MDifficult’s E82 1M Coupe & Ariel Atom 3
Discussion
Toyed with doing this for ages! Hope you like it. Here goes... Before getting to my current cars, I always love the threads where people share their car history, so here's mine! Unfortunately I don't have pictures for all of them so I've pointed out where I've shamelessly borrowed from Google image search. Where possible the images are exactly as my cars were.
So, first up...
Nissan Micra K10 1.0 | 1985 | 50 BHP | 79 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 13.6
Image from Google
Handed down from my older sister, this was my first car. Ghastly thing but made a change from all my peers who either drove Mk2 Fiestas or classic Minis (and was a lot more reliable too). Stood up to being dropped in ditches on more than one occasion and traded as soon as I got 1 year NCB for this...
Escort Mk4 1.6 LX | 1988 | 89 BHP | 102 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 10.2
Image from Google
Mine was actually grey not blue, but just couldn't find the right image. I still remember the first time I drove it home, felt like the fastest car on earth after the Micra. The biggest improvement was being able to get up hills with 5 up! Sadly, some numbnuts in a pickup truck with bullbars pulled out in front of me and wrote it off after just 6 months. I was gutted until the insurance payout bought me this...
Sierra Sapphire 1.8 LX | 1989 | 89 BHP | 84 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 11.1
Image from Google
Yup, another LX spec Ford (but this time with alloy wheels!) Although the Sierra felt gutless due to the extra weight vs the Escort, it was my first RWD car meaning every gravelly t-junction was drift city. And yes, I did fit a Cosworth spoiler, K&N filter and 3" exhaust and yes, I did think it looked the absolute nuts.
(Side-note: Travelling in convoy my friend once managed to rear-end me at a fair speed in his MGB. New bonnet for the MG, not a blemish on the Ford!)
However, an impending catastrophic head gasket failure (more trailing white smoke than a Saturn 5 rocket) lead me to trade it for this...
Vauxhall Calibra 2.0 16v | 1993 | 148 BHP | 124 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 8.0
Image from Google
A proper red-top Calibra. This thing drove like an absolute rocket-ship after the Sierra and looked like something from the future. This was also probably peak 'Max Power' period for me so was fitted out with some 17" DTM wheels from Ripspeed and a BOOMIN' stereo. I absolutely adored my red Cali' but after getting a 'proper job' I was suddenly allowed to buy things on credit... Which meant it was time for my first ever NEW car...
Ford Puma 1.7 | 1999 | 123 BHP | 118 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 8.7
Image from Google
Remember the Steve McQueen ad? That sold it for me. As soon as I saw that ad I KNEW I had to have a Ford Puma. I strolled into the dealership, traded the Calibra, stuck my Dad down as a guarantor (cheers Dad) and signed myself up to a Ford Options plan I could barely afford. With 3 years warranty and an amazing chassis, I'm pretty sure this car was never driven at anything less than 9/10ths for all the years I had it. Without doubt, of all my older cars the Puma is still the one that sticks with me. I still look them up on Autotrader at least once a month and will have another one one day - same exact spec of course. However, 123 BHP was always going to get boring eventually and lots of years NCB meant it was time to move up to the big leagues...
Subra Impreza WRX PPP | 2005 | 265 BHP | 196 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 5.3
Image from Google
My second (and last) NEW car. With the Puma at the end of its lease period the desperate salesman at Subaru offered me more than the balloon payment to trade it in on a new Impreza AND he included the cost of the PPP pack into the deal. Another finance signed up and away I went.. in probably the best family car I've ever owned. Fast and secure in all conditions, perfectly reliable despite being treated pretty harshly and an interior where it didn't matter if my kids ruined it. Cracking car but... more NCB, more disposable income and a hankering for something with proper pedigree pushed me to sell up and get this...
BMW E46 M3 Coupe | 2003 | 333 BHP | 215 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.8
Actual car
A friend at work had spotted me browsing E46 M3s on Autotrader and mentioned that he happened to have an E46 M3 Convertible in the underground car park. One 'entertaining' passenger ride and I was smitten. Sold the Subaru in a heartbeat and landed myself in a Black-on-Black 2003 Coupe. This car really cemented my mild obsession with cleaning and detailing. If I'm honest, I think it's just because I liked being outside looking at it as much as I enjoyed being inside driving it! Even today, I still think this shape looks better and better with age. Loved every minute of this car but an impending third child meant that the days of shovelling two kids in the back of a 2 door coupe were over. Tired of car loans and leasing and remembering the Impreza it was time for me to ditch the M3 and put all my cash into something a little more family friendly...
VW Golf R32 Mk5 DSG | 2006 | 247 BHP | 160 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 6.0
Actual car
A 4WD 5 door Golf with DSG, is there a more practical family car? Okay, the boot was tiny due to the 4WD system and it never felt as fast as the 0-60 would suggest but the V6 sounded wonderful and the DSG made me feel like I was driving an F1 car ALL THE TIME. It even had launch control... in 2006! The car never missed a beat and ferried all 5 of us around in the classy way that Golfs tend to do. However, by now I was over 30, with yet more NCB and more disposable income. It was time to add a second car to the garage...
Lotus Exige Mk2 | 2006 | 187 BHP | 205 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.7
Image courtesy of Evo Magazine. That's my actual car in the Evo photoshoot
I'd wanted a 'sunny weekend' car that could do occasional track days and my horrible habit of 'talking myself into up-spec' lead me from "why not a cheap Elise?" into "well, if you're going to have a Lotus you might as well do it properly" so a Series 2 Exige in Krypton Green was mine. Evo Mag had had one as a long-termer for a while in Krypton green and I knew that was the colour for me - found a mint one with low miles and the deal was done. Little did I know that my car would later be featured in an Evo in it's own right; an article on depreciation-proof cars. A fun day out and they turned out to be absolutely right... sold it for a profit 2 years later after 10k miles and a few trackdays. In the meantime however, my daily-driver Golf was starting to feel a little slow and a little cramped for my growing kids so, with the Lotus money in my pocket I consolidated everything and decided that a larger and more practical car was what I needed...
