Drivers car 10K

[broadspeed1]

Hello I'm after a drivers car for around 10k. I don't want a hot hatch, preferably something rwd although I keep looking at STI Impreza's.
It will be used purely as a weekend toy so mpg and practicality doesn't matter, I don't really care about interiors either. It won't do much mileage but I do want something reliable. Any ideas would be appreciated, thanks.

[Pistonheader101]

E46 M3 coupe

[cerb4.5lee]

350Z? You'd get a really nice one at that budget.

There are one or two 370Z's for sale as well around your budget.

Edited by cerb4.5lee on Sunday 11th April 13:40

[LightningBlue]

I went for a 2015 Mini Coupe Cooper S. 180bhp in what’s basically a B road go kart. Great fun but the colour combination makes a huge difference to the looks.

[LightningBlue]

Could also get a Toyota GT86 but it would be an early one or highish mileage

[Objective Alpha]

ive just bought a 2013 gt86 for £10500 with 70k miles and IMO best car for the job, handles absolutely amazingly, such a lot of fun being rwd and 200hp is absolutely plenty for the car, perfect balance! I bought mine from a honda dealer and they MOT'd it, serviced it, new tires, discs and pads all round, touched the paint up and refurbed the wheels and gave a year warrenty.
Deals are out there, you've just got to look hard enough, ended up getting from car gurus and ive never been happier with a car.

bought it as a second car to take to track and have some fun it as the daily is used to crunch miles. couldn't recommend more! got it in for a Toyota inspection soon to make sure its as good on the inside as it is on the outside

[Objective Alpha]

Pistonheader101 said:

E46 M3 coupe

a reliable e46 m3 coupe under 10k?
for the coupe you're gonna need about 15k to get under 100k miles

[drgoatboy]

Vx220

[cerb4.5lee]

The GT86 is a cracking shout I agree. I've fancied one ever since they first came out.

[ZX10R NIN]

My first pick is leftfield & not a route I'd normally go down but for a weekend toy as long as you get it checked over I'd say you should be able to get this for a number that starts with 10 & at that price point what's not to like.

Brawny V8 great chassis & a rarity, they're also sensible when it comes to maintenance costs too:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103280...

The other pick is the 370Z but you'll have to haggle/budget creep as the sub 10k cars seem to have been snapped up but these are a sweet steer:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103240...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009093...

Or there's it's G37 S cousin not quite as sweet a steer but a bit of a bargain compared to the Z:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012076...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009013...

I would've said a Monaro but there are none about.

I know you said no hot hatches but the Alfa 147 GTA is a bit more cultured than a regular hot hatch:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALFA-ROMEO-147-GTA-RARE...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2020-Alfa-Romeo-147-GTA...

With a little suspension work the 135i Coupe

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103220...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101198...

M135i Both need the same work to the suspension to turn them into drivers cars although both drive well.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104091...

R32 Golf more modern version of the 147

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104020...

[samoht]

If you don't care about practicality, I'd look for an actual sports car

In addition to the GT86 and VX220 already mentioned, also in budget are:

Porsche Boxster 986

Mazda MX-5

Toyota MR2 Mk3

Honda S2000

[keo]

samoht said:

If you don't care about practicality, I'd look for an actual sports car

In addition to the GT86 and VX220 already mentioned, also in budget are:

Porsche Boxster 986

Mazda MX-5

Toyota MR2 Mk3

Honda S2000

I agree with the above but I would be going more extreme. Westfield or another type of kit car? I have a mate he paid around £7k for a tiger kit car based on a 7 and has a zetec engine. Great fun.

[fflump]

keo said:

samoht said:

If you don't care about practicality, I'd look for an actual sports car

In addition to the GT86 and VX220 already mentioned, also in budget are:

Porsche Boxster 986

Mazda MX-5

Toyota MR2 Mk3

Honda S2000

I agree with the above but I would be going more extreme. Westfield or another type of kit car? I have a mate he paid around £7k for a tiger kit car based on a 7 and has a zetec engine. Great fun.

Quite possibly-as is not uncommon it would be good for the OP to say what his needs are, what (if any) his other cars are and what (if any) dogs/sprogs need carting round.

[FWIW]

drgoatboy said:

Vx220

+1

Edit - be quick though, they’re going up in value.

[Mr Tidy]

Some good suggestions already.

Although you say no hot hatch, you do say you fancy RWD so maybe an M135i would work OP?

Or a 3 litre Z4 - budget should get a facelift Roadster or a 100K mile Coupe.

[broadspeed1]

fflump said:

keo said:

samoht said:

If you don't care about practicality, I'd look for an actual sports car

In addition to the GT86 and VX220 already mentioned, also in budget are:

Porsche Boxster 986

Mazda MX-5

Toyota MR2 Mk3

Honda S2000

I agree with the above but I would be going more extreme. Westfield or another type of kit car? I have a mate he paid around £7k for a tiger kit car based on a 7 and has a zetec engine. Great fun.

Quite possibly-as is not uncommon it would be good for the OP to say what his needs are, what (if any) his other cars are and what (if any) dogs/sprogs need carting round.

Thanks for all the great ideas I've got a lot to think about now.
I've got a boring car to daily and a van if I need to move anything, what I don't have is a garage. I'm not sure about a seven type kit car, it would have to be sat outside and you lose the safety you get from a car. I'd probably be dead or crippled if my last crash was in one, I think I would get my motorbike licence and buy a superbike at that point.

Anyway back to cars, I forgot about the gt86/brz, I dismissed them at launch with people slating the engine and to my mind they had poor stats compared to Toyotas previous cars like the MR2 turbo, Celica gt-four and Supra all making more power. At the time I thought "who would buy that when you can get an immaculate 800bhp supra demo car for less!" apparently people caught on and they're five times the price now...
With the old shed money rotten MR2 and Celica costing just as much if not more it's looking quite appealing and it's one of the newer cars on the list too.

I think I'm more drawn to the gt86 then the mx5 or Boxter.

The VX220 is an interesting one I'll have to look into them.

It might sound stupid but the MK3 MR2 just always looked for want of better word gay, especially with how good the MK2 looked I don't know what the designers were thinking.

I like the s2000 but I can't stomach buying an old jap car knowing how little they used to cost.

The BMW's are the most tuneable cars on the list but I really just want something to jump in and drive, I think by the time you get a LSD and the suspension done you're nearly at M3 money.

I've never been a big fan of the styling of the 350z they look like good value for money though.

Pity that VXR8 isn't a manual they look like fun.

[Mr Tidy]

broadspeed1 said:

The BMW's are the most tuneable cars on the list but I really just want something to jump in and drive, I think by the time you get a LSD and the suspension done you're nearly at M3 money.

If you can live with higher miles there is a BMW Z4M Roadster on A/T with 115K miles for just under £11K.

Which has an LSD, S54 engine like the M3 but no boot-floor cracking issues (unlike the E46 version).

[ZX10R NIN]

broadspeed1 said:

Thanks for all the great ideas I've got a lot to think about now.
I've got a boring car to daily and a van if I need to move anything, what I don't have is a garage. I'm not sure about a seven type kit car, it would have to be sat outside and you lose the safety you get from a car. I'd probably be dead or crippled if my last crash was in one, I think I would get my motorbike licence and buy a superbike at that point.

Anyway back to cars, I forgot about the gt86/brz, I dismissed them at launch with people slating the engine and to my mind they had poor stats compared to Toyotas previous cars like the MR2 turbo, Celica gt-four and Supra all making more power. At the time I thought "who would buy that when you can get an immaculate 800bhp supra demo car for less!" apparently people caught on and they're five times the price now...
With the old shed money rotten MR2 and Celica costing just as much if not more it's looking quite appealing and it's one of the newer cars on the list too.

I think I'm more drawn to the gt86 then the mx5 or Boxter.

The VX220 is an interesting one I'll have to look into them.

It might sound stupid but the MK3 MR2 just always looked for want of better word gay, especially with how good the MK2 looked I don't know what the designers were thinking.

I like the s2000 but I can't stomach buying an old jap car knowing how little they used to cost.

The BMW's are the most tuneable cars on the list but I really just want something to jump in and drive, I think by the time you get a LSD and the suspension done you're nearly at M3 money.

I've never been a big fan of the styling of the 350z they look like good value for money though.

Pity that VXR8 isn't a manual they look like fun.

It sounds like the 370Z could be what you're looking for.

[mikeyr]

broadspeed1 said:

It might sound stupid but the MK3 MR2 just always looked for want of better word gay, especially with how good the MK2 looked I don't know what the designers were thinking.

Hi, bit off topic but you are right, there are a lot better choice of words you can choose there. If you are using it in lieu of ugly, or femine looking, or weird then maybe consider the implications of interchanging the word gay for those things.

Back on topic, i was in a similar situation (but pushed budget by a couple of grand to get a 911 as was a dream car) but wonder about the BMW Z4 coupe, https://www.evo.co.uk/bmw/z4/6440/bmw-z4-30si-coup...

Seem a few about for the price and look fun.

[Mr Tidy]

mikeyr said:

Back on topic, i was in a similar situation (but pushed budget by a couple of grand to get a 911 as was a dream car) but wonder about the BMW Z4 coupe, https://www.evo.co.uk/bmw/z4/6440/bmw-z4-30si-coup...

Seem a few about for the price and look fun.

The 3.0Si Z4 Coupes are great fun - I ran one (well two consecutively) until I pushed my budget at the end of 2019 and bought a Z4M Coupe!

I just wanted that M car experience, but the 3.0Si is 80% of the car for 50% of the price - and it's much lower maintenance!