Help - non visible mid life crisis toy required.
Discussion
Mods, this is not for car buying, please.
As a powerfully built, folically challenged bloke in his mid 40's, I desire a car that gives me the hot hatch feeling. My Sagaris is wonderful, but a real niche. My C63 does everything, but neither are the last word in simple easy fun. No, I don't want a mistress or courtesan either. I would love to recover some of my early driving days of fun.
However, the rub is I don't want to look like a fat bald bloke in a teenagers car.
I was looking at a sub £20k Clio V6, but the seller has disappeared. I did have a Clio V6, but sold it at £11k. I won't pay £25k+ for one.
As such, I have a quandary. Is there any hot hatch out there that I wouldn't look like a cradle snatcher in? I missed out on a Dimma Williams a few weeks ago as well.... Bonus points for silly wings or arches.
As a powerfully built, folically challenged bloke in his mid 40's, I desire a car that gives me the hot hatch feeling. My Sagaris is wonderful, but a real niche. My C63 does everything, but neither are the last word in simple easy fun. No, I don't want a mistress or courtesan either. I would love to recover some of my early driving days of fun.
However, the rub is I don't want to look like a fat bald bloke in a teenagers car.
I was looking at a sub £20k Clio V6, but the seller has disappeared. I did have a Clio V6, but sold it at £11k. I won't pay £25k+ for one.
As such, I have a quandary. Is there any hot hatch out there that I wouldn't look like a cradle snatcher in? I missed out on a Dimma Williams a few weeks ago as well.... Bonus points for silly wings or arches.
I think you should get what you want to not worry too much what other people think of you or what you look like.
Lose weight and you'll look less like a fat, balding man in a teenagers car. Get a motorcycle and look like any other fat person on a motorcycle.
If you don't do what you want now for fear of what other people think or what other people may think when will you? When you're mid 50s, mid 60s or when you've retired?
How many people do you think out there are letting what you may think of their appearance or their choice of vehicle influence their car buying decisions?
I suppose worrying about what others may think is part of a mid life 'crisis'.
Regarding V6 Clios perhaps values of hobby cars will drop later in the year or 2021?
I think the last V6 Clio I saw was driven by a fat, middle aged man with not much hair. It was in the car park of a parade of shops outside the chip shop on a new build housing estate.
Lose weight and you'll look less like a fat, balding man in a teenagers car. Get a motorcycle and look like any other fat person on a motorcycle.
If you don't do what you want now for fear of what other people think or what other people may think when will you? When you're mid 50s, mid 60s or when you've retired?
How many people do you think out there are letting what you may think of their appearance or their choice of vehicle influence their car buying decisions?
I suppose worrying about what others may think is part of a mid life 'crisis'.
Regarding V6 Clios perhaps values of hobby cars will drop later in the year or 2021?
I think the last V6 Clio I saw was driven by a fat, middle aged man with not much hair. It was in the car park of a parade of shops outside the chip shop on a new build housing estate.
Edited by carinaman on Thursday 23 July 22:30
A bit sideways thinking, but perhaps it might be easier to loose some weight, and then an Abarth 595 or Audi S1 or above mentioned! Otherwise Golf R, Merc AMG35/45s type of thing. Just think it looks a bit odd, if the car is stripped out but you aren't. I've lost a few kg just to get back into an MX-5!
Most people in their twenties or early thirties I've come across, who claim to be "into" cars, tend to only take an interest in German hot hatches (Golf R, Audi S3, AMG A45 etc) or whatever the latest performance Mini is called.
This means someone in their 40s can easily get away with something with a less "desirable" manufacturer's badge. The Hyundai i30N might be an option, as they are supposed to be pretty good (and Hyundai isn't exactly a fashionable prestige brand!), or perhaps a Civic Type R. I doubt you'd see many of either on a Satuday night out on Southend seafront, or whever it is the youth of today congregate in fast cars these days....
This means someone in their 40s can easily get away with something with a less "desirable" manufacturer's badge. The Hyundai i30N might be an option, as they are supposed to be pretty good (and Hyundai isn't exactly a fashionable prestige brand!), or perhaps a Civic Type R. I doubt you'd see many of either on a Satuday night out on Southend seafront, or whever it is the youth of today congregate in fast cars these days....
