MDifficult’s BMW I3S & Ariel Atom 3
Discussion
Toyed with doing this for ages! Hope you like it. Here goes... Before getting to my current cars, I always love the threads where people share their car history, so here's mine! Unfortunately I don't have pictures for all of them so I've pointed out where I've shamelessly borrowed from Google image search. Where possible the images are exactly as my cars were.
So, first up...
Nissan Micra K10 1.0 | 1985 | 50 BHP | 79 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 13.6
Image from Google
Handed down from my older sister, this was my first car. Ghastly thing but made a change from all my peers who either drove Mk2 Fiestas or classic Minis (and was a lot more reliable too). Stood up to being dropped in ditches on more than one occasion and traded as soon as I got 1 year NCB for this...
Escort Mk4 1.6 LX | 1988 | 89 BHP | 102 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 10.2
Image from Google
Mine was actually grey not blue, but just couldn't find the right image. I still remember the first time I drove it home, felt like the fastest car on earth after the Micra. The biggest improvement was being able to get up hills with 5 up! Sadly, some numbnuts in a pickup truck with bullbars pulled out in front of me and wrote it off after just 6 months. I was gutted until the insurance payout bought me this...
Sierra Sapphire 1.8 LX | 1989 | 89 BHP | 84 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 11.1
Image from Google
Yup, another LX spec Ford (but this time with alloy wheels!) Although the Sierra felt gutless due to the extra weight vs the Escort, it was my first RWD car meaning every gravelly t-junction was drift city. And yes, I did fit a Cosworth spoiler, K&N filter and 3" exhaust and yes, I did think it looked the absolute nuts.
(Side-note: Travelling in convoy my friend once managed to rear-end me at a fair speed in his MGB. New bonnet for the MG, not a blemish on the Ford!)
However, an impending catastrophic head gasket failure (more trailing white smoke than a Saturn 5 rocket) lead me to trade it for this...
Vauxhall Calibra 2.0 16v | 1993 | 148 BHP | 124 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 8.0
Image from Google
A proper red-top Calibra. This thing drove like an absolute rocket-ship after the Sierra and looked like something from the future. This was also probably peak 'Max Power' period for me so was fitted out with some 17" DTM wheels from Ripspeed and a BOOMIN' stereo. I absolutely adored my red Cali' but after getting a 'proper job' I was suddenly allowed to buy things on credit... Which meant it was time for my first ever NEW car...
Ford Puma 1.7 | 1999 | 123 BHP | 118 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 8.7
Image from Google
Remember the Steve McQueen ad? That sold it for me. As soon as I saw that ad I KNEW I had to have a Ford Puma. I strolled into the dealership, traded the Calibra, stuck my Dad down as a guarantor (cheers Dad) and signed myself up to a Ford Options plan I could barely afford. With 3 years warranty and an amazing chassis, I'm pretty sure this car was never driven at anything less than 9/10ths for all the years I had it. Without doubt, of all my older cars the Puma is still the one that sticks with me. I still look them up on Autotrader at least once a month and will have another one one day - same exact spec of course. However, 123 BHP was always going to get boring eventually and lots of years NCB meant it was time to move up to the big leagues...
Subra Impreza WRX PPP | 2005 | 265 BHP | 196 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 5.3
Image from Google
My second (and last) NEW car. With the Puma at the end of its lease period the desperate salesman at Subaru offered me more than the balloon payment to trade it in on a new Impreza AND he included the cost of the PPP pack into the deal. Another finance signed up and away I went.. in probably the best family car I've ever owned. Fast and secure in all conditions, perfectly reliable despite being treated pretty harshly and an interior where it didn't matter if my kids ruined it. Cracking car but... more NCB, more disposable income and a hankering for something with proper pedigree pushed me to sell up and get this...
