Do I need help?

[NVP]

You think not because you have never driven one over a bumpy road every day.

I think you all need to give me much more credit, I'm not a noob to this driving malarkey. Far, far, far from it.

the MK3's dont have cruise but the later 3.5's do i think but they may be too expensive for you. Ours had heated leather seats and a very nice Bose sound system,

thanks

I'd prefer to do bigger mileage in one of them than a hot hatch i think

Oh really? See the thing putting me off the mx5 and the z4 mentioned below was the soft-top aspect. They're only ever a nice place to be when the top is down, otherwise they're too claustrophobic for me.

Going to suggest a Z4 3.0i now

You got me looking into hard tops and the z3 and everything now... potentially a contender, especially with the RWD aspect.

All in I think I've spent about 3k on mods (labour, + cost of parts), I'm not handy with a spanner but wanted to go to a reputable tuner for Mini

Wow! I'm hoping to do it all for about a grand, don't need new or top end parts really just whatever is floating around for cheap.

The only time I could genuinely say I had 'fun' on a longish commute was the 1000cc sports bikes I used to take in twice a week over summer to alleviate the 120 mile commute boredom..

My colleague said the same to me but I barely survive driving a car I think I'd be dead in a day on a superbike

Everyone is correct in saying the 'fun' will wear off almost immediately and all the obvious short comings will just annoy/irritate

But I'll still have my barge to swap in and out of whenever I need, so surely it'll retain the fun?

the z4 useless in heavy rain or a slight bit of snow. i planted my foot in the rain in the z4 once. god my heart nearly exploded. car slid one way then the other whilst trying to go straight.

This is where I depart. I think we are at polar ends of the driving spectrum, but I appreciate the advice.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

I think you all need to give me much more credit, I'm not a noob to this driving malarkey. Far, far, far from it.

thanks


Oh really? See the thing putting me off the mx5 and the z4 mentioned below was the soft-top aspect. They're only ever a nice place to be when the top is down, otherwise they're too claustrophobic for me.

You got me looking into hard tops and the z3 and everything now... potentially a contender, especially with the RWD aspect.

Wow! I'm hoping to do it all for about a grand, don't need new or top end parts really just whatever is floating around for cheap.

My colleague said the same to me but I barely survive driving a car I think I'd be dead in a day on a superbike

But I'll still have my barge to swap in and out of whenever I need, so surely it'll retain the fun?





This is where I depart. I think we are at polar ends of the driving spectrum, but I appreciate the advice.

if your looking at z3's then you don't have a clue about cars tbh.

also the z4 is fun to drive. it's just terrible in the heavy rain / snow as in you can't use it at all in snow and have to drive with no harsh acceleration in rain.

whenever i'm in the z4 i just plant it no matter what. which is why i say it's not something you want to be using as a daily. you will either die or lose your licence.

 

[NVP]

Hahaha you're killing me man


Also, my boys keep sending me things like this the dicks

Spoiler

 

[Frozennova]

if your looking at z3's then you don't have a clue about cars tbh.

also the z4 is fun to drive. it's just terrible in the heavy rain / snow as in you can't use it at all in snow and have to drive with no harsh acceleration in rain.

whenever i'm in the z4 i just plant it no matter what. which is why i say it's not something you want to be using as a daily. you will either die or lose your licence.

Shock horror as driving something relatively high powered and RWD drive like an ape in the rain/snow results in loss of traction.


You realise a throttle isn't a switch right?

 

[NVP]

Oh no, don't do this to my thread please - I was finally getting suggestions

 

[Frozennova]

Oh no, don't do this to my thread please - I was finally getting suggestions

Back to suggestions, I've not driven either but idling browsing auto trader with a rough criteria.

Peugeot 207 GTI
MK5 Fiesta

 

[NVP]

Peugeot 207 GTI
MK5 Fiesta

Oooooo I just couldn't get a 207 after I made the wife reluctantly swap her beloved red 207 for a nice safe German car! Haha that'd just be mean

Mk5 fiesta I can't see that driving nicer than the mini - or was it like to the mk1 focus (similar era right?) and shockingly decent through the twisties?

 

[NVP]

So being back in the mini I'm finding the aspect of this type of car I like are:

- light weight - easy to throw around and break without fighting such huge momentum.

- the view - pretty much perfect driving position with a great viewing range. Really like this "openness" .

- manual on an eager engine - great gearing, almost perfect mate to the revvy engine.

- small size - it's so small and the wheels are pretty much on the corners I can dance in and out of gaps all day long. This is key I think...