Audi RS4 Avant B7 | 2006 | 414 BHP | 242 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.6
Actual car
In some ways, the Audi was a natural progression from the Golf (in fact, various forums seem to suggest a lot of R32 owners end up in RS4s). I chose the Avant because the larger boot made it even more useful and, to my eyes at least looks much better. Just like the Golf it was 4WD, German, practical and ideal for a family. But unlike the Golf it had much MORE go than show. Going back to a manual from a DSG was an absolute delight and I put nearly 45k miles onto the car including trips across Europe including one all the way down to the Italian lakes. Mega. Just like all my cars, the RS4 was used properly but maintained in immaculate condition and the opportunity to sell it 4 years later for not-far-off what I bought it for couldn't be missed. But not quite yet because it was time for a second car again...
Mini One Convertible R52 | 2005 | 89 BHP | 76 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 11.8
Actual car
My eldest daughter hitting 17 meant it was time for a new car to join the household. I looked at all the usual suspects (Fiestas, Fiats, Clios etc) but wanted something that would be okay for a learner but also something that the whole family could enjoy. Mini One Convertible black-on-black fit the bill perfectly! We owned the Mini Convertible for about 2 years and despite doing very few miles it was absolutely cracking fun. We'd take it out all the time especially in the summer (leaving the daily-driver looking a little neglected) but I even found myself using it from time to time just for the fun of driving something really slow but really entertaining. Plus, putting the roof down made it ideal for bringing home 6-foot Christmas trees! A little tatty when I bought it, it was absolutely MINT when I eventually sold it to a really nice couple for pretty much what I paid for it. But in the meantime, the RS4 had gone and needed to be replaced... it was time to return to BMW...
BMW F10 M5 | 2013 | 560 BHP | 288 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.2
Actual car
Despite being another fast German car, the M5 is everything that the Audi wasn't. It's brutally, earth-shatteringly fast with torque to spare. It's dual-clutch (my commute is increasingly stop-start these days) but most importantly the driver has got to be fully on their game all the time. The Audi's one-mode, all-weather sure-footedness was it's biggest strength but also it's biggest weakness. The M5 can play both comfy chauffer and exhilarating tyre-smoking rocket-ship far better than the RS4 could and the difference in equipment levels between a 2005 car and a 2013 car was night and day.
Spent a while looking for one in my ideal spec (Monte Carlo Blue, Silverstone leather, 20" wheels, split/fold rear seats & Multi-Function Sports seats) and ended up finding one that was owned by a guy I'd worked with a good few years earlier. I picked it up in good condition but since then I've had the front bumper re-painted to remove any trace of stonechips and stonechip repairs and then covered in PPF to keep it looking mint for the next 5 years (heavily stonechipped bumpers drive me NUTS). I've also had the wheels re-done and completed some light paint correction to bring it back to 'as new' which is good considering it's got 45k miles on it. Not seen any in as good nick as mine
. However, with my eldest away in University and a change in work circumstances I'm now doing more miles than ever which isn't a good move with a car like this (the depreciation is bad enough!). Time for a second car to share the load...
Mini John Cooper Works GP R56 | 2012 | 215 BHP | 185 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 6.2
Actual car. Image courtesy of Ben Lowden
This started out from a simple set of requirements. Small enough to fit in the garage. Practical enough to drive a reasonable number of miles a year. Fun when I'm on my own. Suitable for the occasional trackday. Straight away I knew the choice would be between a RenaultSport Clio 200 or a Mini John Cooper Works (sadly, I decided a Puma just couldn't cut it, despite the nostalgia value). I test-drove a couple of Clios and really enjoyed their light, revvy, precision feeling. But, I also remembered how much I enjoyed our old Mini Convertible and being a big BMW fan the JCW had to be considered. I test drove a few early R56 models and found them good fun but horror stories about the N14 engine made me nervous.
Enter my horrible habit of 'talking myself into up-spec' again... it started with "get a cheap, early JCW" then became "get a later one with the N18 engine" and then became "well, if you're going to buy an N18-based JCW you might as well do it properly" and that's how I talked myself into a GP2. I test-drove four GP2s before deciding on this one owned by Pistonheads staffer Ben Lowden (see link here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=162...). Keeping in mind there's only about 200 total in the UK you can imagine how far-afield I had to travel to try four. Ben's car was the best combination of price, condition, mileage and 'owner provenance'. I like to buy cars from people who clearly appreciate them and seeing the sadness on Ben's face as I drove off told me he'd loved this one!
How is it to drive? I can't stop driving the damn thing! It's absolutely hilarious 100% of the time and totally ridiculous in the rain. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun while still being well below the speed limit. Where RenaultSport Clios are light and deft, the GP2 is a little clenched-fist of aggro & fury. It pops and bangs and fights its way around every camber and cats-eye like an ASBO teenager while still having heated seats and bluetooth! What's not to love?
(Side-note: This is the point when a few might jump in with 'but, but, no rear seats' or 'but, but massively over-priced'. To be clear, don't care about rear seats (I'll never need them). I would never have bought a GP2 NEW but the prices are very fair these days and hopefully due to it's relative rarity the stronger residuals vs the standard JCW should make it a good choice. We'll see.)
As good condition as it was when it arrived, it didn't quite meet my usual standards so it's had a few little jobs done already. I'll detail them later in the thread if folk are interested but in summary:
1. Replaced front grill - old one was faded and had a small crack in it
2. New 'stubby' aerial - looks cool
3. Replaced two rusty bolts under the bonnet
4. Replaced a roof decal that was losing its gloss (a scary task)
5. Replaced yellowing sidelights with LEDs
6. Light paint correction and thorough cleaning & waxing inside and out (and under-bonnet)
7. Chased out a dozen little buzzes and rattles from the interior using my own toolkit of sticky rubber strips, low-friction medical tape and scuba-equipment rubber lubricant (I'm not a weirdo - they're the benefits of previous Lotus ownership!)