BMW E46 M3 Coupe | 2003 | 333 BHP | 215 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.8
Actual car
A friend at work had spotted me browsing E46 M3s on Autotrader and mentioned that he happened to have an E46 M3 Convertible in the underground car park. One 'entertaining' passenger ride and I was smitten. Sold the Subaru in a heartbeat and landed myself in a Black-on-Black 2003 Coupe. This car really cemented my mild obsession with cleaning and detailing. If I'm honest, I think it's just because I liked being outside looking at it as much as I enjoyed being inside driving it! Even today, I still think this shape looks better and better with age. Loved every minute of this car but an impending third child meant that the days of shovelling two kids in the back of a 2 door coupe were over. Tired of car loans and leasing and remembering the Impreza it was time for me to ditch the M3 and put all my cash into something a little more family friendly...
VW Golf R32 Mk5 DSG | 2006 | 247 BHP | 160 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 6.0
Actual car
A 4WD 5 door Golf with DSG, is there a more practical family car? Okay, the boot was tiny due to the 4WD system and it never felt as fast as the 0-60 would suggest but the V6 sounded wonderful and the DSG made me feel like I was driving an F1 car ALL THE TIME. It even had launch control... in 2006! The car never missed a beat and ferried all 5 of us around in the classy way that Golfs tend to do. However, by now I was over 30, with yet more NCB and more disposable income. It was time to add a second car to the garage...
Lotus Exige Mk2 | 2006 | 187 BHP | 205 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.7
Image courtesy of Evo Magazine. That's my actual car in the Evo photoshoot
I'd wanted a 'sunny weekend' car that could do occasional track days and my horrible habit of 'talking myself into up-spec' lead me from "why not a cheap Elise?" into "well, if you're going to have a Lotus you might as well do it properly" so a Series 2 Exige in Krypton Green was mine. Evo Mag had had one as a long-termer for a while in Krypton green and I knew that was the colour for me - found a mint one with low miles and the deal was done. Little did I know that my car would later be featured in an Evo in it's own right; an article on depreciation-proof cars. A fun day out and they turned out to be absolutely right... sold it for a profit 2 years later after 10k miles and a few trackdays. In the meantime however, my daily-driver Golf was starting to feel a little slow and a little cramped for my growing kids so, with the Lotus money in my pocket I consolidated everything and decided that a larger and more practical car was what I needed...
Audi RS4 Avant B7 | 2006 | 414 BHP | 242 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.6
Actual car
In some ways, the Audi was a natural progression from the Golf (in fact, various forums seem to suggest a lot of R32 owners end up in RS4s). I chose the Avant because the larger boot made it even more useful and, to my eyes at least looks much better. Just like the Golf it was 4WD, German, practical and ideal for a family. But unlike the Golf it had much MORE go than show. Going back to a manual from a DSG was an absolute delight and I put nearly 45k miles onto the car including trips across Europe including one all the way down to the Italian lakes. Mega. Just like all my cars, the RS4 was used properly but maintained in immaculate condition and the opportunity to sell it 4 years later for not-far-off what I bought it for couldn't be missed. But not quite yet because it was time for a second car again...
Mini One Convertible R52 | 2005 | 89 BHP | 76 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 11.8
Actual car
My eldest daughter hitting 17 meant it was time for a new car to join the household. I looked at all the usual suspects (Fiestas, Fiats, Clios etc) but wanted something that would be okay for a learner but also something that the whole family could enjoy. Mini One Convertible black-on-black fit the bill perfectly! We owned the Mini Convertible for about 2 years and despite doing very few miles it was absolutely cracking fun. We'd take it out all the time especially in the summer (leaving the daily-driver looking a little neglected) but I even found myself using it from time to time just for the fun of driving something really slow but really entertaining. Plus, putting the roof down made it ideal for bringing home 6-foot Christmas trees! A little tatty when I bought it, it was absolutely MINT when I eventually sold it to a really nice couple for pretty much what I paid for it. But in the meantime, the RS4 had gone and needed to be replaced... it was time to return to BMW...
