LOH's mini (2013 JCW-GP) adventure
Discussion
It's service time!
With the expiration of the current 50:50 finance deal on the mini our local dealers have been keeping in touch to see what we want to do with the little car and to let us know it needs a service.
So booked in last week for its first official service (I changed the oil last year out of the dealer network as I wasn't too keen on the 2 year official servicing that mini suggest), all free of charge courtesy of the mini TLC package that was thrown in with the purchase of the car.
Booked in for 8:30am with a courtesy car waiting and a word with the service manager not to do anything that wasn't covered! The JCW have a more intensive service schedule than standard cooper s' in that as well as oil and filters they change the plugs on every service too, which was the main reason mini advise GP buyers to option the TLC package when you get the car- I didn't think to ask what the price would have been, probably around the £250 mark I'd have thought.
As a courtesy car we got a very nice new style cooper s so I could see the differences between the two and see what I thought (though I don't think they thought I would end up buying one!).
Immediately setting off in the car you notice what a more premium feel the car has, the difference is really quite remarkable. The R56 mini that I have is by no means a poor product, in fact if you compare it to its contemporaries such as a Clio 200 it's miles ahead in build quality, both real and perceived but the new car really does take it on a huge step.
The operating system on the new car is the biggest obvious change, getting rid of the old clunky system that mine runs and exchanging it for the BMW iDrive system that we have in the wife's X1. It's a very simple system to use and mini have been cute enough to jazz it up with funky graphics and different colours to make it appeal more to the youthful market they chase, it's all very successful and they've done a tremendous job.
Although the car is noticeably bigger on the outside, it's not by much so sitting inside the car it's such a difference that it feels like a class of car above. Although the old car is small, it never felt claustrophobic but after getting out of the new it certainly feels "mini", the new car just having so much more space and with it comfort.
I know not everyone agrees with the direction mini have and are heading with bigger products but I simply cannot fathom any typical mini customer getting out of the new car and not wanting one. For the 95% of drivers it's plain and simple a much better and more comfortable car.
But the other 5% of proper "drivers".......
There's a lot of internet chat about the old 1.6 engine the GP has, but the occasional faults that reared their head with timing chains etc are all sorted in the later cars. I know I've complained about it sounding like a diesel when stood by it idling, but it is a truely characterful little lump, especially with the obligatory sport mode enabled. To clarify, the GP enters GP Mode when you put it in sports mode and knock the TC button off-so I do this every time I start the engine. The beauty of this is you get used to the heavier steering, as when I fist bought the car I found sport mode made the steering rack feel like it was churning treacle-now I'm used to it it's fine of course.
The other reason is rather more childish-it makes the most fantastic noise on the overrun with lots of pops and bangs from the twin exit exhaust!
Which thankfully the new CooperS does too-in fact I made a point of mentioning to the service manager how I thought it even sounded louder than mine when it backfired-he laughed and explained that mine backfired in the real world but the new on only did it through the speakers!
Obviously I've seen a lot about this on PH but I didn't know the mini did it too, in fact had they not have told me I wouldn't have been able to tell-still feels like being cheated a little though for some reason
The main difference between my engine and the new one is most obviously the torque of the 2.0 new engine. In fact if you didn't know, you could almost mistake it for a diesel lump-loads of low down torque that rather strangely seems to encourage you to change up at only 4k revs or there abouts. Pottering around town now feels comfortable in the 1-1,5k rev zone which can't be good for the car.
The old engine, though not a screamer in the traditional sense (it's a 1.6 turbo after all) still begs to be rev'd out to the limiter-the exhaust making a distinctly old school parp like an old 4 pot ford with a fruity exhaust.
This car as an example wasn't a JCW (not even sure they are out yet?), but for a CooperS it didn't feel all that fast, whilst actually being quite deceptively quick, obviously a result of the new more grown up feeling car.
Is it as much fun as the old car? Depends on your idea of fun I guess. It's more composed certainly and has lost a little bit of that essential mini go kart feel. Personally, I feel people like us will be a little underwhelmed.
