Club Arnage

Only me and the current Mrs Gaspode.
Elise/ Exige and Sevens too clumsy to get in / out.
Subaru and Evo a bit too garish...

So...  help a petrolhead select his next set of wheels.
What would you buy/ recommend.

Cheers
Gaspode

Pre-owned/second hand, however you wish to put it - more for your money with all that initial depreciation out of the way.

For reliability - Porsche - good range at that price.
For style - Aston Martins are within reach at that

MG Mark

You Can't go wrong with a Lotus Elise ;)

How about a really nice classic, that way you can get nearly all of your money back when you sell it again.

Honda S2000 (I had to agree with Clarkson eventually)

or a Landrover Freelander TD4, or a Subaru Legacy

Personally if i had 30 K to spare on a new motor , then it would be an Audi A4 Avant S Line quattro 2.0 TDi. In metallic black paint.

Had one as a hire car in France and we were all fighting to take turns at driving it. Handled real well with traction control taking over if you pushed too hard and its also pretty fast  with 170 HP.

Never been in a car that turned so many peoples heads where ever we went in it. Even had people taking photos of it as we drove by.

You would still have some change left to spend as well.

Now if only I had £30 grand !

In a very similar position - me and mrs Toby only, she wants a soft top sports car that she can just drive and not worry about starting in the morning (aka she loves my very heavily modified MG Midget) and wants something that drives as well, looks fantastic and has practical touches like a boot!

So far the 350z in the GT guise is winning - last years model comes in at about 27k before trade in, cheap to maintain (Nissan!), looks good although the boot is a little on the small side.

Off to 911-Virgins this morning to look at Boxsters and older 911's; I have driven loads of them and know how good they are but also know how expensive the services will be...

Audi TT is the other choice but I think that there are far to many of them on the road and dont really stand out.

The S2000 would have been a natural choice other than I am 6'4" and its a bit of a squeeze to get in

Much as I would love another classic its her car and thus it needs to work all the time! Will be watching this thread with interest

If you scratched around and you were lucky you might just find a nice tidy Lancia Aurelia B20 for that money (save £1k for a tatty shopping car ;) Heavenly :angel:

No question - 911 every time.

There are so many 996's available at the moment, and some great 993's. You'd pick up a lovely 993 targa for that money.

Service cost is not prohititive at all. Over  3 to 4 years, I defy you to find a cheaper car to run and own, especially when you consider what you should get back for it if you are sensible with it.

Good luck.

Pure speculation 'cos it's never going to happen to me but I'm with Nobby.  The best 911 you can afford.
Fun, reliable and low depreciation.  What else are you looking for in a car?

A mate and regular Lemanser is looking for a nice E30 M3. After months of looking i showed him a mint 3 0 SC that i had in last week. Altho he agreed that a 911 would be a great choice for his money, he said that the 400+ 911's at the classic puts him off. Its a victim of its own popularity in his eyes. Its a good point. I'd love a 72 RS in orange tho' tricky!

You have to ask yourself why there are so many of them though...

Personally i love them, that shape, the lovely engine note, nothing faster across country and day to day usable-a complete package. But 30k is a lot of money (for me anyway) i would have to find something a little more special, more soulful.

Here's the problem - I love the 993 shape and all that the cars entail however SWMBO (and is going to be the real owner!) is not too keen....

She was well taken by the Boxsters though and I had to stop her putting a deposit down on the first one that we saw (about a '99 for 16K). From hunting about through AutoTrader a nice 2002 or later 3.2 will stand us at about 23k with FSH and leave a substantial wedge for track days and a second trip to France in September (down to THE BRIDGE, off into Monaco, Italy and back up via Germany - hence the track day training as she loved the track days she has done in the Mighty Midge....)

Lots of years funding her qualifying as a serious lawyer is finally paying off.....

And she loves LM and will be joining us again this year - although subject to another thread....

Yes, perhaps. But the 911 will start every time, even after being left outside in the rain.

Also, it's a safe bet that the company will still be around in a years time.

Driving to Europe? Dealers and support all over the world.



whilst the 911 might not be too special or soulful, it's a wonderful car and a pleasure to own.

re Porsche 911.   What age of car am I looking at?   7 years,  8 years, 9 years plus...

