Why am i never satisfied?? variety is the spice of life i guess and it seems that cars are my downfall.

I am really keen to get back into the track day scene and even perhaps some racing (would only consider caterham academy....a few years down the line i think).

Anyway, having wanted an S for a long time, i finally got what was my dream car, the run-out GT100. Car is great, have owned it for a year now, but its never really hit the button for me to be honest, perhaps i am a little nervous about it still, never really gelled with the car?!?! its a confidence thing and being new, just too scared of bending it!

Anyway it only moves 2-3 times a week, otherwise sits on the drive looking pretty....but not as pretty as £20k would in my bank acocunt!!!

So - am seriously consiering letting it go and getting a track toy (prob clio cup) that will be trailored to events so wont be taxed / mot's etc.

(Will a 2.0tdi A3 trailor a stripped out clio?)

The options are to replace the GT with 'another car' hence the thread. I'm pretty sure that a nice E46 M3 will fill its boots nicely and for £12-13k you can get a 02/03 car with average miles on it. For approx 6k miles a year, seems a pretty good ownership proposition.

MODS - this is not a for sale thread, so please no offers on the S...its still all running around in my head at the moment. Whatever way i go, if the S does go, the budget for the next 2 cars will be £15k.

Just had tax reminder for both cars....

S2000 - £425
A3 - £125

my wife found that very amusing....not.

 

you'll do well to get £20K for the S2000

£13K will buy you an M3 with high miles

running costs for the M3 - esp a high mileage one, will be in another league

 

You'd struggle. If you intend to cage the car then the weight pretty much goes back to what it was before you pulled the interior out. Ours was built as a race car by Renault and comes in at just over 1000kg with driver and that's mainly due to the cage, but on the plus side, the cage makes it very, very rigid.

Rich's Impreza has a job as soon as you add spares and tools to the car, it's right on the towing limit as it is. Even my Legacy isn't ideal, the Landy however....

What's the legal maximum for the A3? If it's around 1500kg you might be OK, but it will struggle and you run the risk of being pulled and weighed (it's getting more common these days) - the fines are pretty hefty for overloading (as it applied to commercials too). Remember the trailer and car might be under the towing weight, but you also have to add the weight of passengers, tools, fuel etc. to find the gross weight which could be over.

 

i know a decent indy that serviced my previous E46 and mini, so thats cheaper, but sure am expecting running costs to be higher, but cancelled out lack of depreciation (or at least serious depreciation).

I just feel the S is being a little wasted and the cash tied up in it islimiting my opportunity to get back on track.

interesting views on the value of the S, i 'heard' that the market was pretty good at the minute....

 

cheers Mark - will look into it.

might have to be a dog of an elise in that case!!! but then would keep road legal and enjoy the odd country blast!

 

Why not get an early S - A MY00-01 - and spend a bit of money modding it: exhaust, suspension, alignment etc etc

I appreciate you've already scratched the itch, but I think the early cars are dynamically different and will be just as quick on track as an Elise or E46 M3

Just a thought

 

Get a nail of an elise and keep it road legal.

They're the next best thing to a caterham and you can drive it to and from the track in relative comfort.

 

CHRIST!!! when did elises start appreciating so much!

sold my 98S S1 for £8k 5 years ago....can't get one for that now!

 

Loads on piston heads for around that price.

 

Have to agree with Mark - A3 is pushing it. Perhaps give it a try with a view to changing. However I suspect you haven't got a towbar on it so there's costs involved going this route.