Lacking Inspiration (another what car...)
Discussion
I've had my MkIV R32 for nearly 5 years now and it's time for a change, partly because I fancy a change, and partly because I've moved house and now have to park on the street in London. The Golf is in great condition and while it's not a massively valuable car having it parked on the street concerns me. It can sometimes be very tight getting out of spaces, and looking at some of the other cars parked there some people clearly don't take as much care as I do.
The problem is, I just can't find anything that inspires me for under £11k. The Golf's been great - I love the engine, but after the VX220 I had before it the handling leaves a bit to be desired and I'm just not enjoying driving as much as I used to, possibly because 95% of my time is spent on motorways and dual carriageways with only the occassional B-road blast. I also only cover around 4-5k miles a year.
It seems my options are:
1. Accept that I don't spend a lot of time driving on good roads, and go for something cheaper to run and more comfy
2. Go for something with a similar performance/comfort compromise
3. Get something that could be fun on track that might mean I start enjoying driving again
A few other things I'm picky about - I'm a sucker for a great sounding engine, I strongly prefer RWD, I like steering feel.
It also needs to be practical enough to fit in a couple of guitars and an amp or two. Thoughts I've had so far are:
- E46 M3: Always wanted one, but expensive to insure when parked on the street and expensive to run.
- E46 330Ci: Probably better on all roads than the Golf, lovely engine. Not that exciting.
- Focus ST: Quick. Thirsty, and too FWD?
- Mk5 Golf GTI: Good car. Too similar to my current car, and still too FWDy?
- Clio Trophy: Could be a hoot on track, but might drive me nuts on the road? Also a bit small.
- Nissan 350Z: Nice engine, RWD hooniness, but not as practical as it could be. Also could be a pain to park.
Any other suggestions?
The problem is, I just can't find anything that inspires me for under £11k. The Golf's been great - I love the engine, but after the VX220 I had before it the handling leaves a bit to be desired and I'm just not enjoying driving as much as I used to, possibly because 95% of my time is spent on motorways and dual carriageways with only the occassional B-road blast. I also only cover around 4-5k miles a year.
It seems my options are:
1. Accept that I don't spend a lot of time driving on good roads, and go for something cheaper to run and more comfy
2. Go for something with a similar performance/comfort compromise
3. Get something that could be fun on track that might mean I start enjoying driving again
A few other things I'm picky about - I'm a sucker for a great sounding engine, I strongly prefer RWD, I like steering feel.
It also needs to be practical enough to fit in a couple of guitars and an amp or two. Thoughts I've had so far are:
- E46 M3: Always wanted one, but expensive to insure when parked on the street and expensive to run.
- E46 330Ci: Probably better on all roads than the Golf, lovely engine. Not that exciting.
- Focus ST: Quick. Thirsty, and too FWD?
- Mk5 Golf GTI: Good car. Too similar to my current car, and still too FWDy?
- Clio Trophy: Could be a hoot on track, but might drive me nuts on the road? Also a bit small.
- Nissan 350Z: Nice engine, RWD hooniness, but not as practical as it could be. Also could be a pain to park.
Any other suggestions?
If you like the idea of a more practical 350Z, you might want to consider the Skyline 350GT. This sort of thing:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2337921.htm
Despite the confusing 'Skyline' tag, it's essentially a 350Z with rear seats. The problem you're going to have is finding a manual one. They do exist but the semi-auto variants like the one above seem more commonplace for some reason.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2337921.htm
Despite the confusing 'Skyline' tag, it's essentially a 350Z with rear seats. The problem you're going to have is finding a manual one. They do exist but the semi-auto variants like the one above seem more commonplace for some reason.
JimCross said:
Oh I really wish you hadn't put that Monaro idea in my mind! They're such a bargain! Heck of a big car to fit into the spaces down my road though, which is the same issue that's keeping me from buying an E39 M5.
Would be nice to own a 6.0 V8 while it's still allowed though...
Ha! Get it bought...now!Would be nice to own a 6.0 V8 while it's still allowed though...
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