Weekend Car - Porker or M3?
Discussion
Looking at the OP, it just HAS to be a TVR!
My suggestion, the rare TVR Chimaera 500!
It has the lovely 5 litre V8 from the Griffith so you get they huge surge of torque from the off. Plus, the Chim looks more like the Cerbera but it doesn't have the running costs! Loads of grunt in any gear.
There are only 2 Chim500s listed on Autotrader though, so you better be quick!
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...
Honestly OP - test drive a TVR then tell me how exciting the German cars are.
My suggestion, the rare TVR Chimaera 500!
It has the lovely 5 litre V8 from the Griffith so you get they huge surge of torque from the off. Plus, the Chim looks more like the Cerbera but it doesn't have the running costs! Loads of grunt in any gear.
There are only 2 Chim500s listed on Autotrader though, so you better be quick!
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...
Honestly OP - test drive a TVR then tell me how exciting the German cars are.
300bhp/ton said:
Yes it is still a work truck and can be used to tow or haul if you want.
However in the UK F150's are rarer than Ferrari's and you are as likely to see an SLR as you are Lighting on the road (or something approaching this).
So in the UK a Ford Lighting is something very different, very rare and completely outside the comprehension of most Brits. These points alone would make it a "special" weekend vehicle.
The fact that it is actually fast (in standard trim) and stupidly fast with 520hp just adds to this being something far from the norm and mundane.
I'm willing to bet if you pulled up in a petrol station, more people would talk to you and ask about your truck than they would a 996 or an M3.
Not too mention that is would be huge FUN to follow an M3 on to a stretch of road and bowl past it as though the M3 had the handbrake on. A 520hp Lighting would easily do this to a stock e46 M3.
They are rare because almost no one wants one...However in the UK F150's are rarer than Ferrari's and you are as likely to see an SLR as you are Lighting on the road (or something approaching this).
So in the UK a Ford Lighting is something very different, very rare and completely outside the comprehension of most Brits. These points alone would make it a "special" weekend vehicle.
The fact that it is actually fast (in standard trim) and stupidly fast with 520hp just adds to this being something far from the norm and mundane.
I'm willing to bet if you pulled up in a petrol station, more people would talk to you and ask about your truck than they would a 996 or an M3.
Not too mention that is would be huge FUN to follow an M3 on to a stretch of road and bowl past it as though the M3 had the handbrake on. A 520hp Lighting would easily do this to a stock e46 M3.
More brits are going to walk up to you and warn you that you accidently filled your pickup with the wrong fuel.
Also, the last part is b
ks as doogz has just prooved with a video of a stock lightning vs a stock M3.
Seriously gents, the advice and input is very much appreciated but lets keep it friendly
(unless of course you all know each other outside of here in which case - banter away!)I should have added a few additional criteria at the beginning, namely:
- Ideally I want something in which I can take off with the g/f of a Friday, drive to the South Coast or Europe for a long weekend. That doesn't necessarily rule out a 2-seater but certainly narrows it for me. Are TVR's really that bad reliability-wise or is that a bit urban legend-y? Additionally, I went to Le Mans this year and intend to make it a bit of a pilgrimage in future years so it has to be capable of managing 1000 mile trips with ease - hence my original nudge toward German reliability.
- The truck is a good shout I think (I deliberately cast the net wide), but I have a Hilux for general lugging and towing and I'm limited with only 7ft clearance down the side of the house to the garage and the Yank tank looks like a bit of a brute to be getting through narrow places.
- E30 M3's I love, but they've rocketed in value in recent years and are a bit out of budget now. How I wish I'd bought that slightly ropey one for 3k about 5 years back!!
Keep 'em coming!
Edited to add - I used to love the Jap stuff but it all feels a bit "Fast 'N Furious" these days so would prefer something with a slight degree of prestige about it. Genuinely no offence intended, they're just not my thing anymore. (bloody hell I'm coming across a right snob!)
Edited by Notshortnottall on Thursday 22 August 18:40
Edited by Notshortnottall on Thursday 22 August 18:41
RocketScience said:
TVR in Europe? HELL YES! 
Take a TVR to Monaco and see how much interest you get from the tourists and locals alike
Do TVR really get that much interest in monaoo ?Take a TVR to Monaco and see how much interest you get from the tourists and locals alike
How do they make there straight 6 sound soooo much better than BMW straight 6 ....
Is cayman or Boxster in the price range ?
