£12-20k "Sports" car (4 seats min)
Discussion
Hi,
My mind drifts to an early 996 C2 for £20k but there must be other cars to consider that are perhaps less expensive if they do go wrong. This car will be a weekend garaged car that gets used for the odd school run and errand. My kids are still quite small and am not at the stage where a 2 seater would be useful to me.
I'm selling a Corrado VR6 and a mk3 golf 16v plus putting in some cash in to buy. I'm keeping an Oak Green Mk2 16v Golf that I am finishing off another restoration on and also have a daily family estate car already.
I've enjoyed my 90s VWs but am growing out of that phase and have too much of the same in my garage. I like German cars but would not be adverse to other makes. The car needs to have decent parts supplies too, I am bored of trapsing the country for second hard parts for VWs becuase everything is obsolete.
I'd rather spend £12-15k and get a decent car rather than projects to restore (done that with the VWs and it costs £10s of thousands in the end for no return) but I would stretch to £20k for a good 996 if nothing else takes my fancy. I'd like 6 (or 5) cylinders or more as I am loosing that from my current garage. Other cars that have crossed my mind are E46 M3, Alfa GTV v6 (cheaper end), GT86 (but not 6 cyl ). What else is there? I'm looking for a car I can get excited about and be an enthusiast over to focus my mind.
Cheers
My mind drifts to an early 996 C2 for £20k but there must be other cars to consider that are perhaps less expensive if they do go wrong. This car will be a weekend garaged car that gets used for the odd school run and errand. My kids are still quite small and am not at the stage where a 2 seater would be useful to me.
I'm selling a Corrado VR6 and a mk3 golf 16v plus putting in some cash in to buy. I'm keeping an Oak Green Mk2 16v Golf that I am finishing off another restoration on and also have a daily family estate car already.
I've enjoyed my 90s VWs but am growing out of that phase and have too much of the same in my garage. I like German cars but would not be adverse to other makes. The car needs to have decent parts supplies too, I am bored of trapsing the country for second hard parts for VWs becuase everything is obsolete.
I'd rather spend £12-15k and get a decent car rather than projects to restore (done that with the VWs and it costs £10s of thousands in the end for no return) but I would stretch to £20k for a good 996 if nothing else takes my fancy. I'd like 6 (or 5) cylinders or more as I am loosing that from my current garage. Other cars that have crossed my mind are E46 M3, Alfa GTV v6 (cheaper end), GT86 (but not 6 cyl ). What else is there? I'm looking for a car I can get excited about and be an enthusiast over to focus my mind.
Cheers
Depending how sporty you want and how big the rear seats are. There may be a few options.
Arguably the best 4 seater sports car of recent times if the RX-8. It is really a 4 door saloon car made to look and drive like a sports car. I should imagine a good one would be a very nice car to have and I’d guess a future classic at some point. But obviously a bad one might be a pain to own.
I’ve got a 4th Gen Camaro which is 2+2. The rear seats are suitable for adults with enough leg room. Not the easiest to buy in the U.K. so choice is a bit limited. The V8 or even the latter 3.8 V6 make great noises and go well. And they drive better than most in the U.K. would likely think. The Pontiac Firebird is the sister car but slightly different styling.
You should be able to get a Mustang in budget too. Slightly more cramped rear seats. But fun cars. You might even get a rhd one for the top end of your budget.
Jaguar XK/XKR also springs to mind. Very much the same type of car as the Camaro/Mustang but more plush and maybe more GT focused. Rear seats more cramped again. Auto only, but great looks and opulence.
BMW’s as you mention and I guess there are a few big Merc coupes too. But I’m less familiar.
Audi TT is a 4 seater too and available as a V6.
Arguably the best 4 seater sports car of recent times if the RX-8. It is really a 4 door saloon car made to look and drive like a sports car. I should imagine a good one would be a very nice car to have and I’d guess a future classic at some point. But obviously a bad one might be a pain to own.
I’ve got a 4th Gen Camaro which is 2+2. The rear seats are suitable for adults with enough leg room. Not the easiest to buy in the U.K. so choice is a bit limited. The V8 or even the latter 3.8 V6 make great noises and go well. And they drive better than most in the U.K. would likely think. The Pontiac Firebird is the sister car but slightly different styling.
