Replacement fun car for under £10k
Discussion
Hi fellow PHeaders,
I am once again in need to your collective wisdom and advice.
I'm on the look out for a replacement fun car and have £10k tops to spend.
For reference here are a few of the cars I have owned as this may help with suggestions:-
2006 Lotus Elise Sports Racer – brilliant handling, good gear box, free revving engine (once run in) but unacceptably fragile for a brand new car and too underpowered – even with the Toyota engine
2005 E46 M3 – shockingly disappointing. Should have never listened to the fashion followers and trusted my instincts! Hugely compromised and surprisingly unreliable (bought with only 15k miles on the clock too!). Very good engine but surprisingly poor engine maps and not enough torque for the car it is trying to be IMHO.
2000 Audi S4 bi-turbo with remap and extras. Eye wateringly fast for such a luxurious saloon but more of an autobahn crusher than a sports car. Still loved it though! I'm a sucker for fast Audis but can't afford one just now
1996 Golf 2.6 VR6 – a bit flabby and no real steering feel but actually not too bad all things considered. Decent engine and great 3rd gear. Should have upgraded the suspension in retrospect.
1989 1.8 Scirocco – first car so loved it even if it was probably rubbish. Was certainly rubbish by the time I had finished with it.
My current indulgence is a widetrack 2005 2.0 Subaru WRX STI with plenty of fettling (350 bhp, centre decat, uprated fuel pump, switchable maps, strut braces etc) and although it is a totally astonishing car I now fancy a change, probably to something normally aspirated (and less thirsty!)
So, to my question – finally! What do you guys recommend for under £10k as a replacement for the Scooby? Car can be up to about 10 yrs old but it does need to be reliable. Key requirements are:-
1). It should handle really well. Nice balance, good tight chassis providing detailed feedback, predictable grip etc
2). It should have great steering feedback.
3). Great engine and relatively high revving. Does not need to have galactic power or torque but it must work with the rest of the car and I think I’d prefer to go normally aspirated this time. That said I have never had a supercharged car before and that is quite tempting.
4). Tight slick manual gearbox. Very closely linked to the engine and steering feel this. All three need to work together beautifully to allow the joys of that perfect heel and toe double change down in to a challenging corner!
5). It must have a SOUL. For this reason I’m not that inclined to go for another Japanese car but I suppose I could be persuaded (definitely no hairdressers cars though!)
6). It actually needs to work as a reliable second car as well – so a TVR is also probably ruled out much as I'd love one!
Thanks in advance for the suggestions
HT
I am once again in need to your collective wisdom and advice.
I'm on the look out for a replacement fun car and have £10k tops to spend.
For reference here are a few of the cars I have owned as this may help with suggestions:-
2006 Lotus Elise Sports Racer – brilliant handling, good gear box, free revving engine (once run in) but unacceptably fragile for a brand new car and too underpowered – even with the Toyota engine
2005 E46 M3 – shockingly disappointing. Should have never listened to the fashion followers and trusted my instincts! Hugely compromised and surprisingly unreliable (bought with only 15k miles on the clock too!). Very good engine but surprisingly poor engine maps and not enough torque for the car it is trying to be IMHO.
2000 Audi S4 bi-turbo with remap and extras. Eye wateringly fast for such a luxurious saloon but more of an autobahn crusher than a sports car. Still loved it though! I'm a sucker for fast Audis but can't afford one just now
1996 Golf 2.6 VR6 – a bit flabby and no real steering feel but actually not too bad all things considered. Decent engine and great 3rd gear. Should have upgraded the suspension in retrospect.
1989 1.8 Scirocco – first car so loved it even if it was probably rubbish. Was certainly rubbish by the time I had finished with it.
My current indulgence is a widetrack 2005 2.0 Subaru WRX STI with plenty of fettling (350 bhp, centre decat, uprated fuel pump, switchable maps, strut braces etc) and although it is a totally astonishing car I now fancy a change, probably to something normally aspirated (and less thirsty!)
So, to my question – finally! What do you guys recommend for under £10k as a replacement for the Scooby? Car can be up to about 10 yrs old but it does need to be reliable. Key requirements are:-
1). It should handle really well. Nice balance, good tight chassis providing detailed feedback, predictable grip etc
2). It should have great steering feedback.
3). Great engine and relatively high revving. Does not need to have galactic power or torque but it must work with the rest of the car and I think I’d prefer to go normally aspirated this time. That said I have never had a supercharged car before and that is quite tempting.
4). Tight slick manual gearbox. Very closely linked to the engine and steering feel this. All three need to work together beautifully to allow the joys of that perfect heel and toe double change down in to a challenging corner!
5). It must have a SOUL. For this reason I’m not that inclined to go for another Japanese car but I suppose I could be persuaded (definitely no hairdressers cars though!)
6). It actually needs to work as a reliable second car as well – so a TVR is also probably ruled out much as I'd love one!
Thanks in advance for the suggestions
HT
Thanks Guys, some interesting suggestions there.
Am still v tempted by a Chim (head vs heart debate here).
An old 996? Hmm, tempting but I'd guess a 10k example would be a getting a little tired. I'll have a look at the classifieds. I nearly bought a 996 tt years ago, and would think about it again if I had not blown all my cash on buying and fixing that sodding M3!
A 964 is also an old favorite of mine - if only in a Top Trumps kind of way as I have never driven one.
Alfa 156. Lovely engine for sure. I had not even thought about an Alfa but it ought to tick a good few boxes in fairness.
Now a Caterham. Ooooooh, I have wanted one of these for ages but they really aren't a practical car for regular use (particularly as I live in Northern Scotland). That said I could just ignore these practical issues and live the dream - and without good weather gear it would be a wet dream too!!