- the lack of power - revving the nuts off something fun whilst not being able to go past 125 actually is quite enjoyable haha do I need a supercharger? Wait!?? The **** has happened to me?? Someone slap me please!

Scratch that last one.


Issues I have:

- understeer - man it's been a while! Hoping it can be tamed with mods.
- no road presence - the amount of people who just pull out on me and must not see me is ridiculous!! I'll probably die in this car at this rate.
- looks - blacked out windows will be a necessity

Nothing else so far I don't think.

 

[vanpeebles]

I'm not convinced they are small or even lightweight?

 

[NVP]

Relative to what I'm used too haha

Also note: I'm a monster and this is the first small car I've ever driven where I've been absolutely comfortable both in leg and back! Surprisingly roomy, but needs an armrest!

 

[Mr Krugga]

Currently going through about 500 every 3 weeks of diesel. Won't be that bad will it?

Based on the real mpg figures from sites like Honest John, your estimated avg 3-weekly commute of ~2500 miles, the cost of 3 weeks worth of diesel and all the figures I can find after a couple of min search, I estimate your fuel bills would go up by around 35%, from £500 every 3 weeks to £700, without accounting for any performance modifications you're planning on buggering the car with.

That's over £10,500/year on petrol alone, assuming that you commute at least 46 weeks out of the year to the job.

To answer your question, yes, you need help.

Sources

BMW F11 535d real mpg:
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/bmw/5-series-f11-touring-2010/535d

Mini Cooper S R53 real mpg:
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/mini/cooper-s-r53-2002/cooper-s

Average fuel costs in May '19:
https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/driving-costs/fuel-prices

Fuel calculator:
http://www.fuel-economy.co.uk/calc.html

 

[NVP]

Thank you for the effort sir. I can tell you I filled up £25 yesterday and back to work this morning I'm on the red marker again and this is in a 1.6 so I agree with your estimates for a 1.6S acceptable? No? I don't know now. I've never bothered calculating how much I spend a year on stuff. Tis a big number!

 

[vanpeebles]

Relative to what I'm used too haha

Also note: I'm a monster and this is the first small car I've ever driven where I've been absolutely comfortable both in leg and back! Surprisingly roomy, but needs an armrest!

Raw and flat out, means no armrests!

 

[Uncle_Gravy]

I never had issues with traction in my 3.0i Z4 in any weather (Except snow, never bothered) that's if i was being sensible or decided to be a loon and hear that wonderful straight six engine sing, I was always comfortable in mine despite being fat and being on 19s and i drove 40miles a day in mine mon-fri, pretty practical for what it is and always got above 30+mpg on a run driving normally.

I had the roof down everytime it was dry, Winter months when we had some near 0c temps roof was down, extreme fog when you couldn't see a car infront roof was down, best £4k i've spent on a car, and would happily do it again.

 

[Martynt74]

Oh really? See the thing putting me off the mx5 and the z4 mentioned below was the soft-top aspect. They're only ever a nice place to be when the top is down, otherwise they're too claustrophobic for me.

Mk3 MX5's come with a folding hard top (or at least some of them do). That would make it a much nicer place to be. Same with the Z4 but i don't think you'd get a hard top Z4 in your budget.

 

[NVP]

Raw and flat out, means no armrests!

Gonna have to make shift one then haha!

I had the roof down everytime it was dry, Winter months when we had some near 0c temps roof was down, extreme fog when you couldn't see a car infront roof was down

This will be me, I have my window down and arm out all the time even on a rainy motorway so can just imagine how I'd live in a convertible.

Mk3 MX5's come with a folding hard top (or at least some of them do). That would make it a much nicer place to be. Same with the Z4 but i don't think you'd get a hard top Z4 in your budget.

Oooo I didn't expect that in budget. So what are they like performance wise? Tunable to 6 seconds without making it too twitchy for day to day?

 

[Martynt74]

BBR Tuning is the place to look generally

https://bbrgti.com/collections/mazda-mx-5-nc/products/bbr-mx-5-nc-super-200

The BBR Super 200 should get you into 6's i'd have thought for around £2.2k

 

[NVP]

I might as well just ask the mods to close this thread right now:


http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201906028587083

 

[Martynt74]

Haha you'll be lucky to make it a single journey before it dies!

 

[Diddums]

Shock horror as driving something relatively high powered and RWD drive like an ape in the rain/snow results in loss of traction.


You realise a throttle isn't a switch right?

Why is anyone even responding to him? He's demonstrated fairly comprehensively time and time again that he's got Nasher levels of car knowledge, it's like asking a 4 year old at a kid's party which car to buy.