What car? c.£30k for my 30th birthday

[TWPC]

OP, without being fully aware of your requirements, my message to you would be to spread the net wider.
As others have written, this is the opportunity to be really silly before, perhaps, the demands of family life really hit... So look at Nobles, Caterhams, old cars, unreliable & impractical stuff while you can.
I got a bit over-excited in the classifieds, but how about one of these (in no particular order)?

2005 Lotus Exige
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/l...
2005 997 C2S (though personally I like the earlier 996 Turbo recommendations)
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...
2003 VX220 Turbo
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/v...
1994 Merc E320 Convertible (not very PH but I think they're great)
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/m...
1997 Esprit GT3
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/l...
2007 Corvette C6
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/c...
1982 911 Carrera SC
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...
1986 944 Turbo
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...

Or what about a V12 Dax Cobra http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/k... or a 600HP Merc SL65...? http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/m...

[Wills2]

Although the price of the that e320 is laughable, I think they added a 1 in front of the 5 by mistake? And 20k for a 944!

Edited by Wills2 on Monday 26th January 10:03

[Alapeno]

GetCarter said:

I've never understood this attitude. Just because a car is rare doesn't make it good. Just because a car is common doesn't make it bad. Surely, you just buy the best car / car you want? Anything else is just vanity or posing of the worst sort.

It's not about bad or good, having never really seen many it just feels more of a special purchase to me. Maybe that's unfounded, maybe not. It's certainly not about vanity or posing in the Evora's case, i'd say that was more the AM's territory.

I'd rather have a Noble anyway

[McSam]

I thought before opening the thread that whatever the circumstances, there couldn't really be any serious consideration but a V8 Vantage.

Except perhaps a DB9. But I'd rather a V8.

It's not the most important measure of buying the right car, but imagine you chose another car and saw a Vantage while out in it. I'd really struggle to explain to myself why I had the chance but actively chose not to buy one. Then imagine you did buy a Vantage, and saw an M3/C63/Cayman/996/actually almost anything else. Would you even notice?

If you're marking your 30th birthday, do it with something special.

[blueg33]

GetCarter said:

Alapeno said:

Would be the Evora for me without a doubt.

The V8 Astons are really common round these parts, whereas I don't think I've ever seen an Evora out and about.

I've never understood this attitude. Just because a car is rare doesn't make it good. Just because a car is common doesn't make it bad. Surely, you just buy the best car / car you want? Anything else is just vanity or posing of the worst sort.

Rareity makes it more pof a sense of occasion. The two cars are quite far apart as a driving experience

[Jasandjules]

blueg33 said:

Rareity makes it more pof a sense of occasion.

I wouldn't care if every other person had a TVR Chimaera, I still get a sense of occasion just starting the engine, let alone driving her. That's because she is awesome.....

[raceboy]

Jasandjules said:

I wouldn't care if every other person had a TVR Chimaera, I still get a sense of occasion just starting the engine, let alone driving her.

And a sense of relief when it starts too. Sorry couldn't resist.
Having had my Chimaera for the last 14 years I know what you mean, washed it yesterday and just stood looking at it for a while sat in the garage, but currently thinking about saying goodbye to it, to be replaced by.......a V8 Vantage.

[blueg33]

Jasandjules said:

blueg33 said:

Rareity makes it more pof a sense of occasion.

I wouldn't care if every other person had a TVR Chimaera, I still get a sense of occasion just starting the engine, let alone driving her. That's because she is awesome.....

I know what you mean. But if you saw them day in day out that sense of occasion would start to fade (I have mates with Porsches who report this effect).

If I saw lots of Evoras on a daily basis then I am sure the effect would wear off for me, But us Lotus and TVR's owners dont have that that worry.....

[raceboy]

blueg33 said:

But us Lotus and TVR's owners dont have that that worry.....

Having a look on 'How many left' website and there appears to be about twice as many Vantages driving about as Chimaeras.

[swisstoni]

I'm sorry but even though they are perhaps not as hand made and special as a Saville Row suit, as the Astons of old, it is still an ASTON MARTIN.
It therefore outranks all other marques mentioned (with all due disrespect to fellow TVR owners )

Edited by swisstoni on Monday 26th January 16:30

[blueg33]

swisstoni said:

I'm sorry but even though they are perhaps not as hand made and special as a Saville Row suit, as the Astons of old, it is still an ASTON MARTIN.
It therefore outranks all other marques mentioned (with all due disregard to fellow TVR owners )

Only if you want a GT car.....