BMW F10 M5 | 2013 | 560 BHP | 288 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.2
Actual car
Despite being another fast German car, the M5 is everything that the Audi wasn't. It's brutally, earth-shatteringly fast with torque to spare. It's dual-clutch (my commute is increasingly stop-start these days) but most importantly the driver has got to be fully on their game all the time. The Audi's one-mode, all-weather sure-footedness was it's biggest strength but also it's biggest weakness. The M5 can play both comfy chauffer and exhilarating tyre-smoking rocket-ship far better than the RS4 could and the difference in equipment levels between a 2005 car and a 2013 car was night and day.
Spent a while looking for one in my ideal spec (Monte Carlo Blue, Silverstone leather, 20" wheels, split/fold rear seats & Multi-Function Sports seats) and ended up finding one that was owned by a guy I'd worked with a good few years earlier. I picked it up in good condition but since then I've had the front bumper re-painted to remove any trace of stonechips and stonechip repairs and then covered in PPF to keep it looking mint for the next 5 years (heavily stonechipped bumpers drive me NUTS). I've also had the wheels re-done and completed some light paint correction to bring it back to 'as new' which is good considering it's got 45k miles on it. Not seen any in as good nick as mine
. However, with my eldest away in University and a change in work circumstances I'm now doing more miles than ever which isn't a good move with a car like this (the depreciation is bad enough!). Time for a second car to share the load...
Mini John Cooper Works GP R56 | 2012 | 215 BHP | 185 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 6.2
Actual car. Image courtesy of Ben Lowden
This started out from a simple set of requirements. Small enough to fit in the garage. Practical enough to drive a reasonable number of miles a year. Fun when I'm on my own. Suitable for the occasional trackday. Straight away I knew the choice would be between a RenaultSport Clio 200 or a Mini John Cooper Works (sadly, I decided a Puma just couldn't cut it, despite the nostalgia value). I test-drove a couple of Clios and really enjoyed their light, revvy, precision feeling. But, I also remembered how much I enjoyed our old Mini Convertible and being a big BMW fan the JCW had to be considered. I test drove a few early R56 models and found them good fun but horror stories about the N14 engine made me nervous.
Enter my horrible habit of 'talking myself into up-spec' again... it started with "get a cheap, early JCW" then became "get a later one with the N18 engine" and then became "well, if you're going to buy an N18-based JCW you might as well do it properly" and that's how I talked myself into a GP2. I test-drove four GP2s before deciding on this one owned by Pistonheads staffer Ben Lowden (see link here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=162...). Keeping in mind there's only about 200 total in the UK you can imagine how far-afield I had to travel to try four. Ben's car was the best combination of price, condition, mileage and 'owner provenance'. I like to buy cars from people who clearly appreciate them and seeing the sadness on Ben's face as I drove off told me he'd loved this one!
How is it to drive? I can't stop driving the damn thing! It's absolutely hilarious 100% of the time and totally ridiculous in the rain. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun while still being well below the speed limit. Where RenaultSport Clios are light and deft, the GP2 is a little clenched-fist of aggro & fury. It pops and bangs and fights its way around every camber and cats-eye like an ASBO teenager while still having heated seats and bluetooth! What's not to love?
(Side-note: This is the point when a few might jump in with 'but, but, no rear seats' or 'but, but massively over-priced'. To be clear, don't care about rear seats (I'll never need them). I would never have bought a GP2 NEW but the prices are very fair these days and hopefully due to it's relative rarity the stronger residuals vs the standard JCW should make it a good choice. We'll see.)
As good condition as it was when it arrived, it didn't quite meet my usual standards so it's had a few little jobs done already. I'll detail them later in the thread if folk are interested but in summary:
1. Replaced front grill - old one was faded and had a small crack in it
2. New 'stubby' aerial - looks cool
3. Replaced two rusty bolts under the bonnet
4. Replaced a roof decal that was losing its gloss (a scary task)
5. Replaced yellowing sidelights with LEDs
6. Light paint correction and thorough cleaning & waxing inside and out (and under-bonnet)
7. Chased out a dozen little buzzes and rattles from the interior using my own toolkit of sticky rubber strips, low-friction medical tape and scuba-equipment rubber lubricant (I'm not a weirdo - they're the benefits of previous Lotus ownership!)
