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Ideas for something special but under £18K


hensh65

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Hey guys,

 

I am looking to part ways with my car this November for something a little more special before the eventuality of kids is upon me! This really will be my last “man math†car before I don’t have a choice but to be sensible. The specification is that my misses will be driving this through the week more than me as she does a lot less miles than me. So it can’t be ridiculously long or strenuous to drive. I don’t fancy anything too far north of 60k miles and probably not older than 05ish

 

I have been reading some buyers guides on a few cars but everyone you read only puts you off the car!!

 

I have initially played about with the idea of getting a 370z, but I would want the nismo which is still a good £6K more than I am willing to pay. Cars I have considered are:

 

Z4M

TTRS

M3

M5(too big sadly)

M6(possibly too big)

ML63(too thirsty)

RS4

 

They all seem to have their issues, I would like a porker but again, with some people on this forum having 1st hand experience of their issues puts me off.

 

Ideas?

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Yes, I don't really fancy the 370 as I know I will get the modding bug again and blast far too much money into it!I would maybe consider one which has some decent mods already done so I am not completely ruling it out. I considered an Evo X before, but like the wrx I am in just now, the interior quality is just shocking. Plus the AYC pump scared me away the 1st time round. I also considered upgrading to the wrx sti 330s which on paper looks like a monster but again, the cabin is shocking. The de 350 was 10 x better which is saying something!

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TVR! You'd struggle to get a Tuscan for that budget now, but a Rover V8 powered Chimera would go well.

 

Plus the chimera sounds amazing, and the revival of TVR has meant the prices of all of them are slowly going up. It would be a good time to get one.

 

Once the new one is ready for sale I imagine the prices of all of them will go up more.

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Been there, done this, many T-shirts .......... ;)

 

First thing - you mention fuel, how important is that to you? An M5/M6's fuel consumption would make an Arab cry, the 63 Merc engines are also horrifically bad (mainly as you keep your foot in for the noise) :lol:

No matter how much people say "fuel doesnt matter" 13mpg everywhere gets very tired, very quickly. At the other end of the scale the N54/N55 BMW's (1, 3, Z4) can see 35mpg+ on a run and I dont think the TTRS is far off that either.

 

You also mention too big, which is a subject very close to my heart - I moved away from the 350 because I felt it was too heavy for what it was and I adore my MR2 for the same reason. If youre genuinely bothered by size and weight a 135i is 200kg and noticeably smaller than an E92 M3 which in itself is 200KG and noticeable smaller than the M5 and M6.

The Z4M and TT are similar in size to the 1er and a Porsche Cayman is a positive lightweight and built like a ballerina compared to the rest.

 

IMO 911's are always worth a look as people love them or hate them, if its the former then do a buy, and IMO its pretty difficult to look past a TVR for "special", they are amazing if totally impractical :lol:

 

More information required - whats the most important aspect of the car for you and how much do weight, fuel economy, handling and reliability matter?

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Been there, done this, many T-shirts .......... ;)

 

First thing - you mention fuel, how important is that to you? An M5/M6's fuel consumption would make an Arab cry, the 63 Merc engines are also horrifically bad (mainly as you keep your foot in for the noise) :lol:

No matter how much people say "fuel doesnt matter" 13mpg everywhere gets very tired, very quickly. At the other end of the scale the N54/N55 BMW's (1, 3, Z4) can see 35mpg+ on a run and I dont think the TTRS is far off that either.

 

You also mention too big, which is a subject very close to my heart - I moved away from the 350 because I felt it was too heavy for what it was and I adore my MR2 for the same reason. If youre genuinely bothered by size and weight a 135i is 200kg and noticeably smaller than an E92 M3 which in itself is 200KG and noticeable smaller than the M5 and M6.

The Z4M and TT are similar in size to the 1er and a Porsche Cayman is a positive lightweight and built like a ballerina compared to the rest.

 

IMO 911's are always worth a look as people love them or hate them, if its the former then do a buy, and IMO its pretty difficult to look past a TVR for "special", they are amazing if totally impractical :lol:

 

More information required - whats the most important aspect of the car for you and how much do weight, fuel economy, handling and reliability matter?

 

Cheers Doc!

 

The size aspect is more for parking as the misses is going to be parking it. So as long as its not shockingly big/wide then it should be ok. MPG isn't a massive sticking point, I am getting about 20mpg in the WRX, but I will be car swapping to the misses DS3 for work and she will take the other car to work which is only a few miles down the road. I can drop her off most days as well so it can stay on the drive some days. I do agree though that early teens becomes a bit boring after a bit :lol:

 

The biggest aspect for me is going to be reliability which rules out the TVR straight away. I am not a fan of the Chimaera tbh, I love the Tuscan but the cheapest one is just under 18K and is a CAT C!

 

I like the idea of the 135i but I just don't think they're as special looking, head turning would probably be a must.

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Interesting the 135i doesnt look special/head turning enough for your tastes, personally I dont think anything on your list does, let alone a ttrs, the most subtly styled rs available, dare I say, bland.

 

What about some sort of Lotus?

Edited by Jetpilot
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Just get a 911. It's different enough that at least you can tick the box to say you've had one, if you don't like it after a month then you're not going to lose any money on one if you need to sell it, and it's an easy car for the other half to bumble around in. Just don't do what some people do and buy one without getting an inspection, as a couple of hundred quid is peanuts to pay for peace of mind.

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Much as hate agreeing with Ekona I think hes right, youre looking for a 911. Fast, good looking, reliable, quality - the same could be said of the Cayman but dont hold the same cache. Apart from I dont really like the way 911's drive :lol:

 

None of the Beemers are really head turning cars (maybe the M6 or Z4 I guess), thought about a mental power Skyline or Supra?

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Aren't cheap 911s cheap for a reason. I think they suffer common issues, something to do with bore scoring and intermediate shaft bearings which can be a £10k hit to rebuild. Never had one but I hear of these issues a lot and it would possibly stop me buying one.

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In exactly the same situation, 'cept a couple of k lower budget wise.

 

I'm thinking Elise 111R / VX220 Turbo / Cayman S...

 

(EDIT: Sorry just read your requirements properly, ignore the first 2 suggestions - I have a short-ish country side commute and no children!)

Edited by RyanT
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I must admit i dodnt really look at 911s. My money seems to pull in around 2003 with decent mileage. I will have a gander :)

 

I have always had a soft spot for supra's but the thought of the misses driving a mental powered rwd supra gives me the fear and also makes me laugh :lol:

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