Last chance at one of my dream cars - Evo 6 TME or 5/6 GSR?
Discussion
Hi all. I'm having a bit of a dilemma! To set the scene, ever since I was a small child in the late 90s I've loved the Jap turbo rally nutter machines, the Impreza 22B being the top of the tree for me - absolute dream car. Obviously they're no longer anywhere near affordable for most people!
I fancied an R32 GTR but that ship sailed as soon as the US market opened up in 2014, unfortunately I was 20, so even if I'd bought one when they were £6-8k I'd never have got insured on one. Then went back to lusting after an Impreza - wanted a Version 6 Type R Limited, they were £12-20k in around 2017-8. I was very close to getting a loan but decided against it due to them wanting £2.5k more than the loan back in interest despite a very strong credit rating. (I'd never really had anything on finance other than mobile contracts - that was the reason the bank gave for the high interest rate) Almost immediately they skyrocketed and now they're suddenly £40k. So that's another ship that sailed.
The last of my childhood hero cars left is the Evo 6. The 6 has always been my favourite Evo - I started looking at them recently and thinking I'd really fancy one. Didn't take long before I thought if I'm doing it, I should do it properly and get the Holy Grail of Evos, the Tommi Makinen Edition. These really aren't far behind the 22B in terms of 'specialness' to me. While they have pretty much doubled in value in recent years, non-red ones are still just about within reach but are virtually guaranteed to carry on rising to unknown levels, especially when the US can get their hands on them in 2024.
So this presents me with a dilemma.
I've already decided that I'm going to buy one. I've kinda got my heart set on a 6 TME GSR in either Scotia White or Canal Blue. I'd be looking at £25-30k for a fresh import in nice condition, on the road in the UK. I'll have to finance quite a large chunk of this purchase. I've been saving up to build a garage but was hit with realisation recently that if I want one of my childhood dream cars, I've got to do it yesterday or itll never happen! My other thoughts are that I should maaaybe look at a normal Evo 5/6 GSR, I could get one of these in pretty much any colour and with lower mileage etc for quite a bit less money - this is probably the thinking man's choice. On the other hand, they won't have the 'halo' effect of the TME and I worry that I'd always be wishing I'd just gone the extra mile and got a TME. The TME is also virtually guaranteed to rise in value faster and further than a standard GSR.
A few things to consider:
- I'm not buying as an investor expecting it to rocket in value. While it's pretty much inevitable that as long as I buy a good one and look after it, it will go up in value, this is not my main concern. I will be using it as much as I can afford to (running costs wise), not caring about the mileage reading going up, obviously this only applies in summer and it'll never see a salted road. I don't intend on ever selling, but you never know.
- Further to the above point, I will be wanting to do trackdays, obviously I'll insure it as such (I'm used to tracking £2000 Hondas and not worrying about insurance)
- I haven't applied for a loan yet but I have started weighing them up on comparison sites. I have a mortgage now so my rates should hopefully be closer to the representative rate. If it is near the rep rate, I will be paying back well within the amount that I put in my savings each month, so living costs wise I shouldn't notice it, but my disposable income will be approximately halved for 5 years. A normal 5/6 GSR will of course cost less to buy and the payments will be lower, but if I can afford the TME, does that reeeeaally matter?
- They are all appreciating, TME or not, but a lot of people (myself included) consider the Evo 6 as the ultimate Evo, and the TME as the ultimate version of the ultimate version, so although I'm not buying as an investment, and I intend on it being a keeper, it is fair to take this into consideration, especially with the US market imminently opening up.
- If I got a standard GSR, would I forever regret not going that bit extra and not getting the TME? It's commonly expected that the gulf between GSRs and GSR TMEs is likely to get bigger and bigger.
- Whatever I get, is going to blow me away. These cars got fantastic reviews when new and were known as quite the giant killer. My frame of reference is cars that are from the same time period but a few steps below on the ladder (think Accord TypeR) so any Evo is going to seriously impress me I expect.
There are also RS models which are cool and slightly more driver focused, but the wind up windows, crap seats, no AC etc aren't for me. RS diffs/gearbox are a potential future upgrade for whatever I end up buying.
It's likely that this is the biggest car purchase I'll ever make and borrowing a five figure sum scares me! So if I'm doing it I want to have no regrets or 'what if's. I've justified it to myself by looking around me at all these people with awful crossovers that they must be paying through the nose for, obviously these are also absolutely haemorrhaging money in depreciation.
Having rambled on typing all that out, I think I know what I want to do anyway and this was probably a waste of time
I fancied an R32 GTR but that ship sailed as soon as the US market opened up in 2014, unfortunately I was 20, so even if I'd bought one when they were £6-8k I'd never have got insured on one. Then went back to lusting after an Impreza - wanted a Version 6 Type R Limited, they were £12-20k in around 2017-8. I was very close to getting a loan but decided against it due to them wanting £2.5k more than the loan back in interest despite a very strong credit rating. (I'd never really had anything on finance other than mobile contracts - that was the reason the bank gave for the high interest rate) Almost immediately they skyrocketed and now they're suddenly £40k. So that's another ship that sailed.
The last of my childhood hero cars left is the Evo 6. The 6 has always been my favourite Evo - I started looking at them recently and thinking I'd really fancy one. Didn't take long before I thought if I'm doing it, I should do it properly and get the Holy Grail of Evos, the Tommi Makinen Edition. These really aren't far behind the 22B in terms of 'specialness' to me. While they have pretty much doubled in value in recent years, non-red ones are still just about within reach but are virtually guaranteed to carry on rising to unknown levels, especially when the US can get their hands on them in 2024.
So this presents me with a dilemma.
I've already decided that I'm going to buy one. I've kinda got my heart set on a 6 TME GSR in either Scotia White or Canal Blue. I'd be looking at £25-30k for a fresh import in nice condition, on the road in the UK. I'll have to finance quite a large chunk of this purchase. I've been saving up to build a garage but was hit with realisation recently that if I want one of my childhood dream cars, I've got to do it yesterday or itll never happen! My other thoughts are that I should maaaybe look at a normal Evo 5/6 GSR, I could get one of these in pretty much any colour and with lower mileage etc for quite a bit less money - this is probably the thinking man's choice. On the other hand, they won't have the 'halo' effect of the TME and I worry that I'd always be wishing I'd just gone the extra mile and got a TME. The TME is also virtually guaranteed to rise in value faster and further than a standard GSR.
A few things to consider:
- I'm not buying as an investor expecting it to rocket in value. While it's pretty much inevitable that as long as I buy a good one and look after it, it will go up in value, this is not my main concern. I will be using it as much as I can afford to (running costs wise), not caring about the mileage reading going up, obviously this only applies in summer and it'll never see a salted road. I don't intend on ever selling, but you never know.
- Further to the above point, I will be wanting to do trackdays, obviously I'll insure it as such (I'm used to tracking £2000 Hondas and not worrying about insurance)
- I haven't applied for a loan yet but I have started weighing them up on comparison sites. I have a mortgage now so my rates should hopefully be closer to the representative rate. If it is near the rep rate, I will be paying back well within the amount that I put in my savings each month, so living costs wise I shouldn't notice it, but my disposable income will be approximately halved for 5 years. A normal 5/6 GSR will of course cost less to buy and the payments will be lower, but if I can afford the TME, does that reeeeaally matter?
- They are all appreciating, TME or not, but a lot of people (myself included) consider the Evo 6 as the ultimate Evo, and the TME as the ultimate version of the ultimate version, so although I'm not buying as an investment, and I intend on it being a keeper, it is fair to take this into consideration, especially with the US market imminently opening up.
- If I got a standard GSR, would I forever regret not going that bit extra and not getting the TME? It's commonly expected that the gulf between GSRs and GSR TMEs is likely to get bigger and bigger.
- Whatever I get, is going to blow me away. These cars got fantastic reviews when new and were known as quite the giant killer. My frame of reference is cars that are from the same time period but a few steps below on the ladder (think Accord TypeR) so any Evo is going to seriously impress me I expect.
There are also RS models which are cool and slightly more driver focused, but the wind up windows, crap seats, no AC etc aren't for me. RS diffs/gearbox are a potential future upgrade for whatever I end up buying.
It's likely that this is the biggest car purchase I'll ever make and borrowing a five figure sum scares me! So if I'm doing it I want to have no regrets or 'what if's. I've justified it to myself by looking around me at all these people with awful crossovers that they must be paying through the nose for, obviously these are also absolutely haemorrhaging money in depreciation.
Having rambled on typing all that out, I think I know what I want to do anyway and this was probably a waste of time
Problem is if you do buy the TME you may not want to drive it as intended and just stare at it in the garage.
I’ve not driven one but I’d guess they feel a little dated these days and would struggle to live with a modern hot hatch.
If you can afford it then go for it, it’s never going to lose much money at all in reality so it’s a fairly good investment.
It was my favourite model of the evo too.
I’ve not driven one but I’d guess they feel a little dated these days and would struggle to live with a modern hot hatch.
If you can afford it then go for it, it’s never going to lose much money at all in reality so it’s a fairly good investment.
It was my favourite model of the evo too.
The issue I see is that you're going to buy a complex, 20 year old performance car and then drive it hard on road and track. Evos are typically fairly high maintenance, between the turbo engine and the sophisticated drivetrain, not to mention the possibility of rust. Expect to be spending quite a lot of money on repairs.
Given that, and given that the differences with the TME are not that far-reaching, I'd go for a regular GSR. Better to have a 'less valuable' but essentially identical car that you can afford to keep in tip-top condition and enjoy to the full, than a 'special edition' that ends up SORN on the driveway because you can't afford a new diff after the loan repayments.
Kind of agree to be honest... I always think about getting the 'special' version of whatever I buy, but never actually do. Firstly because I want to enjoy it, not worry about it. Also because I like modifying and wouldn't want to 'ruin' anything too special!
