New/Old Car Selection - Help needed

[mgmark]

Ladies and Gents,

I've got a mate at work who is heading up to work for a couple of years in the the wilds of Scotland soon, leaving family back in Oxfordshire, and is looking to replace his existing car with something stylish, quick and fun to drive.   He's approaching 40, and had thought of splashing out in celebration on a 911 until I pointed out to him that Aston DB7s were in his price range.  Sadly, thoughts of any real exotica have crashed and burned in the face of his CinC Domestic Command's ultimate veto in the fun prevention and excessive spending department. 

So, the basic brief now is that whatever he gets has to be bought within the funds raised from the existing vehicle (a BMW 330 convertible, for which he reckons he will get around £12-13k).  It needs to be fun, stylish and quick, but also practical (i.e. it will take him and a dog) and, given the need to drive it occasionally betwen Scotland and home, passably economic in terms of fuel consumption.  Any thoughts on a suitable replacement? 

MG Mark

[geoffd]

Ladies and Gents,

 Sadly, thoughts of any real exotica have crashed and burned in the face of his CinC Domestic Command's ultimate veto in the fun prevention and excessive spending department. 

 Any thoughts on a suitable replacement? 

MG Mark

For the car or the CinC??

[mgmark]

  I don't think that replacing the CinC is an option, so we'd better just stick to the vehicle side of things.  I know that she had already issued a fatwah against me for suggesting a DB7 to him...

MG Mark

[TobyAnscombe]

Mark - we can speak tonight but the Boxster route is a cheap, quick car that is also practical...

[MIKE C (Liverpool Boys)]

Mark,
If your mate is going to work in the wilds of Scotland. depending on how wild a fast car with 4x4 may keep him out of the ditch.

[Perdu]

Mark, "fun, stylish and quick, but also practical (i.e. it will take him and a dog) "

Sounds like my Midget and I was going to suggest it to you this evening...

Then the first Autumnal gale just sprang to life outside my window and I have reluctantly decided to stay home and walk the dog instead of driving to Lahndahn.

Boxster sounds OK to me but Toby's other love which was more  than a little Nissanish was a strong contender for him some months back...

[Andy Zarse]

Nissan 350z. Okay, I'm biased but is there any other real choice? £26k on the road new, 100% reliable, and a 3yr warranty. To keep the Missus happy he can point out it's the fourth lowest depreciating car in the UK (source last month's Top Gear Survey). I'm sure Pretzel will concur it's a truly great GT car in the true tradition.

Expect 35mpg on a steady run, it's really extremely comfortable on a long journeys. I get about 24mpg if spanked, which it often is. It's proper RWD so wet roundabouts are your friend, as is the big lusty V6 310bhp engine, superb noise, rifle-bolt gear change, massive Brembo brakes, huge performance and as Top Gear pointed out "... don't be fooled by the Porsche Boxster, you'll look way cooler in one of these...". Nor will he look like a big wet hairdressing gayster like Boxster drivers do.
Oh and there's plenty of room for the dog, my Lab goes everywhere with me and happily sits in the driver's footwell or curls up in the (open) boot according to choice. I've thought about getting a car doggy harness for him tosit on the passenger seat. Instead I put my old Soob Forester back on the road for the day to day stuff.

I suppose he could always pay an extra £20k for a Porsche Gayman S but I really can't see what you get for your money the Nissan doesn't provide for little more than half that amount and of course there's the CinC (Domestic War Office) to consider... Failing that another BMW would be my choice, a second hand low mileage M3 would seem to tick all the boxes.

[TobyAnscombe]

Mr Zarse...

Fair cop, but we looked at the convertible and it had bugger all boot space - Nissan make a big point over the fact that you can get a single set of golf clubs in! try getting 36 bottles of 'poo and 2 suitcases in the (convertible) Z!

The Z was nice, very comfortable and quick too! with only a small number being imported keeping those residuals up. Can play the review game; take yer pick on websites as they all say that porkers are great/awful/etc as they say the same for the 350Z. Big wet hairdressing gayster? Sorry, its a porker not a Merc SLK 

Put the two side by side and my money is on CinC going the German route...mine did!

