Stuck on where to go next (a What car thread)
Discussion
My insurance is up in April and I want to swap cars around then. I will have approx 10k to spend and I want something that is either faster as standard or faster when remapped than my current car which is a 55 plate Ibiza FR which has been remapped to 215bhp/260lb/ft torque. I'm not interested in all sorts of other fancy mods, I like remaps as they're the best bang for buck your ever going to get.
I was settled on a mk1 TT for a while, I know its not a much loved car round here but I love those cars to bits I think they're gorgeous inside and out and they remap to around 260bhp/290lb/ft torque. However the more I think about them the more I think maybe they are just too old now and with all the gadgets and gizmo's on them theres alot to go wrong, plus its the same engine I've got in my Ibiza now albeit more highly tuned.
I don't really know where to go from here now, I don't want something big like a 3 series beamer because I'm only a small guy and I also love smaller cars, I don't need lots of space, once in a blue moon might have more than 2 people in my car but usually its just me and my girlfriend. I also don't want something that old which could result in high maintenance costs and also I don't like buying cars over 50k miles (thats a personal gripe with no real substance to it, just something I like to do)
Do people have any suggestions?
I was settled on a mk1 TT for a while, I know its not a much loved car round here but I love those cars to bits I think they're gorgeous inside and out and they remap to around 260bhp/290lb/ft torque. However the more I think about them the more I think maybe they are just too old now and with all the gadgets and gizmo's on them theres alot to go wrong, plus its the same engine I've got in my Ibiza now albeit more highly tuned.
I don't really know where to go from here now, I don't want something big like a 3 series beamer because I'm only a small guy and I also love smaller cars, I don't need lots of space, once in a blue moon might have more than 2 people in my car but usually its just me and my girlfriend. I also don't want something that old which could result in high maintenance costs and also I don't like buying cars over 50k miles (thats a personal gripe with no real substance to it, just something I like to do)
Do people have any suggestions?
doogz said:
Bothered about economy?
Monaro. Impreza. Evo. F*cking loads of things.
These are all big cars, I don't want a big car.Monaro. Impreza. Evo. F*cking loads of things.
VX220's are looking out of reach pricewise without looking at high milers.
Mazda 3 MPS has the crazy £450 tax.
Early S2 Elise's are still like 11-12k and wasn't the Early ones still rolling with the Rover engines prone to Headgasket failure?
tyranical said:
Early S2 Elise's are still like 11-12k and wasn't the Early ones still rolling with the Rover engines prone to Headgasket failure?
Yes, but it's only about a 400 quid repair and you'll save that in fuel and tax every year over anything else (non-diesel) of comparable performance.Nah, you should be able to get a good S2 for 10k if you look around. Just looking at the first few pages of the classifieds, http://pistonheads.com/sales/2485957.htm is within haggling distance of 10k.
Even id you can't afford a turbo, you'd have your pick of normally aspirated VX220s, which aren't exactly slow.
Even id you can't afford a turbo, you'd have your pick of normally aspirated VX220s, which aren't exactly slow.
If you want to stay in the hot hatch area, you can't go too wrong with a Mk1 Focus RS, thats what I went to after I moved on from my Ibiza.
300bhp with a remap and subtle mods, bullet proof engine, non depreciating, and as long as you get it serviced by a specialist running costs are low.
One of the best hot hatches out of the box.
300bhp with a remap and subtle mods, bullet proof engine, non depreciating, and as long as you get it serviced by a specialist running costs are low.
One of the best hot hatches out of the box.
tyranical said:
Yes i'm a tough bloke to please :P sorry! :P
Not a fan of the R32 either, It just looks like a Box on wheels to me. (I know this is essentially what a car is, but most don't look like it!)
Z4 then but you will probably need the 3.0 litre to outpace your old car. Insurance a problem?Not a fan of the R32 either, It just looks like a Box on wheels to me. (I know this is essentially what a car is, but most don't look like it!)
Alfa GT 3.2 or 147 GTA? both a good clip quicker, and very different. Ignore the pundits, buy a good one (your budget should allow for this, especially with the GTA), and keep the belts changed (the 3.2 is a little harder on them than the other alfa V6's) and they are very reliable.
look for cars with a Q2 diff, as the stock one isn't very strong, but the Q2 is a pretty cheap upgrade and lasts well.
look for cars with a Q2 diff, as the stock one isn't very strong, but the Q2 is a pretty cheap upgrade and lasts well.
tyranical said:
doogz said:
Bothered about economy?
Monaro. Impreza. Evo. F*cking loads of things.
These are all big cars, I don't want a big car.Monaro. Impreza. Evo. F*cking loads of things.
VX220's are looking out of reach pricewise without looking at high milers.
Mazda 3 MPS has the crazy £450 tax.
Early S2 Elise's are still like 11-12k and wasn't the Early ones still rolling with the Rover engines prone to Headgasket failure?
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