What you've described is pretty much the Golf GTi. If the budget would stretch, you could go for the Clubsport edition 40. Not only do they have a few styling tweaks, they've also got more power. The fact it's a "special edition" means it should retain more of its value if it's looked after too.
As well as the M240i as mentioned above, there's also its hatchback M140i brother.
As well as the M240i as mentioned above, there's also its hatchback M140i brother.
As this is PH I'm going to go completely off-piste and when you say "I want a hot-hatch to relive my fun driving days" I'm going to ignore the hot-hatch bit and say...
Toyota GT86 / Subaru equivalent.
This car was engineered to be fun to drive on the roads. They deliberately gave it less grippy tyres so you can explore handling. They deliberately gave it less power so you could actually wring it out without going mental speeds. They made it lightweight so it's nimble, whilst everyone else was making fat cars.
If you got one then decided it needed more oomph, people are tuning them.
I can't speak for everyone, but I don't associate it with a particular age-group or gender. It's sort of a hatchback, too.
Toyota GT86 / Subaru equivalent.
This car was engineered to be fun to drive on the roads. They deliberately gave it less grippy tyres so you can explore handling. They deliberately gave it less power so you could actually wring it out without going mental speeds. They made it lightweight so it's nimble, whilst everyone else was making fat cars.
If you got one then decided it needed more oomph, people are tuning them.
I can't speak for everyone, but I don't associate it with a particular age-group or gender. It's sort of a hatchback, too.
donkmeister said:
As this is PH I'm going to go completely off-piste and when you say "I want a hot-hatch to relive my fun driving days" I'm going to ignore the hot-hatch bit and say...
Toyota GT86 / Subaru equivalent.
This car was engineered to be fun to drive on the roads. They deliberately gave it less grippy tyres so you can explore handling. They deliberately gave it less power so you could actually wring it out without going mental speeds. They made it lightweight so it's nimble, whilst everyone else was making fat cars.
If you got one then decided it needed more oomph, people are tuning them.
I can't speak for everyone, but I don't associate it with a particular age-group or gender. It's sort of a hatchback, too.
Yeah you can drive one of those without hair:Toyota GT86 / Subaru equivalent.
This car was engineered to be fun to drive on the roads. They deliberately gave it less grippy tyres so you can explore handling. They deliberately gave it less power so you could actually wring it out without going mental speeds. They made it lightweight so it's nimble, whilst everyone else was making fat cars.
If you got one then decided it needed more oomph, people are tuning them.
I can't speak for everyone, but I don't associate it with a particular age-group or gender. It's sort of a hatchback, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzjEnxg3GYE
And with a lid on nobody can see your hair anyway.
Interesting, thanks all. I hadn't considered BMWs in this equation. Other thoughts - loosing weight is rather difficult as Lady G likes me big (I'm heavyweight naturally). 
I don't want another coupe otherwise I'd go straight for an integra type R. Why do I want a hatch? Aside from covering it in the original text, the only car I can just get in and go is the C63. But as crushingly capable as it is.... The word crushing fits it well. Its a luxury hot rod. Its a blunt tool. I love it, but I'm yearning for the capability to have lightweight easy fun that doesn't mean license losing speed (that both of mine are very easy to achieve).
I don't want another coupe otherwise I'd go straight for an integra type R. Why do I want a hatch? Aside from covering it in the original text, the only car I can just get in and go is the C63. But as crushingly capable as it is.... The word crushing fits it well. Its a luxury hot rod. Its a blunt tool. I love it, but I'm yearning for the capability to have lightweight easy fun that doesn't mean license losing speed (that both of mine are very easy to achieve).
I’d suggest picking the estate version of the hot hatch you want (if available). I have a Renault Megane GT tourer which suits this very purpose (although I wanted/needed an estate). It’s a “warm” hatch to drive, but to 99% of people looks like dad’s taxi.
Golf R / Mercedes CLA45 etc.
Golf R / Mercedes CLA45 etc.
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