So that's it, bang up to date. Can't see either of them being replaced for a good while yet and I've no idea what I'd replace them with anyway! Next step is some trackdays this summer for the GP2. Happy to answer any questions and will hopefully keep this thread updated on an on-going basis. Cheers!
Update...
The GP2 was eventually sold after a couple of great years and a few brilliant adventures - then a few others arrived (and went)...
Mini One 1.4 R56 | 2009 | 97 BHP | 85 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 10.5
ANOTHER black MINI, bought for my middle daughter to learn to drive. We sold it after 12-odd months after she went off to university. Great little car.
Honda CBR600RR | 2004 | 117 BHP | 717 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 2.8
Absolute minter with only 3k miles on the clock that I couldn't not buy. Serviced, new tyres, wobbled it around for 9 months then sold for a nice little profit
BMW E82 1M Coupe | 2011 | 335 BHP | 257 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.7
Potential new 'forever' car for high days and holidays. Low miles, Akrapovic exhaust and M Performance seats. Replacement for the MINI GP2 and bloody brilliant.
MINI Cooper S R53 Track Car | 2004 | 250 BHP | 227 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in ???
Bought as a road-legal-but-pretty-much-entirely-dedicated track car. Most things modified. Goes like stink and sticks like sh@t to a blanket. Sold after 18 months of fun.
Ariel Atom 3 310 Supercharged | 2009 | 310 BHP | 600 BHP Per Ton (ish) | 0-60 in 2.7
Sold the MINI R53 Track Car, and the F10 M5 and bought this exhilarating pile of scaffolding
So, first up...
Nissan Micra K10 1.0 | 1985 | 50 BHP | 79 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 13.6
Image from Google
Handed down from my older sister, this was my first car. Ghastly thing but made a change from all my peers who either drove Mk2 Fiestas or classic Minis (and was a lot more reliable too). Stood up to being dropped in ditches on more than one occasion and traded as soon as I got 1 year NCB for this...
Escort Mk4 1.6 LX | 1988 | 89 BHP | 102 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 10.2
Image from Google
Mine was actually grey not blue, but just couldn't find the right image. I still remember the first time I drove it home, felt like the fastest car on earth after the Micra. The biggest improvement was being able to get up hills with 5 up! Sadly, some numbnuts in a pickup truck with bullbars pulled out in front of me and wrote it off after just 6 months. I was gutted until the insurance payout bought me this...
Sierra Sapphire 1.8 LX | 1989 | 89 BHP | 84 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 11.1
Image from Google
Yup, another LX spec Ford (but this time with alloy wheels!) Although the Sierra felt gutless due to the extra weight vs the Escort, it was my first RWD car meaning every gravelly t-junction was drift city. And yes, I did fit a Cosworth spoiler, K&N filter and 3" exhaust and yes, I did think it looked the absolute nuts.
(Side-note: Travelling in convoy my friend once managed to rear-end me at a fair speed in his MGB. New bonnet for the MG, not a blemish on the Ford!)
However, an impending catastrophic head gasket failure (more trailing white smoke than a Saturn 5 rocket) lead me to trade it for this...
Vauxhall Calibra 2.0 16v | 1993 | 148 BHP | 124 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 8.0
Image from Google
A proper red-top Calibra. This thing drove like an absolute rocket-ship after the Sierra and looked like something from the future. This was also probably peak 'Max Power' period for me so was fitted out with some 17" DTM wheels from Ripspeed and a BOOMIN' stereo. I absolutely adored my red Cali' but after getting a 'proper job' I was suddenly allowed to buy things on credit... Which meant it was time for my first ever NEW car...
Ford Puma 1.7 | 1999 | 123 BHP | 118 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 8.7
Image from Google
Remember the Steve McQueen ad? That sold it for me. As soon as I saw that ad I KNEW I had to have a Ford Puma. I strolled into the dealership, traded the Calibra, stuck my Dad down as a guarantor (cheers Dad) and signed myself up to a Ford Options plan I could barely afford. With 3 years warranty and an amazing chassis, I'm pretty sure this car was never driven at anything less than 9/10ths for all the years I had it. Without doubt, of all my older cars the Puma is still the one that sticks with me. I still look them up on Autotrader at least once a month and will have another one one day - same exact spec of course. However, 123 BHP was always going to get boring eventually and lots of years NCB meant it was time to move up to the big leagues...