So that's it, bang up to date. Can't see either of them being replaced for a good while yet and I've no idea what I'd replace them with anyway! Next step is some trackdays this summer for the GP2. Happy to answer any questions and will hopefully keep this thread updated on an on-going basis. Cheers!
Update...
The GP2 was eventually sold after a couple of great years and a few brilliant adventures - then a few others arrived (and went)...
Mini One 1.4 R56 | 2009 | 97 BHP | 85 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 10.5
ANOTHER black MINI, bought for my middle daughter to learn to drive. We sold it after 12-odd months after she went off to university. Great little car.
Honda CBR600RR | 2004 | 117 BHP | 717 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 2.8
Absolute minter with only 3k miles on the clock that I couldn't not buy. Serviced, new tyres, wobbled it around for 9 months then sold for a nice little profit
BMW E82 1M Coupe | 2011 | 335 BHP | 257 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.7
Potential new 'forever' car for high days and holidays. Low miles, Akrapovic exhaust and M Performance seats. Replacement for the MINI GP2 and bloody brilliant.
MINI Cooper S R53 Track Car | 2004 | 250 BHP | 227 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in ???
Bought as a road-legal-but-pretty-much-entirely-dedicated track car. Most things modified. Goes like stink and sticks like sh@t to a blanket. Sold after 18 months of fun.
Ariel Atom 3 310 Supercharged | 2009 | 310 BHP | 600 BHP Per Ton (ish) | 0-60 in 2.7
Sold the MINI R53 Track Car, and the F10 M5 and bought this exhilarating pile of scaffolding
So, first up...
Nissan Micra K10 1.0 | 1985 | 50 BHP | 79 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 13.6
Image from Google
Handed down from my older sister, this was my first car. Ghastly thing but made a change from all my peers who either drove Mk2 Fiestas or classic Minis (and was a lot more reliable too). Stood up to being dropped in ditches on more than one occasion and traded as soon as I got 1 year NCB for this...
Escort Mk4 1.6 LX | 1988 | 89 BHP | 102 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 10.2
Image from Google
Mine was actually grey not blue, but just couldn't find the right image. I still remember the first time I drove it home, felt like the fastest car on earth after the Micra. The biggest improvement was being able to get up hills with 5 up! Sadly, some numbnuts in a pickup truck with bullbars pulled out in front of me and wrote it off after just 6 months. I was gutted until the insurance payout bought me this...
Sierra Sapphire 1.8 LX | 1989 | 89 BHP | 84 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 11.1
Image from Google
Yup, another LX spec Ford (but this time with alloy wheels!) Although the Sierra felt gutless due to the extra weight vs the Escort, it was my first RWD car meaning every gravelly t-junction was drift city. And yes, I did fit a Cosworth spoiler, K&N filter and 3" exhaust and yes, I did think it looked the absolute nuts.
(Side-note: Travelling in convoy my friend once managed to rear-end me at a fair speed in his MGB. New bonnet for the MG, not a blemish on the Ford!)
However, an impending catastrophic head gasket failure (more trailing white smoke than a Saturn 5 rocket) lead me to trade it for this...
Vauxhall Calibra 2.0 16v | 1993 | 148 BHP | 124 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 8.0
Image from Google
A proper red-top Calibra. This thing drove like an absolute rocket-ship after the Sierra and looked like something from the future. This was also probably peak 'Max Power' period for me so was fitted out with some 17" DTM wheels from Ripspeed and a BOOMIN' stereo. I absolutely adored my red Cali' but after getting a 'proper job' I was suddenly allowed to buy things on credit... Which meant it was time for my first ever NEW car...
Ford Puma 1.7 | 1999 | 123 BHP | 118 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 8.7
Image from Google
Remember the Steve McQueen ad? That sold it for me. As soon as I saw that ad I KNEW I had to have a Ford Puma. I strolled into the dealership, traded the Calibra, stuck my Dad down as a guarantor (cheers Dad) and signed myself up to a Ford Options plan I could barely afford. With 3 years warranty and an amazing chassis, I'm pretty sure this car was never driven at anything less than 9/10ths for all the years I had it. Without doubt, of all my older cars the Puma is still the one that sticks with me. I still look them up on Autotrader at least once a month and will have another one one day - same exact spec of course. However, 123 BHP was always going to get boring eventually and lots of years NCB meant it was time to move up to the big leagues...
Subra Impreza WRX PPP | 2005 | 265 BHP | 196 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 5.3
Image from Google
My second (and last) NEW car. With the Puma at the end of its lease period the desperate salesman at Subaru offered me more than the balloon payment to trade it in on a new Impreza AND he included the cost of the PPP pack into the deal. Another finance signed up and away I went.. in probably the best family car I've ever owned. Fast and secure in all conditions, perfectly reliable despite being treated pretty harshly and an interior where it didn't matter if my kids ruined it. Cracking car but... more NCB, more disposable income and a hankering for something with proper pedigree pushed me to sell up and get this...
BMW E46 M3 Coupe | 2003 | 333 BHP | 215 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.8
Actual car
A friend at work had spotted me browsing E46 M3s on Autotrader and mentioned that he happened to have an E46 M3 Convertible in the underground car park. One 'entertaining' passenger ride and I was smitten. Sold the Subaru in a heartbeat and landed myself in a Black-on-Black 2003 Coupe. This car really cemented my mild obsession with cleaning and detailing. If I'm honest, I think it's just because I liked being outside looking at it as much as I enjoyed being inside driving it! Even today, I still think this shape looks better and better with age. Loved every minute of this car but an impending third child meant that the days of shovelling two kids in the back of a 2 door coupe were over. Tired of car loans and leasing and remembering the Impreza it was time for me to ditch the M3 and put all my cash into something a little more family friendly...
