Weekend blaster - R26 Megane vs Focus RS Mk1
Discussion
Hi all,
Currently selling my EK9 Civic Type R and am looking to replace it with something equally as fun to take for a quick blast down the B roads. Have no real need for 4 seats and the car won't be used every day. Only selling due to fancying a change really.
Initially I was going RWD into a Z3M Roadster or 350Z but for some reason the R26 has caught my eye (bargain, beautiful and very new vs. quite 'normal') and I've always liked the FRS (awesome car vs. horrific interior). Would either of these be special enough to warrant a purchase over a 350Z or similar or is it worth holding out for a rear driver?
Budget is around 8k and I don't want to be spending too long fixing it. Fear with the hatchbacks is they aren't 'special' enough but then most RWD cars worth looking at come with severe running costs. I don't have a garage to store it.
Thoughts?
Currently selling my EK9 Civic Type R and am looking to replace it with something equally as fun to take for a quick blast down the B roads. Have no real need for 4 seats and the car won't be used every day. Only selling due to fancying a change really.
Initially I was going RWD into a Z3M Roadster or 350Z but for some reason the R26 has caught my eye (bargain, beautiful and very new vs. quite 'normal') and I've always liked the FRS (awesome car vs. horrific interior). Would either of these be special enough to warrant a purchase over a 350Z or similar or is it worth holding out for a rear driver?
Budget is around 8k and I don't want to be spending too long fixing it. Fear with the hatchbacks is they aren't 'special' enough but then most RWD cars worth looking at come with severe running costs. I don't have a garage to store it.
Thoughts?
I don't think a FRS or Megane will feel special enough after a Civic Type R, in fact I think you might find the lower redlines and flatter induction and exhaust tones to be less than enthralling, even with a little bit more bhp. The 350Z is not the logical progression of the EP3 either, that would be the S2000, with it's screaming engine and 9000rpm red line. The longer gearing and weight of the 350z will probably make it feel more a fast GT cruiser than a "weekend blaster" - at least to me anyway. I'd be looking for an S2000, if it's ultimate smiles per miles motoring that I was after.
Thanks for the responses folks.
The S2000 does tick all the boxes in theory however they seem to have the dodgy reputation for being uncontrollable on the limit. They also don't seem to get many rave reviews with a lot of people bashing the steering feel? I'd like to take an 04-06 car on a drive though. Insurance is Pretty bad in relation to most other cars which cancels any benefits of cheap consumables/ok mpg.
I'd live a P1 but very much doubt I'd actually buy one with my own money. I was looking at some Evo 5/6's but servicing and insurance are pretty awful. I'd be marginally better off with an E46 M3.
Speaking of the M3 I absolutely love them but the price of parts scares me away at this stage.
I'm not a huge fan of MR2's sadly. RX7 is a great idea and a beautiful car, will look into them but think they're a bit of a widow maker!
The S2000 does tick all the boxes in theory however they seem to have the dodgy reputation for being uncontrollable on the limit. They also don't seem to get many rave reviews with a lot of people bashing the steering feel? I'd like to take an 04-06 car on a drive though. Insurance is Pretty bad in relation to most other cars which cancels any benefits of cheap consumables/ok mpg.
I'd live a P1 but very much doubt I'd actually buy one with my own money. I was looking at some Evo 5/6's but servicing and insurance are pretty awful. I'd be marginally better off with an E46 M3.
Speaking of the M3 I absolutely love them but the price of parts scares me away at this stage.
I'm not a huge fan of MR2's sadly. RX7 is a great idea and a beautiful car, will look into them but think they're a bit of a widow maker!
I came from a modded gtir and ep3 and my R26 still feels special especially in liquid yellow. Just drive one and you'll see what the fuss is about with its perfectly suited diff and darth vader turbo rush noise. The grip and traction out of corners is top notch for a fwd, covers ground quick for what it is, and its rawness compared to other hatches adds to the fun. A basic remap with gt tuning gets you 260bhp/290lbft for 400quid. How many cars can wear f1 stickers with pride. 
A VX220 is high on the list but I don't have a place to store it and they don't seem to be the most watertight for sitting on the drive for a few days at a time.
A 996 is the perfect solution... But the cheaper ones seem to be tiptronic and moon mileage. I'm also put off by the engine failures, 5% seems quite high.
A 996 is the perfect solution... But the cheaper ones seem to be tiptronic and moon mileage. I'm also put off by the engine failures, 5% seems quite high.
CrouchingWayne said:
A VX220 is high on the list but I don't have a place to store it and they don't seem to be the most watertight for sitting on the drive for a few days at a time.
A 996 is the perfect solution... But the cheaper ones seem to be tiptronic and moon mileage. I'm also put off by the engine failures, 5% seems quite high.
What about a 964 Porsche 80's coolA 996 is the perfect solution... But the cheaper ones seem to be tiptronic and moon mileage. I'm also put off by the engine failures, 5% seems quite high.
CrouchingWayne said:
Hi all,
Currently selling my EK9 Civic Type R and am looking to replace it with something equally as fun to take for a quick blast down the B roads. Have no real need for 4 seats and the car won't be used every day. Only selling due to fancying a change really.
