Chins

Starting to get depresed with the car market today. Where have all the cars gone that get your pulse racing and wallet open ?
Yes I want a tin top.

My current car is an R32 Golf. I cant find anything that gets my pulse racing more than the Golf. Do I need treatment. What is out there ?

E46 M3 been there done that. Most of the fun is at license losing speed

STI 7/8 owned a 7. Just struggling to get excited. Looks better as an 8, but quality problems, that scoop and stereo just doesnt seem worth the £25K. Underwriters think there is more chance of George Galloway becoming PM than the STI being a long term hit.

EVO 8 - My Grandads Austin Maxi looked better inside. Those red dials should be outlawed by the EU. How many do they want to sell 1000 - look how the P1 struggled. I see a depreciation disaster looming.

Focus RS - live in Bucks not Essex, I do have standards

Alfa GTA - how long off the road each month. Plus My bank account couldnt live with the front tyres that thing will go through.

RS4 - about the closet contender. But starting to get dated by the new shape. Price today is set to dive IMHO. Still miss my old one though

Keep coming back to the Golf. In blue its had more admiring glances than any Scooby, M3 or RS4 Ive owned. Sounds better than a decated P1. Feels nice inside with Leather buckets, has decentish stereo, Xenon lights, 4wd and residuals that matched Scoobies 3 years ago. Its pretty quick as well.

Is there any hope. Where is the glimmer of light ?
RS3 in a couple of years looks like the only thing to look forward to. Still at least the bank account will look healthier.

Jonathan
who will go to bed now and wake up with a flame suit

Andy Mid.

I saw an R32 for the first time today and I've got to say it was a bit underwhelming. I think it's because several years of lardy arsed Golfs have really hit it's reputation and big wheels, bright paint and twin exhausts aren't enough to make me look twice.

RS Grant

I saw a R32 the other day and I appreciated it but my mum and aunt didnt, they just said "Oh look its a Golf with big wheels..."

I would ditch the golf and get an RS4 and get an ABT conversion, I dont see how you can better that. However, you seem to have ruled out pretty much every other car I would recommend...

What about a 2nd hand TVR, but you are going to go on about reliability which has changed alot actually, they dont break down every day or when it rains anymore...

Cheers,
Grant

mwp

tamora .. drive it hard before comment.

Old_Fart

I agree with the sub-£40k lack of excitement..and have to include the R32 there as well as the whole 'Golf' thing leaves me cold.
The STI8PPP is ok but I still find the 'classic' STI's more fun...though the STI8 rattles and squeaks like the classic
Honestly I can't think of a new 4 seater saloon/coupe I'd want to change to for under £65k...it's a shame Audi haven't produced a real M3 rival in the new S4.
Thinking about getting a VX220 to keep the 2 scoobs company now..test driving that on Tuesday..and have a NobleM12 to drive the following Saturday...after that I should have a good idea what the car stable will look like.
Chuck

Brun

Simple answer P1.

MooseRacer

Chins - I've gone the 2 car route and I'd say you'd be best to do the same.

This way you can have 2 cars that focus their talents in particular areas, wheras with 1 there are always compromises.

Chins

P1 - Done that, plus it looks sooo dated now. Loved it at the time though.

Will think about the two car route

Jonathan

wilf

350Z

Flat 4x4

I'd go with the MooseRacer idea in your situation and buy 2 cars.

If depreciation is a worry, why not make one of them something
like a Mini Cooper S ?

Also, re your comment on RS4 prices - I very much doubt that they're suddenly going to go AWOL. The RS2 still typically retains £15-20k and that's nearly 10 years old !!!

Luke

350z again!!

Colin Berry

AMD conversion for the R32 give 270bhp and 270lbs/ft

http://www.auto-amd.com/news.asp

Scooby Dooby Blue

RX-8?
S2000?

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Chins, how do you wrestle with dilemmas like that, I to would be really depressed to have 40 grand to spend on a car, buy a car for a coupke of grand, run it for six months and for some reason all the stuff you dont fancy will become much more appealing again, a sort of sorbet to clear the pallate after all the rich stuff.

Or buy a Soarer, they are the best car ever, in fact Merc,BMW, porsche and Ferrari have all stopped doing any development as the will never better it.

Second hand 911 Turbo would be my choice.

V-techland

By the sounds of it you still like your R32, and like a friend of mine who sold his Golf T looked back to regret it!

Why not throw some money at Jabba sport (or AMD) and get the car upto a healthier 270/280? Sort the handling with a good quality set up such as Bilstein or Koni, and transform the car !

The Zohan

There is at least 20 cars off the top of my head i would rather spend 40K on.
Sure it is a fine car but 40k for a golf sound like a lot

chrisp

I would stick with the Golf, TVRs are a bit too powerful if you are not use to performance cars, the T350C is mind blowing .

