LHD car, motorway cruiser, less than £100K and 3 years old

[paddy1970]

I am looking to purchase a left-hand drive (LHD) car in the UK that will mainly be used for motorway cruising when I am visiting the continent (mainly Germany / Switzerland). My budget is £100K or less and I would like the car to be less than 3 years old.

My preferences are:

LHD
Motorway cruiser (comfortable for long distance, adaptive cruise control)
Powerful petrol engine with decent torque for easy overtaking and 150 mph cruising capability when in Germany (I do not care about full consumption)
Smooth ride
All the latest tech and safety features
Enough space for a few suitcases in the trunk and would prefer a 2 seater.

Some models I have been looking at but open to other recommendations are the Dodge Challenger, the Ford Mustang.

What would you suggest? I would appreciate any recommendations.

Thank you!

[Fas1975]

BMW M8 Competition

[paddy1970]

Thanks but where can i get a LHD s class coupe or m8 competition in the UK?

[sherman]

Corvette

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2021071751...

Ferrari v12(but too old)
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024022168...

[GeniusOfLove]

paddy1970 said:

Thanks but where can i get a LHD s class coupe or m8 competition in the UK?

You're going to struggle to buy anything LHD in the UK that's not a US import. Filter everything on Autotrader that's LHD and pick the least crap option?

Edited by GeniusOfLove on Monday 26th February 16:23

[paddy1970]

sherman said:

Corvette

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2021071751...

Ferrari v12(but too old)
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024022168...

I wonder if the corvette will be a good motorway cruiser...any experience

[hemidom]

There's a Corvette thread running in the main section with owners commenting so worth an ask in there. Engine definitely good for motorway cruising!

Challenger has the torque you want and a huge boot. Not that I am biased!

[OzzyR1]

paddy1970 said:

I am looking to purchase a left-hand drive (LHD) car in the UK that will mainly be used for motorway cruising when I am visiting the continent (mainly Germany / Switzerland). My budget is £100K or less and I would like the car to be less than 3 years old.

My preferences are:

LHD
Motorway cruiser (comfortable for long distance, adaptive cruise control)
Powerful petrol engine with decent torque for easy overtaking and 150 mph cruising capability when in Germany (I do not care about full consumption)
Smooth ride
All the latest tech and safety features
Enough space for a few suitcases in the trunk and would prefer a 2 seater.

Some models I have been looking at but open to other recommendations are the Dodge Challenger, the Ford Mustang.

What would you suggest? I would appreciate any recommendations.

Thank you!

Genuine question - why restrict yourself to buying a LHD in the limited UK market, rather than just purchasing one in Europe with a huge amount more choice? Even more so if primary use is to do some distance on the continent?

[aeropilot]

paddy1970 said:

I am looking to purchase a left-hand drive (LHD) car in the UK that will mainly be used for motorway cruising when I am visiting the continent (mainly Germany / Switzerland). My budget is £100K or less and I would like the car to be less than 3 years old.

My preferences are:

LHD
Motorway cruiser (comfortable for long distance, adaptive cruise control)
Powerful petrol engine with decent torque for easy overtaking and 150 mph cruising capability when in Germany (I do not care about full consumption)
Smooth ride
All the latest tech and safety features
Enough space for a few suitcases in the trunk and would prefer a 2 seater.

Has to be a Corvette then really, ticks all those boxes. Trouble is the less than 3 years old will mean one of the ghastly new mid-engine C8 versions.
I'd rather not be worried about the less than 3 years old criteria and be looking for one of the last C7 Vette's instead, but most owners are hanging onto them, as the last of the proper Corvette's.

Chally Hellcat would be the wonderful silly option if fuel consumption really isn't a problem

[macron]

OzzyR1 said:

Genuine question - why restrict yourself to buying a LHD in the limited UK market, rather than just purchasing one in Europe with a huge amount more choice? Even more so if primary use is to do some distance on the continent?

^ this.

There are a few specialist LHD dealers in random stuff but they give a pittance for LHD cars that people have brought in from abroad (and have usually not registered, won't currently comply etc), but then want the earth to sell.

The US importers seem to be better at that as they're more choosy about their sources. Prices vary like nothing explicable (to me, anyway), bit of you have a ton to play with you could take your pick, albeit only what's here.

theparking.eu and autouncle.com are good search engines for non UK stuff.

[ChocolateFrog]

You rank motorway Cruiser as one of tour top requirements and then suggest 2 muscle cars?

Hard to work out what you genuinely want.

[Gary C]

If its boring Mway cruising then a nice luxury Merc is surely the car to go for as that's exactly what they are designed to do.

Deliver execs to their destination as fresh as possible.

For 100K you could get something with 600hp and a walnut cocktail cabinet.

[GeniusOfLove]

OzzyR1 said:

Genuine question - why restrict yourself to buying a LHD in the limited UK market, rather than just purchasing one in Europe with a huge amount more choice? Even more so if primary use is to do some distance on the continent?

That's now how PH "what car" threads work, you have to come up with the most conflicting and obstructive list of arbitrary requirements, and if somehow someone comes up with a car that matches it then you've failed.

They're usually something ridiculous like they want a hatchback with about 140bhp, made by VW, have the letters G O and F in the name, but can't possibly be a Golf because my wife is allergic to them.

I imagine the niche of people wanting to spend £100,000 on a USED car with the steering wheel on the opposite side to all the cars sold in the market that must be an autobahn megastormer, but also happy to consider a christmas cracker Mustang that sells for pocket money in the US must be very small. A bit like hatchbacks with G O and F in the name that aren't a Golf.

[Kerniki]

paddy1970 said:

Thanks but where can i get a LHD s class coupe or m8 competition in the UK?

I have a 2018 LHD S63 cabriolet available if you want it, bit outside your budget and French registered though..

[Earthdweller]

There’s a few dealers that specialise in LHD cars in the U.K.

Here’s one that’s been going for a good few years and is mainly Euro spec cars rather than some in east anglia that mainly do US spec cars

They might be worth having a chat with

https://www.londonlhdcentre.com/

[Kerniki]

^
Really wouldn’t advise using them

[dan98]

You'll probably get there quicker in a Fiat Panda than a Corvette trying to sustain 150mph after fuel stops have been taken into account.

And by the way using a RHD car on the continent is fine. It even has a couple of advantages - exiting on the kerbside for example.

[braddo]

OzzyR1 said:

Genuine question - why restrict yourself to buying a LHD in the limited UK market, rather than just purchasing one in Europe

Was easy and cheap before Brexit, but not now. VAT and import duty plus other red tape bks to deal with.

LHD cars from the past 5 years in the UK will be very rare. I would be looking at something like a S-Class coupe. I haven't found RHD to be an issue on motorways in Europe, but overtaking on single lane roads is a different matter.

[Gary C]

dan98 said:

You'll probably get there quicker in a Fiat Panda than a Corvette trying to sustain 150mph after fuel stops have been taken into account.

And by the way using a RHD car on the continent is fine. It even has a couple of advantages - exiting on the kerbside for example.

Ohh i don't know

I did a Europe blast in a car that could only do 150 miles between stops at full tilt and even then it still was pretty rapid progress (Monza to Lancaster in 17 hours including an hour waiting for the ferry and a blast through the Voges mountains)

[blank]

Not sure what £100k buys you brand new these days, but you can usually order a brand new UK car as LHD. May need to be via a specific dealer.