VW Golf R32 Mk5 DSG | 2006 | 247 BHP | 160 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 6.0
Actual car
A 4WD 5 door Golf with DSG, is there a more practical family car? Okay, the boot was tiny due to the 4WD system and it never felt as fast as the 0-60 would suggest but the V6 sounded wonderful and the DSG made me feel like I was driving an F1 car ALL THE TIME. It even had launch control... in 2006! The car never missed a beat and ferried all 5 of us around in the classy way that Golfs tend to do. However, by now I was over 30, with yet more NCB and more disposable income. It was time to add a second car to the garage...
Lotus Exige Mk2 | 2006 | 187 BHP | 205 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.7
Image courtesy of Evo Magazine. That's my actual car in the Evo photoshoot
I'd wanted a 'sunny weekend' car that could do occasional track days and my horrible habit of 'talking myself into up-spec' lead me from "why not a cheap Elise?" into "well, if you're going to have a Lotus you might as well do it properly" so a Series 2 Exige in Krypton Green was mine. Evo Mag had had one as a long-termer for a while in Krypton green and I knew that was the colour for me - found a mint one with low miles and the deal was done. Little did I know that my car would later be featured in an Evo in it's own right; an article on depreciation-proof cars. A fun day out and they turned out to be absolutely right... sold it for a profit 2 years later after 10k miles and a few trackdays. In the meantime however, my daily-driver Golf was starting to feel a little slow and a little cramped for my growing kids so, with the Lotus money in my pocket I consolidated everything and decided that a larger and more practical car was what I needed...
Audi RS4 Avant B7 | 2006 | 414 BHP | 242 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.6
Actual car
In some ways, the Audi was a natural progression from the Golf (in fact, various forums seem to suggest a lot of R32 owners end up in RS4s). I chose the Avant because the larger boot made it even more useful and, to my eyes at least looks much better. Just like the Golf it was 4WD, German, practical and ideal for a family. But unlike the Golf it had much MORE go than show. Going back to a manual from a DSG was an absolute delight and I put nearly 45k miles onto the car including trips across Europe including one all the way down to the Italian lakes. Mega. Just like all my cars, the RS4 was used properly but maintained in immaculate condition and the opportunity to sell it 4 years later for not-far-off what I bought it for couldn't be missed. But not quite yet because it was time for a second car again...
Mini One Convertible R52 | 2005 | 89 BHP | 76 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 11.8
Actual car
My eldest daughter hitting 17 meant it was time for a new car to join the household. I looked at all the usual suspects (Fiestas, Fiats, Clios etc) but wanted something that would be okay for a learner but also something that the whole family could enjoy. Mini One Convertible black-on-black fit the bill perfectly! We owned the Mini Convertible for about 2 years and despite doing very few miles it was absolutely cracking fun. We'd take it out all the time especially in the summer (leaving the daily-driver looking a little neglected) but I even found myself using it from time to time just for the fun of driving something really slow but really entertaining. Plus, putting the roof down made it ideal for bringing home 6-foot Christmas trees! A little tatty when I bought it, it was absolutely MINT when I eventually sold it to a really nice couple for pretty much what I paid for it. But in the meantime, the RS4 had gone and needed to be replaced... it was time to return to BMW...
BMW F10 M5 | 2013 | 560 BHP | 288 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.2
Actual car
Despite being another fast German car, the M5 is everything that the Audi wasn't. It's brutally, earth-shatteringly fast with torque to spare. It's dual-clutch (my commute is increasingly stop-start these days) but most importantly the driver has got to be fully on their game all the time. The Audi's one-mode, all-weather sure-footedness was it's biggest strength but also it's biggest weakness. The M5 can play both comfy chauffer and exhilarating tyre-smoking rocket-ship far better than the RS4 could and the difference in equipment levels between a 2005 car and a 2013 car was night and day.
Spent a while looking for one in my ideal spec (Monte Carlo Blue, Silverstone leather, 20" wheels, split/fold rear seats & Multi-Function Sports seats) and ended up finding one that was owned by a guy I'd worked with a good few years earlier. I picked it up in good condition but since then I've had the front bumper re-painted to remove any trace of stonechips and stonechip repairs and then covered in PPF to keep it looking mint for the next 5 years (heavily stonechipped bumpers drive me NUTS). I've also had the wheels re-done and completed some light paint correction to bring it back to 'as new' which is good considering it's got 45k miles on it. Not seen any in as good nick as mine
. However, with my eldest away in University and a change in work circumstances I'm now doing more miles than ever which isn't a good move with a car like this (the depreciation is bad enough!). Time for a second car to share the load...Mini John Cooper Works GP R56 | 2012 | 215 BHP | 185 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 6.2
Actual car. Image courtesy of Ben Lowden
This started out from a simple set of requirements. Small enough to fit in the garage. Practical enough to drive a reasonable number of miles a year. Fun when I'm on my own. Suitable for the occasional trackday. Straight away I knew the choice would be between a RenaultSport Clio 200 or a Mini John Cooper Works (sadly, I decided a Puma just couldn't cut it, despite the nostalgia value). I test-drove a couple of Clios and really enjoyed their light, revvy, precision feeling. But, I also remembered how much I enjoyed our old Mini Convertible and being a big BMW fan the JCW had to be considered. I test drove a few early R56 models and found them good fun but horror stories about the N14 engine made me nervous.
Enter my horrible habit of 'talking myself into up-spec' again... it started with "get a cheap, early JCW" then became "get a later one with the N18 engine" and then became "well, if you're going to buy an N18-based JCW you might as well do it properly" and that's how I talked myself into a GP2. I test-drove four GP2s before deciding on this one owned by Pistonheads staffer Ben Lowden (see link here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=162...). Keeping in mind there's only about 200 total in the UK you can imagine how far-afield I had to travel to try four. Ben's car was the best combination of price, condition, mileage and 'owner provenance'. I like to buy cars from people who clearly appreciate them and seeing the sadness on Ben's face as I drove off told me he'd loved this one!
