Piloting Extremely Nicely In Scotland 287 - £15k budget

[yzrh]

Hi there, I'm looking for something to put a grin on my face while driving down less busy A roads and reasonably-surfaced B roads on weekend trips, for about £15k. I'm based west of London but would want to drive as far as Scotland a few times a year.

The car wouldn't be used for commuting. Beyond being reliable & comfortable enough to make long-distance drives hassle-free, plus having space for two people and their luggage, I don't have many requirements. I would ideally like a coupe but I think it's more about the handling, engine, etc. I was originally thinking about a sports car but considering the distances I will likely drive on these trips, a GT may make more sense?

I'm not worried about fuel economy or road tax and would be ok with spending c. £3k a year on maintenance and servicing. The plan is to pay in cash, hence the £15k budget but if there's something special for £15-20k, I am open to suggestions!

So far, I've considered a few things:
- Cayman 3.4 S c. 2009 (ideally a 987.2 but this is a bit outside budget at the moment) - though I wonder whether this is comfortable enough for long drives.
- Jaguar 5.0 XKR c. 2010 - this seems to hit a sweet spot,
- Mercedes C63 AMG W204 c. 2011 - 4 doors and I'm not sure about whether it's any 'fun' when it comes to corners.
- Vauxhall Monaro VXR c. 2006 - not sure if this is reliable enough.

[hiccy18]

I would think you'd have less reliability concerns with the Monaro than the Porsche or the Jag.

[ZX10R NIN]

If you want a good GT then the 4.7TT CL 500 is a peach & would suit your needs down to a tea it handles well (not so much on B Roads but A roads will be fun) plus it'll eat up the miles with ease.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

The 370Z is a good compromise it'll eat up the miles but if you want something more suited to B road fun them go for the Nismo:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Nismo

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

The VXR Monaro is definately worth a test drive, the running costs are sensible & these are reliable as well as a great steer.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-Vauxhall-Monaro-6-...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LOW-MILEAGE-RED-VAUXHAL...

I know it's four doors but the VXR8 in 6.2 form is well worth a look.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2009-Vauxhall-VXR8-LS3-...icAAOSwvA9euBhx

Talking of four doors the IS-F is special & will get under your skin whilst having 335i running costs.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

C63 Coupe I'm bias but I think the 63 is perfect for what you want:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

RS5 great cars but I'd take the 63 everytime

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

[yzrh]

Thank you both - I'm surprised to see that the Monaro might be more reliable than the Porsche or Jag - is that based on first hand experience? So far, I have only really used Parker's used car reviews and what I've seen on forums/owners' clubs as a reference.

Thank you ZX10R NIN also for pointing out the C63 AMG coupe. I think the dimensions of that one work a lot better, as the car's a lot shorter than the CL

[ZX10R NIN]

yzrh said:

Thank you both - I'm surprised to see that the Monaro might be more reliable than the Porsche or Jag - is that based on first hand experience? So far, I have only really used Parker's used car reviews and what I've seen on forums/owners' clubs as a reference.

Thank you ZX10R NIN also for pointing out the C63 AMG coupe. I think the dimensions of that one work a lot better, as the car's a lot shorter than the CL

The Monaro/VXR8 have a N/A engine that is well proven to do big miles with ease the LS engine is pretty much bullet proof, parts are easy to get.

The C63 is just as reliable but will cost you more to run due to it being slightly more complicated & parts costing more.

[JackReacher]

If a Cayman 987.2 S is out of budget, try the 2.9. Reliabilty is very good. I had one and did a couple of euro trips. Its more sports car than some of the other suggestions, but still comfortable and loads of storage. The engine needs a bit of work but thats part of the fun and no problem doing 150mph on the autobahn.

[Terzo123]

I had a Monaro VXR, but it was a few years back. It was a fantastic car, but they are getting on in age now.

From memory the last were registered in 2007, but even those cars would have been lying in a storage yard somewhere for a couple of years prior to actually getting registered for the road.

The LS2 engine is reliable enough, but the cars were never properly undersealed for UK weather. Infact I dont think they ever had any under seal applied from the factory. Rust and replacement body parts will be a major issue.