I bought the car of my dreams (from being a teenager) in my late 20s and I only lasted a year with it before realising it wasn't a daily car. However I would revisit again if I had a garage to store it away in.
I bought the car of my dreams (from being a teenager) in my late 20s and I only lasted a year with it before realising it wasn't a daily car. However I would revisit again if I had a garage to store it away in.
Belle427 said:
Problem is if you do buy the TME you may not want to drive it as intended and just stare at it in the garage.
I’ve not driven one but I’d guess they feel a little dated these days and would struggle to live with a modern hot hatch.
If you can afford it then go for it, it’s never going to lose much money at all in reality so it’s a fairly good investment.
It was my favourite model of the evo too.
That's a concern yes, but in fairness I's be quite precious about a standard GSR too, as I won't be buying a rough one whatever I buy! My frame of reference is 90s Hondas and I love the feel of the 90s cars, they were at the point where mechanical development was as good as it was ever going to get, before everything became electronic and over-assisted. It will be depressing that even a standard diesel BMW will show it a clean pair of heels, but again, these things were literally supercars of their day so I think it'll still feel pretty special to me being used to that era of car - the handling, grip etc will be better than my current cars. And 50% more power than I'm used to!I’ve not driven one but I’d guess they feel a little dated these days and would struggle to live with a modern hot hatch.
If you can afford it then go for it, it’s never going to lose much money at all in reality so it’s a fairly good investment.
It was my favourite model of the evo too.
samoht said:
The issue I see is that you're going to buy a complex, 20 year old performance car and then drive it hard on road and track. Evos are typically fairly high maintenance, between the turbo engine and the sophisticated drivetrain, not to mention the possibility of rust. Expect to be spending quite a lot of money on repairs.
Given that, and given that the differences with the TME are not that far-reaching, I'd go for a regular GSR. Better to have a 'less valuable' but essentially identical car that you can afford to keep in tip-top condition and enjoy to the full, than a 'special edition' that ends up SORN on the driveway because you can't afford a new diff after the loan repayments.
Yeah, the maintenance scares me a bit! It'll never see a salted road so rust isn't too big of a concern as long as I buy a completely solid one. Engine/box/diffs/AYC definitely a concern though. Reliability wise, the main failure parts are basically the same between the TME and stock GSR so no extra concern there, but yes your point re the loan repayments eating into the running cost budget is something to consider!Given that, and given that the differences with the TME are not that far-reaching, I'd go for a regular GSR. Better to have a 'less valuable' but essentially identical car that you can afford to keep in tip-top condition and enjoy to the full, than a 'special edition' that ends up SORN on the driveway because you can't afford a new diff after the loan repayments.
CrippsCorner said:
Kind of agree to be honest... I always think about getting the 'special' version of whatever I buy, but never actually do. Firstly because I want to enjoy it, not worry about it. Also because I like modifying and wouldn't want to 'ruin' anything too special!
I bought the car of my dreams (from being a teenager) in my late 20s and I only lasted a year with it before realising it wasn't a daily car. However I would revisit again if I had a garage to store it away in.
The good thing about the TME, and Evos in general tbh, is that they look so wild as standard so it's easy to change the whole lok of the car with a simple wheel change, so I think swapping and changing minor bolt-on parts would keep the modder in me happy, without ruining the car irreversibly. I just think that I'll kick myself if I don't go the extra mile as the gulf in price between TME and standard model is likely to explode. I can always trade down into a standard model and have some cash in the bank, but I can't go the other way (without investing again)I bought the car of my dreams (from being a teenager) in my late 20s and I only lasted a year with it before realising it wasn't a daily car. However I would revisit again if I had a garage to store it away in.
Terry Tibbs said:
You only live once. As long as you can afford it just do it, we are a long time dead!
This is what I keep thinking! I'll have to make some sacrifices but Christ it'll make me happy....I should point out that it isn't a car I 'need' to do a job, I have a Bora TDI that I bought for £700 4 years ago which suits my daily driver requirements perfectly, the Evo would be purely a toy to be driven in summer as a hobby car. Probably won't even insure it for commuting tbh - that way I won't be tempted to take it in on a nice Friday morning and end up with door dings in the car park!
I think the fact that I keep trying to find ways to explain why I think it makes sense, means I know exactly what I want
Off to the Evo forums!
If you want a TME, don't settle for a GSR. I bought my GSR in 2014 and love it to bits, but am acutely aware that the TMEs will always be worth more (although it's the red ones with the graphics which will always be the most sought after). I liken it to the delta integrale evos, where the evo 2 is worth significantly more than an 8v, 16v or evo 1.
Especially with the prices or jap metal, do it and do it asap. I looked at a RHD r34 gtr in Italy in 2015, that was £25k then and I regularly kick myself because for not buying it.
Especially with the prices or jap metal, do it and do it asap. I looked at a RHD r34 gtr in Italy in 2015, that was £25k then and I regularly kick myself because for not buying it.
Evoras said:
What did you buy
Looks like he got an Impreza Type R of some description in from Japan last winter, one of the mentioned discarded alternatives in the first posthttps://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
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