But those who buy the majority of mini's products will love it. More room, more tech, more composure and more comfort, it's a definite winner for mini and bmw. That's not to say we should be sad at the passing of another hot hatch great, the longer wheelbase of the new car will undoubtably give the engineers a chance to tweak the suspension settings further on later versions whilst not leaving the car with the knife edge handling you get on the limit with the GP (as fun as that may be for us!), plus, without a doubt the new 2.0 engine will be tuned even further with even more power-I think the future is pretty bright for the cars and I can only imagine how quick the next generation GP will be in 5 years time or whenever it comes out.
As for my car, well, they always seem to feel better after a service don't they? The mechanics picked up on a couple of areas that need attention, the diff side seal is leaking oil as is the oil control valve. I've never noticed anything but then the engine is covered in underneath for aerodynamics so I'm not sure I ever would have. They said both were very minor weeps but said they might as well get done under the warranty-who am I to argue?
One other the interesting point to note before signing off-break pad wear is counted out of 10 and they measured my fronts at 7 and the rears at 8!
If you've followed this thread, you'll know that although I haven't done as many track days as I'd have liked to its still seen some action-especially through the alps last year.
Those huge brakes can obviously stand up to some action
With the expiration of the current 50:50 finance deal on the mini our local dealers have been keeping in touch to see what we want to do with the little car and to let us know it needs a service.
So booked in last week for its first official service (I changed the oil last year out of the dealer network as I wasn't too keen on the 2 year official servicing that mini suggest), all free of charge courtesy of the mini TLC package that was thrown in with the purchase of the car.
Booked in for 8:30am with a courtesy car waiting and a word with the service manager not to do anything that wasn't covered! The JCW have a more intensive service schedule than standard cooper s' in that as well as oil and filters they change the plugs on every service too, which was the main reason mini advise GP buyers to option the TLC package when you get the car- I didn't think to ask what the price would have been, probably around the £250 mark I'd have thought.
As a courtesy car we got a very nice new style cooper s so I could see the differences between the two and see what I thought (though I don't think they thought I would end up buying one!).
Immediately setting off in the car you notice what a more premium feel the car has, the difference is really quite remarkable. The R56 mini that I have is by no means a poor product, in fact if you compare it to its contemporaries such as a Clio 200 it's miles ahead in build quality, both real and perceived but the new car really does take it on a huge step.
The operating system on the new car is the biggest obvious change, getting rid of the old clunky system that mine runs and exchanging it for the BMW iDrive system that we have in the wife's X1. It's a very simple system to use and mini have been cute enough to jazz it up with funky graphics and different colours to make it appeal more to the youthful market they chase, it's all very successful and they've done a tremendous job.
Although the car is noticeably bigger on the outside, it's not by much so sitting inside the car it's such a difference that it feels like a class of car above. Although the old car is small, it never felt claustrophobic but after getting out of the new it certainly feels "mini", the new car just having so much more space and with it comfort.
I know not everyone agrees with the direction mini have and are heading with bigger products but I simply cannot fathom any typical mini customer getting out of the new car and not wanting one. For the 95% of drivers it's plain and simple a much better and more comfortable car.
But the other 5% of proper "drivers".......
There's a lot of internet chat about the old 1.6 engine the GP has, but the occasional faults that reared their head with timing chains etc are all sorted in the later cars. I know I've complained about it sounding like a diesel when stood by it idling, but it is a truely characterful little lump, especially with the obligatory sport mode enabled. To clarify, the GP enters GP Mode when you put it in sports mode and knock the TC button off-so I do this every time I start the engine. The beauty of this is you get used to the heavier steering, as when I fist bought the car I found sport mode made the steering rack feel like it was churning treacle-now I'm used to it it's fine of course.
The other reason is rather more childish-it makes the most fantastic noise on the overrun with lots of pops and bangs from the twin exit exhaust!
