£100K Garage: Antoine Chedozeau
Lotus, Caterham, Renaultsport, M Division... and a Suzuki Wagon R "to drive into a wall"
Previously owned: Peugeot 106 Quiksilver. No power whatsoever but so light you wouldn't notice. Sweet, sweet balance, good looking, great car for a beginner.
Currently owned: None! I sold my beloved 106 when I moved to Paris because Parisians can't drive and there's nowhere to park...
On the shortlist: BMW E46 M3, 997 GT3 RS (3.6, 3.8 or 4.0, I'm not that picky), Caterham R500, Lotus Exige (again, any Exige !).
Cost: £9,995
Balance: £90,005
Why I chose it: "I had a ride in one of these when I was 12. It was scary but absolutely fabulous. I climbed out of the car sick but happy, intoxicated with that magical straight-six howl and I promised myself I'd own one someday. I'm now 23, about to finish school and 10 years into saving for it. This particular example has the perfect spec: Phoenix Yellow, 19-inch OEM wheels (although I'd happily trade them for the lighter and even better looking CSL wheels) and, most importantly of all, a manual gearbox. It's beautiful, reliable, notoriously great to drive and less than £10K... What's not to like?"
BMW M Coupe
Cost: £14,350
Balance: £75,655
Why I chose it: "I know I've already picked another BMW, but look at it! It's fierce, a bit ridiculous, and brilliant. I badly want it. It's pretty expensive for a 17 year-old BMW but it's got 'future-classic' written all over it, plus this one is finished in Estoril Blue - very sought after and rightly so. This example has been cherished by its previous owner and has recently received a lot of nice attentions including a new clutch and new tyres (always good news on an M car). And again, just look at the thing." [Unfortunately Antoine's original choice had sold. This is the only other Estoril Blue car in the classifieds].
Cost: £30,000
Balance: £45,655
Why I chose it: "I would be a better driver if I drove a Caterham regularly. I've never been in one, but I've never come across a bad review of this car and I am pretty sure that a Caterham is a great driving school. Everyone praises its balance and considering its spec sheet there's simply nothing wrong with it. It's light, powerful enough, it's got a manual gearbox that drives the power through the right wheels... The one on the ad also looks superb in white with the orange stripes. And it's standard. The only thing wrong with it is the exhaust on the driver's side; I don't want my ankles to get cooked while driving..."
Renaultsport Clio Trophy
Cost: £5,988
Balance: £39,667
Why I chose it: "Diversity is a key part of my £100K Garage plan and therefore I needed a hot hatch. That is no hardship at all, except when it comes to choosing between them all. I considered the more extreme Mini GP (first gen), the revered Clio 200 and the venerable 205 GTI amongst others, but in the end I went for the Clio Trophy because of its collectible status, amazing value for money and highly praised dynamics. This particular car is completely standard and looks very tidy. And cool."
Cost: £18,995
Balance: £20,672
Why I chose it: "A Lotus was always going to be part of my dream garage but I wanted something a bit more unusual than an Elise. And the very rare Europa S really does it for me. I think it looks beautiful, although rather unassuming. This particular example has had an ECU upgrade which has raised the power to 225hp. I don't recall the reviews being particularly kind with the engine of this car but that should fix the problem, especially when you consider its light weight. I just wish it had the wooden gearlever I've seen on some other examples." [Yes, this Europa has sold too. But the ad is still live, there aren't any other Europas available and it's an interesting choice].
Jaguar XJS V12
Cost: £13,995
Balance: £6,677
Why I chose it: "The looks and the engine are clearly the two major reasons. The design of this car is fantastic, even more so with the discreet grey paint. And well, the bonnet hides a V12 and nothing beats a V12. I'd use this as my 'holiday car', it's perfect for a romantic trip. This particular example is fabulously tidy and has a clear history. If only it had a manual gearbox..."
Cost: £1,500
Balance: £5,177
Why I chose it: "Sentimentalism. I miss my own 106, I know how nice the chassis was and I'm sure it's great with more power. At first I wanted to find a nice Rallye version but there doesn't seem to be any for sale right now so the more powerful GTI was my second choice. Still a proper hot hatch, though, just browse the reviews and you'll see. Oh and this one is painted Diablo Red! How cool does that sound?"
Suzuki Wagon R
Cost: £995
Balance: £4,182
Why I chose it: "To drive it into a wall. Having some change to spare after filling my perfect garage, I would happily buy this atrocious thing to relieve the planet from its unholy existence."
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Antoine
Hardly surprising with a car like that, it had a bump, the insurance company priced up the (likely) very high costs of of repairing it and decided to write it off as a Cat-D instead.
People still dismiss Cat D's as worthless or ruined cars for some reason, maybe they don't understand the economics of insurance?
Indeed I might have chosen an other Z3 knowing this but this one still looked tidy enough for a fantasy selection.
Same goes for the M3 I chose, I wanted a manual one painted in Phoenix Yellow without too many miles on it. I considered a CS but no manual was available when I picked the cars up. Maybe the one I selectioned wasn't perfect, and as I said I would change the wheels if it were mine, but it was nice enough overall.
Thanks for all the feedback anyway
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