B-road attacking coupe in reasonable budget?

B-road attacking coupe in reasonable budget?

Author
Discussion

overunder12g

432 posts

85 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
Thought school holidays had finished.

ZackM

Original Poster:

269 posts

68 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
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CABC said:
true.
btw, did Tiff drive a std car or Nismo?
Reviews can be very subjective too, have you seen Monkey compare 370/GT86/Cayman?
i'm a big fan of the 86, but i'll admit to it's limitations, esp crap engine and lack of cruising comfort.
There's a lot to like about the Z.
It was the standard car. Not the Nismo.

Harris has his car prejudices as does Clarkson and the rest of us. Clarkson will basically put down anything Japanese. I'm not sure about Harris. But he seems quite biased towards German cars. Tiff is also biased towards German cars but he is very reasonable all around. But I didn't see the Harris review you mention. Maybe I should look it up.

CDP

7,454 posts

253 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
Vauxhall Monaro?

CDP

7,454 posts

253 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
ZackM said:
Even with the top up. Even if I welded the top on permanently, how is it a coupe?
FHC = Fixed head coupe
DHC = Drop head coupe


ZackM

Original Poster:

269 posts

68 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
CDP said:
Vauxhall Monaro?
No LHD. smile

ZackM

Original Poster:

269 posts

68 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
CDP said:
FHC = Fixed head coupe
DHC = Drop head coupe
Just marketing terms. wink

Like Audi, BMW calling their 4 door saloons a coupe, just because they have a little slop at the rear.

But the issue with the Mercedes is not the drop roof. I personally don't want a drop roof. But this is not the issue with being my coupe or not. It's the way the roof is. wink

CDP

7,454 posts

253 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
ZackM said:
CDP said:
Vauxhall Monaro?
No LHD. smile
What about the Hyundai Genisys Coupe?

Or a Ginetta?

ZackM

Original Poster:

269 posts

68 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
CDP said:
What about the Hyundai Genisys Coupe?

Or a Ginetta?
A Ginetta in LHD? Never saw one and I'm sure it would cost an arm and a leg if it's within the age range etc.

Genesis is in the same boat as a 86GT I would say?

CDP

7,454 posts

253 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
ZackM said:
CDP said:
FHC = Fixed head coupe
DHC = Drop head coupe
Just marketing terms. wink

Like Audi, BMW calling their 4 door saloons a coupe, just because they have a little slop at the rear.
Marketing terms technically defined in 1916 and based on practice in the carriage trade involving horses...

ZackM

Original Poster:

269 posts

68 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
CDP said:
Marketing terms technically defined in 1916 and based on practice in the carriage trade involving horses...
One of the requisites to be a coupe is being 2 doors. Today the call even 4 doors SUVs/Crossovers coupes. wink

Furthermore, I posted several pictures of the coupe shape I'm looking for. None of them match the Mercedes side view. wink



DoubleD

22,154 posts

107 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
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ZackM said:
OK. But see, now we are already getting into the subjective. This is your opinion. But Tiff Needell for example seems to disagree with you and so does several reviewers I found online. The other specs are more defining because they are facts. It is a proper coupe.It is 2 doors. It is a hard top. It is RWD. It is manual transmission. It is 6 cyl. The rest, as in if it's sporty enough for me or not is something I will have to decide for myself. But it checks all the factual boxes. wink
Well your favourite presenter, Tiff, thinks that a Renault hot hatch is more fun than a Nissan.

ZackM

Original Poster:

269 posts

68 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
DoubleD said:
Well your favourite presenter, Tiff, thinks that a Renault hot hatch is more fun than a Nissan.
He is indeed one of my favorite reviewers. I think the fact he was an actual racing driver carries a lot of weight against just car journalists and youtube reviewers. wink

He also seems the most fair all around. He is of course free to prefer a Renault over anything he wants. smile

MaxSo

1,910 posts

94 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
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If I were you it'd definitely be a Z4 with some remedial action to improve the steering - a hydraulic conversion is possible I believe.

https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=106552

If you really don't like the looks then you really don't like it - but I reckon 90% would say a Z4C is a fantastic looking car. Maybe you just need to compromise on the looks a little and you may grow to like it.

CDP

7,454 posts

253 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
ZackM said:
CDP said:
Vauxhall Monaro?
No LHD. smile
There was a Pontiac version in LHD.

You could always renovate and update an MGB-GT. New shells are available or get a decent example and add a modern 6 or 8 cylinder engine. Apparently a Lexus V8 is a couple of pounds lighter than a Rover V8, slightly smaller and will work with a Supra gearbox without needing a special ECU. Or save your money and get one with the Rover v8.

A coil over kit for the front and IRS kit for the rear would help the handling a lot but having thrown an MGB-GT very sideways around the Lotus test track the live rear end and handling generally is a lot better than you would expect.

Kawasicki

13,041 posts

234 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
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I drove a nearly new 350z on a moderately bumpy b-road when they were released. Hmmm....it didn’t have the body control to attack b-roads. It felt out of it’s depth very quickly.

Joelonghair

258 posts

71 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
Drop the RWD and you can look at an Audi TT 3.2 Quattro. Ticks most boxes.

ZackM

Original Poster:

269 posts

68 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
MaxSo said:
If I were you it'd definitely be a Z4 with some remedial action to improve the steering - a hydraulic conversion is possible I believe.

https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=106552

If you really don't like the looks then you really don't like it - but I reckon 90% would say a Z4C is a fantastic looking car. Maybe you just need to compromise on the looks a little and you may grow to like it.
Sounds like too much trouble for a car I don't love. I believe loving the car is very important with this type of car. Is not a practical car. It's a passion car. I really dislike the Z4. Especially the front. It's the same with all the Bangle era cars. The E63 BMW 6 has that same ugly sad face. If it was the next generation Z4 I could probably live with. But no coupes.

Unless there is a body kit to radically change the look of a E86?

ZackM

Original Poster:

269 posts

68 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
CDP said:
There was a Pontiac version in LHD.

You could always renovate and update an MGB-GT. New shells are available or get a decent example and add a modern 6 or 8 cylinder engine. Apparently a Lexus V8 is a couple of pounds lighter than a Rover V8, slightly smaller and will work with a Supra gearbox without needing a special ECU. Or save your money and get one with the Rover v8.

A coil over kit for the front and IRS kit for the rear would help the handling a lot but having thrown an MGB-GT very sideways around the Lotus test track the live rear end and handling generally is a lot better than you would expect.
Yes I think it was a Pontiac of something. A rebadged Monaro. But only in the U.S. If there is one here it's independently imported and probably expensive.

About the MGB-GT, even though it has nothing to do with what I want now, I like the sound of it. Maybe for another project. smile What is this new shell you speak of? Are people doing restomods or giving the Porsche Singer treatment to MGB-GTs or what?

ZackM

Original Poster:

269 posts

68 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
Joelonghair said:
Drop the RWD and you can look at an Audi TT 3.2 Quattro. Ticks most boxes.
Sorry but no. RWD is on top of the list along with manual transmission. smile

MaxSo

1,910 posts

94 months

Tuesday 18th September 2018
quotequote all
Don't know about body kits -but fair enough about needing to love it. Just also consider the interior and how that makes you feel too as that's where you spend the time after all. The 350z interior is unloveable IMO.