Analogue sports car. £30k
Discussion
So I am starting my hunt for a sports car.
I have a Range Rover L405 V8 for family duties, but what ever I buy must still be capable of being used all year round within reason.
Non negotiables:
3 pedals & manual gear box.
Great noise.
Fabulous to drive.
DIY maintainable (bearing in mind I do my Range Rover myself, so some modern stuff is okay).
Ideally depreciation proof, or at least limited.
Outright performance isn't the goal, but it must feel fast, think Mk.2 Escort rather than Audi S3.
I want the best example, and happy to pay slightly above book to get something in really tip top condition.
My own short list is this:
Aston Martin 4.3 V8 Vantage
Lotus Evora
Porsche 996 Carrera (with a Hartech engine)
TVR Griffith
TVR Tuscan
I have discounted the Cerbera / Chimeara becasue they don't light my fire in the way the Griffith does.
I have discounted the Porsche 997 because I prefer the 996 interior.
I have discounted the BMW range as I have had lots of BMW's and even the M3 still feels more saloon than sports car.
Would you have a Tuscan Mk1 or Mk2?
Which Griffith is best?
Is a Renault A610 really a stupid idea?
Any other suggestions?
I have a Range Rover L405 V8 for family duties, but what ever I buy must still be capable of being used all year round within reason.
Non negotiables:
3 pedals & manual gear box.
Great noise.
Fabulous to drive.
DIY maintainable (bearing in mind I do my Range Rover myself, so some modern stuff is okay).
Ideally depreciation proof, or at least limited.
Outright performance isn't the goal, but it must feel fast, think Mk.2 Escort rather than Audi S3.
I want the best example, and happy to pay slightly above book to get something in really tip top condition.
My own short list is this:
Aston Martin 4.3 V8 Vantage
Lotus Evora
Porsche 996 Carrera (with a Hartech engine)
TVR Griffith
TVR Tuscan
I have discounted the Cerbera / Chimeara becasue they don't light my fire in the way the Griffith does.
I have discounted the Porsche 997 because I prefer the 996 interior.
I have discounted the BMW range as I have had lots of BMW's and even the M3 still feels more saloon than sports car.
Would you have a Tuscan Mk1 or Mk2?
Which Griffith is best?
Is a Renault A610 really a stupid idea?
Any other suggestions?
Vantage - not a sports car. looks and sounds fabulous
Evora - doesn't look that good (esp in wrong colour). but is a driver's car.
911 - predictable, which can be good or bad.
Griff - sounds great, event of a cabin but handling is a little archaic
Tuscan - reliable now fixed. awesome engine and still a crazy TVR interior. Better than a Griff.
Personally I'd choose the Evora or Tuscan as I value a good handling sports car with some drama.
I think both are viable for home mechanics but I've not done that. Griffiths famously are straightforward
Evora - doesn't look that good (esp in wrong colour). but is a driver's car.
911 - predictable, which can be good or bad.
Griff - sounds great, event of a cabin but handling is a little archaic
Tuscan - reliable now fixed. awesome engine and still a crazy TVR interior. Better than a Griff.
Personally I'd choose the Evora or Tuscan as I value a good handling sports car with some drama.
I think both are viable for home mechanics but I've not done that. Griffiths famously are straightforward
Get ‘your’ own version of Rocketeer
At that budget full
Restomod hoon machine plus change
https://youtu.be/Ayo5EJS96S8?si=9_unyH9ZzKnZbhHA
At that budget full
Restomod hoon machine plus change
https://youtu.be/Ayo5EJS96S8?si=9_unyH9ZzKnZbhHA
I have a Vantage, mate has a Griff (500). They behave as you would expect - I pay plenty for servicing and maintenance, he occasionally fails to proceed and then marvels at the novel engineering approaches Blackpool could offer in the mid 90s. If you want a sports car, no question Griff beats Aston. I do feel the Aston is very much what the Griff wanted to be when it grows up, they both have a slightly thuggish nature about them in a sense and the Aston does have excellent and tactile steering. Overall we're both happy with our choices!
I'd have thought for pure sports car from your list you're probably looking at the Lotus or the Porsche though. If it was me, I'd probably head to Hethel first. I don't know why but I have yet to drive in a Porsche and think "Yes, I must have one of these". I think they are brilliant, I think they are awesome machines but they just don't stir my cogs. Another friend has a 996 Turbo. It's spectacularly quick to follow in the Vantage... like pull away quick and it literally has no roll, it's a stunning thing.
So yes, some good choices there. Time to go and see what feels best to you.
I'd have thought for pure sports car from your list you're probably looking at the Lotus or the Porsche though. If it was me, I'd probably head to Hethel first. I don't know why but I have yet to drive in a Porsche and think "Yes, I must have one of these". I think they are brilliant, I think they are awesome machines but they just don't stir my cogs. Another friend has a 996 Turbo. It's spectacularly quick to follow in the Vantage... like pull away quick and it literally has no roll, it's a stunning thing.
So yes, some good choices there. Time to go and see what feels best to you.