Which thankfully the new CooperS does too-in fact I made a point of mentioning to the service manager how I thought it even sounded louder than mine when it backfired-he laughed and explained that mine backfired in the real world but the new on only did it through the speakers!
Obviously I've seen a lot about this on PH but I didn't know the mini did it too, in fact had they not have told me I wouldn't have been able to tell-still feels like being cheated a little though for some reason
The main difference between my engine and the new one is most obviously the torque of the 2.0 new engine. In fact if you didn't know, you could almost mistake it for a diesel lump-loads of low down torque that rather strangely seems to encourage you to change up at only 4k revs or there abouts. Pottering around town now feels comfortable in the 1-1,5k rev zone which can't be good for the car.
The old engine, though not a screamer in the traditional sense (it's a 1.6 turbo after all) still begs to be rev'd out to the limiter-the exhaust making a distinctly old school parp like an old 4 pot ford with a fruity exhaust.
This car as an example wasn't a JCW (not even sure they are out yet?), but for a CooperS it didn't feel all that fast, whilst actually being quite deceptively quick, obviously a result of the new more grown up feeling car.
Is it as much fun as the old car? Depends on your idea of fun I guess. It's more composed certainly and has lost a little bit of that essential mini go kart feel. Personally, I feel people like us will be a little underwhelmed.
But those who buy the majority of mini's products will love it. More room, more tech, more composure and more comfort, it's a definite winner for mini and bmw. That's not to say we should be sad at the passing of another hot hatch great, the longer wheelbase of the new car will undoubtably give the engineers a chance to tweak the suspension settings further on later versions whilst not leaving the car with the knife edge handling you get on the limit with the GP (as fun as that may be for us!), plus, without a doubt the new 2.0 engine will be tuned even further with even more power-I think the future is pretty bright for the cars and I can only imagine how quick the next generation GP will be in 5 years time or whenever it comes out.
As for my car, well, they always seem to feel better after a service don't they? The mechanics picked up on a couple of areas that need attention, the diff side seal is leaking oil as is the oil control valve. I've never noticed anything but then the engine is covered in underneath for aerodynamics so I'm not sure I ever would have. They said both were very minor weeps but said they might as well get done under the warranty-who am I to argue?
One other the interesting point to note before signing off-break pad wear is counted out of 10 and they measured my fronts at 7 and the rears at 8!
If you've followed this thread, you'll know that although I haven't done as many track days as I'd have liked to its still seen some action-especially through the alps last year.
Those huge brakes can obviously stand up to some action
Snap, service and camchain time for me!
I am currently suffering with one of the new model of MINI as a courtesy car, tried to get one of the nicer models but owing to the end of year and people buying some of the old courtesy cars all they had left was a pair of One D’s, affectionately known as a MINI One Direction…
First impressions of the car were of the size, I have a Clubman and it was quite a bit bigger than mine, surprising me as they don’t appear to be that big when stood on their own/with other mk3’s.
Once inside, it was definitely a BMW product, I recognised a lot of the switchgear and buttons from when I had my 330d. I am not personally keen on the inside, the central speedo has gone, to be replaced by a half moon light show and the stereo controls. The feel and quality has certainly got a lot to be desired imo, the buttons and knobs have quite a poor aesthetic feel to them and the heater control knobs have quite a bit of play in them.
The engine is gutless, it has a new 3 cyl diesel engine which is a 1.5 turbo and derived from a PSA lump from what I can remember. It isn’t that torquey and has a power band which hints that it is building boost but nothing actually happens. It is smooth on the delivery without the typical diesel lag and very good on fuel, I am averaging 53-63mpg, depending on town driving and my work commute.
I would love to give a Cooper S a try, even if it’s just to compare with my JCW, but a lot of people who I have spoken with are not in any rush to trade in their old R56 cars for a new shape model. It will be interesting to see the JCW/GP models as I think there is so much that could be stripped out for a GP model, it would make it very fun. I predict an x-drive version for both to try and compete with the Golf R and leapfrog the Focus/Leon/Golf GTi models.
