Thinking for long about a daily car. But options are few.

[NewUsername]

DB9

[Shominy]

IS 250 would be a good choice in my opinion for what you want, however, from all that I have read about the IS 250 the main takeaway points seem to be that it is just about the most reliable car you can buy, the main dealers are some of the best in the business, the V6 does not feel that powerful but is very smooth, and that the automatic is much, much better than the manual.

It was a car I'd considered for quite some time and I would always prefer a manual but everything I had read in reviews etc. said that the manual is not great in this, though it is very good in the earlier IS 200, and that the automatic is much preferred. Just something to take into account.

[Shifter1]

NewUsername said:

I don't think you have a huge choice beyond the following unless you ditch the coupe spec

Merc C-Class Coupe

Merc E class Coupe

Mustang 2.3

GT-86

996

Maser 4200

Evora

911

Various BMW's

Pretty much, unfortunately.


And the Mercedes don't even qualify as coupes in the proper sense of the word as the OP seems to mean. The C and E class coupes are just 2 doors saloons. Same with any BMW with rear seats. Not at all like a XKR, Granturismo or 911.

[CAPP0]

NewUsername said:

DB9

No usable back seats. You would never get an adult into one if you had an adult-sized front driver/passenger, and in fact I doubt you'd even get a child's seat into one either, so that pretty much rules everyone out, unless you're a child old enough not to need a seat, but with no legs! I really don't know why they put seats in there instead of a luggage shelf.

OP - if the Monaro would have been a contender, look for a Pontiac GTO of the same age, it's the same car but LHD.

[J4x4K]

Shominy said:

IS 250 would be a good choice in my opinion for what you want, however, from all that I have read about the IS 250 the main takeaway points seem to be that it is just about the most reliable car you can buy, the main dealers are some of the best in the business, the V6 does not feel that powerful but is very smooth, and that the automatic is much, much better than the manual.

It was a car I'd considered for quite some time and I would always prefer a manual but everything I had read in reviews etc. said that the manual is not great in this, though it is very good in the earlier IS 200, and that the automatic is much preferred. Just something to take into account.

Yes, I'm not saying the IS250 is ideal. But RWD 3-pedal 4 doors saloons are rare.

[J4x4K]

Shifter1 said:

Pretty much, unfortunately.


And the Mercedes don't even qualify as coupes in the proper sense of the word as the OP seems to mean. The C and E class coupes are just 2 doors saloons. Same with any BMW with rear seats. Not at all like a XKR, Granturismo or 911.

Yes. This is what I meant when I said the 2 doors 3 series and similar cars are normal 2 doors cars. They are not in the same league. The 2 doors versions of the Audi A5, C-class, E-class, 3 series, 4 series and so on belong together. But they don't belong with the Granturismo, XKR, 350Z, Astons and so on. Different style really. What is the same is they all have 2 doors.

So the perfect car would be in that style of the Maserati or XKR or Aston, with rear seats, RWD and 3-pedals.

This is why I keep coming back to the RX8. It seems to come the closest while being affordable.

[NewUsername]

If cash is t an option I’ve seen a few of these converted with various engines, a VAG 4 pot turbo springs to mind retaining the rx8 gearbox.

That would be a fantastic car to own

[exelero]

Did anyone mention 350z and 370z before ?

[ChrisH72]

350z and 370z have no rear seats.

You can get coupes which are saloon based like the E92 and those which are hatchback based like the 3dr Mégane. They won't look like an XKR but they do have practicality and good rear seat space. As soon as you move to a more sleek and sporty shape you'll lose practicality, that's just physics. Can't have it all!

Really the two options you originally had, is250 or rx8, are the ones you should go and try.

I wanted a small hot hatch and knew from the start that the fiesta ST was the best car for the job. But they're common and the interior is cheap so I didn't really want one. I went round the houses looking for alternatives and in the end bought the fiesta. It was the right car all along.

[J4x4K]

NewUsername said:

If cash is t an option I’ve seen a few of these converted with various engines, a VAG 4 pot turbo springs to mind retaining the rx8 gearbox.

That would be a fantastic car to own

That's interesting. Are there swap kits for that? Although will a swap really be more reliable? And will it ruin the famous handling?

[J4x4K]

ChrisH72 said:

350z and 370z have no rear seats.

You can get coupes which are saloon based like the E92 and those which are hatchback based like the 3dr Mégane. They won't look like an XKR but they do have practicality and good rear seat space. As soon as you move to a more sleek and sporty shape you'll lose practicality, that's just physics. Can't have it all!

Really the two options you originally had, is250 or rx8, are the ones you should go and try.

I wanted a small hot hatch and knew from the start that the fiesta ST was the best car for the job. But they're common and the interior is cheap so I didn't really want one. I went round the houses looking for alternatives and in the end bought the fiesta. It was the right car all along.