You should be able to get a Mustang in budget too. Slightly more cramped rear seats. But fun cars. You might even get a rhd one for the top end of your budget.
Jaguar XK/XKR also springs to mind. Very much the same type of car as the Camaro/Mustang but more plush and maybe more GT focused. Rear seats more cramped again. Auto only, but great looks and opulence.
BMW’s as you mention and I guess there are a few big Merc coupes too. But I’m less familiar.
Audi TT is a 4 seater too and available as a V6.
Cheers both, e90 m3 is a good shout. I had discounted as they are heavy old beasts but actually it's a fine machine.
300/tonne nice ideas on American cars. That could be pretty cool to have I will go and google what they look like and the practicality of the rear seats would see me able to use it as my kids grow. Same for the BMWs.
As for the Mazda although I like the brand I am not sure it's for me looks wise but a good shout as I am sure i could get a good one and even perhaps a special edition.
What I need to not do is sell my Corrado and buy another one (a Storm is all I would consider). I had best sell off my parts stash pronto when it goes.
300/tonne nice ideas on American cars. That could be pretty cool to have I will go and google what they look like and the practicality of the rear seats would see me able to use it as my kids grow. Same for the BMWs.
As for the Mazda although I like the brand I am not sure it's for me looks wise but a good shout as I am sure i could get a good one and even perhaps a special edition.
What I need to not do is sell my Corrado and buy another one (a Storm is all I would consider). I had best sell off my parts stash pronto when it goes.
VeeReihenmotor6 said:
Cheers both, e90 m3 is a good shout. I had discounted as they are heavy old beasts but actually it's a fine machine.
300/tonne nice ideas on American cars. That could be pretty cool to have I will go and google what they look like and the practicality of the rear seats would see me able to use it as my kids grow. Same for the BMWs.
If the M3 and American cars could work for you, how about a V8 Audi S5?300/tonne nice ideas on American cars. That could be pretty cool to have I will go and google what they look like and the practicality of the rear seats would see me able to use it as my kids grow. Same for the BMWs.
They’re surprisingly cheap, you can get a manual, they have a beefy V8, still look pretty good - to me, at least - and have usable rear seats and boot. Not the sportiest of cars, but it’s lighter than the V8 M3 and should be pretty engaging.
Scope for you to get lots of change from your budget, too:
£7,790: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301303...
£9,450: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275510077093?hash=item4...
Auto Express group test against E92 M3 and Cayman: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-reviews/13952/ne...
People are entitled to different opinions, but I regard the RX-8 as the worst car I have ever owned, and by some way. I even include the Austin Ambassador I had briefly as a student as it had its own merits and virtues (big, comfy, started first time in the middle of a rotten winter, and unstoppable in feet of snow).
People moan about fuel consumption, oil consumption, even engine failures, but I knew the fuel consumption before I bought, the oil consumption was very reasonable (no worse than a Boxster) and I never had an issue with my car. The steering and handling are very much the best bits of the car, and the engine's size and mass contribute greatly to that, it is no slouch, and a fantastic three digit speed cruiser. The Bose stereo was pretty good, genuine trouser flapping bass.
I'm 5'11", I could only just get a decent seating position, and even then I'd bang my left knee off the dashboad occasionally, and drove with my head tilted left to avoid banging my head off the roof. The boot was a good size, but the shape of the boot opening made getting quite normal items in and out hard or impossible, extremely shape dependent. The suicide back doors seem funky, but we narrowly avoided dad taking mum's fingers off one day. Oh and the fantastic dry handling and road holding disappear in the wet to be replaced with snappy behaviour, you need to be quick to catch it.
If you decide to park it with two wheels on the kerb don't be surprised when the dash lights up like a christmas tree and the ABS gets disabled, the electronics get confused when the car starts up again and the wheels are at different heights side to side. And DO NOT EVER start it up from cold, move it briefly, then switch it off: you will flood it and will be stood faffing around for MANY hours trying to figure out how to start it again. Yes there are techniques to deal with this, yes I'd heard about the issue so was kicking myself for getting into the position, but ffs, it's an utterly ridiculous problem to have.
