Better daily, or silly weekend toy?
Discussion
What are anyone’s thoughts on this?
Current daily is a 325d estate which is totally acceptable for what it does. Currently just hit 100k miles so worth nothing effectively.
I have a budget of £60k but don’t necessarily want to spend all of it.
Two options currently are;
Keep boringmobile for day to day work and either get an R500 Caterham (around £35k), V8V (around £45k) or 997GTS (around £60k) to keep in the garage for sunny days.
Get rid of boringmobile and change to either an M240i (say £25k) or maybe even M3 or C63 (say £35k) or similar for every day but not have the weekend toy and not spend as much overall. I do about 15k miles a year so not sure I want to put that much on a proper M car considering potential running costs.
I can’t bring myself to make either decision to be honest! I’m currently leaning more towards something bats
t crazy for weekends hence the R500.
Anyone got any opinions of the above cars? Kinda narrowed them down to be my shortlist already.
Current daily is a 325d estate which is totally acceptable for what it does. Currently just hit 100k miles so worth nothing effectively.
I have a budget of £60k but don’t necessarily want to spend all of it.
Two options currently are;
Keep boringmobile for day to day work and either get an R500 Caterham (around £35k), V8V (around £45k) or 997GTS (around £60k) to keep in the garage for sunny days.
Get rid of boringmobile and change to either an M240i (say £25k) or maybe even M3 or C63 (say £35k) or similar for every day but not have the weekend toy and not spend as much overall. I do about 15k miles a year so not sure I want to put that much on a proper M car considering potential running costs.
I can’t bring myself to make either decision to be honest! I’m currently leaning more towards something bats
t crazy for weekends hence the R500. Anyone got any opinions of the above cars? Kinda narrowed them down to be my shortlist already.
Do the crazy stuff. Must be done, if you have the opportunity to do so. Nothing quite like a special. Buy something reasonably wild and low to no depreciation, I'd not go for the 997, not different enough (I am a Porsche owner...) get something that is just as much fun or an event at 20mph as it is at "70"mph 
I’d go for silly weekend toy and keep the daily.
I bought an Elise 220 Cup last year and love it to bits.
Nothing better than having something in the garage that’s a bit raw and crazy to get the adrenaline going.
You might find the Caterham a bit to extreme for the UK weather but it’s your choice.
I went Lotus because you can use it in most weather conditions although mine is locked away over the winter months to save the chassis.
I bought an Elise 220 Cup last year and love it to bits.
Nothing better than having something in the garage that’s a bit raw and crazy to get the adrenaline going.
You might find the Caterham a bit to extreme for the UK weather but it’s your choice.
I went Lotus because you can use it in most weather conditions although mine is locked away over the winter months to save the chassis.
I'm not speaking from personal experience, but in your shoes I would definitely go down the two car route. Your relatively low value BMW is still worth a bit to you and sounds like it performs the duties of being a daily driver well. It's lower value means you won't be as worried leaving it in a carpark overnight etc.
Buying a 'fun car' will give you something to look forward to, and if bought sensibly shouldn't depreciate. Also the downside of using a nicer car as a daily is as you point out the increased running costs, the larger fuel costs and just generally being more worried where you park etc. The mileage will also cause a nicer daily driver to depreciate fairly quickly as well. Having two cars will increase enjoyment of each to a degree and spread the mileage out. It shouldn't be more expensive either if one of the cars isn't depreciating.
Buying a 'fun car' will give you something to look forward to, and if bought sensibly shouldn't depreciate. Also the downside of using a nicer car as a daily is as you point out the increased running costs, the larger fuel costs and just generally being more worried where you park etc. The mileage will also cause a nicer daily driver to depreciate fairly quickly as well. Having two cars will increase enjoyment of each to a degree and spread the mileage out. It shouldn't be more expensive either if one of the cars isn't depreciating.
Depends on your exact usage, IMO. There's not much point in having a lovely toy you only get to drive a few times a year if it means spending most of your time in a daily driver you don't particularly enjoy driving. On the other hand nothing you can use daily is going to be as much fun as a Caterham at the weekend.
I'm not convinced a £35k Caterham will actually be significantly more fun than a £10k one.
I'd probably look at getting something like a used Evora S or 911 as a daily and a cheapish bike-engined seven-alike (or even a bike) for weekends. Neither will depreciate significantly so total cost of ownership shouldn't be too horrific.
I'm not convinced a £35k Caterham will actually be significantly more fun than a £10k one.
