£20k 'fun' car suggestions

The place I got my Elise from also specialised in TVRs and when I went to view/test drive the car it was raining ever so slightly. The dealer said he was still happy for me to test drive the Elise however if I was looking at the TVRs that would have been a hard no. :D
 
I'd love a TVR but I don't trust myself. Too much torque in a scary chassis. Every time I think about getting one, Clarkson appears in my mind repeating his old quote "The first time TVR realised that one of their cars had a handling problem was when owners would write in to complain about how dead they were".
 
Kamakazie! said:
S2000 or MX5 are probably what I should get, but just don't fancy at the moment.
Can't get excited about the Boxster either.

Always fancied an Elise but are they practical enough for regular use? Expected them to be on the very firm side of things.
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Waaaay back when I was trying to decide between cars I looked at an s2000 and elise.

Decided I couldn't live with an elise. The s2000 however was fine.

Definitely made the right choice.
 
Rilot said:
Another vote for the S2000. Drive one. You will love it (or hate it, they are very raw).
Buy it well and you won't lose a penny. I ran my last one for over a year and 8k miles and got back what I paid when I got rid of it.
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So raw. I had the AP1 version and I loved it's snappy over steer nature.

Low end/pull away was a drag. But that 50-80mph in 3rd gear was insane.

Drop to 3rd to overtake!
 
An Elise is hardly practical, but that's not what it's for. From what I've read and heard from the few owners I know, they're not overly firm because they don't need to be. They're so light they don't need massively firm suspension to keep the body in check. Sure they lean a bit, but day to day they're surprisingly supple and liveable. Would I want one as a daily driver? No.
 
MissChief said:
An Elise is hardly practical, but that's not what it's for. From what I've read and heard from the few owners I know, they're not overly firm because they don't need to be. They're so light they don't need massively firm suspension to keep the body in check. Sure they lean a bit, but day to day they're surprisingly supple and liveable. Would I want one as a daily driver? No.
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A friend of mine bought her S1 Elise brand new in '98. She was still using it daily 15 years later. Biggest issue is the noise (sorted by earplugs) and the godawful roof on the S1. The S2 roof is vastly superior in its ease of removal and refitting.
 
413x said:
So raw. I had the AP1 version and I loved it's snappy over steer nature.

Low end/pull away was a drag. But that 50-80mph in 3rd gear was insane.

Drop to 3rd to overtake!
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Taking the lid off the air box and doing this for the first time… I didn’t quite reach enlightenment, but I think I got pretty close. I imagine on a Japanese mountain road many people probably have reached it doing this.
 
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A 911 isn’t a terrible option if you go in with your eyes open and get a good one. Quite a unique driving experience. The steering is exceptional.
 
tom_nieto said:
A 911 isn’t a terrible option if you go in with your eyes open and get a good one. Quite a unique driving experience. The steering is exceptional.
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Been looking at 928s / 944s / 968s so not adverse to a Porsche but am a bit put off by the potential maintenance bills, especially the 928.
Sounds like a 968 is a bit more realistic in my budget.

Didn't expect any 911s would fit the budget without taking a big risk on the bills. Any versions to look at in particular?
 
Kamakazie! said:
Been looking at 928s / 944s / 968s so not adverse to a Porsche but am a bit put off by the potential maintenance bills, especially the 928.
Sounds like a 968 is a bit more realistic in my budget.

Didn't expect any 911s would fit the budget without taking a big risk on the bills. Any versions to look at in particular?
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The transaxle cars are getting on a bit, so you're either going to be paying top dollar for a mint one, or potentially buying a nail! I'd love a 944 one day, but long gone are the days of them being cheap options.