XKR ? CL55 AMG ?
M635CSi ?
It's been a while since I last posted, but I'm glad to see 300 is still going about his usual business. 
I would definitely suggest that if you can get a good E46 M3CS in budget it would be a better fun car than an old 996.
Although saying that, what are 996C4s's going for these days?
EDIT - £16,500 apparently.
996 C4S
The pick of the 996 models (other than the GT3), or so I'm told.
I would definitely suggest that if you can get a good E46 M3CS in budget it would be a better fun car than an old 996.
Although saying that, what are 996C4s's going for these days?
EDIT - £16,500 apparently.
996 C4S
The pick of the 996 models (other than the GT3), or so I'm told.
Edited by SWoll on Friday 23 August 00:02
Honestly though if you have an everyday day and it's just a toy isn't the m3 a bit pointless. Epic car if you need a one car fits all rear seats comfort etc and fast as f@ck but as a toy????...... Its not a toy just a fast very capable everday car which is what bmw designed it as. II would rather have porche lotus tvr etc etc
161BMW said:
Do TVR really get that much interest in monaoo ?
How do they make there straight 6 sound soooo much better than BMW straight 6 ....
Is cayman or Boxster in the price range ?
XKR ? CL55 AMG ?
M635CSi ?
You mean sound like this..How do they make there straight 6 sound soooo much better than BMW straight 6 ....
Is cayman or Boxster in the price range ?
XKR ? CL55 AMG ?
M635CSi ?
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ZLBxP_a5Y
m4tti said:
You mean sound like this..
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ZLBxP_a5Y
Yes TVRs sound angrier than BMWs.http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ZLBxP_a5Y
The E46 M3 has a much better sound than the regular sixes of E46s. E30s sound more growly too. But the CSL when in anger sound pretty good too but has a different note to TVR and deeper induction noise than regular E46 M3. I always thought they made the regular E46 M3 too quiet. Though to be fair most BMW Ms are designed so "could" be used everyday and as practical as regular 3/5/6 Series which is based on.
161BMW said:
Yes TVRs sound angrier than BMWs.
The E46 M3 has a much better sound than the regular sixes of E46s. E30s sound more growly too. But the CSL when in anger sound pretty good too but has a different note to TVR and deeper induction noise than regular E46 M3. I always thought they made the regular E46 M3 too quiet. Though to be fair most BMW Ms are designed so "could" be used everyday and as practical as regular 3/5/6 Series which is based on.
Simple air box mod solves thatThe E46 M3 has a much better sound than the regular sixes of E46s. E30s sound more growly too. But the CSL when in anger sound pretty good too but has a different note to TVR and deeper induction noise than regular E46 M3. I always thought they made the regular E46 M3 too quiet. Though to be fair most BMW Ms are designed so "could" be used everyday and as practical as regular 3/5/6 Series which is based on.
doogz said:
I like how you've turned this into a "One is highly modified and might be a tiny bit quicker in a straight line than the other, maybe" argument.
You went searching for those videos, so you know that one showing a different result are out there:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM1ohO0GpGI (It's crap, but watch the last 15 seconds)
Here's a quote to melt your brain:
"In 2009, Road and Track magazine announced the 2006 M3 with the SMG transmission as its favorite sports car of all time."
Isn't Road and Track one of your oft-quoted sources?
And did they just call an M3 a "sports car"?
Why do you get so upset with posting something different?? There there, it'll be alright... You went searching for those videos, so you know that one showing a different result are out there:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM1ohO0GpGI (It's crap, but watch the last 15 seconds)
Here's a quote to melt your brain:
"In 2009, Road and Track magazine announced the 2006 M3 with the SMG transmission as its favorite sports car of all time."
Isn't Road and Track one of your oft-quoted sources?
And did they just call an M3 a "sports car"?
Bear Phils said:
They are rare because almost no one wants one...
More brits are going to walk up to you and warn you that you accidently filled your pickup with the wrong fuel.
Also, the last part is bks as doogz has just prooved with a video of a stock lightning vs a stock M3.
I love how PH'ers are so blind to facts sometime. As in, go back and look at the advert I linked to - it's a fMore brits are going to walk up to you and warn you that you accidently filled your pickup with the wrong fuel.
Also, the last part is b
ks as doogz has just prooved with a video of a stock lightning vs a stock M3.king modified Lightning with 520bhp!!!! So highly relevant to compare modified ones vs a stock M3.
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