5k toy poss soft top rwd 2 seats. - Page 1 - Car Buying

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scorcher

Original Poster

4,117 posts

263 months

Friday 11th September 2020

5 k or so to spend on something sporty for occasional use. Only need 2 seats but 4 is fine. Fancy a soft top but not much in that price range that’s masculine rather than feminine. Rwd would be a bonus as would some fairly brisk acceleration and decent handling.25 mpg would be ok. Z4 was my initial thought but everyone is saying it still a bit camp. Any other thoughts on something interesting and sporty for a 50 year old. No hot hatches please.

Raddors

539 posts

177 months

Friday 11th September 2020

986 boxster has got to be on your list surely. Should get a reasonable 2.7 for £5k

Nickp82

3,937 posts

122 months

Friday 11th September 2020

Or stop worrying about what other people think and buy the obvious candidate

mbwoy84

624 posts

141 months

Friday 11th September 2020

Not sure what’s camp about a Z4. Straight 6, front engined, rear wheel drive. Probably the closest thing to a 21st century TR6.

Still pretty common and some still driven by the “wrong sort”, but wouldn’t bother me.

Lexus SC430 another possibility, but more of a cruiser that a handling/drivers car.

TR4man

5,525 posts

203 months

Friday 11th September 2020

I suppose if you think a Z4 is “camp” then you also wouldn’t consider an SLK or an MX5?

Knoxville2410

292 posts

88 months

Friday 11th September 2020

Def 3.0si Z4. Probs pick a decent one up for that price. I sold my 06 with 100k on the clock for £5k 2 years ago - it was mint.

The sound of the engine is lovely and it is plenty quick enough.

Pericoloso

44,044 posts

192 months

Friday 11th September 2020

If you can't handle a few hairdresser car comments and van passenger abuse , a convertible is not for you .

Rivenink

4,292 posts

135 months

Saturday 12th September 2020

If you're worried that buying a Z4 might make people question your masculinity... you probably need to have a word with yourself. Because while you might catch some banter about "hairdressers car" etc, its just banter, nobody should actually be giving a flying f**k, least of all you smile

buy the car thats going to make you smile, and screw what other people think of it.

Edited by Rivenink on Saturday 12th September 00:52

InitialDave

15,071 posts

148 months

Saturday 12th September 2020

scorcher said:

Z4 was my initial thought but everyone is saying it still a bit camp.

k 'em, want a Z4? Buy a Z4.

aka_kerrly

12,505 posts

239 months

Saturday 12th September 2020

scorcher said:

Z4 was my initial thought but everyone is saying it still a bit camp. Any other thoughts on something interesting and sporty for a 50 year old. No hot hatches please.

crazy, usually the only people that make those types of comments have particularly bland cars or just want to try and put you off due to the envy monster because their wife won't let them have one biggrin

Seriously some people are strangely bitter, try and get a test drive in things like the BMW Z4 2.5/3.0, , Boxster 2.7/3.2, Honda s2000. Mazda Mx5 , Audi TT , Nissan 350Z and see what floats your boat.

Or go a different route with more power/less finesse from a Audi S4 V8 cabriolet

scorcher

Original Poster

4,117 posts

263 months

Saturday 12th September 2020

Pericoloso said:

If you can't handle a few hairdresser car comments and van passenger abuse , a convertible is not for you .

Last two convertibles were a TVR Griffith for 3 years and a Westfield but they don't seem to attract the same knobbish abuse as other stuff.
Porkers , Mercs, MX5 and S2000 not appealing to me . Got a hankering for a SAAB. Are the pre 2007 93 Aero's any good? Anything else in the 5k ish bracket (soft top or not) that might appeal? Searches seem to bring up the normal run of the mill stuff.

1602Mark

17,478 posts

202 months

Saturday 12th September 2020

Z4 or even a Z3 with a few choice mods?

Chap in my village has a nice Z3 2.8, lowered slightly on Bilstein suspension kit, Schneider exhaust and Apex alloys. It owes him less than £4k and looks/sounds great.

DoubleD

22,154 posts

137 months

Saturday 12th September 2020

A Z4 3.0si would be my choice.

Buy what you like, not what others like.

E63eeeeee...

5,766 posts

78 months

Saturday 12th September 2020

E46 330ci. Roof or no roof. Sport/ M Sport version look more masculine to me, but I don't think either counts as a hairdresser's car.

cerb4.5lee

44,190 posts

209 months

Saturday 12th September 2020

It might struggle to do 25mpg but I'd recommend a 350Z Roadster. I've currently got a 370Z Roadster and I've had a Z4M Roadster...I personally prefer the 370Z.

ZX10R NIN

30,505 posts

154 months

Saturday 12th September 2020

ZX10R NIN

30,505 posts

154 months

Saturday 12th September 2020

Walter Sobchak

5,739 posts

253 months

Sunday 13th September 2020

Boxster!.

sandman77

3,344 posts

167 months

Sunday 13th September 2020

I would avoid a 986 Boxster. The interior is dreadful and unless you are lucky, the suspension will likely need refurbished, the air con won’t work and if you go for an early one you will need to get out the car every time you put the roof down to karate chop it.

1602Mark

17,478 posts

202 months

Sunday 13th September 2020

Must admit, most of the Boxster I saw at that price needed the same again spending to bring them up to scratch. If my budget was £5K I'd spend 3.5 on a car and the rest putting stuff right.

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