Looking back, I remember why I bought the car, the Puma the car replaced was s
t for long journeys, but was a fabulous car on twisty roads, and the RX-8 gave better steering and comfort, but on reflection I should have bought the Monaro I'd considered getting the replace the 200SX. The Nissan was similar to the RX-8 in all respects, and superior in all of them too, except the steering. Oh and the stereo, that Bose was good.
Given your budget and requirements personally I'd be looking at a Monaro (one that got away), but I'd point you towards the M*35/40i's in 1/2/3/4 series form.
People moan about fuel consumption, oil consumption, even engine failures, but I knew the fuel consumption before I bought, the oil consumption was very reasonable (no worse than a Boxster) and I never had an issue with my car. The steering and handling are very much the best bits of the car, and the engine's size and mass contribute greatly to that, it is no slouch, and a fantastic three digit speed cruiser. The Bose stereo was pretty good, genuine trouser flapping bass.
I'm 5'11", I could only just get a decent seating position, and even then I'd bang my left knee off the dashboad occasionally, and drove with my head tilted left to avoid banging my head off the roof. The boot was a good size, but the shape of the boot opening made getting quite normal items in and out hard or impossible, extremely shape dependent. The suicide back doors seem funky, but we narrowly avoided dad taking mum's fingers off one day. Oh and the fantastic dry handling and road holding disappear in the wet to be replaced with snappy behaviour, you need to be quick to catch it.
If you decide to park it with two wheels on the kerb don't be surprised when the dash lights up like a christmas tree and the ABS gets disabled, the electronics get confused when the car starts up again and the wheels are at different heights side to side. And DO NOT EVER start it up from cold, move it briefly, then switch it off: you will flood it and will be stood faffing around for MANY hours trying to figure out how to start it again. Yes there are techniques to deal with this, yes I'd heard about the issue so was kicking myself for getting into the position, but ffs, it's an utterly ridiculous problem to have.
Looking back, I remember why I bought the car, the Puma the car replaced was s
t for long journeys, but was a fabulous car on twisty roads, and the RX-8 gave better steering and comfort, but on reflection I should have bought the Monaro I'd considered getting the replace the 200SX. The Nissan was similar to the RX-8 in all respects, and superior in all of them too, except the steering. Oh and the stereo, that Bose was good. Given your budget and requirements personally I'd be looking at a Monaro (one that got away), but I'd point you towards the M*35/40i's in 1/2/3/4 series form.
With your budget, requirements and the ability to put “not too big” kids in the back, I ended up with my convertible 440i.
The ability to take the roof off makes it feel more special than it really has the right to feel, the kids (2 and 5) love roof off motoring, and the wife will drive it too as it has modern driver conveniences. I had originally wanted a 997 targa or convertible, but decided quite quickly that the kids wouldn’t be the most comfortable in the back, and it wasn’t really practical enough to go on a family outing, where the BMW was.
The ability to take the roof off makes it feel more special than it really has the right to feel, the kids (2 and 5) love roof off motoring, and the wife will drive it too as it has modern driver conveniences. I had originally wanted a 997 targa or convertible, but decided quite quickly that the kids wouldn’t be the most comfortable in the back, and it wasn’t really practical enough to go on a family outing, where the BMW was.
Edited by paradigital on Saturday 4th February 12:18
Not sure about the big bills but one of these not of interest to you.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212172...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212172...
If you want a special 4 seater Sports car then I'd be taking a long hard look at the C63 coupe:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301243...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301073...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301243...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301153...
The M3 is another good option but the bork factor is higher:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202112150...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211231...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110268...
Leftfield but every bit as special as the two above is the Lexus IS-F, they're a car that creeps up on you as to how good they are:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301163...
Another leftfield is the VXR8 these are great drivers cars & have a nice V8 too. the interior isn't quite as special but most look past that & update the infotainment
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202242...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301243...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301073...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301243...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301153...
The M3 is another good option but the bork factor is higher:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202112150...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211231...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110268...
Leftfield but every bit as special as the two above is the Lexus IS-F, they're a car that creeps up on you as to how good they are:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301163...
Another leftfield is the VXR8 these are great drivers cars & have a nice V8 too. the interior isn't quite as special but most look past that & update the infotainment
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202242...
Thanks and some excellent suggestions. I had a look at mustang (online) earlier and liked it and the Audi S5 was something I had not considered and I would probably like it as my daily estate is from the same platform and I've had it a decade and am still happy with it.
The AMG also nice but for me want manual if this is to my sporty type car. However some of these suggestions has got me thinking - get rid of the family estate, a 2.0 TDI which I don't need as I work from home and only use for occassional distance (it's my car too, wife has her own smaller car) and get a V8 (or V6 i.e S4) version and put the change towards a Mazda MX5 /proper 2 seater that's cheap enough to not matter if I only put 1-2k on it per year. Hmmm that puts me at £20k for the estate and say £5k for a 2 seater.
The AMG also nice but for me want manual if this is to my sporty type car. However some of these suggestions has got me thinking - get rid of the family estate, a 2.0 TDI which I don't need as I work from home and only use for occassional distance (it's my car too, wife has her own smaller car) and get a V8 (or V6 i.e S4) version and put the change towards a Mazda MX5 /proper 2 seater that's cheap enough to not matter if I only put 1-2k on it per year. Hmmm that puts me at £20k for the estate and say £5k for a 2 seater.
There are probably a few Mustangs to choose from. The oldest would be the SN95’s from the 90s through to 2004.
I really like the look of these. Early ones have a great sounding but strangled 5.0 V8. The rest use the SOHC 4.6 modular motor. Which is a bit of a boat anchor. But does well enough. 1999 onwards got more power and are better. The V6 is a dog though and I’d avoid. If you see a Mach 1 or Cobra for sale these are really cool and make more power. The best is the 2003/4 Cobra. 6 speed manual only, DOHC with a supercharger and IRS. I’d probably swap my Camaro for one.
2005 is the S197 with the retro looks. These will be classics for sure. They look great inside and out. The 4.6 is still there but 3v per cylinder and much better for it. The V6 is even decent too.
Late s197’s, think 2011/2 got revised engines. The V6 with the handling pack would arguably be the drivers pick. The 3.7 is meant to be an awesome revvy powerful engine and lighter than the V8. The GT’s are great still.
2015 is the s550 which is still current although like all Stangs undergone quite a few changes. The S550 is IRS and arguably more modern in its take and more sorted from the factory. The s197 bar the late ones probably want some aftermarket shocks and springs to make them drive better.
The S550 can be had in imported lhd, but Ford does sell them here as full rhd models. The V6 was available early on but super rare in the U.K. The V8 is a monster and they offer a 2.3 turbo too. Which is only 4 cylinders. But they actually go pretty well and are easy to remap and tune.
The biggest advantages for the Mustang over say a BMW is:
1. Much more of an event. Especially if lhd. But people will stop and talk to you about them and want to ask questions.
2. Residuals are normally pretty good. Likely a more financially stable mid to longer term purchase.
I really like the look of these. Early ones have a great sounding but strangled 5.0 V8. The rest use the SOHC 4.6 modular motor. Which is a bit of a boat anchor. But does well enough. 1999 onwards got more power and are better. The V6 is a dog though and I’d avoid. If you see a Mach 1 or Cobra for sale these are really cool and make more power. The best is the 2003/4 Cobra. 6 speed manual only, DOHC with a supercharger and IRS. I’d probably swap my Camaro for one.
2005 is the S197 with the retro looks. These will be classics for sure. They look great inside and out. The 4.6 is still there but 3v per cylinder and much better for it. The V6 is even decent too.
Late s197’s, think 2011/2 got revised engines. The V6 with the handling pack would arguably be the drivers pick. The 3.7 is meant to be an awesome revvy powerful engine and lighter than the V8. The GT’s are great still.
2015 is the s550 which is still current although like all Stangs undergone quite a few changes. The S550 is IRS and arguably more modern in its take and more sorted from the factory. The s197 bar the late ones probably want some aftermarket shocks and springs to make them drive better.
