Elise, Integra, S2000!?

[james_gt3rs]

I'd add a Boxster and VX220 to the list... and check insurance first!

[MiseryStreak]

Elise or VX220.

Oh and it’s the DC2 ITR that is the greatest FWD car of all time. *runsandhides

[TameRacingDriver]

MiseryStreak said:

Oh and it’s the DC2 ITR that is the greatest FWD car of all time. *runsandhides

Certainly the best one I’ve ever owned. Handling that you could take absolute liberties with, not bad ride quality, excellent brakes, and a sensational engine and gearbox, which are still the best 4-cylinder engine and gearbox I’ve had the pleasure of using. It really was an exciting car to drive hard.

[Turn7]

I loved my DC2, but due to me owning THE biggest set of rose tints in the world, I bought a real wrong 'un and had to sell it on for a big old hit.....

Cracking car to drive without question.

[Actus Reus]

Your budget doesn't really get a nice Elise, but it does buy a VX220, so that's what I'd say - a nice 2.2 car, with cash left over or a turbo with very little left over.

[jwwbowe]

cerb4.5lee said:

Darkslider said:

I'd add GT86, Boxster/Cayman and Z4 to that list.

I reckon that a 370Z is worth a look too.

Great cars. I’ve owned both a S2000 and a 370z GT. I can say if I were given a choice one or the other to keep, 100% it would be the S2000.

The 370z is a fantastic brute and most definitely quicker than the Honda but the S2000 is more of an event and for your needs it’s what I’d go for. The engine obviously stands out (F20 engine of a S2000 is far superior to the K20 in Civic Type Rs) but it’s the gear change, you will not find anything better this side of a £100k car, it is sublime. Don’t skimp on tyres though it has a deserved rep for being lairy. They are going up in value to, look at a few though there are some dogs out there and lots will have had meetings with hedges.

[cerb4.5lee]

jwwbowe said:

cerb4.5lee said:

Darkslider said:

I'd add GT86, Boxster/Cayman and Z4 to that list.

I reckon that a 370Z is worth a look too.

Great cars. I’ve owned both a S2000 and a 370z GT. I can say if I were given a choice one or the other to keep, 100% it would be the S2000.

The 370z is a fantastic brute and most definitely quicker than the Honda but the S2000 is more of an event and for your needs it’s what I’d go for. The engine obviously stands out (F20 engine of a S2000 is far superior to the K20 in Civic Type Rs) but it’s the gear change, you will not find anything better this side of a £100k car, it is sublime. Don’t skimp on tyres though it has a deserved rep for being lairy. They are going up in value to, look at a few though there are some dogs out there and lots will have had meetings with hedges.

Yes and the gearbox in the S2000 is something that I admire massively, and it looks to have such a positive/accurate/rewarding gearchange. The engine in the S2000 does absolutely nothing for me though sadly(because I much prefer more cylinders/capacity, and bigger/more cylinder engines just feel much more special for me).

Plus I reckon that the 190cc petrol engine in my lawn mower has more torque than the engine in the S2000!

[ZX10R NIN]

VX220 Turbo

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202006099...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-VX220-Turbo-20...

2.2

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-VAUXHALL-VX220-2-2...

Elise

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009254...

I think I'd go for the Nissan S15 Silvia

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2002-Nissan-Silvia-S15-...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-Silvia-S15-Turbo...

Honda S2000

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010185...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009143...

[cerb4.5lee]

ZX10R NIN said:

I think I'd go for the Nissan S15 Silvia

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2002-Nissan-Silvia-S15-...

I wish that was a Spec-R model, because it looks to be a very nice example.

I've wanted a S15 for as long as I can remember.

[Ankh87]

If you could really stretch your budget to £22k then the Elise with the supercharged Toyota engine is the one to get.

With your current budget an Elise would be a bit of a stretch. I believe they start at £14k.

Things to think about:

Resale value - is this going to be a car that you keep forever or just own for say 5 years. If it's the 5 years then Honda is the way as they are either going up or at least staying the same each year.

Practicality - Are you going to use the car for weekends away. Integra will have more room to cart bigger bit around, be a lot smoother to drive compared to the Lotus so any long journeys you won't feel it as much.

Running Cost - Both the Honda's will be cheaper to run, there's a lot of Honda specialists and not so much Lotus ones.