The cynic in me is a bit concerned on spending 30K on a 7/8/9+ year old car.
As I'd be having nice expensive bimonthly bills to keep it on the road.

Anyone care to share their ownership experience of a Porker this old....

Cheers
Gaspode

From the looking that I have done the best money is on a 996 at the moment; there seems to be a bit of a premium for a 993 which is a bit of a bummer.

http://www.911uk.com/ and http://www.911virgin.com/ are the two places that I am using for reference.

I would have no problem with an old Porsche, even going back 10 years as long as it has a FSH or a recognized independent although I cannot back that up (yet!) 

How about an M3 Convertible? There is one on Autotrader for 27500 and only has 9k miles on it and is on a 53 plate.

Yeah and then lend it to rick for a week...he'll bounce it off two kerbs and a goat for you :)

You are going to let me have one for a week! The last one lasted less then 4 hours in my hands! Ooops, thank god the Boss prefers the new wheels and interior trim, it was fitted better then at the factory.

My opinion FWIW;

What Not To Wear - Unless you can get one of the lightweight "sports" 996s, a Turbo or a GT2 or whatever, then I wouldn't bother. The ordinary 996s are very fine motorcars, don't get me wrong, but (he said whispering) they really are a bit dull. To the point of boredom. The 993 is a wonderful driving machine and that is why the later models are more expensive than the equivalent three year younger 996; people will pay a premium for the real McCoy. The Boxster is a wonderful car too, but come on, would you really want to be seen in one with it's "hairdresser's/woman's car" tag? Unfair yes, but nonetheless, that's how it's perceived. I think you're right about the Audi TT, too common and actually not a truly great drive if you're after a proper "driver's" car. I understand why the S2000 is out if you're 6ft4. Dodge Viper? No way, let's not even go down that road again!

Lookin' Good - I agree with Rick about the BMW M3, utterly stunning to drive. The 330ci coupe is no slouch either and much cheaper to run and you could just about get a new one. The Nissan 350z should be firmly on your shopping list too. You could consider a modern TVR if you're mental enough but it will break down. Maybe a Corvette if you can afford the fuel!

£30K will allow you to park your bum in an '02 C2, perhaps with limited options on the spec.

The same money would get you into a very good 993. You could look at a Targa if you want something a little more interesting than the standard C2.

If you look very hard, you might see 2000 or maybe at a push 2001 C4, with some styling on them. It's personal choice, but the GT3 kit on the C4 makes for a good looking car IMO and a very capable car.

It is perhaps fair to say that the drive is not as engaging as the 993, but to be honest, where do you get to hang the back end out anyway unless you are looking for a track car. Porsche purists will always tell you that the 993 is the last true 911. It is fair to say that the build quality of the 993 has not been matched by the 996, 997 or indeed the Boxster. The 993 was the "hewn from solid granite" car.

If looking for a 996, be sure to get a vehicle with a full OPC history, or a very well respected indy. Always check the RMS situation too.
The 48K service is a large one, but still within sensible bounds in my view.

Minor services are reasonable, at a couple of hundred quid, with the biggy at around £850. This does include for oil, plugs, poly belt etc.

If the car is around the 40K miles or above, pay particular attention to the feel of the clutch. Remember that many of these cars were and still are second cars. Lots of short journeys, with lots of gear changes. If the clutch needs doing, ALWAYS get the RMS done at the same time.

For me, 996 ownership was a good experience. I lost £4.5K on a £40K car after 2 years of ownership; not at all bad in my book.

If true exotica is your desire, there are many better options than the 911. But, as a totally usable andvery capable car, the 993 or the 996 are great contenders, in my book.

Good luck.

PM me if you want to talk it through.

How much is a decent 2nd hand Noble and are they reliable?

Cheers Andy,

The 350Z was the car of choice up until the weekend but the fact that a Boxster has double the luggage makes it more practical....(Ha! two seater sports convertible and practical in the same sentence; who said there wasnt enough irony these days...) which was a bit of a bummer as I really like the shape and the fact that there aren't very many of them about

Hairdressers car, hmmm, less so than the TT but I concede the point but it is her car after all. I just want to drive the nuts off it round the track on weekends. Besides, I drive a MG Midget normally (ok, very heavily modified but..) so the hairdresser aspect doesn't worry me too much!