S2000 - I do hear very very good things about these but mainly from my wife's hairdresser, Alphonso
Actually the S2000 is one of the few Japanese cars that would make the list.
HT
Am still v tempted by a Chim (head vs heart debate here).
An old 996? Hmm, tempting but I'd guess a 10k example would be a getting a little tired. I'll have a look at the classifieds. I nearly bought a 996 tt years ago, and would think about it again if I had not blown all my cash on buying and fixing that sodding M3!
A 964 is also an old favorite of mine - if only in a Top Trumps kind of way as I have never driven one.
Alfa 156. Lovely engine for sure. I had not even thought about an Alfa but it ought to tick a good few boxes in fairness.
Now a Caterham. Ooooooh, I have wanted one of these for ages but they really aren't a practical car for regular use (particularly as I live in Northern Scotland). That said I could just ignore these practical issues and live the dream - and without good weather gear it would be a wet dream too!!
S2000 - I do hear very very good things about these but mainly from my wife's hairdresser, Alphonso
Actually the S2000 is one of the few Japanese cars that would make the list.HT
HappyTorque said:
Now a Caterham. Ooooooh, I have wanted one of these for ages but they really aren't a practical car for regular use (particularly as I live in Northern Scotland). That said I could just ignore these practical issues and live the dream - and without good weather gear it would be a wet dream too!!
Living in Northern Scotland would be even more of a reason to own a Caterham (or derivative) - you have the roads to enjoy it properly. Buy well, think of it like a motorbike (for practical purposes) and have a blast. If you decide it's not for you it can probably be sold a year later without losing anything/much. If you have the itch for a Seven then go for it. Life is too short not too.I can echo the comments about the TVR Chimaera. I recently went from an S2 Elise to a Chim 450 and I love it.
I had the same thoughts as others before me about reliability, but a Chim is probably the best TVR to get if that's a primary concern. Parts are pretty cheap and it's a simple car when all is considered. Certainly I'd say it should be about as reliable as an Elise.
It has an unrivalled sense of drama and occasion every time you start up and drive plus it's blisteringly quick for what it is. A couple of friends have a F355 and an AM V8V and it's right on the pace with them.
It's comfy, roomy with loads of room in the boot too.
I had the same thoughts as others before me about reliability, but a Chim is probably the best TVR to get if that's a primary concern. Parts are pretty cheap and it's a simple car when all is considered. Certainly I'd say it should be about as reliable as an Elise.
It has an unrivalled sense of drama and occasion every time you start up and drive plus it's blisteringly quick for what it is. A couple of friends have a F355 and an AM V8V and it's right on the pace with them.
It's comfy, roomy with loads of room in the boot too.
All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.(T.E. Lawrence)
It's just so got to be a TVR. Nothing comes close to the sense of occasion, such magnificance in its soul.
Every petrol head should own a Tiv once in their lifetime.
HappyTorque said:
Am still v tempted by a Chim (head vs heart debate here).
Now a Caterham. Ooooooh, I have wanted one of these for ages but they really aren't a practical car for regular use (particularly as I live in Northern Scotland). That said I could just ignore these practical issues and live the dream - and without good weather gear it would be a wet dream too!!
I'm fairly well placed to comment here, having sold my Caterham to buy a Chimaera. Now a Caterham. Ooooooh, I have wanted one of these for ages but they really aren't a practical car for regular use (particularly as I live in Northern Scotland). That said I could just ignore these practical issues and live the dream - and without good weather gear it would be a wet dream too!!
Dynamically the Seven is so far ahead it's just comical. You don't even need that much power to give them comparable straight line speed, because they're so damn light. Driving a good Seven is also a uniquely full-on experience. It arguably bears more relation to a low-end singleseater than a conventional 1+ ton sports car. It's also a far better track proposition.
Some people do use Caterhams everyday in all weathers and they're absolute heroes of mine for doing so. But I still think they're a little bit crazy. They can be very uncompromising on the road, particularly if you go for one of the more track-orientated models (and why wouldn't you if you're buying a nutty 500kg rollerskate?)
They're almost unrivalled for an hour-long blast in the sunshine, but the moment you want to go beyond that it can become tricky. You can't get a huge amount of luggage in them, they don't really offer any security when you're parked, motorway refinement is pretty awful and weather protection often isn't great either.
All that sounds like it's missing the point of a Seven, but unless you commute across the Dales or you have absolutely nothing else to do on the weekends it rapidly reduces the number of occasions you can actually use one. Something like a Boxster or a Chimaera can be driven to meetings during the week and used for trips away at the weekend.
A few thoughts based on owning a few on the list
HappyTorque said:
Am still v tempted by a Chim (head vs heart debate here).
They are great cars and as long as you keep up the preventative maintenance they are reliable & many garages can look after the RV8. A TVR must be an interest/hobby otherwise you will get annoyed with their foibles and it will blind you to the fantastic fun that they are. HappyTorque said:
An old 996? Hmm, tempting but I'd guess a 10k example would be a getting a little tired.
I looked at lots around the £10k mark before upping my budget a bit. There will be one or two gems out there but everything I saw at £10k needed a fair few £'s spent on it. If I was honest I don't think that a boggo Carrera is that exciting for a weekend car but that is also a testament to it's versatility as an every day car. If you don't need 4 seats then there are a plethora of good Boxster's out there at your budget.HappyTorque said:
S2000 - I do hear very very good things about these but mainly from my wife's hairdresser, Alphonso Actually the S2000 is one of the few Japanese cars that would make the list.
I never quite gelled with mine but it was an excellent car and you will get a very good one for your budget. The only problem with them is that when you hop into another car you wonder how you managed to red-line it so quickly. Actually the S2000 is one of the few Japanese cars that would make the list.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff