What am I getting wrong about sports cars?

[cerb4.5lee]

HorneyMX5 said:

I think I have an illness. lol. The RX8 is my practical car.

I'd be very happy in any of those for sure. A lovely group of cars there I reckon.

[sassthathoopie]

otolith said:

HorneyMX5 said:

I think I have an illness. lol. The RX8 is my practical car.

It was ours - as soon as she passed her driving test my wife nabbed the sports car slot by buying an MX-5, leaving me holding the practical car bag - a Civic Type-R at the time. So I chopped that in for an RX-8.

When we moved somewhere with space to park three cars we added an Impreza estate, which meant I could change the RX-8 for an Elise.

I'm in the same boat with the same disease! MrsSTH wants to swap her Swiss army knife 6spd Mini Cooper for an 'interesting' car. I'm trying to steer her in the direction of something reasonably practical like a GT86, Jag XK or 6th gen Mustang. But she really wants 'her car' to be an Evora/Elise/Exige or something else very 2 seat and sporty.

I may need to sell the camper unit so I get the AT35 back; but even then it's not very practical to parallel park in Maldon high street...

[sassthathoopie]

HorneyMX5 said:

I think I have an illness. lol. The RX8 is my practical car.

We've just had a chat - she likes RX8s!

[HorneyMX5]

lol brilliant.

[sassthathoopie]

HorneyMX5 said:

lol brilliant.

Where's the best place to read up on what to look for, and how to look after them?

[HorneyMX5]

sassthathoopie said:

Where's the best place to read up on what to look for, and how to look after them?

Rx8 owners club forum has some good info, RX8 Famalia Facebook group is probably the best FB resource.

I bought mine from these guys https://www.enjoyablecars.net/ and they were brilliant and stood by their warranty when I had a gearbox issue. They’re well known in RX8 circles.

2 main things to check are rust and recent compression test.

[sassthathoopie]

Cheers

[RSTurboPaul]

The thing that sticks in my mind with the RX8 is the apparent hot start problems.

I'm sure it's not that common really but it's one of those 'yes, but...' things... lol

[otolith]

RSTurboPaul said:

The thing that sticks in my mind with the RX8 is the apparent hot start problems.

Hot start problems are a massive red flag for poor compression and a dying engine. Flooding when after shutting it down stone cold and leaving it is something that can happen, but is generally avoidable by following the cold shut down procedure and if possible avoiding things like moving it off and on the drive and just turning it off.

[sparkyhx]

otolith said:

sparkyhx said:

MX124 Abarth ? , nice sound

I think it’s a lot better looking than its MX cousin with a more interesting engine and power boost

I just wish I could fit in the seats. Boxter is a good shout IMO. Or go proper vintage, TRx

Can't agree on the looks, and it's turbocharged

we'll have to 100% disagree on that :-D 124 Abarth

[cerb4.5lee]

sparkyhx said:

otolith said:

sparkyhx said:

MX124 Abarth ? , nice sound

I think it’s a lot better looking than its MX cousin with a more interesting engine and power boost

I just wish I could fit in the seats. Boxter is a good shout IMO. Or go proper vintage, TRx

Can't agree on the looks, and it's turbocharged

we'll have to 100% disagree on that :-D 124 Abarth

I wasn't sure about them when they first came out. However I saw one the other day, and I have to say that I did like it to be fair.

[sparkyhx]

sassthathoopie said:

I'm in the same boat with the same disease! MrsSTH wants to swap her Swiss army knife 6spd Mini Cooper for an 'interesting' car. I'm trying to steer her in the direction of something reasonably practical like a GT86, Jag XK or 6th gen Mustang. But she really wants 'her car' to be an Evora/Elise/Exige or something else very 2 seat and sporty.

I may need to sell the camper unit so I get the AT35 back; but even then it's not very practical to parallel park in Maldon high street...

How's the Alpine lurking in the back?

[coppice]

cerb4.5lee said:

sparkyhx said:

otolith said:

sparkyhx said:

MX124 Abarth ? , nice sound

I think it’s a lot better looking than its MX cousin with a more interesting engine and power boost

I just wish I could fit in the seats. Boxter is a good shout IMO. Or go proper vintage, TRx

Can't agree on the looks, and it's turbocharged

we'll have to 100% disagree on that :-D 124 Abarth

I wasn't sure about them when they first came out. However I saw one the other day, and I have to say that I did like it to be fair.

I find the 124 redux a pale clone of the lovely original 124 Spider. The detail is fussy and come on, FOUR exhausts for a weeny little turbo 4 cylinder? They also sound most odd -an almost underwater gurgling . There again , I do have an MX5ND so don't expect objectivity !

[sassthathoopie]

sparkyhx said:

How's the Alpine lurking in the back?

Life has been getting in the way recently. It’s a fundamentally sound car, just hasn’t been driven regularly for 20 years. The pic shows it on 4 ramps whilst adjusting the suspension and replacing engine mounts.

Steering and ride is magnificent. The engine tuning makes additional heat. I’ve already been through the cooling system. So I’m toying with how to manage it. In period the answer was either to cut a square out of the GRP rear deck under the glass to fit the carb trumpets & air filter through; or else fit a rear louvre.

I’m leaning towards the slats because you can loose 20kg from high up at the rear (and of course it’s a very rear weight biased car) but then you have the issue about what to do with the rear spoiler. The A310 as a model is plagued by poorly judged body mods.


Pierre Meny at the Tour Auto. He rallied with cut outs in period and still does.


The factory cars in period all used louvres, but the rear wing might be a bit OTT for road use


This one is a 4 cylinder car but the rear body is the same, and I like the clean look


Louvers with the spoiler doesn't work as well visually, but Peter Stevens did the design work for the wheels and spoilers in a wind tunnel so it is functional

Comments & suggestions welcome

[CABC]

white or red car design, not a cutout.
I actually like the subtle red spoiler, but without the large "Renault Alpine" text, if it's functional that's especially creditworthy!
lovely.

[ATM]

Just out an about today. Nothing special roads wise. Just general driving from A to B etc. So sports car not really necessary but feels better driving something interesting and a bit more tactile than a modern - although I've not really driven any car made in the last 10 years. Plus with the roof down you're always winning.

[cerb4.5lee]

coppice said:

cerb4.5lee said:

sparkyhx said:

otolith said:

sparkyhx said:

MX124 Abarth ? , nice sound

I think it’s a lot better looking than its MX cousin with a more interesting engine and power boost

I just wish I could fit in the seats. Boxter is a good shout IMO. Or go proper vintage, TRx

Can't agree on the looks, and it's turbocharged

we'll have to 100% disagree on that :-D 124 Abarth

I wasn't sure about them when they first came out. However I saw one the other day, and I have to say that I did like it to be fair.

I find the 124 redux a pale clone of the lovely original 124 Spider. The detail is fussy and come on, FOUR exhausts for a weeny little turbo 4 cylinder? They also sound most odd -an almost underwater gurgling . There again , I do have an MX5ND so don't expect objectivity !

Yes and I used to go in hard with them too. Awkward styling/four exhausts/terrible colour combinations etc, however I saw an elderly couple in one the other day in the sunshine with the roof down, and I just thought...nice car.