£100K Garage: Paul Monis
Chris Hoy's old racing car and a Touareg V10 to tow it with is just the the start for Paul's garage
Previously owned: 1990 Ford Fiesta 1.1, 1991 Ford Fiesta 1.3, 1993 Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9, 2002 Renault Clio 1.2, Rotax Max 125cc kart
Currently owned: 2008 Vauxhall Corsa 1.4SXI
On the shortlist: "Despite my woeful car history, I was brought up on a healthy diet of motorsport. The first event I can remember attending was the 1985 European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch when I was just 6 although there are pictures of me at various hillclimbs around the South West from a much earlier age.
"Throughout my childhood there was an annual pilgrimage to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix qualifying (it was cheaper and they went faster in qualifying so said my father) which I loved and then we moved close to Castle Combe where we spent many a Saturday afternoon spectating. Unfortunately we never quite had the money to go racing ourselves though I have dabbled in sprints, hillclimbs and various karting events in the past. This is where the fictitious PH £100K comes in handy..."
Cost: £24,995
Balance: £75,005
Why I chose it: "The first car had to be a racing car and this was a pretty obvious choice from the current selection of classifieds. Pilbeam are synonymous with sprint and hillclimb success and this car has some great history. It is complete with a reliable 2.0-litre Vauxhall 16v engine and it should be more than enough to get me started. Being under 2,000cc also means it is possible to drive it on a National B license so we can go play straight away and not worry about license upgrades!"
Radical SR1
Cost: £23,950
Balance: £51,055
Why I chose it: "As good as the Pilbeam is, I would also like to give circuit racing a go and I need something else for that! I have been a fan of Radical sportscars since their inception; I love the "mini Group C" styling of the original Clubsport car and the SR1 is a natural progression from that original design with slicks and wings... and just look at that previous owner! As I spend a lot of time in the 'pedal powered' forum, I had to have it."
Cost: £1,850
Balance: £49,025
Why I chose it: "This should be fairly obvious, neither track car is road legal (although there are road legal Radicals available) so I need a trailer, plus this one has one of those racks for spare tyres and I've always wanted one of those. When I had the Rotax Max kart, spare tyres were wedged in any available space, most often behind the passenger seat leading to many complaints..."
VW Touareg V10 TDI
Cost: £18,000
Balance: £31,205
Why I chose it: "Well I need something to tow that trailer and race car don't I?! I'm not normally a fan of these big SUVs but despite the 5.0-litre V10 engine, the VW Touareg seems a little more understated compared to the Cayenne, the Q7 and the X5. Still you can't argue with over 500lb ft of torque for towing those racing cars and lots of driver comfort for those long journeys to circuits across the country... It will also serve the purpose of hauling family, bicycles and kayaks around town and country too."
Cost: £2,500
Balance: £28,705
Why I chose it: "With the family car sorted, it's time for something a little more interesting. My commute is about five miles so I cycle to work most days but when I do have to drive, I'll take my Clio. It may not appreciate the cold weather or the continuous stop/start of Bristol suburban traffic but it will be make it a little more enjoyable. I've always liked this shape Clio and the 182 Cup should be plenty entertaining should I ever take the longer, less populated way home... I was tempted with another 205 GTI but my heart lost out to my head this time."
TVR T350 T
Cost: £26,995
Balance: £1,710
Why I chose it: "I really wanted a Ferrari and I was hoping for a nice 308 GT4/GTB but the only car I found in budget was a Mondial and I draw the line there. I have two racing cars, two road cars, both of which are four seaters, and a trailer(!) so this was a classic case of set some PH-worthy criteria, roll the dice and see what costs less than £28,705, has at least 300 hp and two seats.... I love the compact look of the T350 and I am quite partial to the 3.6-litre straight six too so I chose this over many other tempting and suitable cars including a plethora of 911s, a Maserati Spyder and a TVR Tuscan."
Cost: £1,300
Balance: £410
Why I chose it: "Because the correct number of bicycles to own is n+1 where n is the current number of bicycles owned. The Tarmac SL2 is a superb bike for long rides and would make a nice addition to my current collection."
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With you on the bicycles. Anyone who does not own a bicycle and / or a bike is just not living - gym hamsters.
TVR, good choice of course.
The race car is lkely to be unique in the entire 100k garage collection, well done.
Would swap the Tourag for something British but understand the need and logic.
Top garage.
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