I'd probably look at getting something like a used Evora S or 911 as a daily and a cheapish bike-engined seven-alike (or even a bike) for weekends. Neither will depreciate significantly so total cost of ownership shouldn't be too horrific.
Edited by kambites on Friday 24th August 14:47
I'm of the opposite school of thought, I'd rather have something more interesting to drive every day that can give the thrills at weekends too. At least when you do happen across an empty road on the way home from work you're not thinking 'Damn, I wish I was in the XXX' and can instead stick the throttle in and go for it.
Personal preference, depends a lot on how much spare time you've got for a 'toy' tucked in the garage, if you get every weekend off work, have no kids and will have it out all the time then it's worth considering. Most people I know who have a toy in the garage hardly ever bring the damn things out, but I know a guy who uses his Cayman GT4 as a daily, bet he has more fun times in it.
Personal preference, depends a lot on how much spare time you've got for a 'toy' tucked in the garage, if you get every weekend off work, have no kids and will have it out all the time then it's worth considering. Most people I know who have a toy in the garage hardly ever bring the damn things out, but I know a guy who uses his Cayman GT4 as a daily, bet he has more fun times in it.
What mileage do you do? If not daft then why not run a V8V or 911 as a daily? Both are practical easy living cars as dailies.
I did the 2 car thing for many years and that was due in part to having Elises/Exiges as the toy that would have been a step too far to use daily (although some do). I then realised that I was spending 90% of my time driving a daily/dull driver and hardly ever used the pleasurable car. Decided life was too short and so sold them and bought more rounded cars (Porsche, Evora, Aston etc).
Edited - if I read your post properly I would have seen its 15k PA. Not too mad but probably a little steep for a Vantage/911 on the wallet. You could, however, use something like that 50% of the week still for daily duties as well as the weekend and then have another £5k Mondeo to tick off the other half the week, or during winter months, or when you are parking somewhere st etc etc. Basically the times you need basic transport and not something to drive.
I did the 2 car thing for many years and that was due in part to having Elises/Exiges as the toy that would have been a step too far to use daily (although some do). I then realised that I was spending 90% of my time driving a daily/dull driver and hardly ever used the pleasurable car. Decided life was too short and so sold them and bought more rounded cars (Porsche, Evora, Aston etc).
Edited - if I read your post properly I would have seen its 15k PA. Not too mad but probably a little steep for a Vantage/911 on the wallet. You could, however, use something like that 50% of the week still for daily duties as well as the weekend and then have another £5k Mondeo to tick off the other half the week, or during winter months, or when you are parking somewhere s
t etc etc. Basically the times you need basic transport and not something to drive.Edited by Shnozz on Friday 24th August 15:00
If it were me I'd run a nice daily. If you've going to spend much time in a car why not be in a nice place, also the idea of times 2 MOT, Tax, insurance, service always sticks in my craw but given both your budget and annual mileage I'd say you're better of with a weekend special and run the BMW into the ground.
I'd go with the fun car and stick with the BMW for mundane tasks. It depends on how excited you get about having the latest buttons to press I suppose.
A newer daily driver will feel no different to the old one after 6 months, or you won't remember how much better it is. Whereas a bat st crazy weekend toy will remind you of what it is every single time you get in it.
I drive my Exige as often as I can, it's currently sitting in the office car park and I'm looking forward to driving it back home in a couple of hours
A newer daily driver will feel no different to the old one after 6 months, or you won't remember how much better it is. Whereas a bat s
t crazy weekend toy will remind you of what it is every single time you get in it. I drive my Exige as often as I can, it's currently sitting in the office car park and I'm looking forward to driving it back home in a couple of hours
Keep the current car as your daily / sensible motor and buy something daft for the weekend / high days & holidays.
For a bunch of reasons, in no particular order -
A) Something like an Atom or Caterham will have minimum to no depreciation.
B) The weekend car will never get boring
C) Every journey in the toy WILL be an event
For a bunch of reasons, in no particular order -
A) Something like an Atom or Caterham will have minimum to no depreciation.
B) The weekend car will never get boring
C) Every journey in the toy WILL be an event
TheJimi said:
Have you ever experienced something like an Atom / Caterham R500 etc?
Driven an atom at Palmersport and driven a few caterhams yes just not a 500. Going to go take a look next weekend I think. 500 may prove too extreme in the end I have seen and read about it’s mental ness. Seen one for sale with the all importnant sequential box. I shall report back!As a sidestep, what are people’s thoughts on a 360? They can be had for the upper end of my budget and whilst I don’t necessarily think it would be as exciting as a caterham in pure driving stakes, it would be a box ticked as it was the model which was out when I was about 14 and had a poster of it!
