5k Budget for a weekend fun car

[anonymous-user]

[redacted]

[Evanivitch]

If you want something unusual then maybe RX8?

You can get one with a compression test for that money, and engine refurbs and reconditioning is pretty common...

[Carguy44]

I'm not sure that you will find much out there that's unusual for your budget, a 3.0 Z4 is a nice car, but doesn't fit into the unusual bracket. Something like a 7 series would be unusual as a fun weekend car IMO, but it isn't actually an unusual car!


What about a Fiat Coupe 20v turbo?

[pti]

Don't think I'd fancy a £5k S2000 (if you can even find one!)

Forced induction MX5. They're a riot.

[ajguk]

Where are you seeing Z4Ms for £5K??

[sixor8]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

That's not a Z4M. They have well over 300 bhp and the cheapest one is £10k because it has 132k miles on it:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212262...

[egor110]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

That's a bog standard z4 not the m version.

[Sycamore]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Apt username

[covmutley]

A nice R53 cooper 3, twingo 133 or clio 182 should all be possible. Mx5, obviously.

Fiat coupe? Alfa GTV (although the V6 seems more now)

Would you consider a classic car? Thats what I did, and im really enjoying tinkering with it. I think because my job is mostly desk based with no real day-to-day visible results of 'doing'. No road tax, silly cheap insurance, should hold value (at least), cheap to run (maybe....!!)

Edited by covmutley on Friday 6th January 16:44

[RoVoFob]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Why not go with a BMW 130i rather than a Z4? Less common, same engine as the Z4 Coupe and Z4 3.0 Si roadster, hydraulic steering (in pre-2007 models), barely any heavier and available for around £5k.

I run mine as a weekend car and I love it. Looks ordinary, but drives very nicely with short gears, decent high-rev power and low-rev torque plus good agility and is pretty robust and cheap to maintain.

I have just bought an A6 4.2 V8 FSI to go alongside the 130i for not much more than £5,000. They’re completely different cars, so you need to decide whether you want something light and agile or a punchy barge. The Audi has an equally impressive engine that sounds just as good and offers a similar feeling or torque and revviness, but the steering is vague in comparison and it suits longer trips and town journeys (since it’s auto-only)…

What type of weekend drives do you do most? I’d use that to inform which type of car to choose.

[Sporky]

I put RWD, manual, under 6 seconds to 60, and your budget in, and this came up.

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/14106794

[V1nce Fox]

5k buys a lot of TT quattro.

[cerb4.5lee]

What about a 350Z? You can get either the Coupe or Roadster in budget.

[Carguy44]

RoVoFob said:

Why not go with a BMW 130i rather than a Z4? Less common, same engine as the Z4 Coupe and Z4 3.0 Si roadster, hydraulic steering (in pre-2007 models), barely any heavier and available for around £5k.

I run mine as a weekend car and I love it. Looks ordinary, but drives very nicely with short gears, decent high-rev power and low-rev torque plus good agility and is pretty robust and cheap to maintain.

I have just bought an A6 4.2 V8 FSI to go alongside the 130i for not much more than £5,000. They’re completely different cars, so you need to decide whether you want something light and agile or a punchy barge. The Audi has an equally impressive engine that sounds just as good and offers a similar feeling or torque and revviness, but the steering is vague in comparison and it suits longer trips and town journeys (since it’s auto-only)…

What type of weekend drives do you do most? I’d use that to inform which type of car to choose.

I think the thing is that a Z4 feels like more of an occasion to get into than a hatch, that bit more special and the roof comes off when it's sunny.

[ajguk]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

As others have stated, not an M. Don’t know though if £5k will get you into a 3.0si with the N52, but if it does that engine is a peach, I have it in my E89. That Z4 coupe shape is fantastic and I sometimes wish I’d gone with one instead of mine.

[ajguk]

Stretch the budget a bit and you can get one….they handle big miles if looked after. Mr Tidy is the expert on these though, he might be along soon!

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211231...

[ZX10R NIN]

SLK350 but they're not cheap to tax:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211181...

280 as above but cheaper to tax:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212142...

350Z 05 model so cheaper tax, they're also imo a better steer than the Z4 it may be a bit heavier but they don't run out of ideas when you press on:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212302...

Convertible:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212312...

130i M Sport LE if you're going to for a compromised (suspension wise) then I'd go for the one easier to sort:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212142...

[georgeyboy12345]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

You won't get an S2000 for only 5 grand unless it's screwed.

Here is a top 10 from me

Nissan 350Z Convertible
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212312...


Porsche Boxster S - might need some things sorting potentially like the IMS and gearbox, but you said you wanted something you can sort out a bit anyway, right?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211021...


A slightly more reliable cut-price Boxster in the form of this low mileage Toyota MR2
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211272...


BMW 330Ci Clubsport - always liked these, Clubsport makes them slightly more interesting
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212092...


Alfa Romeo Spider 2.0 TS - change those horrible black wheels back to their original colour and maybe sort the bodywork out (can't tell if it's the lacquer peeling or frost)
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212182...


Great handling, low mileage, rust free, original Ford Puma 1.7
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212042...


RFL and MOT-free MGB GT
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212142...


Or slightly more modern MG TF 160
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206136...


Seeing as I've just recommended an MG from the early 70s, I might as well now recommed this Mazda RX-8. To be fair it's had an engine rebuild in 2019
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207067...


Relive a misspent youth with this Citroen Saxo VTR - there's also one with a few more miles on for only £900, but this looks much nicer
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207117...

Edited by georgeyboy12345 on Friday 6th January 21:56

[Mr Tidy]

ajguk said:

Stretch the budget a bit and you can get one….they handle big miles if looked after. Mr Tidy is the expert on these though, he might be along soon!

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211231...

I couldn't be a no-show after that!

The Coupe in the link looks like a good buy, even if it is over-budget but the OP seemed to like the idea of roof-down fun and Roadsters tend to be cheaper.

I've had four 3 Series and three Z4 Coupes and the Z4s feel so much more special - possibly in the same way a Capri felt very different to a Cortina!

This one looks great if you don't mind higher miles, which N52 engines seem to cope with easily.

https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=139233

[anonymous-user]

Z4 doesn't seem like much fun to me.
Heavy wallowy tired old bmw with a heavy anchor up front.


Just get a cheap hot hatch and thrash it around.

Done.