0-62 Sub 5 seconds, up to £30k, 2 years old?

[Cpb1702]

Would welcome your thoughts / suggestions

Main thought is an S5, but lacking a little engagement?
C43/63 tight for budget but cracking cars?
M140i?

Can have 2 or more seats, 2 years old, low mileage as will be doing 10k a year. Would like to do the odd track day as not done so before.

Answers on a postcard!

[rufmeister]

Golf R?

[p1stonhead]

M240i might be better if you dont need a hatch?

Or even 340i/440i?

[Pulse00]

Save up a little more and get an Alfa Romeo 4C. Looks amazing in the flesh and is a carbon fiber go kart that looks like an exotic (heavily biased!). All the other suggestions are boring by comparison (unless they are 500hp+ imo)

Edited by Pulse00 on Monday 8th April 08:59

Edited by Pulse00 on Monday 8th April 09:01

[Cpb1702]

Pulse00 said:

Save up a little more and get an Alfa Romeo 4C. Looks amazing in the flesh and is a carbon fiber go kart that looks like an exotic (heavily biased!). All the other suggestions are boring by comparison (unless they are 500hp+ imo)

Edited by Pulse00 on Monday 8th April 08:59

Edited by Pulse00 on Monday 8th April 09:01

That looks stunning but we are talking £40k aren’t we?

[Pulse00]

Cpb1702 said:

That looks stunning but we are talking £40k aren’t we?

£35k https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

They have stopped production now too. Can't see them depreciating at all due to low volume. They got poor reviews at launch but have since had steering/suspension changes that fixed the issues the reviewers experienced. What other cars have CF tubs for this sort of money! They also remap to 280hp (>300hp/tonne) for £400.

Now that I have had this I would literally get so bored very quickly of any 140i/M3/s4 etc.

[SWoll]

Pulse00 said:

£35k https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

They have stopped production now too. Can't see them depreciating at all due to low volume. They got poor reviews at launch but have since had steering/suspension changes that fixed the issues the reviewers experienced. What other cars have CF tubs for this sort of money! They also remap to 280hp (>300hp/tonne) for £400.

Now that I have had this I would literally get so bored very quickly of any 140i/M3/s4 etc.

Agree with all of the above but the OP would need to consider covering 10k a year in one plus the impracticality of 2 seats and very limited boot space? Easy to say 2 seats is fine but living with it a very different prospect IME.

I'd love one as a weekend car, especially in black. Achingly cool.

[QuartzDad]

335d Touring.

Likely to be the only one on the track days...

[Johnnytheboy]

Mk3 Focus RS?

[Nexus Icon]

Focus RS? Check it's had the recall head work and you're good to go. Very capable, yet practical. Steering you can feel and even warranty-friendly power hikes available. There's a reasonable chance that it will lose less money than its German branded alternatives too, given the way the prices of Mk 2 and Mk 1 RS Focii have behaved over the years.

For full disclosure, I have one. To illustrate what I'm holding its performance up against; It replaced a Nismo 370z, which replaced a 275 Cup-S Megane, which replaced a WRX STi, which replaced a JCW Mini, which replaced an RS Clio, which replaced an R26 Megane, and so on.

It's the best of the bunch at being great at everything.

I was going to replace it this year but I can't pick anything else, so it's off in May to be Mountuned.

The number of track event days using them suggest it's not expensive as a track car either.

[E34-3.2]

996, 997?

[Johnnytheboy]

E34-3.2 said:

996, 997?

Were they still making them two years ago? They kept that quiet!

[ZX10R NIN]

The S5 is a good bet but a little lacking engagement wise but no more so than most cooking versions of this segment of car, you'll only ever drive at 10/10ths every now & then so I would get the car that suits your everyday usage you can always make it more interesting by adding some STaSIS upgrades:

http://www.stasisengineering.com/

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or you can go for a leftfield option of an Infiniti Q60 handling is on par with the S5 but I feel these are a nicer place to be I've driven/supplied a few now & the engine is a peach, you also get

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

The 440i M Sport is the real VFM option of the group which leaves more scope to sharpen up the dynamics by adding one of the kits from Birds/Schnitzer etc:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

C43 look for the Premium Plus model

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Estate

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

The other often forgotten car is the Jaguar XE-S which is not only potent they handle really well too:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

335 model

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Leftfield but older is the Lexus RC-F

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[Cpb1702]

Thank you for the extensive review and guidance some interesting suggestions there!

ZX10R NIN said:

The S5 is a good bet but a little lacking engagement wise but no more so than most cooking versions of this segment of car, you'll only ever drive at 10/10ths every now & then so I would get the car that suits your everyday usage you can always make it more interesting by adding some STaSIS upgrades:

http://www.stasisengineering.com/

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or you can go for a leftfield option of an Infiniti Q60 handling is on par with the S5 but I feel these are a nicer place to be I've driven/supplied a few now & the engine is a peach, you also get

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

The 440i M Sport is the real VFM option of the group which leaves more scope to sharpen up the dynamics by adding one of the kits from Birds/Schnitzer etc:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

C43 look for the Premium Plus model

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Estate

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

The other often forgotten car is the Jaguar XE-S which is not only potent they handle really well too:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

335 model

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Leftfield but older is the Lexus RC-F

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[couragebest88]

A 2017 Mustang GT can be had for about the 30k mark, and a lot of them are very low mileage. Push the budget to 32.5k and you’ll get quite a few in range. I should be chopping my s5 in for one pretty soon assuming I enjoy the test drive.

[CaptainSensib1e]

couragebest88 said:

A 2017 Mustang GT can be had for about the 30k mark, and a lot of them are very low mileage. Push the budget to 32.5k and you’ll get quite a few in range. I should be chopping my s5 in for one pretty soon assuming I enjoy the test drive.

+1

Great cars which tick all your boxes.

[Cpb1702]

couragebest88 said:

A 2017 Mustang GT can be had for about the 30k mark, and a lot of them are very low mileage. Push the budget to 32.5k and you’ll get quite a few in range. I should be chopping my s5 in for one pretty soon assuming I enjoy the test drive.

How have you found the S5?

[Johnnytheboy]

To avoid quoting the whole list above, the Jag XE Sport is a cracking car.

[couragebest88]

Cpb1702 said:

How have you found the S5?

It’s fine, that’s probably the best word for it! Point and shoot - very quick off the mark. Sticks like glue in corners. A very hard ride. Pretty good on fuel on a run considering it’s a blown 3.0 petrol v6. Sounds ‘ok’.

On the whole rather boring though in my opinion. Nothing about it feels special. It is a 2010 though, so not a new one. Not that there’s much difference between around 2010 and 2014 ish?

Edited by couragebest88 on Monday 8th April 17:57

[E34-3.2]

Johnnytheboy said:

Were they still making them two years ago? They kept that quiet!

Face plant, didn't read correctly. Didn't noticed the 2 years bit...