For £20k you're into early watercooled 911s, but there are plenty of cars around for your budget. 996 or 997 would fit, I wanted a manual RWD convertible and ended up with a 997. I'd definitely look at the later cars if you're not wedded to the 996 looks. There are plenty of potential pitfalls, but if you find one that's been driven, maintained properly and get it inspected before you spend your money, they can be run on a reasonable budget. I don't do many miles in my 997 C2S and independent servicing isn't far off the price of my S2000. Touch wood, I haven't had many issues, it's easy to drive and would certainly fit the bill for regular use (more so than a TVR, Caterham or Elise!). Parts don't have to be expensive unless you're getting them directly from Porsche. There are some big ticket things that can go wrong (borescore and IMS failure), but often these have had preventative maintenance done and in reality the incidence of these issues is quite low.


Earlier Cabriolet
 
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Hi there

If you like E46 M3 go that way, 20k will get you a nice low miles E46 and the E46 M3's are been hit very hard at moment so it is a great time o buy:
collectingcars.com

2001 BMW (E46) M3 Convertible - Manual for sale by auction in Hounslow, United Kingdom

collectingcars.com

collectingcars.com

2004 BMW (E46) M3 for sale by auction in Burton-on-Trent, United Kingdom

collectingcars.com


Manual VS SMG - Drive both though I dislike the robotic clutch in some cars like R8 and Aston, BMW did a better job and the manual is not exactly great.
Remember to check boot floor for cracks, if car is over 90k miles a rod bearing refresh is a good idea and check all arches for corrosion.
They are superb cars, literally do everything so well.
Or as Simon says look at the E9x M3, another great option.

Also if they fit within budget do check:
987.2 Cayman / Boxster
997.2 911 Carrera (probably over budget)


Other option is maybe a high mileage Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio, they must be close to 20k now as I got mine for 26k a few years ago, drive and handle better than equivalent M3 in my opinion just make sure the 3rd year service has been done as it is around £1500-£2000 and a lot of owners move the car on before this is due as the belts are labour intensive to do.

I noticed you mention MK1/2 Golf, they don't drive great, a 106GTi is a better drive if you fancy an old school hatch but personally do as I've done go find yourself a good condition E30 325i Sport, they drive superb, practical, easy to work on and plenty of fun to drive.
 
Gibbo said:
Hi there

If you like E46 M3 go that way, 20k will get you a nice low miles E46 and the E46 M3's are been hit very hard at moment so it is a great time o buy:
collectingcars.com

2001 BMW (E46) M3 Convertible - Manual for sale by auction in Hounslow, United Kingdom

collectingcars.com

collectingcars.com

2004 BMW (E46) M3 for sale by auction in Burton-on-Trent, United Kingdom

collectingcars.com


Manual VS SMG - Drive both though I dislike the robotic clutch in some cars like R8 and Aston, BMW did a better job and the manual is not exactly great.
Remember to check boot floor for cracks, if car is over 90k miles a rod bearing refresh is a good idea and check all arches for corrosion.
They are superb cars, literally do everything so well.
Or as Simon says look at the E9x M3, another great option.

Also if they fit within budget do check:
987.2 Cayman / Boxster
997.2 911 Carrera (probably over budget)


Other option is maybe a high mileage Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio, they must be close to 20k now as I got mine for 26k a few years ago, drive and handle better than equivalent M3 in my opinion just make sure the 3rd year service has been done as it is around £1500-£2000 and a lot of owners move the car on before this is due as the belts are labour intensive to do.

I noticed you mention MK1/2 Golf, they don't drive great, a 106GTi is a better drive if you fancy an old school hatch but personally do as I've done go find yourself a good condition E30 325i Sport, they drive superb, practical, easy to work on and plenty of fun to drive.
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Giulia Quads have, rather frustratingly, seemed to have stopped falling in price. The cheapest on AT are all staying stubbornly around £25k.
 
MissChief said:
Giulia Quads have, rather frustratingly, seemed to have stopped falling in price. The cheapest on AT are all staying stubbornly around £25k.
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Yea I think demand is rising as it stands out in the sea of mediocrity we have now when it comes to modern choices for a daily.
 
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