

GeordieInExile said:

That has weird proportions... the bonnet is far too short for the rest of it.

Most four-seater folding tin-tops do. I think the Volvo is one of the better efforts.

[phil1979]

kambites said:

GeordieInExile said:

That has weird proportions... the bonnet is far too short for the rest of it.

Most four-seater folding tin-tops do. I think the Volvo is one of the better efforts.

They are nice to drive, too. I took one from London to Hannover and back, and was quite impressed.

[xRIEx]

Bennet said:

He probably attempted an overtake in a Corvette.

[J4CKO]

northwest monkey said:

theguvernor said:

OP,

I've not listened to your list at all but what about a Smart Forfour Brabus?
I am biased though as i own one.

OP - I have also not bothered to read what it is you are looking for, but have you considered a Unimog?

I have no interest in what you are looking to find, but I like Unimogs so I thought I'd recommend it as being suitable for your needs.

I can recommend those, I have the exact thing in Lego.

[xRIEx]

storminnorman said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Well the scirocco is a coupe because it's predecessors were; even though it does look like a hatchback. I'd suggest both the Brera and Scirocco are just modern hatchback coupes, like the original scirocco, or kadett coupe, or even the capri

AIUI, a coupe is defined by the rear seat area being under a certain volume*, or having a lower/slashed rear roofline, hence why 4-door Passats, 6 series and CLSs get called coupes, and why a CL is a 2-door saloon.

So a 2-seater is automatically a coupe as there is no cabin volume for rear seats, and a Scirocco being a Golf with a chopped roof loses some rear passenger space. Strictly speaking, a 350Z/370Z is a hatchback coupe.


 *My inner pedant screamed at "area under a certain volume".

[Quickmoose]

RCZ and to hell with what other people think
or
S2000 with hardtop
or
Brera Prodrive and to hell with the bills, mpg and questionable driving dynamics

[Sarkmeister]

northwest monkey said:

theguvernor said:

OP,

I've not listened to your list at all but what about a Smart Forfour Brabus?
I am biased though as i own one.

OP - I have also not bothered to read what it is you are looking for, but have you considered a Unimog?

I have no interest in what you are looking to find, but I like Unimogs so I thought I'd recommend it as being suitable for your needs.

[northwest monkey]

J4CKO said:

northwest monkey said:

theguvernor said:

OP,

I've not listened to your list at all but what about a Smart Forfour Brabus?
I am biased though as i own one.

OP - I have also not bothered to read what it is you are looking for, but have you considered a Unimog?

I have no interest in what you are looking to find, but I like Unimogs so I thought I'd recommend it as being suitable for your needs.

I can recommend those, I have the exact thing in Lego.

Me too.

I'm tempted to take it apart just so I can put it back together again. Not sure the OH is as excited about this prospect as I am

[steviegunn]

kambites said:

Hmm, maybe you're right, but many of those cars weren't available at the same time as each other. I don't think most of the mainstream manufacturers have generally had more than one or two at any one time. If you count the current crop of folding tin-tops as coupes (many of them were basically replacements for fixed head cars), I don't think the number would be much different.

The CC has replaced a few (Focus, Astra, Tigra, etc) but personally the folding hard top has two major drawbacks, reliability (esp on older cars) and the damage done to rigidity and handling, ok most coupes aren't sports cars but people still want to drive them with a modicum of enthusiasm.

It's the change in the marketplace, for the "smart", image conscious urbanite coupes have been superseded by soft roaders. Don't ask me why but as the plethora of affordable coupes has declined the line up replacements are urban(e) faux 4x4s. In the 80s there were only 2 or 3 lifestyle SUVs that I can think of, the Vitara, the RAV4 and the X90, now almost every manufacturer has 1 or 2 of these vehicles in their line ups. From Kugas, Mokkas, RAVs, SX4s, Quashquais, Muranos, X2s, X3s, Q3s, Q5s, Freelanders, Yetis, etc, etc.

[steviegunn]

mft said:

ou didn't exclude the 350z, but it didn't appear on your final list? I'd much rather have one than an RCZ...

An omission, the one problem with the 350Z (and the 406 coupe) is that they are starting to get a bit old, though pre-2006 does have the VED advantage that is another downside to some of the thirstier cars like the Z, RX, V6 Frenchies and Italians.

The Z4 Coupe is a good shout and having just has a look in the classifieds might be climbing high up my own personal list. Is it only the Z4M and the 3.0l that were sold in the UK?