I am enjoying your write-ups still, are you really contemplating getting rid of the GP next year? I have been investigating various places to go in mine next year and there is more roads than I have time to drive! I took the A6 down from Penrith the other day and see what you were meaning when you drove it in the GP, if I knew the road better it would be a lot more enjoyable than in the pitch black and rain…
I am currently suffering with one of the new model of MINI as a courtesy car, tried to get one of the nicer models but owing to the end of year and people buying some of the old courtesy cars all they had left was a pair of One D’s, affectionately known as a MINI One Direction…
First impressions of the car were of the size, I have a Clubman and it was quite a bit bigger than mine, surprising me as they don’t appear to be that big when stood on their own/with other mk3’s.
Once inside, it was definitely a BMW product, I recognised a lot of the switchgear and buttons from when I had my 330d. I am not personally keen on the inside, the central speedo has gone, to be replaced by a half moon light show and the stereo controls. The feel and quality has certainly got a lot to be desired imo, the buttons and knobs have quite a poor aesthetic feel to them and the heater control knobs have quite a bit of play in them.
The engine is gutless, it has a new 3 cyl diesel engine which is a 1.5 turbo and derived from a PSA lump from what I can remember. It isn’t that torquey and has a power band which hints that it is building boost but nothing actually happens. It is smooth on the delivery without the typical diesel lag and very good on fuel, I am averaging 53-63mpg, depending on town driving and my work commute.
I would love to give a Cooper S a try, even if it’s just to compare with my JCW, but a lot of people who I have spoken with are not in any rush to trade in their old R56 cars for a new shape model. It will be interesting to see the JCW/GP models as I think there is so much that could be stripped out for a GP model, it would make it very fun. I predict an x-drive version for both to try and compete with the Golf R and leapfrog the Focus/Leon/Golf GTi models.
I am enjoying your write-ups still, are you really contemplating getting rid of the GP next year? I have been investigating various places to go in mine next year and there is more roads than I have time to drive! I took the A6 down from Penrith the other day and see what you were meaning when you drove it in the GP, if I knew the road better it would be a lot more enjoyable than in the pitch black and rain…
Well that is me officially back in the gp2 club. Sold my m3 privately a couple of weeks ago and test drove a lot of things but at the back of my head I knew it would be another gp, one of the best cars I've owned. So much better than what they appear on paper.
Bought a delivery mileage one with service pack, hopefully fly to Manchester tomorrow afternoon to collect.
Bought a delivery mileage one with service pack, hopefully fly to Manchester tomorrow afternoon to collect.
Nice review. My mum picked up a new Cooper S a few weeks ago and I finally got to drive it on the weekend. While the the power certainly felt a little down compared to my JCW, only on 1400 miles, I loved all the other features but it was the engine noise is what did it for me most.
The turbo flutter followed by the crackle of the exhaust sounded fantastic even for the basic 'S' can't wait to try the new JCW.
The turbo flutter followed by the crackle of the exhaust sounded fantastic even for the basic 'S' can't wait to try the new JCW.
Apologies for the delay in replying slowstig, I've given your last question quite a lot of thought and if I'm honest I haven't really come up with a decent answer yet!
I keep trawling AT looking at 911s again but if I'm honest I don't have the time to short anything out new car-wise at the moment as work is so busy. The other issue being that altugh we've gone through a huge business expansion it's going really well and we've been thinking about expanding it further ahead of schedule which might take funds that were going towards a new car regardless- in which case the little mini will probably do for another couple of years.
The other thing is, for the kind of driving I do I simply don't need anything faster, I went for a blast in it last week and in all honesty on a typical British B road I can't see where I would use anymore performance.
With regards to The1Driver's question, a re-map is nothing I'm interested nor ever will be-for a couple of reasons. Most importantly for me is a hassle free motoring experience and a remap will void the warranty, I've already had a couple of claims against it.
