0-60 in under 7 seconds, less than £10k, CHEAP INSURANCE...
Discussion
Hey guys,
I found this forum while searching for Honda S2000 information. Unfortunately the S2000 is ridiculous to insure for someone like me as the online quotes were stating £5k to £7k per year which is ridiculous. Of course the online quotes do not really tell my whole story correctly but I doubt it would make that much difference.
Ya see, I am a US citizen who is currently living and working in London and have been out here for about 18 months and will be out here for a much longer time yet. I recently got my UK drivers license since I could only use my California drivers license for one year. However, I have been driving for 8 years since I was 16 back in the States.
Recently, I have been looking into getting a fun car for the weekends that would see no more than about 1,000 miles per year. A car that would be fun to drive, something I could potentially autocross or drag race on weekends, yet also able to get decent mileage when I go on short vacations to other parts of the country. Thus, I thought about a Honda s2000.
In the states I would not have looked into this car because my past car history consists of a low 13 second 2000 Ford Mustang GT and mid 12 second 1986 Buick Grand National, with 4.6l n/a and 3.8l turbo engines respectively.
Obviously the UK is not so kind to any engine beyond 2.0l in terms of insurance because anything over that size is actually considered a large engine...Still, there are plenty of sub 2.0l cars which can be a lot of fun, with the Honda s2000 being one of them; a car that would have been perfect for the small and twisty roads out here.
But the s2000 is a pipe dream over here unless I ever get enough balls to purchase one and just swap license plates with a car parked in the apartment complex garage which is never driven for when I feel like driving the s2000...
So my question is, what other car would be less than say £1,500 to insure for a new UK driver with 8 years experience that does at least sub 7 seconds to 60, could potentially do track days, costs less then £10k, and is moddable to make up for the lack of power? I would also prefer the car to be less than 8-10 years old.
Thanks and I can't wait to read the responses.
I found this forum while searching for Honda S2000 information. Unfortunately the S2000 is ridiculous to insure for someone like me as the online quotes were stating £5k to £7k per year which is ridiculous. Of course the online quotes do not really tell my whole story correctly but I doubt it would make that much difference.
Ya see, I am a US citizen who is currently living and working in London and have been out here for about 18 months and will be out here for a much longer time yet. I recently got my UK drivers license since I could only use my California drivers license for one year. However, I have been driving for 8 years since I was 16 back in the States.
Recently, I have been looking into getting a fun car for the weekends that would see no more than about 1,000 miles per year. A car that would be fun to drive, something I could potentially autocross or drag race on weekends, yet also able to get decent mileage when I go on short vacations to other parts of the country. Thus, I thought about a Honda s2000.
In the states I would not have looked into this car because my past car history consists of a low 13 second 2000 Ford Mustang GT and mid 12 second 1986 Buick Grand National, with 4.6l n/a and 3.8l turbo engines respectively.
Obviously the UK is not so kind to any engine beyond 2.0l in terms of insurance because anything over that size is actually considered a large engine...Still, there are plenty of sub 2.0l cars which can be a lot of fun, with the Honda s2000 being one of them; a car that would have been perfect for the small and twisty roads out here.
But the s2000 is a pipe dream over here unless I ever get enough balls to purchase one and just swap license plates with a car parked in the apartment complex garage which is never driven for when I feel like driving the s2000...
So my question is, what other car would be less than say £1,500 to insure for a new UK driver with 8 years experience that does at least sub 7 seconds to 60, could potentially do track days, costs less then £10k, and is moddable to make up for the lack of power? I would also prefer the car to be less than 8-10 years old.
Thanks and I can't wait to read the responses.
2.0 litre Zetec Westfield, 300bhp per tonne, 4.5 sec 0-60, £150 ltd mileage kit car insurance circa £8500
2.2 litre normally aspirated Vauxhall VX 220, 5.5 sec 0-60, £450 to insure, circa £8500 (for a good one!)
I can strongly recommend both of these, The Westy in the middle is my current car, the VX my last one!
2.2 litre normally aspirated Vauxhall VX 220, 5.5 sec 0-60, £450 to insure, circa £8500 (for a good one!)
I can strongly recommend both of these, The Westy in the middle is my current car, the VX my last one!
Edited by Lordbenny on Thursday 26th January 00:26
Lotus Elise or VX220.
Or a clio 182.
Look for real handlers with less than 2 litres. To be honest, straight lines at speed is dull. Winging it round bends is where the fun's at.
But it's really your citizenship status that's the problem. I have a friend in a similar situation to you, and after 5 years in the UK he finds himself limited to non turbo imprezas and 1.8 BMW's because insurers seem to hate him.
Or a clio 182.
Look for real handlers with less than 2 litres. To be honest, straight lines at speed is dull. Winging it round bends is where the fun's at.
But it's really your citizenship status that's the problem. I have a friend in a similar situation to you, and after 5 years in the UK he finds himself limited to non turbo imprezas and 1.8 BMW's because insurers seem to hate him.
