Dynamic Turtle

Sorry, but Mercs leave me cold. AMGs are also a bit chavvy. And hasn't the SL500 finished bottom of the JD Power survery every year, for the last ten years?

Problem is, they're the wrong side of £25k... As for corvettes & mustangs? I just can't take American cars seriously, what with their horse & cart suspension, chrome wheels and 8 litre / 200hp engines

Very interesting - particularly with repect to the exhaust sound. My friend's 2009 XK8 has a pretty decent note INSIDE that cabin when it gets going and I don't think he's had any work done to it. But I can see how you'd eventually get peeved with all of those problems.

Well, certainly no track related antics. Slightly embarrassed to admit that I drive like a complete lunatic. I'm 33 but hoon it like a drunk 18 year old with his mates in the back. I wish I could make it stop, but the Zed compels me to keep pushing it! You have to admit; it's very very addictive. In terms of "experience", I do mostly weekend motorway miles and prefer the "GT" approach to track car dynamics/handling. The Zed does this well. Has sports car noise and performance with GT ride/comfort, but with the downside of relatively heavy dynamcis. By contrast, my uncle's MR2 is a fantastic go-kart that feels like it's glued to the road, but it's not really what I'm after.

I see your point. I've read a lot about the issues with FI on the zed, along with the expense. I'd prefer more subtle breathing mods + uprev to eek another 10-20bhp out of the thing, along with a even better exhaust note. Two cars = twice the hassle and would simply be overkill. The zed does reliable (if thirsty) general duties, whilst also providing weekend thrills. I'm sure there are other cars which can also do both tricks.

The forced induction route is certainly an option Maxi. Would be a lot cheaper. And I agree with your sentiments about the 370Z cabin. Whilst the external looks leave me a bit cold compared to the 350, the inside is certainly a nicer place to be. Not that the 350 is *that* bad inside either TBH. However, the attraction of a totally "new" car is strong and may trump financial sensibilities to an extent. Why didn't you get on with the XKR?

Basically this: 996 NA cars: M96 engine 996 Turbo: Mezger 996 GT3: Mezger 997.1 NA: M97 engine 997.2 NA: MA101 997.1 Turbo: Mezger 997.2 Turbo: MA101 (may actually be MA102 in designation, can't remember!) 997.1 & 2 GT3: Mezger All M96/M97 cars have the potential for the IMS issues, but none of the Mezger and MA101 engined cars do as it's a radically different design (the Mezger engine is very old in basic design, the MA101 bang up to date). In essence, it's a very big reason why I sought out the later 997 cars rather than save a packet buying an early 997. I didn't really fancy a 996 at the time and the 997.1 tubbys were still out of reach. 996 tubbys will handle 10K miles a year with zero issues, it's why people buy Porsches rather than Ferraris if they intend on actually using them. My 997.2 handles 8K fun miles per year without breaking a sweat. Ekona, thanks again for the detailed reply - very interesting. Surprised that the 996T is that hard-wearing. Quick scan of PH shows that I'll need £25k+ for something with moderate miles (40-50k). That's a lot of money...

Sorry for the late reply chaps - been locked in business meetings all day, trying to generate the revenue that will hopefully fund a new acquisition :-) I think a lot of the comments here point to why we have all chosen to own a 350/370. It's that balance of virtues. Low cost, reliability, good looks coupled with enough performance to make more expensive alternatives only marginally more tempting. And the cost consideration is important. All of the cars I've mentioned will cost £10-15k more than the sale value of my Zed next year. I think it's right to demand a serious performance upgrade for that kind of outlay (well, it's a lot of money for me anyway). Perhaps we're reaching that plateau already where marginal increases in performance carry geometrically higher costs. RTbiscuit: I agree it would have to be an XK-R to make it really interesting. I've also heard that servcing/parts costs are moderate and reliability is generally pretty good with post 2001 models. I know jag has a bit of a grandad image, but the XKR can be gently boy-racered to make it look less geriatric and some interiors have grey/black trim rather than walnut, which helps. Understood re the 4200GT. Look and sound great but you just know they're *that* cheap for a reason. Would love to have but I think it may be a step too far. I need something reliable. Ekona: Agreed about the 996 Turbo. It could well hold its nominal value pretty well over time. I like the OTT spoilers and graphics - its a "proper" sports car and seriously fast. Problem is, I think i'd only be able to find a very high miler for £22k. I might need £26-28k, which is simply too much, what with the running costs. Do you really think it could comfortably handle 150 mile weekend thrashes and 7,000 miles a year without too much of a hiccup? I'm very well aware of the IMS/RMS issues, having extensively researched the Boxster before buying a Zed. How come the 996T has a different IMS setup? I thought the design was only changed in 2009? Noted re the M3, but it really leaves me cold looks wise and I really have only ever seen total ******* drive them. And it is amazing just how accurate the stereotype is, to the point where it would seriously put me off buying one. You know, having to admit you own an M3 and then getting "those" kind of looks. Sound like a real snob now... Greekman - sage advice and well noted. Again, the Massers just seem so cheap for what they are, but I guess that's for a reason. Thanks for being honest about your ownership experience Other suggestions: M5 - very expensive if something goes wrong. Huge barge of a car. 1M - more expensive than an M5! Seen any going under £35k? No, nor have I... Monaro - ugly fugger! Lotus - too impractical Scooby - ugly, very chavvy Mercedes - ugly, old fashioned, dad and bro both have one (proper 80's "mercrowave ovens" ). All of them leave me stone cold. TVR - sound absolutely amazing but just so bloody unreliable and very rough around the edged in terms of cabin quality NSX - Amazing cars but just not for me. Rare as hens teeth and on the rare occasion something goes wrong, big bills. Lots of knackered examples around too. Interesting to read how lukewarm people are about the 370. Personally the looks don't do it for me (just looks too chubby - like a fat 911), but I thought the extra 50bhp over a DE + revsynch would deliver a meaningful punch? I guess not enough for some. You never know, I might just trade up to an HR, add a few mods to bring power up to the 320-330hp area and be done with it. Save myself £10k in the process.

