What 4 seat super(-ish)car? - £20k

[James19181]

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/a...

Plenty of cash left over for recovery service and garage bills

ETA: I may have gone O/T a bit, but I just think that's awesome

[walm]

Jonty355 said:

BMW E90 M3 is a good shout. Didn't know they were in my price range.

If I had my time again, I would go E93 M3 (the convertible).
Sure, they don't have the looks of a supercar.
But roof-off is definitely special, in almost any car.
And that engine is just Jeckyll and Hyde: relaxing wafting or utter hooligan - the choice is yours.

[Crusoe]

put the back seats back in and you'll be the coolest dad at the school gates.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C593398

[ITP]

Or on a similar but more useable theme, how about a 156 GTA.
You did say the cheaper the better, you'll be very lucky to see another one on the road, hold their money, in fact rising. Like a cheap, practical Ferrari ! One of the best engines ever for PH brownie points too.
There's a great one on Autotrader for 12k at the moment. Unless Fwd is a non starter, although with a q2 it's not an issue.

[Crusoe]

Saved the best till last, bit of budget creep but worth it for a right hand drive ghibli cup with upgraded engine, would make a great pair with the 355 though maybe strip the paint from the wheels.
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/m...

[Jonty355]

Crusoe said:

put the back seats back in and you'll be the coolest dad at the school gates.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C593398

Oh my!!!! That is nice isn't it. The only problem is that its in Dorset and I'm in Yorkshire, so by the time I'd driven it home it would have probably shaken its old italian parts to pieces! And if it rained on the way back I'd have to sweep it into the garage! But what a pretty car!

[Crusoe]

If it can win its class in historic racing a trundle back through the English countryside shouldn't be a problem, lots of spares from the alfaholics site so no issues keeping it going if it does need a few bits replaced. For a small charge I'd collect and deliver for you

[Jonty355]

Guvernator said:

Sorry but a lot of these cars in this thread aren't what I'd call super-ish. Yes quite a few have the performance but not many have the looks or the drama required for a special car so that excludes fast estates or most German uber saloons IMO.

OP I have been looking for something very similar but have slowly come to the realisation that there isn't a car that does everything we want i.e.

1) Decent to drive
2) Looks good
3) Has reasonable running costs
4) Is reliable
5) Semi-practical with enough space for two adults and a child
6 A bit special as in it gives you a good feeling to drive\be in\look back at it.

Unfortunately I've found it's usually a case of pick any 4 of the 6 above at most. A Maserati probably comes closest in terms of looks,specialness and practicality but running costs and reliability are a question mark plus you can't get them with a manual gearbox.

I've sort of given up in the end. You do have a 355 to do the looks\special stuff though so maybe just give up some of that and just buy the default choice which is a German uber saloon.

Sounds like we are certainly on the same wave length!

The only cars that fit most of the criteria are:

Aston Martin DB7 i6 (but they're all dropping to pieces)
TVR Cerbera (they will drop to pieces on a day to day basis)
Porsche 911 996 (which will last forever but I dont like them)
Jaguar XK 4.2 (but too many about and are only available as an auto)
Maserati 3200GT (potential bankrupcy)


I've just sent an enquiry about a straight six Cerb. If I can find a good one then maybe I'll just run that and give the 355 a break for a year.

[Jonty355]

James19181 said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/a...

Plenty of cash left over for recovery service and garage bills

ETA: I may have gone O/T a bit, but I just think that's awesome

Its a box!

[Jonty355]

Crusoe said:

Saved the best till last, bit of budget creep but worth it for a right hand drive ghibli cup with upgraded engine, would make a great pair with the 355 though maybe strip the paint from the wheels.
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/m...

Way over the £20k budget and will probably take another £30k to run it for a year!

[ITP]

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/a...

Yorkshire you say, thats where the GTA I mentioned is!

[Jonty355]

ITP said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/a...

Yorkshire you say, thats where the GTA I mentioned is!

Not really that rare though is it?

[Crusoe]

http://www.alfaholics.com/2015/04/1967-alfa-romeo-...

[Crusoe]

or the lotus equivalent 1970s elan +2 few on the car and classic site some with lots or rebuild history.
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C614236

[ITP]

Jonty355 said:

Not really that rare though is it?

Well there are less than 250 left in the uk, with only about 350 ever registered. You will see more ferraris and lamorghinis than GTA's by about a factor of 10 in my experience. Thing is most people don't know what a GTA is..

[Jonty355]

Crusoe said:

or the lotus equivalent 1970s elan +2 few on the car and classic site some with lots or rebuild history.
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C614236

Wow! Didn't think they were in budget! I like that a lot!

[Jonty355]

ITP said:

Well there are less than 250 left in the uk, with only about 350 ever registered. You will see more ferraris and lamorghinis tan GTA's by about a factor of 10 in my experience. Thing is most people don't know what a GTA is..

I get what you mean but it is effectively a beefed up 156. Great car, good looking, but just doesn't look sleek and impractical enough if you get what I mean?

[ITP]

I do know what you mean, that élan certainly scores on the sleek and impractical !

[Jonty355]

Yeah, really like that. Reliability may be an issue though, but a lot of folk do the zetec conversion which may be worth looking into.

I think if the car has 4 doors then thats too many! 4 seats yes, 4 doors no.

[GreatGranny]

ITP said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/a...

Yorkshire you say, thats where the GTA I mentioned is!

£13k for a 156?!?!?!?

Is that a realistic price? (no fanboy answers please) :-)