Subra Impreza WRX PPP | 2005 | 265 BHP | 196 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 5.3
Image from Google
My second (and last) NEW car. With the Puma at the end of its lease period the desperate salesman at Subaru offered me more than the balloon payment to trade it in on a new Impreza AND he included the cost of the PPP pack into the deal. Another finance signed up and away I went.. in probably the best family car I've ever owned. Fast and secure in all conditions, perfectly reliable despite being treated pretty harshly and an interior where it didn't matter if my kids ruined it. Cracking car but... more NCB, more disposable income and a hankering for something with proper pedigree pushed me to sell up and get this...
BMW E46 M3 Coupe | 2003 | 333 BHP | 215 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.8
Actual car
A friend at work had spotted me browsing E46 M3s on Autotrader and mentioned that he happened to have an E46 M3 Convertible in the underground car park. One 'entertaining' passenger ride and I was smitten. Sold the Subaru in a heartbeat and landed myself in a Black-on-Black 2003 Coupe. This car really cemented my mild obsession with cleaning and detailing. If I'm honest, I think it's just because I liked being outside looking at it as much as I enjoyed being inside driving it! Even today, I still think this shape looks better and better with age. Loved every minute of this car but an impending third child meant that the days of shovelling two kids in the back of a 2 door coupe were over. Tired of car loans and leasing and remembering the Impreza it was time for me to ditch the M3 and put all my cash into something a little more family friendly...
VW Golf R32 Mk5 DSG | 2006 | 247 BHP | 160 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 6.0
Actual car
A 4WD 5 door Golf with DSG, is there a more practical family car? Okay, the boot was tiny due to the 4WD system and it never felt as fast as the 0-60 would suggest but the V6 sounded wonderful and the DSG made me feel like I was driving an F1 car ALL THE TIME. It even had launch control... in 2006! The car never missed a beat and ferried all 5 of us around in the classy way that Golfs tend to do. However, by now I was over 30, with yet more NCB and more disposable income. It was time to add a second car to the garage...
Lotus Exige Mk2 | 2006 | 187 BHP | 205 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.7
Image courtesy of Evo Magazine. That's my actual car in the Evo photoshoot
I'd wanted a 'sunny weekend' car that could do occasional track days and my horrible habit of 'talking myself into up-spec' lead me from "why not a cheap Elise?" into "well, if you're going to have a Lotus you might as well do it properly" so a Series 2 Exige in Krypton Green was mine. Evo Mag had had one as a long-termer for a while in Krypton green and I knew that was the colour for me - found a mint one with low miles and the deal was done. Little did I know that my car would later be featured in an Evo in it's own right; an article on depreciation-proof cars. A fun day out and they turned out to be absolutely right... sold it for a profit 2 years later after 10k miles and a few trackdays. In the meantime however, my daily-driver Golf was starting to feel a little slow and a little cramped for my growing kids so, with the Lotus money in my pocket I consolidated everything and decided that a larger and more practical car was what I needed...
Audi RS4 Avant B7 | 2006 | 414 BHP | 242 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.6
Actual car
In some ways, the Audi was a natural progression from the Golf (in fact, various forums seem to suggest a lot of R32 owners end up in RS4s). I chose the Avant because the larger boot made it even more useful and, to my eyes at least looks much better. Just like the Golf it was 4WD, German, practical and ideal for a family. But unlike the Golf it had much MORE go than show. Going back to a manual from a DSG was an absolute delight and I put nearly 45k miles onto the car including trips across Europe including one all the way down to the Italian lakes. Mega. Just like all my cars, the RS4 was used properly but maintained in immaculate condition and the opportunity to sell it 4 years later for not-far-off what I bought it for couldn't be missed. But not quite yet because it was time for a second car again...