I've now got a C63. It doesn't quite have the character of the Monaro, nor does it attract the same positive attention the 'ro did, but ultimately it is the better car.

If it was just a high days and holidays car, I'd consider the Monaro, but if its to be a regular driver, then I'd go with the C63.

[AlexNJ89]

Terzo123 said:

I had a Monaro VXR, but it was a few years back. It was a fantastic car, but they are getting on in age now.

From memory the last were registered in 2007, but even those cars would have been lying in a storage yard somewhere for a couple of years prior to actually getting registered for the road.

The LS2 engine is reliable enough, but the cars were never properly undersealed for UK weather. Infact I dont think they ever had any under seal applied from the factory. Rust and replacement body parts will be a major issue.

I've now got a C63. It doesn't quite have the character of the Monaro, nor does it attract the same positive attention the 'ro did, but ultimately it is the better car.

If it was just a high days and holidays car, I'd consider the Monaro, but if its to be a regular driver, then I'd go with the C63.

How is the MCT gearbox on the C63?

I was considering a C63 to replace my SLK55 but the 15mpg and reports of a slow gearbox made me turn my head towards BMWs

[ZX10R NIN]

The MCT changes gear just as quick as the DCT BMW the reference to slow changes is for actual auto that was on the early cars & in reality it wasn't slow either.

[AlexNJ89]

ZX10R NIN said:

The MCT changes gear just as quick as the DCT BMW the reference to slow changes is for actual auto that was on the early cars & in reality it wasn't slow either.

Thanks, what MPG can I expect with mixed driving?

[ZX10R NIN]

High teens & mid to high 20's on a run.

[Terzo123]

AlexNJ89 said:

Terzo123 said:

I had a Monaro VXR, but it was a few years back. It was a fantastic car, but they are getting on in age now.

From memory the last were registered in 2007, but even those cars would have been lying in a storage yard somewhere for a couple of years prior to actually getting registered for the road.

The LS2 engine is reliable enough, but the cars were never properly undersealed for UK weather. Infact I dont think they ever had any under seal applied from the factory. Rust and replacement body parts will be a major issue.

I've now got a C63. It doesn't quite have the character of the Monaro, nor does it attract the same positive attention the 'ro did, but ultimately it is the better car.

If it was just a high days and holidays car, I'd consider the Monaro, but if its to be a regular driver, then I'd go with the C63.

How is the MCT gearbox on the C63?

I was considering a C63 to replace my SLK55 but the 15mpg and reports of a slow gearbox made me turn my head towards BMWs

Mine is a PFL car so has the 7G Tronic gear box. In comfort, its not the quickest. Sport is alot better and seems to adapt to your driving. There is also manual mode using the paddles, which seems fairly instant to me.

What I would say, is that if your cruising along the motorway in comfort and plant the throttle, there is what seems like a pause, almost like the car is taking in a deep breath before you get catapulted down the road. Its fairly amusing. Maybe frustrating if you expect an instant response, but then you wouldn't be in comfort mode, would you?

The gearbox in the facelift cars is meant to be better.

[AlexNJ89]

Terzo123 said:

Mine is a PFL car so has the 7G Tronic gear box. In comfort, its not the quickest. Sport is alot better and seems to adapt to your driving. There is also manual mode using the paddles, which seems fairly instant to me.

What I would say, is that if your cruising along the motorway in comfort and plant the throttle, there is what seems like a pause, almost like the car is taking in a deep breath before you get catapulted down the road. Its fairly amusing. Maybe frustrating if you expect an instant response, but then you wouldn't be in comfort mode, would you?

The gearbox in the facelift cars is meant to be better.

Thanks for the response guys.

Planting it on the motorway sounds similar to my SLK55

[ZX10R NIN]

AlexNJ89 said:

Thanks for the response guys.

Planting it on the motorway sounds similar to my SLK55

The earlier 7G will respond pretty much exactly the same as your 55, the MCT is quicker my other half had a MCT 63 & I have my 7G CLK63 even with my shift upgraded be Weistec my 7g was still a litlle bit slower but in reality it really doesn't detract from the drive & in all honesty it's the one upgrade I'm not sure I'd bother with.