[J8 SVG]

Jasandjules said:

There is a T350 on Autotrader. 29k or so. Just saying....

Agreed http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/tvr/t350/use...



(Think this might be a huge photo - sorry if it is)

[ORD]

swisstoni said:

I'm sorry but even though they are perhaps not as hand made and special as a Saville Row suit, as the Astons of old, it is still an ASTON MARTIN.
It therefore outranks all other marques mentioned (with all due disregard to fellow TVR owners )

Badge is all it has in that company.

AM's are for show, to be frank. I am always amazed how old-fashioned and stodgy they feel compared to Porsches and even Jags, let alone a Lotus.

You are a young man, buy the Lotus or the Porsche and save the middle-age cars for your middle age.

[johnnyBv8]

raceboy said:

blueg33 said:

But us Lotus and TVR's owners dont have that that worry.....

Having a look on 'How many left' website and there appears to be about twice as many Vantages driving about as Chimaeras.

That actually still makes the V8 Vantage a comparatively rare car. I think annual production was meant to be circa 1/10th of the 911. Most of the cars in this category are sufficient to make any car enthusiast turn their head, so even a couple of sightings might seem 'common', when in fact a whole load of M3s had gone past....it wasn't that they're not more common, it's just that you didn't notice .

I think the Evora is a good shout too, though they're amazingly quiet in standard form. But really, Vantage...there are more track-focussed cars (e.g. Lotus) but this wasn't part of the OP's brief. Maserati Gransport was suggested earlier - also a very special car, and much better looking than the photo earlier in this thread would suggest.

Edited by johnnyBv8 on Monday 26th January 16:03

[blueg33]

johnnyBv8 said:

raceboy said:

blueg33 said:

But us Lotus and TVR's owners dont have that that worry.....

Having a look on 'How many left' website and there appears to be about twice as many Vantages driving about as Chimaeras.

That actually still makes the V8 Vantage a comparatively rare car. I think annual production was meant to be circa 1/10th of the 911. Most of the cars in this category are sufficient to make any car enthusiast turn their head, so even a couple of sightings might seem 'common', when in fact a whole load of M3s had gone past....it wasn't that they're not more common, it's just that you didn't notice .

I think the Evora is a good shout too, though they're amazingly quiet in standard form. But really, Vantage...there are more track-focussed cars (e.g. Lotus) but this wasn't part of the OP's brief. Maserati Gransport was suggested earlier - also a very special car, and much better looking than the photo earlier in this thread would suggest.

Edited by johnnyBv8 on Monday 26th January 16:03

Having driven both the Gransport and the Vantage, i would go for the Vantage, Maser feels and is much bigger eg more DB9 size and the build quality was not as good as I had hoped. Awesome looking and sounding cars though.

You are right about the Evora exhaust, mine has a tubular system and is not quiet

[TTwiggy]

If the OP fancies a Vantage, how about one with 12 cylinders and a clutch pedal?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

[raceboy]

It does really boil down to what the OP wants to do in the car, trackdays and fast road trips driving around like your hair is on fire is one thing, popping to the South of France another.
I'm 12 years further downs life journey than the OP and after 14 years of 'hair on fire' TVR ownership, it's time for something a bit more 'civilised' and quite frankly I'd be more than happy just opening the garage door and seeing a Vantages arse looking back at me while I squeeze past to get a hammer to put a shelf up

[ORD]

TTwiggy said:

If the OP fancies a Vantage, how about one with 12 cylinders and a clutch pedal?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

Forget everything that I said, OP - buy the V12 like a real man!

[TTwiggy]

ORD said:

TTwiggy said:

If the OP fancies a Vantage, how about one with 12 cylinders and a clutch pedal?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

Forget everything that I said, OP - buy the V12 like a real man!

After all, how often does one get the opportunity to stir the porridge on a 12-banger?

[cerb4.5lee]

TTwiggy said:

ORD said:

TTwiggy said:

If the OP fancies a Vantage, how about one with 12 cylinders and a clutch pedal?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

Forget everything that I said, OP - buy the V12 like a real man!

After all, how often does one get the opportunity to stir the porridge on a 12-banger?

Too true!