PPPRob

Guys/gals, I currently have a 355bhp MY04 STi PPP and it might be time for a change.

Its my weekender and only ever comes out the garage when the weather is fine and so I don't need practical.


Requirements:

Needs to feel as quick/quicker than current car on road;
No older than 5yrs ideally but we'll see;
Absolutely NOTHING front wheel drive;
Budget is 18k absolute maximum and that includes selling mine 1st


My shortlist (please add others if you think I've missed anything!):

S2000
Series 1 Exige (bit old, bit slow. Honda'd/Audi'd/Duratec'd ones over budget sadly)
Evo 6 Tommi Makkinen
R33 GT-R (will need to be well modded)
Boxster S (budget? girly?)
VX220 turbo (If only it wasn't a vauxhall )
Crazy nutter b4574rd Dax/Westfield/GTM bike engined thing (been in a few and felt very vulnerable on the road)
Cerbera (bills, bills, bills)

Any comments about those cars? Good/bad and why please.

Jaybird-UK

I see a clear winner here....

VX220 turbo

Look past the badge, those in the know already do and recognise it as a great car

Top Gear test here

0-60 4 secs
150mph

"The sports car of the moment" - Jeremy Clarkson

carbon

for that kind of cash wouldnt you get a monaro??

worth a look.

astraboy

I agree, but you wont be dissapointed with a an Evo 6 Mak. either.
astraboy.

Leslie

Are you getting a bit of a twitch on about No 3 big end/con rod then?

Les

PPPRob

No

Why do you ask that?

PPPRob

Anyway

Back on subject

MattW

If it's got 355bhp it's hardly PPP is it ??

DCI Gene Hunt

Beach Buggy & Surf Board.... "Cowabunga Dude!"

LG John

Most of the cars on that list won't feel anything like as quick as a 355bhp STI! The S2000 would need to be supercharged and the VX220 would need to be Stage 2. The Cerbera would, of course, do the job as might nutter bike engines caterfields. R33 would need 450+bhp, boxter s and series 1 exige are too slow. I think you might need to either compromise on your 'speed' requirements, age requirements or price.

One car that springs to mind is modified EVO 8 MR340's. Should get a 400bhp one for around £18k if you shop around.

Leslie

Thats the one that lets go first if you have been getting any detonation because No 3 cylinder runs hotter since it sits under the turbo. As long as you have got a "**** link" and you have not been seeing red lights you should be ok though.

Les

Shark Man

Personally a vx220 would jump out on me on that list, but NOT A TURBO: Drivers cars don't have a turbo messing up the thorttle response; superchanged, yes, turbo, no.

Anyway, being honest, I think by putting a 5yr limit on things is severly restricting your options....ok for a everyday car, but a weekender - surely you can afford to take a bit more risk?

The problem is most modern cars do not feel fast. They are made too easy to drive and too confortable and too safe handling. The result is a car that needs little effort for fast progress and doesn't give you the feel that maybe you want.

This is where the caterfields and daxs come in to their realm. Problem with most I've driven is they use the wrong suspension setup for the road (Drove a rush a few weeks back, christ, not sure who specced the springs and dampers on it...as it felt like it had neither). In other words they are over-stiff. Although its not hard to swap the shocks and springs for somthing that is more forgiving on the uks pothole infested roads. but it would be nice to have somthing with a useable roof - seeing how much it rains here

For those reasons I'm in a similar conundrum myself for the next car for everyday use (with a practical mundane car for weekend use; If you've got it- use it! ). Got a Monaro at the moment, and as fast and good handling it is, it only FEELS fast when going sideways. Plus the driving position is completely wrong, its too big to position on the road and the controls are like every modern made car in the past 10 years - over assisted (brakes, steering etc). But even then, I find it more thrilling on the same back roads I've driven an NSX on; simply because it needs more work to keep it in check - its more of a challange.

For that reason I'm sniffing at doing an early 1970's Lotus Elan FHC (probably a +2 ) project car upgraded with modern running gear (bigger engine, 5 speed, bigger brakes etc). Time will tell if I get round to going down this route, as I will need to make time to build it.

SJ_Skyline

You'll be hard pressed to find an R33 gtr thats less than 5 years old. They stopped making them in 1998.

If it's for a fair-weather weekend toy then go for a Westie, craziest car I've ever been driven in (2l cossie lump with a td04 bolted on for good measure).

PPPRob

So, if for example I removed the 5 year requirement, what would spring to mind?

Got a test drive in an S2000 next week as I've always liked them anyway. Just don't want to be dissapointed with it

Going to try a VX220T as well. I understand the comment about NA or supercharged being the preference but I don't have the budget for a SC'd exige (which I'm really hankering for) and I don't know of anything NA thats quick enough (barring some TVRs) in my price range.

LG John

You will be, bet you a pint. There is no way in hell you'll be impressed test driving an S2000 having come from a 355bhp STI. Not a hope. If you drove 10,000 miles in it as a test drive then it would be another story.

Mk2_heaven

radical Who needs luxuries