Then as above, I simply don't think the car needs one-it is absolutely rapid, something the figures on the car just can't explain. What is it's official 0-60? 6 seconds or something and about 155mph to speed? The thing is, it will struggle to go any quicker due to the limitations of fwd traction and the barn door aerodynamics, but when you're up and running, bloody hell it's quick! Believe me the car will surprise many, many people if you plant the throttle in third and just floor it.
Another point I touched on briefly in the thread-there's no concrete info as to whether MINI haven't already remapped it. A few forum owners have put their standard cars on rolling roads and yes I know that they aren't concrete evidence but I think the lowest figure reported was around 240bhp-in a MINI!
I did race against a tuned R26.R in my standard one at Le Mans back when I had it, and there was absolutely no difference between the two cars in a straight line-the other car was supposedly running around 40bhp more and it didn't make a blind bit of difference. I'm sure I can be arsed voiding my warranty on some bloke who reckons he can use a laptop better than BMW.
So all in all, I'm happy with the car just as it is, or at least I'm happy as I don't really have time to be doing track days in it-if I start doing them again next year I've always got the two recaro SPGs in the spare room wardrobe I can fit!
In other GP news, a slightly bizarre note is that apparently simon cowell is a MINI GP owner-I'm not sure PH has a smiley to convey the feeling this provokes! As most men who are married may note, Saturday nights are increasingly given over to whichever reality TV show the wife wants to watch and whilst this gives ample opportunity to look at autotrader on the iPad you do end up keeping one eye on events.
So low and behold, on last weeks episode a competition popped up in which you could win amongst other goodies-simon cowell's "apparently" own car-none other than his MINI GP (WORTH £28,000!!! according to the VoiceOver bloke).
I s
t you not;
I keep trawling AT looking at 911s again but if I'm honest I don't have the time to short anything out new car-wise at the moment as work is so busy. The other issue being that altugh we've gone through a huge business expansion it's going really well and we've been thinking about expanding it further ahead of schedule which might take funds that were going towards a new car regardless- in which case the little mini will probably do for another couple of years.
The other thing is, for the kind of driving I do I simply don't need anything faster, I went for a blast in it last week and in all honesty on a typical British B road I can't see where I would use anymore performance.
With regards to The1Driver's question, a re-map is nothing I'm interested nor ever will be-for a couple of reasons. Most importantly for me is a hassle free motoring experience and a remap will void the warranty, I've already had a couple of claims against it.
Then as above, I simply don't think the car needs one-it is absolutely rapid, something the figures on the car just can't explain. What is it's official 0-60? 6 seconds or something and about 155mph to speed? The thing is, it will struggle to go any quicker due to the limitations of fwd traction and the barn door aerodynamics, but when you're up and running, bloody hell it's quick! Believe me the car will surprise many, many people if you plant the throttle in third and just floor it.
Another point I touched on briefly in the thread-there's no concrete info as to whether MINI haven't already remapped it. A few forum owners have put their standard cars on rolling roads and yes I know that they aren't concrete evidence but I think the lowest figure reported was around 240bhp-in a MINI!
I did race against a tuned R26.R in my standard one at Le Mans back when I had it, and there was absolutely no difference between the two cars in a straight line-the other car was supposedly running around 40bhp more and it didn't make a blind bit of difference. I'm sure I can be arsed voiding my warranty on some bloke who reckons he can use a laptop better than BMW.
So all in all, I'm happy with the car just as it is, or at least I'm happy as I don't really have time to be doing track days in it-if I start doing them again next year I've always got the two recaro SPGs in the spare room wardrobe I can fit!
In other GP news, a slightly bizarre note is that apparently simon cowell is a MINI GP owner-I'm not sure PH has a smiley to convey the feeling this provokes! As most men who are married may note, Saturday nights are increasingly given over to whichever reality TV show the wife wants to watch and whilst this gives ample opportunity to look at autotrader on the iPad you do end up keeping one eye on events.
So low and behold, on last weeks episode a competition popped up in which you could win amongst other goodies-simon cowell's "apparently" own car-none other than his MINI GP (WORTH £28,000!!! according to the VoiceOver bloke).