Mini One Convertible R52 | 2005 | 89 BHP | 76 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 11.8
Actual car
My eldest daughter hitting 17 meant it was time for a new car to join the household. I looked at all the usual suspects (Fiestas, Fiats, Clios etc) but wanted something that would be okay for a learner but also something that the whole family could enjoy. Mini One Convertible black-on-black fit the bill perfectly! We owned the Mini Convertible for about 2 years and despite doing very few miles it was absolutely cracking fun. We'd take it out all the time especially in the summer (leaving the daily-driver looking a little neglected) but I even found myself using it from time to time just for the fun of driving something really slow but really entertaining. Plus, putting the roof down made it ideal for bringing home 6-foot Christmas trees! A little tatty when I bought it, it was absolutely MINT when I eventually sold it to a really nice couple for pretty much what I paid for it. But in the meantime, the RS4 had gone and needed to be replaced... it was time to return to BMW...
BMW F10 M5 | 2013 | 560 BHP | 288 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.2
Actual car
Despite being another fast German car, the M5 is everything that the Audi wasn't. It's brutally, earth-shatteringly fast with torque to spare. It's dual-clutch (my commute is increasingly stop-start these days) but most importantly the driver has got to be fully on their game all the time. The Audi's one-mode, all-weather sure-footedness was it's biggest strength but also it's biggest weakness. The M5 can play both comfy chauffer and exhilarating tyre-smoking rocket-ship far better than the RS4 could and the difference in equipment levels between a 2005 car and a 2013 car was night and day.
Spent a while looking for one in my ideal spec (Monte Carlo Blue, Silverstone leather, 20" wheels, split/fold rear seats & Multi-Function Sports seats) and ended up finding one that was owned by a guy I'd worked with a good few years earlier. I picked it up in good condition but since then I've had the front bumper re-painted to remove any trace of stonechips and stonechip repairs and then covered in PPF to keep it looking mint for the next 5 years (heavily stonechipped bumpers drive me NUTS). I've also had the wheels re-done and completed some light paint correction to bring it back to 'as new' which is good considering it's got 45k miles on it. Not seen any in as good nick as mine
. However, with my eldest away in University and a change in work circumstances I'm now doing more miles than ever which isn't a good move with a car like this (the depreciation is bad enough!). Time for a second car to share the load...Mini John Cooper Works GP R56 | 2012 | 215 BHP | 185 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 6.2
Actual car. Image courtesy of Ben Lowden
This started out from a simple set of requirements. Small enough to fit in the garage. Practical enough to drive a reasonable number of miles a year. Fun when I'm on my own. Suitable for the occasional trackday. Straight away I knew the choice would be between a RenaultSport Clio 200 or a Mini John Cooper Works (sadly, I decided a Puma just couldn't cut it, despite the nostalgia value). I test-drove a couple of Clios and really enjoyed their light, revvy, precision feeling. But, I also remembered how much I enjoyed our old Mini Convertible and being a big BMW fan the JCW had to be considered. I test drove a few early R56 models and found them good fun but horror stories about the N14 engine made me nervous.
Enter my horrible habit of 'talking myself into up-spec' again... it started with "get a cheap, early JCW" then became "get a later one with the N18 engine" and then became "well, if you're going to buy an N18-based JCW you might as well do it properly" and that's how I talked myself into a GP2. I test-drove four GP2s before deciding on this one owned by Pistonheads staffer Ben Lowden (see link here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=162...). Keeping in mind there's only about 200 total in the UK you can imagine how far-afield I had to travel to try four. Ben's car was the best combination of price, condition, mileage and 'owner provenance'. I like to buy cars from people who clearly appreciate them and seeing the sadness on Ben's face as I drove off told me he'd loved this one!
How is it to drive? I can't stop driving the damn thing! It's absolutely hilarious 100% of the time and totally ridiculous in the rain. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun while still being well below the speed limit. Where RenaultSport Clios are light and deft, the GP2 is a little clenched-fist of aggro & fury. It pops and bangs and fights its way around every camber and cats-eye like an ASBO teenager while still having heated seats and bluetooth! What's not to love?
