Name: Sam Seville
Previously owned: Clio 197, Megane 225 cup, Mk1 MX-5, Clio 182, Megane 225 Trophy, Mk2 MX-5 (notice a pattern?), Clio 197 F1 R27, Clio 182 Cup, Megane 230 R26
Currently owned: Clio 200 Cup (big surprise)
On the shortlist: Mk4 Supra Twin-Turbo, more MX-5s, something made by TVR
The Shed
Mk1 Audi TT
Cost: £1,500
Remaining balance: £98,500
Why I chose it: I was surprised to find any TT up for Shed money, let alone a 225 Quattro! Yes, the early TTs had a tendency to spit people off roads and yes, a certain Jeremy Clarkson did his best to label the car as a hairdresser’s choice. But with decent power and tuning capability, two (small) back seats and all-wheel drive (when you need it), I can certainly forgive it for those foibles.
The Brave Pill
TVR Griffith 500
Cost: £23,995
Remaining balance: £74,505
Why I chose it: Nothing says ‘will probably bankrupt you’ like a good old TVR, and of them, there are few louder than a Griffith 500. The omission of airbags, traction control, ABS, power steering or even conventional door handles make TVRs what they are (a handful!), but that’s also what makes them so special to me. With a 324hp, 5.0-litre V8, well, that just takes it from special to absurd – and who doesn’t love something a little absurd?
The one still on sale
Mk4 MX-5
Cost: £9,890
Remaining balance: £64,615
Why I chose it: Perfectly balanced handling, a brilliant gearbox and that famed Japanese reliability. Couple this to a 132hp 1.5-litre engine and, to me, you have a near perfect convertible with limits you can actually approach and explore on the road. And with this particular car being in Fife, it’s a worthy excuse for a trip to Scotland. North coast 500, anybody?
My Poster Car
Toyota Supra Mk4
Cost: £18,995
Remaining balance: £45,620
Why I chose it: For me, the Toyota Supra is the essence of what made Japanese cars so revered in the nineties. To find a decent looking manual with the 2JZ-GTE twin turbocharged engine almost for under £20k these days feels quite remarkable.
Renaultsport Clio V6 Phase 2
Cost: £31,000
Remaining balance: £14,620
Why I chose it: As a lover of quick French cars, it would be rude to not include a Clio V6. Of all the mad cars to make production, it’s personal favourite. Why? Those wide arches, a V6 mounted right behind you – for me it’s all just right. I even like this car’s retention of normal Renaultsport seats rather than the Recaro Trendlines that so often make their way into V6s, as they juxtapose the rest of the package.
S1 Lotus Elise
Cost: £12,995
Remaining balance: £1,625
Why I chose it: I love that practically everything on an S1 Elise is there to make it handle and perform driver better. Plus, at 22, I think I am just about young enough to pull off a bright yellow sports car…
K11 Nissan Micra
Cost: £749
Remaining balance: £876
Why I chose it: I like the K11 Nissan Micra, and I don’t know why. They aren’t exactly pretty, nor are they quick, particularly practical and in 2020, they’re certainly not well-equipped. If anything, the K11 Micra is probably one of the least remarkable cars on the road. They’re known to be reliable, but then again, there’s not much to go wrong on these low-powered city cars. I’m not sure why, but with a few hundred quid left, I would buy a K11 runabout and not feel guilty in the slightest.
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