£8k performance daily

[Albigularis]

So- £8k cash, could go over slightly but not much. Needs 4 usable seats, coupes are fine as long as the back seats are decent. Nice enough to drive, quick with possible tuning potential. Not cost the earth to run. Ideally petrol as I’ll be in a LEZ soon.

I can’t seem to see past an E90/1/2 335i. There must be a better idea out there?

[Mirinjawbro]

TTS?

[Chris_91]

Albigularis said:

Not cost the earth to run.

I can’t seem to see past an E90/1/2 335i.

Seen how much an injector costs?

Mk6 GTI and a remap.

[TikTak]

Few of these things are close to being mutually exclusive but that said there might be a couple closeish options, hatches mainly...

Mk5 Golf GTI/R32
Insignia VXR
Focus ST3
Civic Type R
Impreza WRX

[Patrick Bateman]

I was going to say Jaguar XK but the seat requirements ruin that- no chance you can chop off some legs?

[Martyn76]

Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1750 TBi Cloverleaf?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312094...

[Albigularis]

Patrick Bateman said:

I was going to say Jaguar XK but the seat requirements ruin that- no chance you can chop off some legs?

Believe it or not, there are actually a couple of XFR in budget…

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/386513828913?mkcid=16&a...

[ZX10R NIN]

Infiniti G37, good cars these are basically a 4 seat 370Z:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202309202...

E350cgi Sport:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202311164...

Megane RS250 with the Cup Pack:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202311063...

GTC VXR:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202401025...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312315...

RCZ 200 Asphalt:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312194...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312144...

2.0T A5 S Line (the first one looks stunning)

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202311073...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202311153...

[menousername]

Patrick Bateman said:

no chance you can chop off some legs?

Username checks out

[NordicCrankShaft]

Albigularis said:

Believe it or not, there are actually a couple of XFR in budget…

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/386513828913?mkcid=16&a...

An £8k XFR will be a disaster waiting to happen. Good luck.

[Mr Tidy]

Chris_91 said:

Albigularis said:

Not cost the earth to run.

I can’t seem to see past an E90/1/2 335i.

Seen how much an injector costs?

Not to mention a High Pressure Fuel Pump!

As much as I love BMWs I wouldn't be brave enough for one of those! My daily is a manual E90 330i that cost less than half your budget nearly 5 years ago that has the far less troublesome N52 engine which is why I chose it. With 258bhp it's quick enough for some fun and I can't see what I could replace it with unless I spent loads more.

If you don't mind Auto would a C Class work? C350 or maybe an AMG V8 could be entertaining!

[Patrick Bateman]

NordicCrankShaft said:

Albigularis said:

Believe it or not, there are actually a couple of XFR in budget…

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/386513828913?mkcid=16&a...

An £8k XFR will be a disaster waiting to happen. Good luck.

Why do you say that? Their values are still coming down and It's not that high mileage. I've seen numerous cars stay advertised for ages and not selling so I wouldn't want to be paying over the odds. There's a red one on autotrader that's been up for at least 14 months, now at 2 grand less than originally priced.

I remember when I bought my e39 M5 in 2013 for £7400 and I'd read plenty of comments along the lines of 'I wouldn't have one without a warranty'. The super saloon market is always going to require spending money now and again but it doesn't mean a car is an inevitable disaster.

[MrSpanky49]

Those GTC VXR's look very tempting!

[CarlosSainz100]

Mk5 edition 30 Golf GTi

[ingenieur]

Patrick Bateman said:

NordicCrankShaft said:

Albigularis said:

Believe it or not, there are actually a couple of XFR in budget…

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/386513828913?mkcid=16&a...

An £8k XFR will be a disaster waiting to happen. Good luck.

Why do you say that? Their values are still coming down and It's not that high mileage. I've seen numerous cars stay advertised for ages and not selling so I wouldn't want to be paying over the odds. There's a red one on autotrader that's been up for at least 14 months, now at 2 grand less than originally priced.

I remember when I bought my e39 M5 in 2013 for £7400 and I'd read plenty of comments along the lines of 'I wouldn't have one without a warranty'. The super saloon market is always going to require spending money now and again but it doesn't mean a car is an inevitable disaster.

Agreed, the amount of unproven technology on almost any car made from mid-naughties onwards puts nearly everything in the realm of bork potential.

My old 325i required a clutch and dual mass flywheel at around 50,000 miles... that's around £1200 from memory of the stinger of a bill I got. A 3-series is not a fagile Italian classic which you would expect to have to spend a lot of money on... more like a daily driver which should do 150-200k trouble free.

Spending £8k should not really be that much of a careful decision though. I would hate to lose that much money betting it on a horse or something stupid like that. But if you bought a car and it broke and you could not afford to fix it you're not going to lose everything and it's not going to be a major loss whatever happens.

I would say 'live a little' and spend £8k on something potentially unreliable but on the understanding that you could get a really nice Honda Jazz for the same money and that is the gamble you're taking.

There are lots of models of fast mercs which have spacious rear seating that are cheap to buy and not too expensive to run. It said 16.9mpg on the picture of the instrument cluster for the v8 jag... I think that looks quite heavy on fuel but if you're considering it then won't be phased by the fuel costs of a big merc.

[CG2020UK]

Peugeot 208 GTI Prestige might be an option.

[AmyRichardson]

ingenieur said:

Spending £8k should not really be that much of a careful decision though.

That depends on where that number comes from.

If it's a hard ceiling and the OP is stretching to get there, maybe with only a modest amount of bork budgeted on top, then getting a lemon would be a mobility restricting disaster.

If he's financially healthy and doesn't commit much of his income to such dalliances, then that's another matter!

[Xcore]

CarlosSainz100 said:

Mk5 edition 30 Golf GTi

This but like the n54 335i they are getting old and requiring a lot of maintenance.

Get a nice megane 250cup for that though.

[Silvanus]

Martyn76 said:

Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1750 TBi Cloverleaf?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312094...

I can definitely recommend these, my brother loved his. One of those cars that didn't make sense buying brand new but makes an excellent second hand buy.

I'd also be tempted by the Mini Paceman Cooper S, Hyundai Veloster Turbo and Mazda3 MPS.

[fezst]

Mirinjawbro said:

TTS?

He said four usable seats.