(Side-note: This is the point when a few might jump in with 'but, but, no rear seats' or 'but, but massively over-priced'. To be clear, don't care about rear seats (I'll never need them). I would never have bought a GP2 NEW but the prices are very fair these days and hopefully due to it's relative rarity the stronger residuals vs the standard JCW should make it a good choice. We'll see.)
As good condition as it was when it arrived, it didn't quite meet my usual standards so it's had a few little jobs done already. I'll detail them later in the thread if folk are interested but in summary:
1. Replaced front grill - old one was faded and had a small crack in it
2. New 'stubby' aerial - looks cool
3. Replaced two rusty bolts under the bonnet
4. Replaced a roof decal that was losing its gloss (a scary task)
5. Replaced yellowing sidelights with LEDs
6. Light paint correction and thorough cleaning & waxing inside and out (and under-bonnet)
7. Chased out a dozen little buzzes and rattles from the interior using my own toolkit of sticky rubber strips, low-friction medical tape and scuba-equipment rubber lubricant (I'm not a weirdo - they're the benefits of previous Lotus ownership!)
So that's it, bang up to date. Can't see either of them being replaced for a good while yet and I've no idea what I'd replace them with anyway! Next step is some trackdays this summer for the GP2. Happy to answer any questions and will hopefully keep this thread updated on an on-going basis. Cheers!
Update...
The GP2 was eventually sold after a couple of great years and a few brilliant adventures - then a few others arrived (and went)...
Mini One 1.4 R56 | 2009 | 97 BHP | 85 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 10.5
ANOTHER black MINI, bought for my middle daughter to learn to drive. We sold it after 12-odd months after she went off to university. Great little car.
Honda CBR600RR | 2004 | 117 BHP | 717 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 2.8
Absolute minter with only 3k miles on the clock that I couldn't not buy. Serviced, new tyres, wobbled it around for 9 months then sold for a nice little profit
BMW E82 1M Coupe | 2011 | 335 BHP | 257 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in 4.7
Potential new 'forever' car for high days and holidays. Low miles, Akrapovic exhaust and M Performance seats. Replacement for the MINI GP2 and bloody brilliant.
MINI Cooper S R53 Track Car | 2004 | 250 BHP | 227 BHP per Ton | 0-60 in ???
Bought as a road-legal-but-pretty-much-entirely-dedicated track car. Most things modified. Goes like stink and sticks like sh@t to a blanket. Sold after 18 months of fun.
Ariel Atom 3 310 Supercharged | 2009 | 310 BHP | 600 BHP Per Ton (ish) | 0-60 in 2.7
Sold the MINI R53 Track Car, and the F10 M5 and bought this exhilarating pile of scaffolding
Edited by MDifficult on Monday 5th September 16:29
SamCar10 said:
I've recently picked up a later R56 JCW with the N18 engine and the way you summarised the GP2 is exactly how I feel about the JCW. It makes me laugh every time I get in it, only had it a week but I already love it! I can only imagine how much fun the GP2 is!
I was so close to going with a standard one, the difference isn't as much as you might think. It was really the rarity effect on residuals and the 'something a bit different' that swung it. Thanks also for remending me it's N18, not N17 so I've updated the post coopedup said:
Really enjoyed that, many thanks, and some great cars there!
Cheers! Enjoyed writing it TBH. A real nostalgia-fest, especially looking up all the stats. I'm sad enough to admit that I calculated the Bhp per Ton myself to make sure they were accurate - it's the kind of stat I used to pour over when making car decisions, especially in the early days. MDifficult said:
I was so close to going with a standard one, the difference isn't as much as you might think. It was really the rarity effect on residuals and the 'something a bit different' that swung it. Thanks also for remending me it's N18, not N17 so I've updated the post
No problem, I did consider the GP2, but being a young driver, there was no-one who would insure me for less than a kidney.SamCar10 said:
MDifficult said:
I was so close to going with a standard one, the difference isn't as much as you might think. It was really the rarity effect on residuals and the 'something a bit different' that swung it. Thanks also for remending me it's N18, not N17 so I've updated the post
No problem, I did consider the GP2, but being a young driver, there was no-one who would insure me for less than a kidney.Am I right in thinking you live in a suburb of Reading? If so then I've admired your cars every time I've driven past on the way to my mum and dads. Driving past your house the past few years has always put a smile on my face seeing a big V8 monster on the drive way. So much better than the grey rep mobiles in front of everyone else's houses. Some top choices in there!!