How is it to drive? I can't stop driving the damn thing! It's absolutely hilarious 100% of the time and totally ridiculous in the rain. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun while still being well below the speed limit. Where RenaultSport Clios are light and deft, the GP2 is a little clenched-fist of aggro & fury. It pops and bangs and fights its way around every camber and cats-eye like an ASBO teenager while still having heated seats and bluetooth! What's not to love?
(Side-note: This is the point when a few might jump in with 'but, but, no rear seats' or 'but, but massively over-priced'. To be clear, don't care about rear seats (I'll never need them). I would never have bought a GP2 NEW but the prices are very fair these days and hopefully due to it's relative rarity the stronger residuals vs the standard JCW should make it a good choice. We'll see.)
As good condition as it was when it arrived, it didn't quite meet my usual standards so it's had a few little jobs done already. I'll detail them later in the thread if folk are interested but in summary:
1. Replaced front grill - old one was faded and had a small crack in it
2. New 'stubby' aerial - looks cool
3. Replaced two rusty bolts under the bonnet
4. Replaced a roof decal that was losing its gloss (a scary task)
5. Replaced yellowing sidelights with LEDs
6. Light paint correction and thorough cleaning & waxing inside and out (and under-bonnet)
7. Chased out a dozen little buzzes and rattles from the interior using my own toolkit of sticky rubber strips, low-friction medical tape and scuba-equipment rubber lubricant (I'm not a weirdo - they're the benefits of previous Lotus ownership!)
So that's it, bang up to date. Can't see either of them being replaced for a good while yet and I've no idea what I'd replace them with anyway! Next step is some trackdays this summer for the GP2. Happy to answer any questions and will hopefully keep this thread updated on an on-going basis. Cheers!
Update...
The GP2 was eventually sold after a couple of great years and a few brilliant adventures - then a few others arrived (and went)...
Mini One 1.4 R56 | 2009 | 97 BHP | 85 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 10.5
ANOTHER black MINI, bought for my middle daughter to learn to drive. We sold it after 12-odd months after she went off to university. Great little car.
Honda CBR600RR | 2004 | 117 BHP | 717 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 2.8
Absolute minter with only 3k miles on the clock that I couldn't not buy. Serviced, new tyres, wobbled it around for 9 months then sold for a nice little profit
BMW E82 1M Coupe | 2011 | 335 BHP | 257 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.7
Potential new 'forever' car for high days and holidays. Low miles, Akrapovic exhaust and M Performance seats. Replacement for the MINI GP2 and bloody brilliant.
MINI Cooper S R53 Track Car | 2004 | 250 BHP | 227 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in ???
Bought as a road-legal-but-pretty-much-entirely-dedicated track car. Most things modified. Goes like stink and sticks like sh@t to a blanket. Sold after 18 months of fun.
Ariel Atom 3 310 Supercharged | 2009 | 310 BHP | 600 BHP Per Ton (ish) | 0-60 in 2.7
Sold the MINI R53 Track Car, and the F10 M5 and bought this exhilarating pile of scaffolding
Edited by MDifficult on Monday 5th September 16:29
SamCar10 said:
I've recently picked up a later R56 JCW with the N18 engine and the way you summarised the GP2 is exactly how I feel about the JCW. It makes me laugh every time I get in it, only had it a week but I already love it! I can only imagine how much fun the GP2 is!
I was so close to going with a standard one, the difference isn't as much as you might think. It was really the rarity effect on residuals and the 'something a bit different' that swung it. Thanks also for remending me it's N18, not N17 so I've updated the post coopedup said:
Really enjoyed that, many thanks, and some great cars there!
Cheers! Enjoyed writing it TBH. A real nostalgia-fest, especially looking up all the stats. I'm sad enough to admit that I calculated the Bhp per Ton myself to make sure they were accurate - it's the kind of stat I used to pour over when making car decisions, especially in the early days. SamCar10 said:
MDifficult said:
I was so close to going with a standard one, the difference isn't as much as you might think. It was really the rarity effect on residuals and the 'something a bit different' that swung it. Thanks also for remending me it's N18, not N17 so I've updated the post
No problem, I did consider the GP2, but being a young driver, there was no-one who would insure me for less than a kidney.MondyTitX said:
Am I right in thinking you live in a suburb of Reading? If so then I've admired your cars every time I've driven past on the way to my mum and dads. Driving past your house the past few years has always put a smile on my face seeing a big V8 monster on the drive way. So much better than the grey rep mobiles in front of everyone else's houses. Some top choices in there!!
Haha, yeah, that's me! Glad someone's enjoying them. Most of my neighbours are less impressed when I start them up at 6:30 in the morning to go to work. If you're even on the way past when I'm out cleaning them, say 'Hi' A few updates. Managed to find a few pictures of more of my old cars so I've updated the images in the opening post to replace the Google ones.
Can't own cars like this and not use them properly so this morning I joined a bunch of other PH-ers for the first run-out of the year. Wet roads, muddy tracks and more than few piles of cow sh*t left the car looking pretty well used by the time I got home...
The downside to a bluff backside and no rear wash wipe is a rear window you can see out of for about 5 minutes! Liberal coating of crud all over.
Thankfully, a good previous base coat of wax, a foam lance and 10 minutes with the Karcher and all's back to normal...
Really enjoyed the run-out - perfect for the Mini really with tight a twisty stuff followed by flowing A and B roads. I think I've also perfected the right heal & toe down-change technique to really set the exhaust popping & banging on the overrun Never known a car that can move from verge to centreline and back quite so quickly on the throttle, especially when you've one hand changing gear but I guess I just need to learn to grip the steering wheel harder!
Only downside so far... the little faux vents on the side skirts appear to only serve one purpose... collecting cow sh*t and stones!