On the flip side, you know how tall I am and that does give me some problems in the Boxster - never drove the Z for more than 30 mins so hard to tell.

I can't see the point of buying a 2 seater with a tintop but thats just my thoughts, 4 seats moves me into Audi rather than BMW's.

[mgmark]

Much as a Midget would suit Bill and I and provide great fun, it does not do it for my mate (phillistine that he is), but having suggested it to him, the 350Z (thank you for that one Mr Z - not one that sprang to my mind initially, but a heck of a package for the price!) brought forth a v.enthusiastic reception and, given that the thought of a DB7 had sent him into paroxysms of delight before, it was ticking a lot of his boxes on performance, price, practicality etc......right up to the point that it quickly became clear that his initial brief to me had not been complete.   

Whilst a GT/Coupe/roadster thingy would be great for him + dog to get to/from home and back from Scotland, it would be less good for the times when his missus and 2 kids (age 10 and 11) go up by train or air to stay in Scotland, and they need to be able to move around in one vehicle, without resorting to strapping the kids to a roof or boot rack.  So the revised brief is that needs to be a 2+2 or a 4-seater....so please keep the ideas rolling in....

MG Mark

[elanman]

Mark,

I venture to suggest an Elan M100, you won't be surprised to know that I even know of a decent one for sale (not mine either)  .

There again I just read the final bit of your last post and he would be short of a couple of seats (did have a 4 seat elan for a few hours yesterday though  ).

[Andy Zarse]

I can't see the point of buying a 2 seater with a tintop but thats just my thoughts, 4 seats moves me into Audi rather than BMW's.

All good points above Toby, I too wouldn't consider a soft top 350z. Yes, the boot is no use at all.

Personally I can't see the point in buying a soft top two seater OR four seater anything really. The hard top versions are, almost always without exception, much better driver's vehicles. The handling'rigidity/safety/weight is virtually always compromised compared to the tin top version. Anyhow I just don't understand the whole soft top thing in this country with it's wretched weather, unless you're a flashy Doris (no offense Doris!). I mean, you can put the roof down only rarely and you're compromised for the remaining 340 days of the year. As J Clarkson said, it's like wearing a condom all the time just in case you get lucky...

Having read Mark's update, I reckon an an M3 ticks all the boxes. Maybe a Audi RS3/4/6. Nothing from Merc/AMG really fires me up, they're all old men's cars. French? Forget it. Likewise UK and USA except the big Chrysler perhaps, but depreciation is your constant companion. That and the AA. Not much else from Japan comes in to play, except Subaru or Evo, and he said he wanted good looks... 

So that's it really. Audi or BMW. What a dull world we live in.

[Brad Zarse]

Honda S2000 - Cheap, Fast, Bullet Proof, Practical, but a little common

TVR Chimera 500 - 14K buys you a sexy one - again, a little bit common, and a little industrial, but there is certainly an element of specialness about any Trevor... my boss Drives a Tuscan S, and his dog likes to peer over the windscreen and feel the wind between his ears (which is good, because air is about all he has between his ears).

You could probably get something like a Scooby Impreza P1 (I drove one of these, and at the time it scared the bejeezus out of me!)

Or what about something rare - Lotus Carlton, Mitsu Evo RB, Porsche Speedster, or maybe that funny merc that looks like someone's sat on the roof?!?

Alternatively, buy a sensible car, and a flaming mental motorcycle....Maybe a Hayabusa, or Honda Blackbird - keep the car for going out with the dog, and the bike for when you have that feeling like you want to kill yourself  

[rcutler]

My money would be on a second hand Audi RS4 Avant. Loads of room, Loads of Power and ideal for LM trips or trips to Scotland.

[Martini...LB]

My money would be on a second hand Audi RS4 Avant. Loads of room, Loads of Power and ideal for LM trips or trips to Scotland.

You won't get that for £12-13k, but I would also suggest an Audi Avant...

>Martini...

[Lorry]

or how about a BMW, say a 330, perhaps the cabriolet