A wild "spec me" thread appears...£4k, 200bhp'ish hot hatch fun

SixTwoSix

SixTwoSix

SixTwoSix

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Mazda 3 MPS goodness

UPDATE: 06/05/16 - Eventually bought a Mazda 3 MPS. - see here https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=29467891&postcount=92.

Mods...can I have a thread title change to "Mazda 3 MPS goodness" :D

Following on from a few posts i've made in the Renaultsport thread, have some fun spec'ing me a new 2nd hand car ;)

Got about £4k to spend, potentially up to about £4.5/4.7 dependant on what my car sells for. Currently driving a 14 year old Clio 172 which while a lot of fun, has started to feel a bit slow and is killing me year on year with bills.

I want something with a minimum of 200bhp'ish, looking at Megane R26's primarily but had a friend at work telling me to consider an Astra VXR. Just had another mate suggest a Honda Civic R, mind is all over the place now.

Fuel consumption not a concern, only got a 5 mile/day commute with weekend miles as many or as little as I like. Insurance is also is not a big worry, in a lovely postcode area and currently pay £400 fully comp on the Clio.

Aside from the obvious Meganesport, Civic R, VXR...is there anything else I should be considering? Not keen on the old shape Focus ST and the 2.5 ST-2 is out of my price range.

TL;DR version...

  • Less than £4500
  • Hatchback preferred
  • 200BHP+
  • Petrol
  • Insurance/Fuel not an issue
 
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A rarer option most people overlook: Toyota Coroller T-Sport compressor (supercharged)?

You can get one of those for under 5k and they have around 215hp. Plus they are quite reliable. Not as sharp as some of the recent hot hatches, but a bargain for the money.
 
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Astra VXR should be near the bottom of the list IMO. There quick, very quick infact but the rest will be much more fun on a British country road.
 
Jano said:
Mazda 3 MPS?
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Wow, 250+ BHP and in my price range, like the styling too.

iaind said:
Octavia VRS?
Click to expand...

Will have a read up.

Haze said:
If you are worried about bills, then definitely don't buy French this time, lol
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Not worried about bills to be honest but due to the age of the Clio it's getting a bit silly now. Rear pads/disks/calipers, new exhaust and front shocks have cost me close to a grand in the last 12 months. Would rather put that potential cost into something a bit newer/better.

Nasher said:
A rarer option most people overlook: Toyota Coroller T-Sport compressor (supercharged)?

You can get one of those for under 5k and they have just over 200hp. Plus they are pretty reliable.
Click to expand...

As with the VRS, will have a read up on these.

Begbie said:
Astra VXR should be near the bottom of the list IMO. There quick, very quick infact but the rest will be much more fun on a British country road.
Click to expand...

Truthfully I don't like the styling, Vauxhall have yet to make something that turns my head. Personal opinion of course.
 
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Your search should've stopped at EP3 CTR. If you've not had a shot of one, you need to.
 
Mk5 Golf GTI surely comes into play here. Should be able to pick one up in budget, 200 bhp standard, and should map easy enough to around 250 bhp. Fairly reliable, parts are easy to get, can look nice, decent enough fuel economy, etc...

Probably not as nice handling as an mx5, but that's not what your looking for. Or mk4 R32's might be around this budget too, but I am not a fan of the engine. Although the looks are quite nice (to me).
 
SixTwoSix said:
TL;DR version...

  • Less than £4500
  • Hatchback preferred
  • 200BHP+
  • Petrol
  • Insurance/Fuel/Tax not an issue
Click to expand...


Any of the following meet the utterly bizarre arbitrary bhp requirement (and are technically hatchbacks :) ):

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201604032584522 - Ford SMAX 2.5T
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201603242289293 - Mondeo 3.0
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201603222212106 - Zafira VXR


Ignoring the bhp requirement, a Mini Cooper S would be in budget (R53 supercharged easily, R56 turbocharged probably poorer examples) and are a decent enough hot hatch.


Be worth clarifying what you really want - 200bhp really is meaningless - 150bhp in something smaller like a Fiesta ST is just as involving.
 
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Those M3 MPS look nice. Tax is a doozy but since it doesn't matter, go for it :D

If I could afford that tax every year I'd definitely consider one of these.
 
LiE said:
MPSSSS
Click to expand...

The more I look at these, the more i'm liking the look of the 3, not so keen on the 6.

Evo8 said:
Your search should've stopped at EP3 CTR. If you've not had a shot of one, you need to.
Click to expand...

Not a lot of choice though in my price range. EP3 is the spaceship shaped one right? ;)

xs2man said:
Mk5 Golf GTI surely comes into play here. Should be able to pick one up in budget, 200 bhp standard, and should map easy enough to around 250 bhp. Fairly reliable, parts are easy to get, can look nice, decent enough fuel economy, etc...
Click to expand...

More to consider...but thanks :D Truthfully i'd kinda skipped past Golfs, not sure why now.

Armageus said:
Any of the following meet the utterly bizarre arbitrary bhp requirement (and are technically hatchbacks :) ):

Ignoring the bhp requirement, a Mini Cooper S would be in budget (R53 supercharged easily, R56 turbocharged probably poorer examples) and are a decent enough hot hatch.

Be worth clarifying what you really want - 200bhp really is meaningless - 150bhp in something smaller like a Fiesta ST is just as involving.
Click to expand...

True about the BHP requirement, was just keeping it simple. Currently drive a 172bhp clio and wanted something that would feel a decent bit faster "off the line".

Good point about the Fiesta ST, makes sense and again, think I was over simplifying the requirement.

Couldn't see myself in a Mini...sure they're great cars but don't really appeal.

MooMoo444 said:
Those M3 MPS look nice. Tax is a doozy but since it doesn't matter, go for it :D

If I could afford that tax every year I'd definitely consider one of these.
Click to expand...

All the ones in my price range are a fair old trek from me :(
 
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iaind said:
Octavia VRS?
Click to expand...

I've got this, and had the Astra VXR prior to that. The latter is much faster, but then it is 40bhp more in a smaller, lighter car. I had problems with the gearbox as many do, but in the end I reluctantly sold it before I lost even more money on it. I bought it for £13k with 28k miles on, and sold it four years and 20k miles later for only £6k. Yikes! I do still miss that car, but really wish I'd waited and got an old model before spending the equivalent of a house deposit on a car!

The octavia is a much bigger car, and still quick, but not as fun. I'm really tempted by a Shark S1 remap for it do give it a nice 20-25% performance boost :D


To get the Octy VRS under 4K, you'd likely have to get a high mileage, none facelift version.
 
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Thanks for all the input guys, it's appreciated.

I've slept on it and this morning the Mazda 3 MPS seems to be top of my list from a performance and power perspective. The looks don't do a great deal for me.

In the looks department, I keep coming back to the Meganesport R26, very marmite I know but it works for me.

Civic Type R EP3 is calling out to me a lot as well, wanted one since I passed my test 6 years ago. However the price seems to have gone up on these a lot in the last 2 years, are they appreciating now?

Gonna go and test drive all 3 over the next few days and see which sticks.
 
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