Can't own cars like this and not use them properly so this morning I joined a bunch of other PH-ers for the first run-out of the year. Wet roads, muddy tracks and more than few piles of cow sh*t left the car looking pretty well used by the time I got home...
The downside to a bluff backside and no rear wash wipe is a rear window you can see out of for about 5 minutes! Liberal coating of crud all over.
Thankfully, a good previous base coat of wax, a foam lance and 10 minutes with the Karcher and all's back to normal...
Really enjoyed the run-out - perfect for the Mini really with tight a twisty stuff followed by flowing A and B roads. I think I've also perfected the right heal & toe down-change technique to really set the exhaust popping & banging on the overrun
Never known a car that can move from verge to centreline and back quite so quickly on the throttle, especially when you've one hand changing gear but I guess I just need to learn to grip the steering wheel harder!Only downside so far... the little faux vents on the side skirts appear to only serve one purpose... collecting cow sh*t and stones!
BenLowden said:
That GP looks familiar! Wait a minute, I think I've got something in my eye... 
Can I have it back yet please?
Don't worry Ben, you'll always have first refusal on buy-back... I'll take good care of it in the meantime Can I have it back yet please?BMRuss said:
Love the M5, I MUST have one of those one day with the same colour combo
My advice would be... do it! I wonder whether the F10 will prove to be a sweet-spot in future. With the next one getting even bigger, four wheel drive and a whole host of nannying 'safety' features, this may be the last of the real monsters!illmonkey said:
I knew you were doing it on purpose!
Cheers, guilty as charged. Having the roof down gave you the best opportunity to enjoy it!I mentioned in the first post that my M5 has had a bit of a ‘nose job’ so thought I’d share some details on that. Just before Christmas a poorly-repaired stone chip (by previous owner) started to flake, making an already pretty stone-chipped front bumper look really dog-eared.
Thankfully, on the F10 the front bumper wraps right up over the nose to meet the bonnet (rather than the bonnet curving down to meet the bumper like it did on my old E46). This means that re-painting the front bumper pretty much deals with all the front-end stone chips.
I got quotes from a number of local places as well as BMW (hopeless) but ended up going with Mulgari Automotive in Bracknell. As soon as I started chatting with the guys there it was clear they understood the level of quality I was hunting for and offered a really good quote together with a full PPF wrap of the bumper post-paint.
The few weeks of driving around with a really tatty front bumper were pretty miserable. “Oy mate, you’ve banged your front bumper!”. “Yes, thanks, I know. I didn’t actually bang it but thanks. Again.” Mid January arrived and it was off to Mulgari. Front bits removed..
Fully prepped then into the paint booth (arty shot curtesy of their social media feed):
Reassembled (looking good!) with PPF applied, waiting on the wheels that were off being refurbished and re-diamond cut.
After a tough week of waiting it was time to pick the car back up. Looking absolutely fantastic and, it seems, fitted with a new M2-shaped roof rack!
Can’t fault the quality of the work and with the PPF fitted it should stay mint for at least another 5 years.
Thankfully, on the F10 the front bumper wraps right up over the nose to meet the bonnet (rather than the bonnet curving down to meet the bumper like it did on my old E46). This means that re-painting the front bumper pretty much deals with all the front-end stone chips.
I got quotes from a number of local places as well as BMW (hopeless) but ended up going with Mulgari Automotive in Bracknell. As soon as I started chatting with the guys there it was clear they understood the level of quality I was hunting for and offered a really good quote together with a full PPF wrap of the bumper post-paint.
The few weeks of driving around with a really tatty front bumper were pretty miserable. “Oy mate, you’ve banged your front bumper!”. “Yes, thanks, I know. I didn’t actually bang it but thanks. Again.” Mid January arrived and it was off to Mulgari. Front bits removed..
Fully prepped then into the paint booth (arty shot curtesy of their social media feed):
Reassembled (looking good!) with PPF applied, waiting on the wheels that were off being refurbished and re-diamond cut.
After a tough week of waiting it was time to pick the car back up. Looking absolutely fantastic and, it seems, fitted with a new M2-shaped roof rack!
Can’t fault the quality of the work and with the PPF fitted it should stay mint for at least another 5 years.
mikeyb1987 said:
Nice choice of cars. I too have a V8 and a GP2....
Completely agree with your thoughts on the GP2- I can't help but laugh out loud at the way it goes around corners
Woah, that really IS a likeminded pair - looking good! How long have you had yours? Looks fantastic. Completely agree with your thoughts on the GP2- I can't help but laugh out loud at the way it goes around corners
I'm writing up a thread of the work I've done to mine in the last few weeks - will get it posted as soon as I can.
mikeyb1987 said:
I also had a Puma 1.7 as a winter hack for a few years too - great minds think alike 
In fact, the GP2 replaced the Puma's winter duties, but it's also there for summer work commutes and hopefully the odd trackday. I got it in December and absolutely love it. The Puma had a great chassis and was ridiculously oversteery (due to rubbish rear tyres). I was worried, despite all the reviews, that the GP2 would be tame after it. How wrong was I! It's also quick in a straight line - helped in no short way by the short ratios.
I'd be intrigued to see what work you've done to yours. I quite like the sound of the stubby aerial and LED sidelights - I might look into these. The only thing I've done is put an aftermarket panel filter in it.
What tyres are you running?
No way?? You know the rest of that quote? "Great minds think alike... and fools seldom differ" In fact, the GP2 replaced the Puma's winter duties, but it's also there for summer work commutes and hopefully the odd trackday. I got it in December and absolutely love it. The Puma had a great chassis and was ridiculously oversteery (due to rubbish rear tyres). I was worried, despite all the reviews, that the GP2 would be tame after it. How wrong was I! It's also quick in a straight line - helped in no short way by the short ratios.
I'd be intrigued to see what work you've done to yours. I quite like the sound of the stubby aerial and LED sidelights - I might look into these. The only thing I've done is put an aftermarket panel filter in it.