Some of the best cars britain/europe has to offer are our hot hatches, simply because they are made for twisties (unlike american/international cars which are built for straight lines).
I would be looking at Renault Sports (clios/meganes) 172/182/225, golf r32's/ audi s3's (anything with the vag 1.8t engine are decent) Fabia vrs/ ibiza cupra). All of the above are circa 7 second cars to 60, and they all handle the twisty black stuff well.
Saloon wise, evo's/scoobys/ are all within budget and arent bad to insure.
If you go old school then classical insurance can help you out, think 90's and before. Plenty out there to choose from (get on PH Classafieds).
GL
I would be looking at Renault Sports (clios/meganes) 172/182/225, golf r32's/ audi s3's (anything with the vag 1.8t engine are decent) Fabia vrs/ ibiza cupra). All of the above are circa 7 second cars to 60, and they all handle the twisty black stuff well.
Saloon wise, evo's/scoobys/ are all within budget and arent bad to insure.
If you go old school then classical insurance can help you out, think 90's and before. Plenty out there to choose from (get on PH Classafieds).
GL
Interesting choices. I'm not sure if I could fit into a Vauxhaul VX220 (they are essentially rebadged Lotus Elises right?) as I am 6'3''. I know Jeremy Clarkson has driven Lotuses in his reviews but I doubt he could be comfortable enough in them beyond the film sessions. Perhaps I am wrong though...
As for the Renault's I know nothing about their reliability and maintenance costs as they don't sell them in the States. I would assume pretty much any 4 cylinder N/A car wouldn't be too hard to keep up because the engines aren't all that complex but how do the French do here and do they handle well out of the box or are suspension mods needed?
A Golf R32 would be awesome but it seems that anything under £10,000 has nearly 100,000 miles on it and I am not so sure that a VW is such a great vehicle to have with such high mileage. After all they always top the list of least reliable in the USA...
The Westfield looks sweet but I think it is a bit too much of a track car and is more like a second car for someone. I do plan for the car I purhcase to see the track but being that it would be my only car it would have to be serviceable around town and on trips since the girlfriend would be in the passenger seat ;-P
Hmm...Rx-7 LS1 swap? J/k that would cost like £30k to do haha. I guess I will just have to keep looking around for interesting cars although if I can fit into that Vauxhaul and the girlfriend says she could stand being seen in that car she may be the one...
As for the Renault's I know nothing about their reliability and maintenance costs as they don't sell them in the States. I would assume pretty much any 4 cylinder N/A car wouldn't be too hard to keep up because the engines aren't all that complex but how do the French do here and do they handle well out of the box or are suspension mods needed?
A Golf R32 would be awesome but it seems that anything under £10,000 has nearly 100,000 miles on it and I am not so sure that a VW is such a great vehicle to have with such high mileage. After all they always top the list of least reliable in the USA...
The Westfield looks sweet but I think it is a bit too much of a track car and is more like a second car for someone. I do plan for the car I purhcase to see the track but being that it would be my only car it would have to be serviceable around town and on trips since the girlfriend would be in the passenger seat ;-P
Hmm...Rx-7 LS1 swap? J/k that would cost like £30k to do haha. I guess I will just have to keep looking around for interesting cars although if I can fit into that Vauxhaul and the girlfriend says she could stand being seen in that car she may be the one...
VX220s are surprisingly cheap to insure. If that's still too much, get a Caterham.
Plenty of tall people can drive Elise derivatives fine, and some shorter people find them undriveable. It just depends on how you're built. I'm six foot and drive with the seat an inch from the back of the rails and have about six inches of head room to spare, although I did have to fit spacers behind the wheel to be able to reach it with my legs in a comfortable position.
It would also have the advantage of having pretty much zero depreciation.
Plenty of tall people can drive Elise derivatives fine, and some shorter people find them undriveable. It just depends on how you're built. I'm six foot and drive with the seat an inch from the back of the rails and have about six inches of head room to spare, although I did have to fit spacers behind the wheel to be able to reach it with my legs in a comfortable position.
It would also have the advantage of having pretty much zero depreciation.
Edited by kambites on Thursday 26th January 11:40
If you were to consider something over 15 years old you could get classic insurance cover, significantly cheaper than insuring something modern. Also a most cars that age are free from significant depreciation.
If I had a £10k budget I'd be looking at silly stuff like nice examples of Jag XJR-S, Lotus Esprit Turbo, Porsche 968, etc... All reasonable to insure on classic insurance.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3436335.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3554748.htm
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-XJR-S-5-3-only-72...
If I had a £10k budget I'd be looking at silly stuff like nice examples of Jag XJR-S, Lotus Esprit Turbo, Porsche 968, etc... All reasonable to insure on classic insurance.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3436335.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3554748.htm
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-XJR-S-5-3-only-72...
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