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What would be a good sports car for around £15 k
daniel mason - 9/8/11 at 05:46 PM

After I complete my kit I am thinking of driving it until next spring and then selling it,as well as the tin top and purchase just one sports car for up to £15 k
My only 2 criteria are;
1: must be regarded as a reliable car as it will be my only car
2:I've done hot hatches and 4wd jap performance cars so RWD is a must
Apart from that I'm open to suggestions. Don't mind if it only a 2 seater/5 seater or a soft top/hard top and obviously not all the budget needs to be spent if not needed! Was thinking along the lines of boxter s, e46 m3, possibly a 911 (if budget is big enough for a decent one)

big-vee-twin - 9/8/11 at 05:52 PM

Lotus Elise

afj - 9/8/11 at 05:54 PM

Stretch the buget and get a porsche cayman

daniel mason - 9/8/11 at 05:59 PM

I had considered the Elise but it's not much more practical than the 7! And the same with the exige. I would imagine long journeys would get a bit tedious

femster87 - 9/8/11 at 05:59 PM

I would say a cayman. Thats is what am aspiring to for the time being. When i get chartered, with a few years under my belt and a more interesting wage packet. My first purchase would be a cayman. I still have 3 years to go.

perksy - 9/8/11 at 05:59 PM

For that sort of money a Boxster 'S' would be high up my list

Know a few lads who've had them and rate them very highly

StevieB - 9/8/11 at 06:10 PM

quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
I had considered the Elise but it's not much more practical than the 7! And the same with the exige. I would imagine long journeys would get a bit tedious


I've had 2 elises and both were used as every day cars - you can even get a surprising amount of the weekly shop in there too.

However, if I had £15k I'd be looking at a Porsche 996 or maybe a 968 Club Sport. Merc SLK might be worth a look too if you can get the newer shape model in the price range.

scootz - 9/8/11 at 06:11 PM

Boxster S, Z4 M, or SLK 3.5.

mark chandler - 9/8/11 at 06:14 PM

A salon car without a roof is not a sports car, so this discounts a lot of audi's and BMW's.

For my money its got to be an early DB7, jaguar underpinnings so you can fix it cheaply and the mechanics will run to 200,000 miles plus on oil changes only, devaluation will be minimal and no naff comments.

as ton

Maybe I,m biased but that will be my next car

[Edited on 9/8/11 by mark chandler]

daniel mason - 9/8/11 at 06:15 PM

Would a z4 m be as good a gar as the e46 m3?

scootz - 9/8/11 at 06:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mark chandler
A salon car without a roof is not a sports car...
For my money its got to be an early DB7...


The DB7 isn't a Sports Car... its a Grand Tourer!

scootz - 9/8/11 at 06:20 PM

quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
Would a z4 m be as good a gar as the e46 m3?


Haven't driven the M3, but I have had a shot of a Z4 M and it's a helluva beastie!

Ninehigh - 9/8/11 at 06:23 PM

MX5? Can't you get a nearly new one for that kind of money?

I'm also thinking S2000...

mark chandler - 9/8/11 at 06:27 PM

quote:
Originally posted by scootz
quote:
Originally posted by mark chandler
A salon car without a roof is not a sports car...
For my money its got to be an early DB7...


The DB7 isn't a Sports Car... its a Grand Tourer!


Must be my old age, I struggle to drive fast on the roads these days...... Caymen is that a coxter with a roof? sounds like a hillybilly inbred to me

SeanStone - 9/8/11 at 06:28 PM

I reckon you should supercharge an S2000

daniel mason - 9/8/11 at 06:33 PM

It's funny you should say that Shaun! That could be a winter plan I have brewing. I have been in contact with someone about it.

tomgregory2000 - 9/8/11 at 06:35 PM

m3 simples

Ninehigh - 9/8/11 at 06:37 PM

quote:
Originally posted by SeanStone
I reckon you should supercharge an S2000


I remember an article on that when it first came out. They did point out it would make the Honda engineers stab themselves in disgust though. To be honest I'm surprised Honda haven't done it already.

daniel mason - 9/8/11 at 06:41 PM

Tts performance use the rotrex chargers. The guy I was talking to who is selling his s/c kit after Christmas is running over 350 bhp

WAYNE10 - 9/8/11 at 06:56 PM

A friend of mine has an m3, nice car but you need deep pockets.
How about a VAUXHALL Monaro 5.7 V8, never drove one but for under 10k could be fun.

PAUL FISHER - 9/8/11 at 06:56 PM

It would have to be Z4M for me

daniel mason - 9/8/11 at 07:04 PM

You ever driven one in anger Paul?

PAUL FISHER - 9/8/11 at 07:16 PM

No Daniel, they get some great reviews though, I did have a go in the old Z3M that was superb, almost bought one of those

daniel mason - 9/8/11 at 07:26 PM

Thanks. Are the soft tops a better option to the coupe?
Also. Although I said red only I noticed the later model Audi s4 was in my price range. 4.2 v8

scootz - 9/8/11 at 07:43 PM

Is I was going for a Z4 M, then it would be a coupe. For no other reason than I think they look better!

stevegough - 9/8/11 at 08:22 PM

Before I got the 'bug' I was looking for a Honda S2000 - there is only one drawback - most of the one that were in my budget were previously crashed ones - it seems they endow you with horns! But - they would be my primary choice still. Cracking RWD straight-out-of-the-box motor. You know it makes sense, anyway, Daniel - why haven't you got your kit finished yet???

franky - 9/8/11 at 08:32 PM

I'd spend about 12k on a z3m coupe. ~Price have bottomed out now so will only go up.

wylliezx9r - 9/8/11 at 09:06 PM

Gotta be the best 911 u can afford, forget the nancy boxers, rear engine is where its at. Just my 2 pennies

SeanStone - 9/8/11 at 09:10 PM

I know a guy who works for tts so if you go that route let me know and I'll see if there is anything I can do!

daniel mason - 9/8/11 at 10:10 PM

Steve. The reasons why I have not finished are 3 fold!
1: I left the car for 10 weeks last summer without even touching it.
2:I have just come back from 10 days in st tropez which cost a small fortune
3: I am completely useless !

eddie99 - 9/8/11 at 10:17 PM

I know you kinda dismissed it but look again at an elise, drive one and then i think like most people, you'll want one!

Kwik - 9/8/11 at 10:31 PM

MX5, reliable RWD and cheap.

can get the metal folding roof on the newer ones.

Ninehigh - 9/8/11 at 10:46 PM

£15k can get you an 07/08 S2000, or a new MX5

UncleFista - 10/8/11 at 01:53 AM

There's an article on Pistonheads about cheap 911s.
The £14k one linked in the article would suit me just fine

stevegough - 10/8/11 at 04:48 AM

quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
Steve. The reasons why I have not finished are 3 fold!
1: I left the car for 10 weeks last summer without even touching it.
2:I have just come back from 10 days in st tropez which cost a small fortune
3: I am completely useless !


I don't think you can be completely useless.....you are on your second kit, aren't you?

Seriously, you need to get your kit finished first BEFORE you start thinking down these lines, otherwise you'll get the urge to do what many others have done before you and sell it as a 90% completed kit for 30% of what you've spent so far...

Plan of action:
1: complete kit, IVA and get it on the road.
2: sell the kit.
3: make a shortlist of the many great suggestions on here.
4: get some extended test - drives done, and buy the best.


Regards, Steve.

afj - 10/8/11 at 10:20 AM

if you want something with a slight barry touch to it what about a clio V6 they seem to have been around 10 k for a while now so your not gonna lose money on it for a couple of years