I s
t you not;Edited by LaurasOtherHalf on Wednesday 10th December 13:14
Small update, I pulled the mini out of the garage on a rare sunny day yesterday, gave it a wash and took some photos which inevitably led to a free PH listing putting the car up for sale;
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/m...
Less than 24hrs and I've attracted my first scam email
For the avoidance of doubt, I did not wake up yesterday with any intentions to sell the car, plus with the awkwardness of the PH classifieds these days neither am I really expecting anyone to find it to purchase it, but I thought I'd give it a shout. It can't do any harm after all.
I'm spending more and more time looking at the classifieds (isn't the autotrader app a fantastic thing to while away the hours on your iPad?) and even though I'm still not 100% on what (if anything) I'll replace the little mini with I figured if anyone did want it, it would actually spur me on to buy something else. My options this week (& they tend to change daily) are as follows;
997 Carrera (gen2).
I've always had a soft spot for the boggo carrera and with the latest engine I get the feeling it's going to be the last of a special line of 911s (though isn't every iteration?!)
Aston V8 Vantage
The shape, the noise! Yes I know they're a heavy old thing but they do drive lovely, plus I love the fact that rather like the 911 used to be, they're practically identical to their race car cousins-minus a lot of weight! Plus now they're realistically sub £40k cars they do offer a Big Bang for your buck.
E30 M3
Keep the mini and have one of these as well. I know very little about them but part of that learning process appeals and they really are a true homologation special for the price of a dodgy old 911 with a crappy engine.
Air-Cooled Pork
Third time lucky, but in all honesty finding a good car seems to be the issue these days and I really struggle seeing the value in a £40k old 911 which, like it or lump it is where values are at if all those rotten old pigs are £25k+
Cayman GT4
I have my name down on the list with a good chance of (apparently) getting a first batch car. I honestly don't know what to think about this one, I have a feeling it won't turn out to be quite as special as I'd hoped it will be. It also feels a little like when I nearly ordered a boxster spyder in that as amazing as it might be-it's not a 911. Plus, like a 997 GT3 it's a hell of a lot of money to throw around a track
So basically I have no idea what to buy, if anything. I actually did get a part exchange price against an Aston over Xmas, which felt a bit weird if I'm honest. They were a grand out on what I'd set myself to change and being stubborn I backed out. The other problem with the Aston is I'm dead set on spec, it simply must have kestrel tan interior!
Until I wise up, the mini stays, it may still stay regardless I guess. Which basically means I've spent 15 mins typing on an iPad for no other reason than to convince myself I have no clue what to buy.
Wish me luck......
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/m...
Less than 24hrs and I've attracted my first scam email
For the avoidance of doubt, I did not wake up yesterday with any intentions to sell the car, plus with the awkwardness of the PH classifieds these days neither am I really expecting anyone to find it to purchase it, but I thought I'd give it a shout. It can't do any harm after all.
I'm spending more and more time looking at the classifieds (isn't the autotrader app a fantastic thing to while away the hours on your iPad?) and even though I'm still not 100% on what (if anything) I'll replace the little mini with I figured if anyone did want it, it would actually spur me on to buy something else. My options this week (& they tend to change daily) are as follows;
997 Carrera (gen2).
I've always had a soft spot for the boggo carrera and with the latest engine I get the feeling it's going to be the last of a special line of 911s (though isn't every iteration?!)
Aston V8 Vantage
The shape, the noise! Yes I know they're a heavy old thing but they do drive lovely, plus I love the fact that rather like the 911 used to be, they're practically identical to their race car cousins-minus a lot of weight! Plus now they're realistically sub £40k cars they do offer a Big Bang for your buck.
E30 M3
Keep the mini and have one of these as well. I know very little about them but part of that learning process appeals and they really are a true homologation special for the price of a dodgy old 911 with a crappy engine.