Although my money is on a 993 I cannot see the fact that 993's are more expensive than 996's continuing; how many other cars are worth more than their younger siblings?

Can't do a beemer; just has the wrong badge (inverted snob moment) although the couple that I have driven have all been rather good, in fact a friend of mine owns a number of 7's and 850's. The Z4 looks good in a pubes coming out of the bonnet sort of way....

Still, its a great dilemma; even a DB or similar is sort of in the budget range (although I know that it will be a dog!)

Chaps

Been for a test drive in a Honda S2000.  ( I'm 5ft 10 - so I fit ).

OK - It needs revving to get the best out of it.... but it does seem a hoot to drive on country roads.

Thoughts on this car ( The current Mrs Gaspode likes it too - and is happy that the car is new )

Cheers
Gaspode

I tried one, along with a Boxster and a 350Z before finally going for the 'Z' and have been happy with the decision for the last 2 years.

Rationale for my decision was:

Boxster a great drive but too common, a bit of an image problem, and after talking to some other owners, not as bulletproof as the maker's reputation implied. Also the staff at the (official) dealership treated me like I was something that they had just scraped off their shoe. Not the way I want to be treated when spending the thick end of £30K.

S2000 is indeed a hoot but too much 'all or nothing' and a bit tricky on the limit for my taste. I didn't think I could live with having to keep the revs up when I wasn't in the mood just to make reasonable progress. Build quality very good though.

The 'Z' was that little bit different and a good combination of low end torque and top end grunt that almost makes it 2 cars in one. It's still fairly uncommon as the manufacturer restricts the number imported each year - this should also help residuals come the time to sell on. Looks good too. I have a coupe rather than the ragtop but, with a bit of planning, have not really found the comparative lack of luggage space to be a problem.

Nice to have the problem of deciding. Let us know what you choose.

Go for the 996 Porsche.  Its more refined than a 993, better visibility, its quicker (small but important point), cheaper to service, the pedals are not offset in the 996 as they are in a 993, the dash looks like someone actually thought about it, better stereo...shall I go on. 

I had a 98 996 C2 which had the full GT3 Kit and wheels and sports exhaust, basically trouble free and sad to see it go. The guys at Tech9 looked after it for me and gave a very good service at not a lot of money.

Swopped the C2 for a 996 Turbo which is phenomenal but equally as reliable as the C2.

For me it has to be Porker every time, who cares if theres a few about, thats because they are built to last.  I think I'm right in saying that something like 66% of all Porsches ever built are still on the road.

Plus there's the racing heritage (eyes now glaze over....917, 908,956, 962, Moby Dick, 936, lets not forget the white 959 that went around a few years ago....)

Don't dither any longer, just buy one !!!

Jem

Went for a Boxster S in the end - 2003, Arctic Silver with full leather, Aircon, Bose system upgrade and light upgrade (Xenons). all in all just under 24k.

Just had a new engine fitted by Porsche as it was part of a batch that were recalled - laygear or something (need to check!) so has 100 miles on it and a two year Porsche warranty. Car has a 6 month warranty from the dealer.

Very nice drive, back end is very predictable(!) and Rachel loves it! will be after a spare set of rims at some point for track wheels and am  looking at booking a couple of one-on-one instruction sessions before our September grande tour (which was always planned to include the 'ring...)

Thanks for all the comments folks - shame that I will be taking the support van down in June but a promise is a promise (so those that I have promised space to have no worry!)

Congratulations, hope you enjoy it.

Jem

ps ask someone else to drive the van !!!

Nothing wrong with that... its our prefered method of travelling to LM too!! ;)

Wishing you years of joy with your new purchase!

Congratulaions on the Boxter Toby (and Rach).
The engine in the Midget will feel far too slow now so you'd better upgrade to the K Series or Zetec immediately.
I know someone who may be interested in your slow slow old engine (assuming it hasn't seized by now through lack of use) ;)

Congrats - have a load of fun with it.

Good choice. Miles better to drive than a bloody boring five year old 996!!

The S is definitely the one to go for. Have loads of fun in it, I'm sure you wont be disappointed.