What tyres are you running?
My middle daughter is going to need to learn to drive next year and I'm already trying to find a way that a Puma 1.7 can be insured for less than a Mini One or Fiat 500 TwinAir
It's an itch I definitely need to re-scratch at some point. The Mini really does feel proper quick and I agree a lot of that is down to the gearing - feels super-short and with 6th being a 'proper' 6th it's all fun all the way. I think the way it tugs itself from kerb to cats-eye helps that feeling too
I'll get the post written up properly over the weekend if I can and pop it up next week. Nothing that really counts as a 'modification', more just getting it spot on. Tyres are Michelin PSS, same as on the M5 (only not quite as large).
AMG01 said:
'Chased out a dozen little buzzes and rattles from the interior using my own toolkit of sticky rubber strips, low-friction medical tape and scuba-equipment rubber lubricant (I'm not a weirdo - they're the benefits of previous Lotus ownership!)'
Where did you get your, 'sticky rubber strips, low-friction medical tape and scuba-equipment rubber lubricant,' I have a few rattles on my Z4 that need fixed in the interior and am at my wits end?
I'll stick up the Mini post next week and make sure it has all the details of the kit but in short.. eBay! You need different stuff for different noises but the three things I use covers almost all cases. I'll write up a breakdown of what stuff for what type of noise as part if it if that's helpful?Where did you get your, 'sticky rubber strips, low-friction medical tape and scuba-equipment rubber lubricant,' I have a few rattles on my Z4 that need fixed in the interior and am at my wits end?
bassett said:
Very interesting car history you have there and love the M5. Being a PH'er and having kids its good to see you juggled between the two, gives me hope (first kid on the way this month!)
Congratulations! It's not always easy but I often found it wasn't the kids that were the problem, in was all their clobber! Choosing pushchairs and travel cots based on their 'size when folded' is a top tipThe Mini was in excellent condition when I bought it but it wasn't quite up the standard I like to maintain my cars. After its first thorough clean I made a list of the things that were immediately obvious...
Grill: The front grill had a crack in it. Looking back at Ben's old photos I could just make it out so it'd clearly been there for a little while. I conscidered simply gluing it up but it was starting to look a little faded in comparison to the lower grill (being directly in the sunlight most of the time) and is a cheap and easy part to replace on the R56.
Old grill
New grill
Aerial: Why did Mini choose to add such a whopper? Makes it look like a remote controlled car! A quick swap to a Stubby is no more than 30 seconds work
Note the carbon of the wing in the background. Lush.
Strut Bolts The under-bonnet strut brace was a little tarnished, with two bolts in particular going rusty where rain-water collects. Gave the whole thing a quick polish with Autosol and then replaced the bolts, giving the studs a clean with wire wool and the replacement bolts a good coat of waterproof grease - let's see if they hold up.
Sidenote: These bolts were a new thing to me - single use bolts that are oval in the middle. The idea being that as you screw them down this forces the oval into a circle and that 'squeezes' the thread preventing it from undoing through vibration. Not come across them before but just 50p from Mini. Whipped out the torque wrench and the job took minutes (34 Nm if anyone's interested - took me ages to find out and even Mini didn't know).
Old Bolt
New Bolt
Roof Decal The drivers-side roof decal was losing some of its gloss. Not something someone else would likely spot, but once I'd seen it it was obvious every time I got in! I ummed and ahhed about getting someone else to do this job as the 'cost of cock-up' was quite high (another costly new decal and an embarrassing repeat trip to the Mini parts department) and if it was wrongly positioned or had any bubbles or imperfections it would drive me mental! But, in for a penny...
Firstly, I marked out the edges of the sticker so that I could be totally confident that the replacement was going in the same place:
The decal came off super easy with plenty of heat and patience - all in one piece and with zero residue. A quick wipe down with neat alcohol and the surface was ready:
The replacement sticker kit has some handy tabs to help fit in the correct place, but as I'd marked out the old one with masking tape I got it perfectly aligned. A bit of soapy water and a squeegee, plus some care and attention and the job was done:
Wiped it down, waited for it to dry thoroughly, then waxed over the top. Perfect. Phew!
Yellow Sidelights: They look really cheap in comparison to the excellent headlights but thankfully replacing the bulbs is cheap and a doddle on a Mini R56. Just turn the wheels, uncrew the little plastic access hatch in the inner wheel-arch and uncrew and pull out the bulb holder. I've currently replaced with some eBay LEDs but although they're better, the blueness is too much so I'm looking at other options. Mini do a retro-fit full LED DRL kit but the cost is bananas at £300 plus a pretty complicated fitting process. Any suggestions anyone?
Detailing: Overall, the paint was in a good state but with some hazing and swirls. Interestingly, the bonnet has PPF (but not the bumper) and the side windows seem like they've had some kind of ceramic coating in the past (they shed water beautifully). Someone had clearly spent time and money keeping the car in a good state and the only neglected area was under the bonnet - pretty filthy so I tackled that on the first day (sorry, no pics)
Rattles: The interior rattled like a recycling box full of old yogurt pots.. a common R56 problem probably made worse by the firm chassis setup of the GP. From my Lotus ownership days I've learned that there are three killer tools for fixing squeeks and rattles and so far I've got rid of most of them. Lots around the door speakers, the dash inserts and door cards are now gone. Still a buzzing roof dome light and something under the rear cover (where the rear seats would normally be) to figure out. If anyone's interested, my three (crazy cheap) killer tools for the job are:
Sticky-back foam strips - 15mm x 1mm Single Sided Self Adhesive foam, ideal for where there's a gap between two things and they rattle together, especially if a change in temperature causes the gap to grow and shrink. Can be easily cut to size and sticks pretty well to anything.