Air-Cooled Pork
Third time lucky, but in all honesty finding a good car seems to be the issue these days and I really struggle seeing the value in a £40k old 911 which, like it or lump it is where values are at if all those rotten old pigs are £25k+
Cayman GT4
I have my name down on the list with a good chance of (apparently) getting a first batch car. I honestly don't know what to think about this one, I have a feeling it won't turn out to be quite as special as I'd hoped it will be. It also feels a little like when I nearly ordered a boxster spyder in that as amazing as it might be-it's not a 911. Plus, like a 997 GT3 it's a hell of a lot of money to throw around a track
So basically I have no idea what to buy, if anything. I actually did get a part exchange price against an Aston over Xmas, which felt a bit weird if I'm honest. They were a grand out on what I'd set myself to change and being stubborn I backed out. The other problem with the Aston is I'm dead set on spec, it simply must have kestrel tan interior!
Until I wise up, the mini stays, it may still stay regardless I guess. Which basically means I've spent 15 mins typing on an iPad for no other reason than to convince myself I have no clue what to buy.
Wish me luck......
M3 would prob be my choice too. 2 very special car one will make you money as you admire it!
Gt4 will be epic but imagine a £70k car??
I've just sold my c63 to a decent trader who gave me good money so if you want his details let me know.
I briefly looked at Astone and as stunning as they are you can get big bills for basic repairs, comes with the nature of owning a modern prestige car I guess but apart from the noise it won't be anywhere near as much fun as the mini, will it?
Fear you'll get bored quick and loose a whack of money. Saying that Im taking delivery this morning of what many will say is a very dull car!
My shortlist was a GTR or 997 turbo but i decided to keep some money back to play with and get something cheaper
Gt4 will be epic but imagine a £70k car??
I've just sold my c63 to a decent trader who gave me good money so if you want his details let me know.
I briefly looked at Astone and as stunning as they are you can get big bills for basic repairs, comes with the nature of owning a modern prestige car I guess but apart from the noise it won't be anywhere near as much fun as the mini, will it?
Fear you'll get bored quick and loose a whack of money. Saying that Im taking delivery this morning of what many will say is a very dull car!
My shortlist was a GTR or 997 turbo but i decided to keep some money back to play with and get something cheaper
So it looks like the E30 M3 is the clear favourite!
My only concern would be finding any point to keep both cars, it's not like I'd use the M3 as a daily, but then if I was simply using it for track days & high days it would seem a bit daft to have the GP simply to drive to work in.
I'm still not sure I guess
Re the tyres by the way, I fitted some toyo proxes. They've made a huge difference to the ride comfort but I suspect they won't be quite as good on track! Overall very happy with them though.
likesachange-pm or Facebook me over the details of that trader, might be interested to see what they offer
My only concern would be finding any point to keep both cars, it's not like I'd use the M3 as a daily, but then if I was simply using it for track days & high days it would seem a bit daft to have the GP simply to drive to work in.
I'm still not sure I guess
Re the tyres by the way, I fitted some toyo proxes. They've made a huge difference to the ride comfort but I suspect they won't be quite as good on track! Overall very happy with them though.
likesachange-pm or Facebook me over the details of that trader, might be interested to see what they offer
E30 m3's are superb cars, I've had a standard 2.3 and a 2.5 evo sport (how I wish I'd kept that with current values). Since we have similar taste in cars I'm pretty sure you'd really like it. I enjoyed mine every bit as much as my 993 and more than my 996.
Problem is finding a genuine good car that's been maintained to a proper standard.
Problem is finding a genuine good car that's been maintained to a proper standard.
The1Driver said:
OP, Have you (or any of the other GP owners in here) considered going for a remap?
I had mine remapped by DMS in Southampton and very impressed with the results. Took it from 240 standard to 280. How does it feel? There is a noticeable increase in urge all the way to the red line - helps to properly monster more powerful cars on the track - especially with the Kumho's and those mahoosive brakes.I may consider doing more mods in the future to make more track friendly such as sports cat exhaust, lightened flywheel, bucket seats with harnesses and thinner Alcantara steering wheel.
If anyone hasn't taken theirs out on track yet, I can recommend going for it - awesome fun.
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