The S550 can be had in imported lhd, but Ford does sell them here as full rhd models. The V6 was available early on but super rare in the U.K. The V8 is a monster and they offer a 2.3 turbo too. Which is only 4 cylinders. But they actually go pretty well and are easy to remap and tune.
The biggest advantages for the Mustang over say a BMW is:
1. Much more of an event. Especially if lhd. But people will stop and talk to you about them and want to ask questions.
2. Residuals are normally pretty good. Likely a more financially stable mid to longer term purchase.
You’ve already got some great suggestions.
Going to be left field here and throw a RenaultSport Megane Trophy into the mix even though it doesn’t meet your requirements on engine (apologies).
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301313...
Reasons being:
- You’ll get one under budget
- Seriously good drive
- Can tune it to your hearts content
- Great performance
- Potentially not much depreciation if we’ll cared for
- They have quite following so you’ll have the social side as well
Going to be left field here and throw a RenaultSport Megane Trophy into the mix even though it doesn’t meet your requirements on engine (apologies).
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301313...
Reasons being:
- You’ll get one under budget
- Seriously good drive
- Can tune it to your hearts content
- Great performance
- Potentially not much depreciation if we’ll cared for
- They have quite following so you’ll have the social side as well
VeeReihenmotor6 said:
Thanks and some excellent suggestions. I had a look at mustang (online) earlier and liked it and the Audi S5 was something I had not considered and I would probably like it as my daily estate is from the same platform and I've had it a decade and am still happy with it.
The AMG also nice but for me want manual if this is to my sporty type car. However some of these suggestions has got me thinking - get rid of the family estate, a 2.0 TDI which I don't need as I work from home and only use for occassional distance (it's my car too, wife has her own smaller car) and get a V8 (or V6 i.e S4) version and put the change towards a Mazda MX5 /proper 2 seater that's cheap enough to not matter if I only put 1-2k on it per year. Hmmm that puts me at £20k for the estate and say £5k for a 2 seater.
V8 Estate you say,The AMG also nice but for me want manual if this is to my sporty type car. However some of these suggestions has got me thinking - get rid of the family estate, a 2.0 TDI which I don't need as I work from home and only use for occassional distance (it's my car too, wife has her own smaller car) and get a V8 (or V6 i.e S4) version and put the change towards a Mazda MX5 /proper 2 seater that's cheap enough to not matter if I only put 1-2k on it per year. Hmmm that puts me at £20k for the estate and say £5k for a 2 seater.
E63:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208078...
C63:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210251...
E55 bombastic engine a truly thunderous V8:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205276...
C55:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301313...
MX-5 RF:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301173...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205035...
VeeReihenmotor6 said:
Thanks and some excellent suggestions. I had a look at mustang (online) earlier and liked it and the Audi S5 was something I had not considered and I would probably like it as my daily estate is from the same platform and I've had it a decade and am still happy with it.
Are you happy with a sensible diesel estate and a sports car or would you prefer having a practical car with a more exciting engine/driving experience? I’m allergic to four-cylinder engines, so have a straight six fun car and a V8 family car. Both cars appeal in different ways, so I enjoy driving both.I currently have a 4.2 V8 FSI A6 saloon (same engine as the S5) and had a 4.2 V8 A6 Avant previously. Both cost about a third of your estate budget, so would be a low-cost option for you. If you’d rather spend that entire estate budget, I’d recommend a V8 S6 (C7) Avant or a B8.5 S4 Avant if the drive is more important to you than size.
I am glad I posted this thread. My solution to my cars is wider than I had intially thought.
Today I have a
'13 Seat Exeo cr170 estate that I have owned since it was 3 months old and 3k on the odo. It is a nice one with the facelift xenons, leather etc. It has been an excellent car and being based on an A4 B7 Avant it is a stable and satisfying daily. I'm at 93k now and it's cost me nothing but annual servicing. It's also manual and I like that it's really a car from the mid 2000s tech wise.
'95 Corrado VR6
'96 mk3 Golf 16v
'91 mk2 Golf 16v(my fav).
My wife has a small run around she's happy with for now.
