Best handling manual roadster for weekend driving thrills

[kazino]

Hi all, looking for a tactile weekend manual roadster for spirtied driving on country lanes and road trips.

Not a fan of electric steering nor do I need something that needs to be going 70mph+ before it starts to have any sensation (already have a couple of those in the garage) which pretty much rules out most modern cars. Very happy to go for something older that is vaguely reliable (don't want too much hastsle with something like a tvr)

Made a list, but would love your inputs

Exige roadster
987 boxster Spyder
Tvr (would love one but kind of had a t350 which caught fire the day I purchased it while driving it off the lot from a tvr main dealer)


If I sold one of my other cars would have enough to buy an
F430 Spyder, but it's a bit ostentatious (alrady have a Ferrari and not a fan of the negative attention)

V12 vantage (had a V8 and was horrendously unreliable)
R8 V10 (no boot space at all and not a fan of the showy looks)
Gallardo (friend had one, it was'nt reliable and running costs make my current Ferrari look cheap to run)

[CABC]

taking the op at face value, the answer is in mx5, Elise, TVR. though I suspect that's not the answer you're looking for!
Exige would obliterate an Elise on track, but at 70 or below on public roads I'd take the Elise.

[Turn7]

Caterham ?

[CrouchingWayne]

CABC said:

taking the op at face value, the answer is in mx5, Elise, TVR. though I suspect that's not the answer you're looking for!
Exige would obliterate an Elise on track, but at 70 or below on public roads I'd take the Elise.

Agree with this - I’d be tempted by one of the CUP Elise’s (250 etc) personally but no doubt a standard one would be excellent.

[smithyithy]

OP is your garage on the forum up to date? Because if so it seems like you already have most boxes ticked

I don't know what I'd add to that honestly, would you benefit from an Exige when you already have an Elise, or a Boxster when you already have a 911 cab?

I'd suggest something like a Caterham..

[Tickle]

smithyithy said:

OP is your garage on the forum up to date? Because if so it seems like you already have most boxes ticked

I don't know what I'd add to that honestly, would you benefit from an Exige when you already have an Elise, or a Boxster when you already have a 911 cab?

I'd suggest something like a Caterham..

Exige roadster is very different from a 111R regarding driving. V6 and SC thump is different from revvy 4 pot. Exige obviously a bit bigger/heavier too reg feel of weight transfer.

Agree on the Caterham, an itch I'd love to scratch myself at some point.

[kazino]

Not up to date, just updated.
Sold the Elise 111r a few years back unfortunately as fancied a change. Was lovely car although the sound was quite weak

smithyithy said:

OP is your garage on the forum up to date? Because if so it seems like you already have most boxes ticked

I don't know what I'd add to that honestly, would you benefit from an Exige when you already have an Elise, or a Boxster when you already have a 911 cab?

I'd suggest something like a Caterham..

[kazino]

Which mx5 would you recommend, I test drove a 2015 model and it was quite lifeless
Tvr t350 I had caught fire the day I purchased it while driving off the lot, so I'm not looking to try it with an even older one without a warranty etc.
I had an Elise 111r, so thinking the exige roadster will be an upgrade on that for purely road use

CABC said:

taking the op at face value, the answer is in mx5, Elise, TVR. though I suspect that's not the answer you're looking for!
Exige would obliterate an Elise on track, but at 70 or below on public roads I'd take the Elise.

[kazino]

That would be the dream but just too impractical for doing road trips with the wife

Turn7 said:

Caterham ?

[georgeyboy12345]

What about this ND MX-5 2.0
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108065...

Then take it to BBR to fit the following

Turbo
https://bbrgti.com/products/bbr-mx-5-nd-stage-1-tu...

Suspension
https://bbrgti.com/collections/mazda-mx-5-nd/suspe...

Brakes
https://bbrgti.com/collections/mazda-mx-5-nd/Brake...


If you think the engine note is still a bit flat, what about shipping it to these guys in the USA to fit an LSx series V8 in it? Probably a bit too expensive though.
https://www.flyinmiata.com/ND/miata-performance-pa...


Or, you could find a rust free NB MX-5, like this one
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106023...

and take it to these fellas, who will stick a Jaguar V6 in it
https://www.rocketeercars.com/

[georgeyboy12345]

Or what about this low mileage Honda S2000?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110148...

This is a later AP2 model, so they sorted the handling out on them a bit so they are less twitchy, I think they have slightly shorter gearing than the earlier ones too.

Trying to think of stuff others haven't suggested.

[ZX10R NIN]

370Z good handling brawny V6 what's not to like:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110278...

Z4M

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105082...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106103...

[bennno]

kazino said:

Hi all, looking for a tactile weekend manual roadster for spirtied driving on country lanes and road trips.