MDifficult said:
coopedup said:
Really enjoyed that, many thanks, and some great cars there!
Cheers! Enjoyed writing it TBH. A real nostalgia-fest, especially looking up all the stats. I'm sad enough to admit that I calculated the Bhp per Ton myself to make sure they were accurate - it's the kind of stat I used to pour over when making car decisions, especially in the early days. 
Really nice selection of cars you have had, i love the Mini!
MondyTitX said:
Am I right in thinking you live in a suburb of Reading? If so then I've admired your cars every time I've driven past on the way to my mum and dads. Driving past your house the past few years has always put a smile on my face seeing a big V8 monster on the drive way. So much better than the grey rep mobiles in front of everyone else's houses. Some top choices in there!!
Haha, yeah, that's me! Glad someone's enjoying them. Most of my neighbours are less impressed when I start them up at 6:30 in the morning to go to work. If you're even on the way past when I'm out cleaning them, say 'Hi' A few updates. Managed to find a few pictures of more of my old cars so I've updated the images in the opening post to replace the Google ones.
Can't own cars like this and not use them properly so this morning I joined a bunch of other PH-ers for the first run-out of the year. Wet roads, muddy tracks and more than few piles of cow sh*t left the car looking pretty well used by the time I got home...
The downside to a bluff backside and no rear wash wipe is a rear window you can see out of for about 5 minutes! Liberal coating of crud all over.
Thankfully, a good previous base coat of wax, a foam lance and 10 minutes with the Karcher and all's back to normal...
Really enjoyed the run-out - perfect for the Mini really with tight a twisty stuff followed by flowing A and B roads. I think I've also perfected the right heal & toe down-change technique to really set the exhaust popping & banging on the overrun Never known a car that can move from verge to centreline and back quite so quickly on the throttle, especially when you've one hand changing gear but I guess I just need to learn to grip the steering wheel harder!
Only downside so far... the little faux vents on the side skirts appear to only serve one purpose... collecting cow sh*t and stones!
Can't own cars like this and not use them properly so this morning I joined a bunch of other PH-ers for the first run-out of the year. Wet roads, muddy tracks and more than few piles of cow sh*t left the car looking pretty well used by the time I got home...
The downside to a bluff backside and no rear wash wipe is a rear window you can see out of for about 5 minutes! Liberal coating of crud all over.
Thankfully, a good previous base coat of wax, a foam lance and 10 minutes with the Karcher and all's back to normal...
Really enjoyed the run-out - perfect for the Mini really with tight a twisty stuff followed by flowing A and B roads. I think I've also perfected the right heal & toe down-change technique to really set the exhaust popping & banging on the overrun
Never known a car that can move from verge to centreline and back quite so quickly on the throttle, especially when you've one hand changing gear but I guess I just need to learn to grip the steering wheel harder!Only downside so far... the little faux vents on the side skirts appear to only serve one purpose... collecting cow sh*t and stones!
That GP looks familiar! Wait a minute, I think I've got something in my eye... 
Can I have it back yet please?
In all seriousness, glad to see you're using it and having fun! I do miss it though, badly. Just helped my brother buy a 2010 JCW, so I'm looking forward to giving that a good kicking soon and seeing how it compares to the GP.
Can I have it back yet please?In all seriousness, glad to see you're using it and having fun! I do miss it though, badly. Just helped my brother buy a 2010 JCW, so I'm looking forward to giving that a good kicking soon and seeing how it compares to the GP.
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