Rust - Both the Honda's will suffer from this. I've seen loads of S2000s with rust issues on front wings and rear arches.

Reliability - Honda is the better option here as they don't ever break.

That's just a few things to think about really.


A few other cars you could look into are:
Toyota GT86 with Turbo
Nissan Silvia S14 or S15
Mazda RX7
Porsche Cayman 987
FIAT 124
Mitsubishi GTO
Nissan 370Z
BMW Z4M
Audi TT

[keo]

I don’t know if I’d be Hondas will be cheaper to run. I had an Elise and it cost buttons, I actually made money on it when I sold it as well.

[Petrolism]

I've got an S2000 and recently sold my DC5; keeping my DC2. No experience with the Elise, but I do have a lot of experience with V-Tec Hondas.
If you can get a good one, get the S2000. It'll climb steadily in value. The DC5 is also a good shout, but I don't think it'll ever be the icon the DC2 Type R has become. It's not too dissimilar to other Hondas, such as the EP3 Civic Type R, which are growing in value too.

If you can find a good one, get a DC2 Type R. Judging by what prices in Japan are doing for the best ones, these will appreciate a lot in the long term.
So will S2000's... DC5's are also going up but won't appreciate at quite the same rate. Consider also the Civic FD2 Type R, if your budget will stretch.
If it won't, then an Accord Euro R CL7 is also a great car and with low mileage examples becoming rare, they're destined to appreciate from here on (albeit not as much as more desirable K20 V-Tecs).

Edited by Petrolism on Tuesday 27th October 17:01

[DoubleD]

I would say that a VX220 would be your best bet. You could get a good 1 for the money. The S2000s seem to be rather expensive to insure.

[CHEESYAARAN]

cerb4.5lee said:

ZX10R NIN said:

I think I'd go for the Nissan S15 Silvia

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2002-Nissan-Silvia-S15-...

I wish that was a Spec-R model, because it looks to be a very nice example.

I've wanted a S15 for as long as I can remember.

S15’s completely slipped my mind, that’s a mega looking example too, will defiantly consider this.

[CHEESYAARAN]

Petrolism said:

I've got an S2000 and recently sold my DC5; keeping my DC2. No experience with the Elise, but I do have a lot of experience with V-Tec Hondas.
If you can get a good one, get the S2000. It'll climb steadily in value. The DC5 is also a good shout, but I don't think it'll ever be the icon the DC2 Type R has become. It's not too dissimilar to other Hondas, such as the EP3 Civic Type R, which are growing in value too.

If you can find a good one, get a DC2 Type R. Judging by what prices in Japan are doing for the best ones, these will appreciate a lot in the long term.
So will S2000's... DC5's are also going up but won't appreciate at quite the same rate. Consider also the Civic FD2 Type R, if your budget will stretch.
If it won't, then an Accord Euro R CL7 is also a great car and with low mileage examples becoming rare, they're destined to appreciate from here on (albeit not as much as more desirable K20 V-Tecs).

Edited by Petrolism on Tuesday 27th October 17:01

I regularly look for dc2’s and they’re so hard to find. The good ones that are about are crazy money. If one pops up for the right money I would 100% be interested.

[CHEESYAARAN]

DoubleD said:

I would say that a VX220 would be your best bet. You could get a good 1 for the money. The S2000s seem to be rather expensive to insure.

The VX220 is a great looking car, however I’m coming from a Corsa so it’d be nice to try another brand.

[DoubleD]

CHEESYAARAN said:

DoubleD said:

I would say that a VX220 would be your best bet. You could get a good 1 for the money. The S2000s seem to be rather expensive to insure.

The VX220 is a great looking car, however I’m coming from a Corsa so it’d be nice to try another brand.

Its a very different car to a corsa, so I would ignore that if I were you!

[p4cks]

They do share the same indicator stalks and that's about as close as they get to a Vauxhall.

[selym]

VX220, because I'm biased but more importantly you'll get incredible value for money - especially at this time of year.

The next question is NA, Turbo or Supercharged? I'd say supercharged because once again I'm biased

[TameRacingDriver]

p4cks said:

They do share the same indicator stalks and that's about as close as they get to a Vauxhall.

Vauxhall Astra engines, no?

Anyway yes apart from that they couldn't be more different