Initially I was going RWD into a Z3M Roadster or 350Z but for some reason the R26 has caught my eye (bargain, beautiful and very new vs. quite 'normal') and I've always liked the FRS (awesome car vs. horrific interior). Would either of these be special enough to warrant a purchase over a 350Z or similar or is it worth holding out for a rear driver?
Budget is around 8k and I don't want to be spending too long fixing it. Fear with the hatchbacks is they aren't 'special' enough but then most RWD cars worth looking at come with severe running costs. I don't have a garage to store it.
Thoughts?
What I don't get is, if you don't need 4 seats and it's not a daily - wtf are you looking at FWD family supermarket barges? Yes ok they might be quick, but they still 100% look like family cars, with the engine and drivetrain setup for interior space and packaging.Currently selling my EK9 Civic Type R and am looking to replace it with something equally as fun to take for a quick blast down the B roads. Have no real need for 4 seats and the car won't be used every day. Only selling due to fancying a change really.
Initially I was going RWD into a Z3M Roadster or 350Z but for some reason the R26 has caught my eye (bargain, beautiful and very new vs. quite 'normal') and I've always liked the FRS (awesome car vs. horrific interior). Would either of these be special enough to warrant a purchase over a 350Z or similar or is it worth holding out for a rear driver?
Budget is around 8k and I don't want to be spending too long fixing it. Fear with the hatchbacks is they aren't 'special' enough but then most RWD cars worth looking at come with severe running costs. I don't have a garage to store it.
Thoughts?
Man up and buy a proper car
£8k gives you an f'ing huge array of vehicles to chose from. Be it something like American muscle (Vette, Camaro, Stang), to Jap performance (Skyline, s14, DC5, Evo), to Euro coupes or even kit cars like the GTM Libra. There's also a host of specialist sports cars to chose from (Elise, VX220, S2k).
Surely as a non 4 seat weekend blaster this has to be worth a look?
GTM Libra £5350 (2002)
14,500 miles £5,350
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3777927.htm
Semi supercar looks, great performance and good on fuel. A proper sports car - and it's British!
If you really want to spend more money, look at doing the head and cams on this (£1500) and have 175-180hp taking it from rapid to very fast.
GTM Libra £5350 (2002)
14,500 miles £5,350
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3777927.htm
Semi supercar looks, great performance and good on fuel. A proper sports car - and it's British!
If you really want to spend more money, look at doing the head and cams on this (£1500) and have 175-180hp taking it from rapid to very fast.
300bhp/ton said:
What I don't get is, if you don't need 4 seats and it's not a daily - wtf are you looking at FWD family supermarket barges? Yes ok they might be quick, but they still 100% look like family cars, with the engine and drivetrain setup for interior space and packaging.
Man up and buy a proper car
Delicately put. Man up and buy a proper car
I totally agree.
For R26 money you could get a Westfield or Caterham which is the very definition of a weekends-and-evenings fun car IMHO.
A top notch FWD hatch can be as much fun on the ragged edge as a RWD sports car. However, when you first go out and see it sat on your drive, or when you're not able to drive it like that, you're left with basically a go-faster version of a normal car. To me something bonkers like a Seven (or a bit less bonkers like a TVR) feels far more special as a weekend car. You'll get goosebumps from the moment you sit in it, not just on those rare moments you get to do a 10/10ths run down an empty B-road.
Thanks for all the responses.. I'll try and get through all the suggestions:
- 996 has engine failure issues (one in five)?
- 964 I just don't like the targa's
- VX220/Elise/Caterham/kit car - I don't have somewhere to store it other than the drive unfortunately. Seems they like to leak.
- DC5 is on the shortlist
- RX7 would be a bit unpredictable as noted
The other candidates mentioned are the S2000 and E46 M3 - I was initially going to go for the M3 but was a bit worried about servicing costs and part prices. Has anyone got anything to comment on these?
- 996 has engine failure issues (one in five)?
- 964 I just don't like the targa's
- VX220/Elise/Caterham/kit car - I don't have somewhere to store it other than the drive unfortunately. Seems they like to leak.
- DC5 is on the shortlist
- RX7 would be a bit unpredictable as noted
The other candidates mentioned are the S2000 and E46 M3 - I was initially going to go for the M3 but was a bit worried about servicing costs and part prices. Has anyone got anything to comment on these?
The VX220/Elise shouldn't leak and if it does it's because there is a problem. I think it mostly comes down to the adjustment of the windows to the roof seals. You can also buy a sort of large seal for £70 ish to fix issues.
The other VX220 water issue is that the engine is exposed through the mesh at the rear. Water can get in to places it shouldn't but this can be easily and cheaply sorted with a water ingress kit - basically just a cover of the important bits. I don't have one on my VX, it lives on street and its been fine.
The other VX220 water issue is that the engine is exposed through the mesh at the rear. Water can get in to places it shouldn't but this can be easily and cheaply sorted with a water ingress kit - basically just a cover of the important bits. I don't have one on my VX, it lives on street and its been fine.
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