Low-friction medical tape - 3M Durapore tape 12mm, developed to allow injuries to be taped up but avoid any sliding material from catching on the injury and tugging at it. Absolutely perfect where you have two pieces of trim that need to touch each other but squeek when they rub. A little of this tape between and silence! (it’s also used for eyelash extensions apparently, but don’t let that put you off)
Scuba-equipment rubber lubricant - Beaver Aquagel (yes, really), perfect for any squeeking rubber seals or rubber-on-metal. It's cheap and easy to apply and because it's waterproof and semi-solid it doesn't dissapear with the first wash or rain shower.
So that's it so far. No big jobs left really, although I see a wheel refurb and a new windscreen at some point in the future and perhaps replacing some of the black plastic arch trims.
Grill: The front grill had a crack in it. Looking back at Ben's old photos I could just make it out so it'd clearly been there for a little while. I conscidered simply gluing it up but it was starting to look a little faded in comparison to the lower grill (being directly in the sunlight most of the time) and is a cheap and easy part to replace on the R56.
Old grill
New grill
Aerial: Why did Mini choose to add such a whopper? Makes it look like a remote controlled car! A quick swap to a Stubby is no more than 30 seconds work
Note the carbon of the wing in the background. Lush.
Strut Bolts The under-bonnet strut brace was a little tarnished, with two bolts in particular going rusty where rain-water collects. Gave the whole thing a quick polish with Autosol and then replaced the bolts, giving the studs a clean with wire wool and the replacement bolts a good coat of waterproof grease - let's see if they hold up.
Sidenote: These bolts were a new thing to me - single use bolts that are oval in the middle. The idea being that as you screw them down this forces the oval into a circle and that 'squeezes' the thread preventing it from undoing through vibration. Not come across them before but just 50p from Mini. Whipped out the torque wrench and the job took minutes (34 Nm if anyone's interested - took me ages to find out and even Mini didn't know).
Old Bolt
New Bolt
Roof Decal The drivers-side roof decal was losing some of its gloss. Not something someone else would likely spot, but once I'd seen it it was obvious every time I got in! I ummed and ahhed about getting someone else to do this job as the 'cost of cock-up' was quite high (another costly new decal and an embarrassing repeat trip to the Mini parts department) and if it was wrongly positioned or had any bubbles or imperfections it would drive me mental! But, in for a penny...
Firstly, I marked out the edges of the sticker so that I could be totally confident that the replacement was going in the same place:
The decal came off super easy with plenty of heat and patience - all in one piece and with zero residue. A quick wipe down with neat alcohol and the surface was ready:
The replacement sticker kit has some handy tabs to help fit in the correct place, but as I'd marked out the old one with masking tape I got it perfectly aligned. A bit of soapy water and a squeegee, plus some care and attention and the job was done:
Wiped it down, waited for it to dry thoroughly, then waxed over the top. Perfect. Phew!
Yellow Sidelights: They look really cheap in comparison to the excellent headlights but thankfully replacing the bulbs is cheap and a doddle on a Mini R56. Just turn the wheels, uncrew the little plastic access hatch in the inner wheel-arch and uncrew and pull out the bulb holder. I've currently replaced with some eBay LEDs but although they're better, the blueness is too much so I'm looking at other options. Mini do a retro-fit full LED DRL kit but the cost is bananas at £300 plus a pretty complicated fitting process. Any suggestions anyone?
Detailing: Overall, the paint was in a good state but with some hazing and swirls. Interestingly, the bonnet has PPF (but not the bumper) and the side windows seem like they've had some kind of ceramic coating in the past (they shed water beautifully). Someone had clearly spent time and money keeping the car in a good state and the only neglected area was under the bonnet - pretty filthy so I tackled that on the first day (sorry, no pics)
Rattles: The interior rattled like a recycling box full of old yogurt pots.. a common R56 problem probably made worse by the firm chassis setup of the GP. From my Lotus ownership days I've learned that there are three killer tools for fixing squeeks and rattles and so far I've got rid of most of them. Lots around the door speakers, the dash inserts and door cards are now gone. Still a buzzing roof dome light and something under the rear cover (where the rear seats would normally be) to figure out. If anyone's interested, my three (crazy cheap) killer tools for the job are:
Sticky-back foam strips - 15mm x 1mm Single Sided Self Adhesive foam, ideal for where there's a gap between two things and they rattle together, especially if a change in temperature causes the gap to grow and shrink. Can be easily cut to size and sticks pretty well to anything.
Low-friction medical tape - 3M Durapore tape 12mm, developed to allow injuries to be taped up but avoid any sliding material from catching on the injury and tugging at it. Absolutely perfect where you have two pieces of trim that need to touch each other but squeek when they rub. A little of this tape between and silence! (it’s also used for eyelash extensions apparently, but don’t let that put you off)
Scuba-equipment rubber lubricant - Beaver Aquagel (yes, really), perfect for any squeeking rubber seals or rubber-on-metal. It's cheap and easy to apply and because it's waterproof and semi-solid it doesn't dissapear with the first wash or rain shower.
So that's it so far. No big jobs left really, although I see a wheel refurb and a new windscreen at some point in the future and perhaps replacing some of the black plastic arch trims.
Mustard1978 said:
Z4M Coupes are cool
Especially in white If only you'd sold it to me when I could have afforded it. Nowadays it's value is growing an order of magnitude faster than my earning potential. At this rate, the only one of your fleet in my price range is the dogging-spec Volvo
Chr1sch said:
Fantastic taste, loving both cars, I'm hoping I can go down the M5 route in a few months time
DO IT!Happy to answer any ownership questions you might have. Unless it's about 'traction', that's been done to death in other threads
(Summary of my thoughts: if you want traction, buy a Land Rover) Trustmeimadoctor said:
looking forward to more mini info im trying to convince the mrs its worth spending more on a r56 over r53 gp
It's a tough call I think - the R53 having the benefits of rock-solid residuals and that super-charged motor. The R56 having the benefits of being a more fully-resolved car, much newer and with less miles (meaning you can actually use it a bit more often without crushing the value). Personally, I much prefer the look of the R56 too. Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff