OK, £15-18K to spend on an everyday, fun Sports car - what?

[Burma-Shave]

I feel it is my duty to be predictable, and suggest a cheap, ageless, under-rated, every day reliable, all weather, depreciation-proof, 170mph 2+2 sports coupe?

(Sigh..I dont know why I bother )

[pmjt]

Problem is you can't guarantee reasonable running costs on an Alpina or M series BMW.

Why not? The brief was for £15k budget wasn't it? There's no need to get a leggy motor - mine was 20k miles, one owner and fbmwsh with a warranty to boot for £13.5k - next year the warranty will cost me £368 provided it's still serviced at the dealer (which it will be).

Agreed ANY big motor will get expensive when it get's leggy (have you seen the costs for 996's when they get over 50k???) - but with £15k you can buy quite a lot of tin.

[pmjt]

I feel it is my duty to be predictable, and suggest a cheap, ageless, under-rated, every day reliable, all weather, depreciation-proof, 170mph 2+2 sports coupe?

(Sigh..I dont know why I bother )

Nice car

P

[pmjt]

...my money's on the beetle

So come on - what's the beetle running? And how big is the NOS tank

[964RS]

Problem is you can't guarantee reasonable running costs on an Alpina or M series BMW.

Why not? The brief was for £15k budget wasn't it? There's no need to get a leggy motor - mine was 20k miles, one owner and fbmwsh with a warranty to boot for £13.5k - next year the warranty will cost me £368 provided it's still serviced at the dealer (which it will be).

Agreed ANY big motor will get expensive when it get's leggy (have you seen the costs for 996's when they get over 50k???) - but with £15k you can buy quite a lot of tin.

Maybe then. I had thought they would be more than that...i guess markets really have dropped off a cliff...not looked at newish stuff for a while

[JAN]

Z3 M-Coupe , prices are holding up well

That what i would get, and infact probably will be my next car, you would have change from that budget too, even for a nice low miler.

[Andy102]

No contest, the 996 is a much better car than the Z3 M-Coupe and faster.
I have driven both and now own a 996 c2.

[Timo]

Personally I would go for either a 350Z, or a Z3 coupe. The 996 doesn't appeal to me but thats just my preference.

[KS]

...my money's on the beetle

So come on - what's the beetle running? And how big is the NOS tank

Well, since you asked... The current Beetle runs a stroked and bored (to use old terminology!) air-cooled VW engine, which is a 2332cc normally-aspirated motor with dual 48IDA Webers, no nitrous etc, hooked up to a close-ratio five-speed with Quaife diff etc etc. Not been on the strip with this one yet. My last Beetle had a 'little' 2160cc motor (187bhp at the wheels), again normally-aspirated and no nitrous etc. It was timed 0-60mph in full street trim at 4.7 seconds and covered the standing quarter in 12.56 secs – I note the B3S Alpina in Switchtronic spec gives 0-60mph in 6.5 secs and the manual version about 5.7 secs. In a straight line, traffic light GP, my money's on the Beetle every time!

Having done a lot of road testing over the years for car mags, I know how much it takes to get the optimum acceleration times out of a car – you can spend a day trying to match the times claimed by manufacturers alone. Put the car in the hands of the average owner on the street – or drag strip – and the chances are that they will never come close to the claimed figures. That's why so many Porsche and Ferrari owners get embarrassed when they show up at Santa Pod and are annihilated by a VW! Beetles win by their light weight, amazing torque from such a small engine and superb traction compared to most of the 'opposition'.

BUT... on a twisty road, cross country... Ummm, you win.

PS – I'd take an Audi RS4 or a Boxster (with a hardtop).

[pmjt]

air-cooled VW engine, which is a 2332cc normally-aspirated motor with dual 48IDA Webers, no nitrous etc, hooked up to a close-ratio five-speed with Quaife diff etc etc. Not been on the strip with this one yet.

What does the little bug weigh? 850kgs?

In a straight line, traffic light GP, my money's on the Beetle every time!

I won't disagree - and mine will depreciate faster than yours everyday

[KS]

What does the little bug weigh? 850kgs?

In a straight line, traffic light GP, my money's on the Beetle every time!

I won't disagree - and mine will depreciate faster than yours everyday

Probably weighs around 780kg, so talking around 270bhp per ton.

As for depreciation? Hmmm, probably a close run thing!

[smallspeed]

335i coupe and a DMS remap? 400bhp, LOADS of torque, 30mpg, and a few around at the top end of that budget. great looking car, lots of fun to drive, refined on longer journeys and a bit more practical than a 2 seater..

..or, man up and get a V8

[richkaz]

I do agree that BMW's are great cars but ------------ they bore the pants off me .If your pal is not obsessively into German techno masturbation and just wants some fun with a capital F let me introduce him to the Alfa Romeo Autodelta 156 GTA. They said the old Alfa 164 was the thinking mans BMW so have a long and serious think about this beauty.

Not only one of the most glorious sounding engines ever made, also a true work of art, the 3.7 litre engine banging out 328 BHP from its enlarged 3.2 standard GTA unit.

[Gary71]

Think different:

http://pistonheads.com/sales/1156002.htm

A proper coachbuilt Aston V8 for £16k! Mike Peach built engine, and his consistently made more power than anyone else's!

Only risk with this one is that I may have built some of it

[pmjt]

let me introduce him to the Alfa Romeo Autodelta 156 GTA.

Never had the bottle to actually buy an Alfa - but the look of that thing makes me WANT one

Any made RHD? How much do they go for?