£30-40k, two seats, convertible, for trackdays and touring
Discussion
C70R said:
I think the ePAS stuff is largely overblown on the Z4. I've driven 987 Boxsters and S2000s, and I couldn't honestly tell you that the steering feel was significantly better. Good, yes. Amazing, not really.
Had a great chat on a driving coaching day recently. The instructor is a tutor at the Porsche Academy at Silverstone, and said that he used to like playing tricks on journalists during launches. He met a journo who was convinced that ePAS was the death of the 911, so he offered him a ride in a car with hydraulic PAS retrofitted. Said journo leapt out of the car proclaiming it to have fixed all the failings of the ePAS, only to find out that it was actually a car with ePAS.
There's far too much internet chat and journalistic introspection about stuff like this, when the impact to mere mortals like us is largely imperceptible.
Oh I totally agree. I see Z4M owners really having a go, but the reality is it does the job for what I want. And the extra reality is a Z4M steering feels like a transit compared to the unassisted VX220 I had. Its all about context!Had a great chat on a driving coaching day recently. The instructor is a tutor at the Porsche Academy at Silverstone, and said that he used to like playing tricks on journalists during launches. He met a journo who was convinced that ePAS was the death of the 911, so he offered him a ride in a car with hydraulic PAS retrofitted. Said journo leapt out of the car proclaiming it to have fixed all the failings of the ePAS, only to find out that it was actually a car with ePAS.
There's far too much internet chat and journalistic introspection about stuff like this, when the impact to mere mortals like us is largely imperceptible.
Edited by C70R on Thursday 14th September 10:53
braddo said:
coldel said:
Its a good car, but its still something like 300-400 kgs heavier, which is a lot.
Sure, but the Spyder is literally the only option up from the Elise which is a light, manual, engaging convertible sports car. The next jump would be a Ferrari 360/430 Spider! Or a Zonda, or the upcoming Gordon Murray car 
braddo said:
coldel said:
Yep thats what I said, that it isnt going to be an Elise comparable car at all, not even close. But as a 'normal' car its as close as you can get.
But a Spyder is comparable to an Elise Sport 220 upsized by 20%, which is what C70R was wishing for.It is a shame bigger stature people cant fit into the Elise chassis as it really is a different car to anything else on the road.
coldel said:
I took it as wanting the Elise handling and characterstics, but be able to fit him in
It is a shame bigger stature people cant fit into the Elise chassis as it really is a different car to anything else on the road.
I can fit in one comfortably so the Elise (& family) is probably my all-time favourite car It is a shame bigger stature people cant fit into the Elise chassis as it really is a different car to anything else on the road.
coldel said:
braddo said:
coldel said:
Yep thats what I said, that it isnt going to be an Elise comparable car at all, not even close. But as a 'normal' car its as close as you can get.
But a Spyder is comparable to an Elise Sport 220 upsized by 20%, which is what C70R was wishing for.It is a shame bigger stature people cant fit into the Elise chassis as it really is a different car to anything else on the road.
In saying that I still found it difficult getting in and out of an Elise even back in my 20's though(I tried one on for size at the motorshow once). I'm picking up a Caterham next weekend, so I'm hoping that I'm still flexible enough to get in and out of that to be fair(I drove one a few years ago and I was fine then to be fair).
C70R said:
Silvanus said:
TVR Tamora and spare cash left over.
Having seen how much grief 6cyl TVR owning friends have had just using their cars on the road, I'm not ready to deal with trying to use something so brittle/fickle hard on track several times a year.braddo said:
cerb4.5lee said:
I'm picking up a Caterham next weekend
Looking forward to hearing about this. Elise and Caterham take some practice to get in and out easily. And just because you can get in and out on the driver's side, it won't make the passenger side easy
I'm really excited about it too.
I've been clearing out the garage for the last 2 days getting ready for it to fit in! It should squeeze in next to the 370Z all being well, so that will be 2 cars that I hardly ever end up using probably!
I'll more than likely get a readers car thread going once I've sorted everything out.
C70R said:
If you can find me a 4C Spider for less than £40k, I'll buy it tomorrow.
I think they will be soon, even this was close and the market is in bad shape now: https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2015-alfa-rome...C70R said:
That's really quite a lovely thing. The seats look very similar to the most recent GT3 ones, which are bloody excellent at balancing comfort and support.
As sad as it is, and as much as I acknowledge the personal failing, there's just something about Boxsters that doesn't excite me. I've driven 986s and 987s, and they are really really good cars. But they just don't feel special in a way that makes me want to lob forty grand at them.
So don't spend £40k then. Spend £20k on a 987.2 S or £25-30k for a 981 S. Pretty much the perfect car for the use cases you've described.As sad as it is, and as much as I acknowledge the personal failing, there's just something about Boxsters that doesn't excite me. I've driven 986s and 987s, and they are really really good cars. But they just don't feel special in a way that makes me want to lob forty grand at them.
My budget was half yours, and I bought a 987.2S with PDK for £18k. The only other contender was a Z3M Roadster, but that wouldn't take me, my bike and a month's worth of clobber to the South of France.
With your budget I'd get a 981S with PDK and spend the change on beer, tyres and petrol.
With your budget I'd get a 981S with PDK and spend the change on beer, tyres and petrol.
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