Edited by p1stonhead on Friday 24th August 15:19
I keep getting similar thoughts.
I have a silly car in the garage that i love and just a 2012 40d X5 for family duties... (also have a cheap lease golf r estate that is used for work mainly) I keep lusting after a Merlin purple RS6...
Summer of 2015 i had an Atom and sold at end of summer mainly becuase of a large profit but also took the plunge on a brand new M5 (such good deals)
After a year or so in the M5 i started to miss having that special exclusive toy in the garage, So in December i bought a Zenos E10R which is fantastic!
Great to have something so interesting and i can drive to track have a blast and drive back.
Like most performance cars you really need to take them to track to exploit them which can be quite addictive.
I have a silly car in the garage that i love and just a 2012 40d X5 for family duties... (also have a cheap lease golf r estate that is used for work mainly) I keep lusting after a Merlin purple RS6...
Summer of 2015 i had an Atom and sold at end of summer mainly becuase of a large profit but also took the plunge on a brand new M5 (such good deals)
After a year or so in the M5 i started to miss having that special exclusive toy in the garage, So in December i bought a Zenos E10R which is fantastic!
Great to have something so interesting and i can drive to track have a blast and drive back.
Like most performance cars you really need to take them to track to exploit them which can be quite addictive.
p1stonhead said:
TheJimi said:
Have you ever experienced something like an Atom / Caterham R500 etc?
Driven an atom at Palmersport and driven a few caterhams yes just not a 500. Going to go take a look next weekend I think. 500 may prove too extreme in the end I have seen and read about it’s mental ness. Seen one for sale with the all importnant sequential box. I shall report back!As a sidestep, what are people’s thoughts on a 360? They can be had for the upper end of my budget and whilst I don’t necessarily think it would be as exciting as a caterham in pure driving stakes, it would be a box ticked as it was the model which was out when I was about 14 and had a poster of it!
Edited by p1stonhead on Friday 24th August 15:19
That's just me tho.
I'd always go sensible/boring daily and an absolute weapon in standby for weekends and occasional use.
It will be more of an occasion when you do drive it, you won't bore or tire of its niggles associated with using such a car daily. No worries leaving it around car parks etc.
Having kids swayed my choice big time too as if I went good car for the daily they would just fk it up, as kids are pretty stupid and do stupid things in a car. Kick the seats, stick pound coins in the vents, sticky hands, half sooked sweets, vomit regularly graces its interior. Also, Ferrying kids around nursery school swimming dancing classes is hard going on a car, other people will carelessly bash it and not care.
Plus I enjoy having a car I can happily fold the seats down and do a tip run, move a wardrobe, cement mixer, rolls of turf when/if i need to. If Im going out for the night on the drink and leave it at the train station and feel too ruff and don't pick it up for 3 days it's not a concern or on my mind.
Yip, garage queen/toy and a daily sacrificial waggon every time for me!!
It will be more of an occasion when you do drive it, you won't bore or tire of its niggles associated with using such a car daily. No worries leaving it around car parks etc.
Having kids swayed my choice big time too as if I went good car for the daily they would just f
k it up, as kids are pretty stupid and do stupid things in a car. Kick the seats, stick pound coins in the vents, sticky hands, half sooked sweets, vomit regularly graces its interior. Also, Ferrying kids around nursery school swimming dancing classes is hard going on a car, other people will carelessly bash it and not care. Plus I enjoy having a car I can happily fold the seats down and do a tip run, move a wardrobe, cement mixer, rolls of turf when/if i need to. If Im going out for the night on the drink and leave it at the train station and feel too ruff and don't pick it up for 3 days it's not a concern or on my mind.
Yip, garage queen/toy and a daily sacrificial waggon every time for me!!
Edited by Edible Roadkill on Friday 24th August 15:36
TheJimi said:
p1stonhead said:
TheJimi said:
Have you ever experienced something like an Atom / Caterham R500 etc?
Driven an atom at Palmersport and driven a few caterhams yes just not a 500. Going to go take a look next weekend I think. 500 may prove too extreme in the end I have seen and read about it’s mental ness. Seen one for sale with the all importnant sequential box. I shall report back!As a sidestep, what are people’s thoughts on a 360? They can be had for the upper end of my budget and whilst I don’t necessarily think it would be as exciting as a caterham in pure driving stakes, it would be a box ticked as it was the model which was out when I was about 14 and had a poster of it!
Edited by p1stonhead on Friday 24th August 15:19
That's just me tho.
Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff