And seizing VVT & wiper pantographs can be a PIA.

 

So wild presumtions made about female taste here!

My wife always wanted the S2000, and drove the purchase along
I just took it over

Anyhow BOT.

How about a MX5 Turbo (Miata or conversion).
Thats a car I would buy too, especially for an all rounder.

 

As long as the body and chassis is solid a spitfire or midget can be pretty reliable.

The spitfire is based on a triumph herald and my first car was a triumph herald convertible(which might also be an option for you). It was mechanically very reliable. Rusty as fcuk when i bought it but it had a total body off rebuild that sorted that.

But a MK1 mx5 is a good buy. My wife had one and it was a thoroughly enjoyable drive. But it is one of the girliest cars going...

 

So, to paraphrase:

Girlfriend drives S2000
Girlfriend likes S2000
Schoolkids like S2000
Girlfriend ego boosted by schoolkids appreciation of S2000

Boyfriend decides to buy her anything but an S2000
Boyfriend heading for ex-boyfriend status unless he comes up with an alternative

 

Boyfriend decides to provide her with an S2000.
He avoids ex-boyfriend status

 

Coincidentally, I've been talking to Steve (the proprietor of Goodwood) about sourcing me a tidy Mk1 MX5. They're as cheap as they're reasonably going to get while you can still find a decent, unabused and relatively rot free example.

 

My mate is driving up to see him this weekend and collect one - it's worth buying a known good one, cosmetics aren't so important as mechanicals - I like ( and so does my mate) his approach to doing business.

 

Seemed like a genuine guy on the phone, and his website does him credit.
He's looking out for a decent, well looked after standard Mk1 for me, the engines are pretty bulletproof but the pitfalls seem to be rust and neglect and after looking in the classifieds and going to see a couple of sad examples near me, I decided to pay Steve a premium to spend the time finding a decent one for me.

He also has a good reputation when things go wrong, as they inevitably do from time to time, which is just as important and often overlooked IME.

 

This one for me, if you can find one with a good body the twin cam engine is bullet proof


Then again I'm biased as I used to race one of these


And own one of these (can you see a theme here)

 

Love the Mirafiore, a boyhood dream car. Unfortunately by the time I grew up enough to buy one, they were thin on the ground.
Made do with a 128 Berlinetta 3P, I saw one for sale a while back on Pistonheads for four grand, I think I paid about £50 for mine.