Hi all, Thinking well ahead to next year and just wondering which of these are generally considered to be hardest-wearing, most thrashable and enjoyable cars. I'm basically looking for a V8 - simply have the bug and it's a natural progression from the V6 Zed. There are obviously a few good six cylinder engines out there, which I've included on the list. Basically, I'm struggling to find something with the same balance of virtues as the Zed, with a meaningful power increase. I.e. smiles-per-pound / fun factor with a great exhaust note and reasonable service costs and handsome looks. Budget will be in the £18-22k area and £1-1.5k p.a for servicing and consumables. Most of these will obviously be older, high-ish miles examples: Jaguar XK8/XK-R Porsche 996 Turbo (optimistic) Maserati 4200gt Porsche 997 (older 3.4) Audi S5 (4.2L V8) Nissan 370z BMW Z4M Coupe Porsche Cayman 3.4S (cheaper 997?) BMW M3 E92 (chavtastic, but good) My guess is that the Nissan will be the most reliable, followed by the Audi, then the Beemers and Cayman. I'm guessing the Mazzer and 911s could deliver some big bills if I'm over-enthusiastic. The Jags? I have no idea how they rate. I love my friend's XK8 though. I like the idea of the S5's 4.2L V8, but is it underpowered given the engine size (340bhp) and could it also be a bit "muted" perhaps? Obviously it looks a tad prosaic. The 4200 is tempting, but is it a reliable daily drive? How would it handle 7,000 miles per year? Any sage advice would be welcome DT

Looks great

Nice one - perfick for the bedroom

Perhaps the legacy of the very early horror stories about gear boxes still haunt them? No, I'm pretty sure it's the massive running costs that still haunt them. £13k gearboxes replacement being the icing on the cake...

The GTR isn't made from Lego though. NSX anyone??

Heard some absolutely shocking figures for an R35 gearbox replacement. Would literally have to sell a kidney...

Agreed. Not as pretty as the 350z, but the black edition does look good.

Well it took me bloody ages, using the correct "trim removal" tool too.

Adding shims to the rear of my brake pads killed 98% of the squeal I had. I didn't grease them though. Now it's very mild when braking from 0-5mph, and even that's possible to neutralise by adjusting the timing and level of pressure you apply when braking. Used to have it very bad though, so I know how infuriating it can be

Bloody hell! Aye got to the point where i thought it was too cheap and wondered why. I wanted a roadster though so wasnt interested. Smashing deal for whoever bought it though. Crazy cheap and would no doubt ring alarm bells

Bloody hell!

Warning - it's a massive pain in the arse and far from simple....

Agreed, and VED rates are probably going to disproportionately higher going forward. I am pretty amazed at the low emission levels some of the modern 4-pot turbocharged engines deliver, compared to their BHP.

Very nice example. I'm sure she'll sell quickly. Must be awful to have to let her go, though

Thanks rabbitstew - interesting.

Looks very cool. Zed's just look cool in black - the blacker the better. If KITT had a threesome with the Batmobile and an SR-71 Blackbird, it would look like this

Purest genius - funniest thing I've heard in ages.