£25-30k convertible

£25-30k convertible

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Discussion

RJH777

Original Poster:

211 posts

43 months

Thursday 15th October 2020
quotequote all
Hi guys,

First post - amazed it's taken me so long to find this place, looking forward to being part of the community.

Fortunate enough to have a bit of extra money coming in with a new job and looking to treat myself to one final bit of fun before kiddies etc. come along.

Budget is 25-30k - doesn't need to be a daily driver/super practical as have the 5 series for that and mostly working from home at the moment anyway (!) but don't want a total garage queen as we do a fair few trips to see the parents down in Devon/weekends away etc so still looking at c.10k miles a year from it.

Currently looking at the below so would love to get a view from people who have owned any of these, or if there's some alternatives I'm missing? Also not 100% tied to it being a Vert but have to say the idea of top down motoring is very appealing...

Options atm:

2013/14 Jag F Type V6S, c30-50k on the clock - probably the heart choice, looks the best and has the most character but far and away the least practical. My main concern is that boot - F Type owners, is it really that bad/can you fit a couple of weekend bags in there? Would a coupe F type be a potential compromise?

2012/13 Boxster 981 S, c.40-60k miles - feels like it could be the best all rounder but looking at slightly higher average mileages than the other two it seems and wondering if it's a bit of the boring choice.

2012/13 SL500 c.20-40k miles - obviously less out and out sporty than the others and presumably the most expensive to run but sounds like they're ludicrously powerful in a straight line and the hard top / big boot / amount of toys means it's probably the most usable on a semi regular basis. Suspect value will drop even more like a stone based off the prices of 2005-10 SLs whereas the other two will probably remain north of 20k even in a few years time.

Any others to think about (XKR? Older 911? M4?)

Cheers!

Over over under steer

668 posts

124 months

Thursday 15th October 2020
quotequote all
I had the exact same choice a couple of years back and went for the Porsche 981 Boxster for the following reasons:

- Great to drive.
- Fantastic sounding engine (get PSE)
- Very reliable - these DFI engines are strong-
- Two year servicing helps!
- Two boots, can fit golf clubs, trolley, or enough for a fortnight away with me and my partner.
- Extremely comfortable for long trips.
- Good residuals.

Two years on, no thoughts of changing it. It's fantastic.

RJH777

Original Poster:

211 posts

43 months

Thursday 15th October 2020
quotequote all
Glad to hear no buyers remorse!

Did you test drive the others or just the Porsche?

clockworks

5,392 posts

146 months

Thursday 15th October 2020
quotequote all
Boxster if you want a sports car.

6-series if you want a cruiser.

Z4 if you want something between the two.

ZX10R NIN

27,685 posts

126 months

RJH777

Original Poster:

211 posts

43 months

Friday 16th October 2020
quotequote all
M6 is a good shout actually. Looks like there's a stunning silver blue one near me that's only 10k on the clock.

Thanks guys, looks like there's an F Type Coupe, Cayman S, Boxster S, M6 and XKR all in relatively close proximity to each other so think might be time to book a weekend of test drives in.

mattman

3,176 posts

223 months

Friday 16th October 2020
quotequote all
if you are considering a 911, avoid the gen 1 997 due to engine problems unless its had a document engine rebuild. A good example will probably have the lowest depreciation though overall

SL500 is more of a GT than a sports car in my opinion, F-Type is probably the most modern car out of your suggestions


maz8062

2,259 posts

216 months

Friday 16th October 2020
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911 997.2
Maserati GranCabrio

RJH777

Original Poster:

211 posts

43 months

Saturday 17th October 2020
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Think a decent 911 is just out of budget sadly.

Test drives booked for hard and soft top f types, m6 and a boxster. Hope the weather stays dry!

MrBrightSi

2,912 posts

171 months

Saturday 17th October 2020
quotequote all
OP, i'm looking at a similar position soon with similar money to spend. I've ended up finding a lot of gems below the 25k mark, the slk55 in the r171 guise or the 370z convertible look really good. If any show up and you beat me to it, maybe an Alpina Roadster S for just the rarity and the fact a z4 can look so menacing.

ZX10R NIN

27,685 posts

126 months

Saturday 17th October 2020
quotequote all
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.