Mr E said:
Crudeoink said:
30k would get you into a 981 Cayman S / Boxster S. Worth considering IMO
If I only needed two seats, this is probably where I’d be. Chris Hinds said:
I have a Vantage, mate has a Griff (500). They behave as you would expect - I pay plenty for servicing and maintenance, he occasionally fails to proceed and then marvels at the novel engineering approaches Blackpool could offer in the mid 90s. If you want a sports car, no question Griff beats Aston. I do feel the Aston is very much what the Griff wanted to be when it grows up, they both have a slightly thuggish nature about them in a sense and the Aston does have excellent and tactile steering. Overall we're both happy with our choices!
Beautifully put. Evora would make most sense really, if you have never owned a Tvr they are worth considering but can be a bit sketchy when pressing on as suggested already but if your aware of that you drive them accordingly.
Finding a 996 with a reputable engine rebuild is very hard work but maybe you could consider a cheap car that needs one and get it done yourself if its going to be a keeper.
A 996 Turbo popped up on my Facebook marketplace recently, higher miles but just under your budget.
Finding a 996 with a reputable engine rebuild is very hard work but maybe you could consider a cheap car that needs one and get it done yourself if its going to be a keeper.
A 996 Turbo popped up on my Facebook marketplace recently, higher miles but just under your budget.
I've owned a few of your list, and here are my thoughts -
V8 Vantage - owned a couple, one coupe and one roadster, Both felt very special to drive, more so the roadster for getting the roof off. Fantastic noise, a really wonderful thing to own. Both of them did come with a few typical hand built niggles but if you accept that may happen you'll be good. Didn't drive very well, a bit disconnected and my wife hated driving them with the handbrake operation.
Evora - Owned an early NA one for around 4 years and it was utterly brilliant. I wanted to PX it for a supercharged one but Lotus offered me peanuts for mine (so ended up in the Vantage above). Wonderful all round car, we did many road trips away in it, the rear 'seats' we could fit two airport suitcases in it so it was very useable. Great to drive. Didn't sound as good as the vantage but to drive it was night and day. Long distance, track days, B roads... I'm not sure how Lotus did it, but it excelled on all of them.
TVR T350 - Frightening and wonderful at the same time. Sounded outrageous, and was a real event just going out anywhere in it. I think I was lucky with mine as I didn't experience any real issues but not sure I would go back and possibly taint my fond view of it. Difficult to drive quick, but managed a trip to the Nurburgring and will always be a highlight of my car ownership.
Would I go back to any of them? Yes for different reasons. The Vantage was fantastic to own, Evora was a great all rounder, and the TVR for how special it was. I think for a toy I'd want a convertible again though so that rules out the Evora, and would mean a different flavour of TVR. Fast is all relative, but out of the three the only one that felt fast was the TVR. Although it was easier to actually drive the Evora quickly.
How about an Exige? Much more raw but another fantastic car to experience. Maybe a Boxster for a bit more usability?
V8 Vantage - owned a couple, one coupe and one roadster, Both felt very special to drive, more so the roadster for getting the roof off. Fantastic noise, a really wonderful thing to own. Both of them did come with a few typical hand built niggles but if you accept that may happen you'll be good. Didn't drive very well, a bit disconnected and my wife hated driving them with the handbrake operation.
Evora - Owned an early NA one for around 4 years and it was utterly brilliant. I wanted to PX it for a supercharged one but Lotus offered me peanuts for mine (so ended up in the Vantage above). Wonderful all round car, we did many road trips away in it, the rear 'seats' we could fit two airport suitcases in it so it was very useable. Great to drive. Didn't sound as good as the vantage but to drive it was night and day. Long distance, track days, B roads... I'm not sure how Lotus did it, but it excelled on all of them.
TVR T350 - Frightening and wonderful at the same time. Sounded outrageous, and was a real event just going out anywhere in it. I think I was lucky with mine as I didn't experience any real issues but not sure I would go back and possibly taint my fond view of it. Difficult to drive quick, but managed a trip to the Nurburgring and will always be a highlight of my car ownership.
Would I go back to any of them? Yes for different reasons. The Vantage was fantastic to own, Evora was a great all rounder, and the TVR for how special it was. I think for a toy I'd want a convertible again though so that rules out the Evora, and would mean a different flavour of TVR. Fast is all relative, but out of the three the only one that felt fast was the TVR. Although it was easier to actually drive the Evora quickly.
How about an Exige? Much more raw but another fantastic car to experience. Maybe a Boxster for a bit more usability?
Edited by justin220 on Monday 20th May 06:41
What about a 5.0 V8 R F -Type?
That kind of mixes the luxury of the Aston with the lairyness and noise of the TVR.
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/16594064
That kind of mixes the luxury of the Aston with the lairyness and noise of the TVR.
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/16594064
MattsCar said:
What about a 5.0 V8 R F -Type?
That kind of mixes the luxury of the Aston with the lairyness and noise of the TVR.
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/16594064
Thew F-Type is the sensible choice. I have driven an early V8S convertible a mate owns and a V8R coupe my nephew owns and I do want a three pedal manual gearbox, which means the V6 and I really hate the engineering that putting short heads on a V8 bottom end entails.That kind of mixes the luxury of the Aston with the lairyness and noise of the TVR.
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/16594064
Edited by Stick Legs on Monday 20th May 11:39
Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff