What car next? thieves destroyed my RX8 Prodrive.

[jabusby]

Hey guys..

I don't post on here very often but I'm a big fan of the site, anyway last month a group of thieving chavs broke into my house(took the door off) and took the keys to my beautiful Pro-drive rx8 and proceeded to wrap it around a tree 10 miles down the road.

Before





After









I'm trying to decide what to get next, I'm thinking cheap and fun, not necessarily fast so my list of possibles is as follows in order of preference. I've got about £4500 - £5500

Mk3 Mr2
Mk1 Mr2 (super charger)
MX5
older S2000
Integra Type R (I've had one of these before and I loved it, not sure it I want the same car twice)
Alfa GTV cup (not sure if I want a heavy front wheel drive car but I love how it looks and sounds)

Anyway what do you guys think?

Cheers

Jamie

[kambites]

I'd go for the MR2 if you can live with the lack of storage space - it has a lovely chassis.

[Baz Tench]

Sorry to hear that.

The shunt must have been moderately light. Shame really, I would like to see the occupants sustain permanent damage to themselves.

[ajb85]

GTV Cup! Nice motor, although considering they only made a handful (relatively speaking), there's usually a good choice of them for sale.

Absolutely useless in this weather, though...

Golf GTI 2.0 Turbo mk5? Quite a nice choice, very competent all rounder, if not a bit sober perhaps.

[jet_noise]

Dear jab,

an Accord Type R is in your budget - think of it as the thinking-little-bit-more-grown-up man's VTEC yo vehicle,

regards,
Jet

[jabusby]

kambites :: Yep storage space really isn't an issue for me at the moment, I don't really do a lot of daily driving just the weekends really.

doogz :: Have you had any problems with the pre cat? I've read in a few places they can break up and wear the engine?

Baz Tench :: me too, I really hope they hurt themselves.

ajb85 :: yea there are a few of them on the classifieds they look great but I don't its an option really. I've not had a VW before I think im looking for something a bit smaller and more fun to drive

jet_noise :: yea I've looked at the ATR and I am tempted in the past I've had quite a few Hondas including S2000, ITR DC2 and a CTR I love the Engines but its just a little bit big I only drive about 10 miles a week and I really just want something small and nippy to thrash about in the peak district

Just found this site drivers generation its pretty much got every car I've ever wanted on there

[kambites]

jabusby said:

doogz :: Have you had any problems with the pre cat? I've read in a few places they can break up and wear the engine?

Most of them will have had them removed by now. If not, it's a pretty easy job.

[Krikkit]

A bit different, but if you're not really relying on it for daily transport a Chimaera sounds like a good alternative, although the budget will need a bit of a stretch.

[Scrof]

Firstly, utterly gutted to see those pics - hope these oxygen thieves get what's coming to them.

From your list, my personal choice would be the Mk3 MR2. Your budget would fetch you a really decent, late example, and I think it'd offer a great combination of fun, reliability and good looks. Of course, you'll have to live with very little storage space, as has already been mentioned, and as per the buying guide that's up on the main site, it's worth looking into removal of the pre-cats, even though you'd be getting one of the later ones with the revised engines.

[kambites]

If you could stretch the budget a bit, you might get into an early VX220, too. Not sure that they've fallen quite that far, though.

[hairykrishna]

As you're thinking MR2...

This is up for £6500 and is a bargain at that price;





Has a 2GR-FE 3.5L V6 with >300bhp and is mint. It's what I'd buy if I had your budget and some man maths...

http://www.twobrutal.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?20...

[300bhp/ton]

Mk MR2 sounds the most interesting from your list. And on that basis how about something left field like these:

LOTUS EXCEL SE (1987) £4,990
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...



GTM LIBRA RED (2001) £3,900
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...



NOTE: that GTM is only a 1.4, although they can be had with 1.8's, 2.5 V6's and even a few Honda powered ones. A 1.4 would offer up cheap tax though and is ripe for turbo'ing or swapping in a 1.8.

[LiamM45]

may i be the first to suggest... MX5! that budget will get a nice one with a bit more grunt surely?

anything is better than that GTM Libra above, that's an ugly little thing.

[pits]

Have they not, essentially, done you a favour by getting rid of it before it depreciates anymore and you can't shift it for love nor money at £600

[Andy T]

pits said:

Have they not, essentially, done you a favour by getting rid of it before it depreciates anymore and you can't shift it for love nor money at £600

Hehe

Seriously though, What about an Audi S2?

Maybe slightly more than your budget for a minter but an awesome thing. And its got one of the best engines ever.

[Legend83]

That is gutting - utter bells.

How about a sorted supercharged MX5?

(hint: selling mine very soon for less than your budget)

[Andy T]

A supercharged MX-5 would be the nuts! I've got a Turbo'd Mk1 MX5, and it's utterly brilliant.

[pits]

Andy T said:

pits said:

Have they not, essentially, done you a favour by getting rid of it before it depreciates anymore and you can't shift it for love nor money at £600

Hehe

Seriously though, What about an Audi S2?

Maybe slightly more than your budget for a minter but an awesome thing. And its got one of the best engines ever.

It is a shame RX8's are worth so little these days

[300bhp/ton]

pits said:

It is a shame RX8's are worth so little these days

For the sellers yes, for the buyers no

[rallycross]

if you are lucky you might find a pre-xmas bargain on an Integra Dc-5 sub £6k, but only if lucky as they tend to go for more.