A quick search indicates there's about 1cm in it in terms of height and width and the M3 is only a little longer

 

I'm not winning here, convincing myself;

An XK is even more pointlessly massive (1,890mm), but at least I can stand to look at the thing without averting my eyes...

 

a mate of mine paid £3K for an 02 XK8 with 75,000 on the clock the other day - pretty much unmarked, just a few clonks to sort

I had a go in it - nice old thing to tool around in

 

Gad,

My thoughts exactly! I saw one similar perchance & thought "hang on..."

Even the clever, aluminium boggo-cars are getting quite affordable. But the Jaag unreliability makes junk-money ones more compelling.

I guess I'll never get the M-thing; for that money, a S/H 86, a Litchfield snail kit & some Thinsulate NVH treatment to the doors & roof, a BBK and some grippier rubber would give me similar PTW in a pretty, handy-sized, softly-riding little thing. With change for a decent stereo & an interior re-trim...

 

My latest W8 cost the princely sum of £1400. NOTHING is wrong with it, it's sitting on 4 x Pilot Sports and has done 74,000 miles in 10 years. It has a surprising turn of very high speed too - of the RS6 trying and very surprised variety. I'm surprised I haven't sold the Avant version so I suppose I will have to fix the gearbox and put the price up.

The other thing is, you don't live in a Barratt home do you?

 

Yeah, I think you've got me sussed, there!

This idea of old smokers that actually are neither that old, nor that smokey makes most modern things look ridiculous.

You've answered your own question; with a broken gearbox, the majority will run scared and it's a tiny market for such a car anyway. Fix the 'box and it's saleable again, since I suppose at least one can check that it runs nicely. People seem to expect perfection for peanuts too, these days.

 

You know the issues with the M, weight, harsh ride.. but you're missing its plus points, the 4l is a nice motor, arguably a very nice one. And it is a car you can drive quickly with a good degree of confidence. Maybe too quickly sometimes. Its refined too. And oversteer is mandatory. It has some toys which are a must on this type of car lile climate and heated seats and is nice inside too.

Its also solid family transport for me, feels like its carved from rock and is a bit of a sleeper bar tha bulge...

Its not perfect though.. But i considered

Evo
Subaru
Lexus
M5
C63

And it won from that bunch

 

It's the overworked sills & hideous wheels; a boggo 330 in blue looks ok-ish.

The interior's all a bit 'fat & wrinkly too' but one doesn't notice when driving. The 86 & 'Lude have heated seats & shi' so I'm spoiled by such decadence already...

So much as I admire the engine and the mass distribution is promising, I'm gonna have to go in under the cover of darkness with a paper bag on my head. In case the E92's splits. Better leave a paper bag outside the showroom, in case someone sees us...

 

I think the stock cars look very dull bar the odd colour. Bag the saloon, that's a lot more sleeper IMO.

Get fat, that's one thing I've noticed at the dealer, either fat, balding men or muttonesque ladies of a certain vintage. Or reps who are universally dumb.

Err. I hope I don't fit any of those

 

Compliments where such are hard to find. Blue is a good colour Nottm


Who knows?

But grey is certainly a dull colour