I work from home and struggle to put more 4k on the Seat and 3k across all three older cars. I enjoy looking after them as much as I do driving them and being part of a community etc
The solution does seem to be a V8 estate (since I don't do the miles and do have a Golden Retriever and plan to have another.. ) and a Mx5/Boxster .. stretch to Cayman and reduce estate budget or something similar to tick off the 2 seat RWD box in the collection i.e something relatively cheap as it won't get a great deal of use but perhaps I will drive it for the sake of it. With the Corrado i tend not to use it becuase parts are obsolete and it's body is in perfect condition. A door ding would kill my soul. My wife also hates the Corrado.
Cheers all and keep the suggestions coming.. you've helped me solve a problem by helping me articulate a problem I didn't think I had
Today I have a
'13 Seat Exeo cr170 estate that I have owned since it was 3 months old and 3k on the odo. It is a nice one with the facelift xenons, leather etc. It has been an excellent car and being based on an A4 B7 Avant it is a stable and satisfying daily. I'm at 93k now and it's cost me nothing but annual servicing. It's also manual and I like that it's really a car from the mid 2000s tech wise.
'95 Corrado VR6
'96 mk3 Golf 16v
'91 mk2 Golf 16v(my fav).
My wife has a small run around she's happy with for now.
I work from home and struggle to put more 4k on the Seat and 3k across all three older cars. I enjoy looking after them as much as I do driving them and being part of a community etc
The solution does seem to be a V8 estate (since I don't do the miles and do have a Golden Retriever and plan to have another.. ) and a Mx5/Boxster .. stretch to Cayman and reduce estate budget or something similar to tick off the 2 seat RWD box in the collection i.e something relatively cheap as it won't get a great deal of use but perhaps I will drive it for the sake of it. With the Corrado i tend not to use it becuase parts are obsolete and it's body is in perfect condition. A door ding would kill my soul. My wife also hates the Corrado.
Cheers all and keep the suggestions coming.. you've helped me solve a problem by helping me articulate a problem I didn't think I had
paradigital said:
With your budget, requirements and the ability to put “not too big” kids in the back, I ended up with my convertible 440i.
The ability to take the roof off makes it feel more special than it really has the right to feel, the kids (2 and 5) love roof off motoring, and the wife will drive it too as it has modern driver conveniences. I had originally wanted a 997 targa or convertible, but decided quite quickly that the kids wouldn’t be the most comfortable in the back, and it wasn’t really practical enough to go on a family outing, where the BMW was.
Lovely that. Snapper Rocks is a great colour. The ability to take the roof off makes it feel more special than it really has the right to feel, the kids (2 and 5) love roof off motoring, and the wife will drive it too as it has modern driver conveniences. I had originally wanted a 997 targa or convertible, but decided quite quickly that the kids wouldn’t be the most comfortable in the back, and it wasn’t really practical enough to go on a family outing, where the BMW was.
Edited by paradigital on Saturday 4th February 12:18
Agreed on the 440i, beautiful colour. I had missed including it in my earlier replies but it certainly stands and being a newer car than a 996 it will be easier to live with.
I've changed tact now re better estate car and sub 5/6k 2 seat RWD to balance up my insanity, sorry I mean cars.
I've changed tact now re better estate car and sub 5/6k 2 seat RWD to balance up my insanity, sorry I mean cars.
CG2020UK said:
You’ve already got some great suggestions.
Going to be left field here and throw a RenaultSport Megane Trophy into the mix even though it doesn’t meet your requirements on engine (apologies).
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301313...
Reasons being:
- You’ll get one under budget
- Seriously good drive
- Can tune it to your hearts content
- Great performance
- Potentially not much depreciation if we’ll cared for
- They have quite following so you’ll have the social side as well
These have cropped up in my thought process as well! I agree they have some great points and have that tinker potential too. Going to be left field here and throw a RenaultSport Megane Trophy into the mix even though it doesn’t meet your requirements on engine (apologies).
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301313...
Reasons being:
- You’ll get one under budget
- Seriously good drive
- Can tune it to your hearts content
- Great performance
- Potentially not much depreciation if we’ll cared for
- They have quite following so you’ll have the social side as well
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