I would think the practicality of a Granturismo or XKR would be sufficient. My kids are small. So the problem might not be the sleek shape but rather the lack of options of sleek shapes in RWD with 3-pedals.

I'm at the moment pursuing the idea of a RX8 and trying to muster the courage to risk buying one. Reading buying guides etc. I don't want to try it till I'm sure I can put up with it and decide to take the risk. Because I know if I drive one I will love it and I want to make the decision based not on heart but on brains. It's a daily driver.

[tomsugden]

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10749921?c...

Edited by tomsugden on Thursday 29th October 13:09

[J4x4K]

By the way, is the rotary in the RX8 worse than the one if the RX7 FD? Because as far as I know the FD doesn't have the bad reputation the RX8 does.

At this point I'm almost set on a RX8. Apart from the engine reputation, which most owners say as long as you take correct care of it, is not as the folklore makes it to be, the car is basically perfect.

Reading about it and its design, so much engineering went into it to make a great handling car. From making sure the weight distribution was right, to having parts made of plastic, aluminium and carbon to make it light. It's important to remember we are talking about a car which came out in 2003 and was made by a mass production manufacturer. The specs are incredible.

RWD, 3-pedal, coupe style, rear seats, rear doors, near 50-50 weight distribution, great balance, great handling, light, low center of gravity, mid-engine, I mean, the list of right things is at least 10 times longer than the list of wrong things.

Edited by J4x4K on Friday 30th October 18:23

[ZX10R NIN]

Manual Skyline 350GT you can get these cheaper than the one below:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-350GT-350Z-SKYLI...

R33 GTST

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSAN-SKYLINE-R33-GTST...

[samoht]

J4x4K said:

By the way, is the rotary in the RX8 worse than the one if the RX7 FD? Because as far as I know the FD doesn't have the bad reputation the RX8 does.

I hesitate to share this as I don't want to put you off, but there's a vid that gives what I believe is a decent overview of this question, albeit opinionated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDezPjuQvmE

I think the FD has different issues many of which centre around the turbo system and just being older cars now.

An RX-8 benefit is an active and friendly owners club
https://www.rx8ownersclub.co.uk/forum/index.php


Personally, I bought an FD, and found that I like driving it so much that I don't mind paying to fix it. So as long as you're able to keep a bit of money in reserve in case it's needed, maybe you'll find the same with an RX-8.

[J4x4K]

samoht said:

I hesitate to share this as I don't want to put you off, but there's a vid that gives what I believe is a decent overview of this question, albeit opinionated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDezPjuQvmE

I think the FD has different issues many of which centre around the turbo system and just being older cars now.

An RX-8 benefit is an active and friendly owners club
https://www.rx8ownersclub.co.uk/forum/index.php


Personally, I bought an FD, and found that I like driving it so much that I don't mind paying to fix it. So as long as you're able to keep a bit of money in reserve in case it's needed, maybe you'll find the same with an RX-8.

Thanks for the link. The video didn't put me off at all. It seems those guys are very biased and even I who am not a RX8 expert caught inaccuracies in their info.

Honestly, they sound like 2 whiny boy racers talking. 200hp is not enough in a 1300kg car? 200hp from a 1.3 liter NA engine is not good? The FD needed 2 turbos to make similar power.

In my case, I want it for a daily driver. 200hp is plenty. I might want 400 hp and up on a weekend car. But for a daily 200hp in a 1300kg car is more than fine. Fun enough and the RX8 is also practical. And I'm totally happy with the size of my penis. Honestly, this is how they sound. Like guys who need cars to brag at the pub.

The MX5 is widely considered a great sports car. How much power that makes again?

Honestly, what's wrong with those 2 guys? Or what am I missing? Again, the FD needed 2 turbos to make the same power as the last RX8. And also weighed about the same.

I totally understand the RX8 engine might not be as reliable or even very unreliable. I'm not disputing that. But those 2 whining about nonsense kind of shot their credibility in a video which had some good info and could have been good.

Waste of time. This is the reason it irritated me. It was a waste of time watching, when I thought I was going to learn something useful. The title could have been, we love the FD and hate the RX8 and it would have save everybody the time and them the embarrassment.

Edited by J4x4K on Saturday 31st October 15:37

[J4x4K]

ZX10R NIN said:

Manual Skyline 350GT you can get these cheaper than the one below:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-350GT-350Z-SKYLI...

R33 GTST

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSAN-SKYLINE-R33-GTST...

Thanks. The G35 coupe had already been discussed. The R33 was never my thing. Boxy and not my style. Also not very practical I believe? If it will not very practical I have to at least love it.

[Shifter1]

It sounds like a RX8 might really be what you need then. Sure it has problems but so do most cars worth driving really. If you can put some aside for eventual repairs, find a nice one, take good care of it and enjoy it. You will not find another car that handles and drives like it, with rear doors and for anything close to the price. Even if you factor in the price of an engine rebuild.