RX8, 350Z, T350C or T350T new but I agree I would be looking at a second hand 993 Turbo.

Mmmmm

Golf R32 good enough car

But how about some cars with a decent chassis and some good steering feel for a change, VX220 turbo, Boxster or Boxster S, Ac Cobra, TVR Tamora (again ), M Coupe. Slightly cheaper Elise, S2000 , Z350.

Most of the above also offer open air thrills as well. Shame you didn't like the M3.

Porsche steering is excellent on the Boxsters and 996 a different world from neraly verything else on the road. I driven the Elise 111s as well and its steering is even sharper (almost too much information) and the VX is supposed to have amazing steering as well.

Boxsters offer practicality, fairly quick, one of the best and most enjoyable driving experiences you can get. Reliable with rock solid residuals as well.

Get some test drives.

jeremy

Go for the new Evo 8 it actually has steering feel and will easily out-handle your golf.

carl

How about a Noble M12?

RB5#295

Stop buying new cars if you care about depreciation. Suddenly £40k buys a lot of exotica, and the bulk of the financial hit has been taken by someone else.

I don't know why you want a tin-top and if you also need 4 seat practicality, but if not then I'd echo the 911 turbo. You may just squeak a 993 Turbo 4 on your budget.

TBH I think you have played too long with new 'nearly' cars and you should open your mind to older stuff if you want something with real character. New stuff is just going to get more and more legislated into blandness.

As far as reliability goes, just get a second car as a runabout - nothing flash, you only need actually use it when your main wheels are unavailable through breakdown / service / not wanting to park it in a scuzzy area.

Fen

MarkWRX

Well I like cars that are different, hence going for an RX-8.

Unique Rotary Engine, 9000rpm red line, 240ps and only weighs 1300kg, which gives it a better power/weight than a STi. Also looks the dogs IMHO.

Also you get 4 seats, suicide doors and a very high level of spec (incl 18" alloys, 6CD Bose Stereo, 6 Speed, Xenons, Climate, Leather etc) for £23500 with metallic.

All the reviews so far have been good, particularly on handling, steering and gearchange.

It would be even better with and extra 20/30 bhp, but run it for 12 months and change it for the alleged RX7 turbo if it appears.

Also the NA rotary in the RX8 does have significant tuning potential.

Mark

Chris L

Funny I thought exactly the opposite Chins. Saw a lovely P reg 993 on the M25 yesterday - looked fantastic. It has the makings of a modern classic. I agree that the steering wheel is horrible and that can easily be changed for a nice RS replica. But compared to the interior of a modern Scoob - I know where I would rather be.

If this is dated, I'll have one!!



Chris

Bobby Peru

Mercedes C32 AMG?

Chins

Chris

Its the interior that I really struggle with. Much prefer the 996.


C32AMG, had someone else recomend this car. Might have to try one at some point. Still in my 30's though

Jonathan

Bobby Peru

I have just turned 30 & I'd have one in a second.

DaveMiddleton

I have gone through a lot of very fast cars and always love them for a while. I am now back (after an 18 year absence to a 911 (993 C4) and will probably stick with it for years.
However having owned Evos, Sybarus, M3, Audi S3 etc, I have to adnit that my all time favourite bar the 911 has to be my Skyline R34 VSpec ( which I have now sold to a good friend as it's ONLY problem was the thought that you could keep adding to it's capability and thus spend many many thousands.) Otherwise, I would recommend you try one of them. Even my one which was circa 420 bhp was as quick in every gear as a twin turbo 911 and just miles faster than my C4. Link that with AWD (when needed) and 4 seats, it was awesome and you could get a VSpec 2 for 40K! Just my thoughts.

RB5#295

Well, I've just been looking at 2 Cayennes this morning. The S is £44k - different, desirable and unlikely to depreciate quickly? Yes. It's the only 4x4 I've ever wanted (but I'd want the Turbo...)

Fen

NOZZER

A good friend of mine has a C32 amg and he had a New M3 conv, the amg won hands down on all aspects( appart from roof down )so he sold the M3.
He track days the amg and it is a great car, quicker than my P1 on straights etc. He has the 19" wheel amg conversion that looks great but dosnt handle as well as the standard 17"
Well worth lookiing at imho

SJobson

I tried a 2001Y 996 recently, expecting nothing at all, and it was f---ing brilliant. Manual, C2, coupe - probably about £50k from a Porsche dealer though. But you'd get a far better (and cheaper) finance deal on one of those than you would on most £40k cars - e.g. M3. Or look at a new one - £56k list price, and it comes with most extras you'd want.

Alternatively, the new Audi S4 is just out, 344bhp so only 25bhp short of the RS4 but from a naturally aspirated V8. Doubt it's worth £16k over the price of an R32, though, but easily my preference over a same-price, old-looking, 2yr old RS4 with bendy wheels.