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I think R8s start about £30K, although you should discount it cos I don't like audis lol
Jag F-type convertible? from £22.5K on auto trader - soft top, performance & luxury (apparently)
Or more old school Jag, get a V8 with, or without, a supercharger, in the XKR(S). I was looking at these recently - many bangs for your buck...
Haha! I know what you mean about Audis. They're just a Skoda with some leather and some) curves, aren't they?! The R8 does seem cheap for something on the boundaries of supercar. I think the size would ultimately put pay to that idea, both on the road and in the garage!
XKR or Mustangs are just too far down the GT/soggy side for me. A mate has an F-Type and it's a beautiful thing. But it is more GT than sports car. He even misses his MX-5 a bit! It's also even bigger than the Aston. Not sure what the fun levels are at normal speeds either - it's bloody quick! I ought to badger him for a drive!
I know Robin went to the Boxster 981 GTS (I think), and bloody loves it. Looks very 911 and it's crowned really as just about THE perfect roadster. An S would suffice if the GTS is out of budget. Ignore the badge and it's ubiquity, it will be a captivating drive on the right road. For me, if I was considering a budget like yours, it has to be test driven. They start it 30k.
Ignore the R8 - the giant, slammed A5 will bore you. I spoke to a chap 6 months ago at a car meet, who rolled up in one. The V10, he said, is lovely but, it's not at all engaging and can't really be enjoyed on B roads. Especially in this country. He said he misses his s2000 that he had for several years, and plans to get rid and buy a GT100.. (good luck with that !)
Now the Tamora - well, what a TVR it is. It's often overlooked like our S2000, but, unfortunately it's super fragile engine is the caveat to it's purchase. You 100% have to buy one that's been rebuilt by the TVR specialist that tinkers in Speed 6 engines. And , there's the usual outriggers rot.. Personally I think it's a stunning car ; old, but new, but still analogue. Its aged well for 20 years old. And its not "in your face" like an expensive Sagaris. Balanced and beautiful, and leftfield. Terrific soundtrack.
Some good shouts though...
R35 (king of the road) , 4C , Evora.. but, not so sure an F type will set your pants on fire.
I'd try them all - it won't take you long to work out the winner
Ah, that's a good point. I remember reading Robin's thread about his Boxster. Yeh, I think you're right, it should probably be on the list, even though it doesn't tick the 'uncommon' box, or tickles my fancy looks-wise.
That's interesting feedback from the R8 owner. Confirms its place on the 'no' pile. 'Slammed A5' Yeh I'd always thought 'squashed TT'
Tamora/T350 - Yes, I heard all the engine horror stories etc, but I'd hope that most are sorted by now (and as you say, I'd be needing to find one with good history). You say balanced? Have you had the chance to try one?
Not the spec but this is Lotus' last ICE new car the Emira prices from £72k.
This is marked sold 2015 manual Evora pennies under £40k and with only <12k miles FSH
The 'Norwich' dealer actually Long Stratton but 20 miles half an hour away from me
Don't know if they have an Emira sitting in the showroom yet space is limited http://www.strattonmotorcompany.com/...-sports-racer/
It's very difficult to think of anything, IMO, all the moderns are far too fast/capable for the road and only fun at speeds that'll land you in prison.
I'd hang on to the S2000 and maybe get a Caterfield - the slowest one that's available - or an old MX-5.
You will regret selling the S2000 and then have to go through all the hassle of finding another nice one when you realise your mistake
(Just) enough performance for the road. I did have it supercharged to 400+bhp, but found B road driving more 'staccato', wnd the lack of intake noise and throttle response was a downside.
It's lively and fun at reasonable speeds. The gearshift and intake noise (with CAI) are excellent.
It's a pretty car and I still like walking back to it, even after 15+years of ownership.
I do like the roof down motoring. Gives a sense of 'being outdoors' even when driving between destinations. Genuinely not sure how much I'd miss this and whether I could forgo it for the right car.
It's reliable and relatively cheap to run & fix.
I do like being able to tinker myself, and obviously this saves money!
It fits in my garage and on the road, it's not too big.
It gets up my drive! There's a sharp transition which prevents me lowering it much lower than stock.
i read those as requirements
-light
-good looking
-quality build
-convertible
-non premium brand (porsche snobs dont like DIY maint)
-reasonable size (see 1)
-not slammed
it rules out the Aston imo thought maybe just get one for 12 months to play? i dunno whether the more spicey Vantage S fits the budget
i have considered the V8 F type just because it is so quick and sounds so good, even though it's an 1800kg car and i know that is the opposite of what i enjoy
the Lotus is not reliable and exige with the Toyota engine is stretches the budget but that is where i'm currently looking
you already scratched the boosted itch which is a must, mine is brilliant fun but an absolute weekend short hop thing due to my breaking the suspension, 13mpg and sheer noise plus it only wants to drive at vol 11
i cant see beyond the lotus. a fast porsche costs a lot more and is not as fast usually and then it's engine implodes. not for me.
Ah, that's a good point. I remember reading Robin's thread about his Boxster. Yeh, I think you're right, it should probably be on the list, even though it doesn't tick the 'uncommon' box, or tickles my fancy looks-wise.
That's interesting feedback from the R8 owner. Confirms its place on the 'no' pile. 'Slammed A5' Yeh I'd always thought 'squashed TT'
Tamora/T350 - Yes, I heard all the engine horror stories etc, but I'd hope that most are sorted by now (and as you say, I'd be needing to find one with good history). You say balanced? Have you had the chance to try one?
I haven't tried one unfortunately. They float around at 25k, some have been slightly lower with 60k miles.. but the better ones are 30k with rebuilds
It's certainly a weekender for many, but is supposed to be easy to drive and "balanced" as in, plenty of feedback if you like to steer from the rear. I'm quoting alleged owners and press. It's a drivers car for sure - the Griff and Chimaera are too wooden.
I've sat back and thought about moving mine on, but it's just so cheap to run & service for a daily, being a nippy sports car.
It's a tough one. Overall - Evora is the top choice but it's more track focused.
It's very difficult to think of anything, IMO, all the moderns are far too fast/capable for the road and only fun at speeds that'll land you in prison.
I'd hang on to the S2000 and maybe get a Caterfield - the slowest one that's available - or an old MX-5.
You will regret selling the S2000 and then have to go through all the hassle of finding another nice one when you realise your mistake
Lot of truth in this. I bought a '19 911T couple years ago thinking it would be a good replacement for the S2000, it isn't, luckily I didn't sell the S2000 prior to getting the 911.
I'd suggest going off and driving everything that tickles you and see where you end up, but either way don't sell the Honda before making your mind up, only sell if/when you find the right car.
), and bloody loves it. Looks very 911 and it's crowned really as just about THE perfect roadster. An S would suffice if the GTS is out of budget. Ignore the badge and it's ubiquity, it will be a captivating drive on the right road. For me, if I was considering a budget like yours, it has to be test driven. They start it 30k.
Yeh I'd always thought 'squashed TT'