Not a fan of electric steering nor do I need something that needs to be going 70mph+ before it starts to have any sensation (already have a couple of those in the garage) which pretty much rules out most modern cars. Very happy to go for something older that is vaguely reliable (don't want too much hastsle with something like a tvr)

Made a list, but would love your inputs

Exige roadster
987 boxster Spyder
Tvr (would love one but kind of had a t350 which caught fire the day I purchased it while driving it off the lot from a tvr main dealer)


If I sold one of my other cars would have enough to buy an
F430 Spyder, but it's a bit ostentatious (alrady have a Ferrari and not a fan of the negative attention)

V12 vantage (had a V8 and was horrendously unreliable)
R8 V10 (no boot space at all and not a fan of the showy looks)
Gallardo (friend had one, it was'nt reliable and running costs make my current Ferrari look cheap to run)

We have a 986 2.5 Boxster, Elise 135R and a 2010 Morgan 4/4 sport. All great fun for a blast, Boxster most refined, easy to use, engine sounds great, every journey in the Morgan however on a sunny day is an experience, 60 feels like 100mph.

[kazino]

lovely suggestions, please keep them coming.
How would something more vintage like a porsche 964 or a 993 handle compared to the modern stuff? I guess the roof off on those might cause too much structural issues? Maybe a targa?
Or a Ferrari 355 spyder?

[CABC]

kazino said:

Which mx5 would you recommend, I test drove a 2015 model and it was quite lifeless
Tvr t350 I had caught fire the day I purchased it while driving off the lot, so I'm not looking to try it with an even older one without a warranty etc.
I had an Elise 111r, so thinking the exige roadster will be an upgrade on that for purely road use

CABC said:

taking the op at face value, the answer is in mx5, Elise, TVR. though I suspect that's not the answer you're looking for!
Exige would obliterate an Elise on track, but at 70 or below on public roads I'd take the Elise.

yes, Mazda really choked a fine chassis with some lifeless engines!
I'd take the new 184hp 2.0l, give it some breathing and cams, fix the sloppy suspension and bingo, more smiles per £ than just about anything.
it's nice to have the bigger engined more serious cars, but in reality the real fun is more simply achieved.
Caterham wins overall, but that really is compromised. I'm getting one, but with a trailer!

[kazino]

Thanks for the suggestions, the one I had tried was the previous to the top one you suggested, but shall go and try that one out and see how it fairs.
It would be great to modify a car but I imagine it would be quite a bit of headache to keep on top of it and would I be correct to assume I would get pennies back for it come resale time?
Saying that I can't imagine how much fun a v8 or v6 would be in one

georgeyboy12345 said:

What about this ND MX-5 2.0
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108065...

Then take it to BBR to fit the following

Turbo
https://bbrgti.com/products/bbr-mx-5-nd-stage-1-tu...

Suspension
https://bbrgti.com/collections/mazda-mx-5-nd/suspe...

Brakes
https://bbrgti.com/collections/mazda-mx-5-nd/Brake...


If you think the engine note is still a bit flat, what about shipping it to these guys in the USA to fit an LSx series V8 in it? Probably a bit too expensive though.
https://www.flyinmiata.com/ND/miata-performance-pa...


Or, you could find a rust free NB MX-5, like this one
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106023...

and take it to these fellas, who will stick a Jaguar V6 in it
https://www.rocketeercars.com/

[cerb4.5lee]

ZX10R NIN said:

370Z good handling brawny V6 what's not to like:

I couldn't agree more.

[kazino]

cerb4.5lee said:

I couldn't agree more.

Great looking car there.
I had rented one in the USA (got a free upgrade to it from the basic Mustang I rented). Was great fun although I had quite a long drive and wished there was a setting for normal steering as well as heavy muscle car type steering when in the mood for it. I'm quite sure it had an lsd fitted was a fun, easily controllable over the limit and raspy v6 sound. So much car for the money and must have bombproof reliability?

[cerb4.5lee]

kazino said:

Great looking car there.
I had rented one in the USA (got a free upgrade to it from the basic Mustang I rented). Was great fun although I had quite a long drive and wished there was a setting for normal steering as well as heavy muscle car type steering when in the mood for it. I'm quite sure it had an lsd fitted was a fun, easily controllable over the limit and raspy v6 sound. So much car for the money and must have bombproof reliability?

Thanks.

They are a very marmite car in the UK, but they do have a cracking following over in the USA though. Yes it does have a LSD, and I've always been a fan of RWD cars with a LSD since I had my S14 200SX back in 2002 that had one on it.

Mine has been totally reliable(touchwood) for the 2.5 years I've had it, and they are great value cars for sure. I expected to lose loads of money on it, because they aren't an especially desirable car compared to most cars, but with the silly COVID values of cars I could pretty much sell it for what I paid for it now, and that hasn't ever happened to me with cars. They usually depreciate big time, and I lose a load of money on them!

It always puts a big smile on my face when I take it out(I should use it more to be honest though). I've been very happy with it, and I don't have any plans to sell it.

[msportpanda]

This is entirely biased and I've not had the fortune to drive Ferrari's, Astons and the likes but a Z4M?

Roadster
Decent reliability and the big ticket items (rod bearings, inspection 2 and vanos rebuilds aren't horrendous money to do)
Incredible mechanical noise from the engine with the ITB's, especially so with the roof down
Feels a bit special when you're sat in it
Looks pretty nice to boot!