I spent a small fortune getting a Nissan Fairlady (350Z), shipped over from Japan almost two decades ago; prior to release over here. I hated the car almost upon receipt. The only money I spent on it though (tax, mot etc aside) was on fuel. Which I begrudged.
How much have you spent on a fun car before you felt bad
- Thread starter almoststew1990
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Soldato
I would suggest buying something newer, lighter and more fun than any of those. GT86 springs to mind.
Or something less costly but more entertaining and easily enjoyed – such as a 350Z with a few choice tweaks.
Stuff from the '90s is all well and good but you can easily end up battling annoying failures or parts supply issues. The more straightforward and newer car is sometimes the far better option. Fewer worries, more fun.
W124 isn't a bad shout, though; loved mine. Just get one that has zero rust and is immaculate, so you don't end up chasing corrosion or minor issues.
Or something less costly but more entertaining and easily enjoyed – such as a 350Z with a few choice tweaks.
Stuff from the '90s is all well and good but you can easily end up battling annoying failures or parts supply issues. The more straightforward and newer car is sometimes the far better option. Fewer worries, more fun.
W124 isn't a bad shout, though; loved mine. Just get one that has zero rust and is immaculate, so you don't end up chasing corrosion or minor issues.
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I had my Type S and S15 Spec R, barely ever drove the S15... I'm now thinking of getting something modern with a bit of poke and practicality.
New cars might not feel as raw, but all it takes is a longer trip in the fun car to show all of its flaws. Not to mention I worked on the damn thing every weekend. The parts were only really available from Japan 2-3 Months wait time... Its ironic how in Europe we dream about 90's Jap cars and in Japan it's the exact opposite.
I'm still thinking about M140i or M240i, such good all round cars with ridiculous tuning potential.
I considered the following, but after driving some, my thoughts were...
GT86 - Good handling, fairly lightweight, good feedback, feels quite raw for a modern car, unfortunately it lucks power and LSD is a must.
350z - linear power delivery,
Its 1am O.o I'll update this post at some point tomorrow...
New cars might not feel as raw, but all it takes is a longer trip in the fun car to show all of its flaws. Not to mention I worked on the damn thing every weekend. The parts were only really available from Japan 2-3 Months wait time... Its ironic how in Europe we dream about 90's Jap cars and in Japan it's the exact opposite.
I'm still thinking about M140i or M240i, such good all round cars with ridiculous tuning potential.
I considered the following, but after driving some, my thoughts were...
GT86 - Good handling, fairly lightweight, good feedback, feels quite raw for a modern car, unfortunately it lucks power and LSD is a must.
350z - linear power delivery,
Its 1am O.o I'll update this post at some point tomorrow...
Soldato
Just another thought for OP.
What I find most with women and cars is for the vast majority its more about what they look like than anything else. So if you could do fine with one car then the better daily seems more logical.
What you need to find is the one where she likes the car more than she doesn't want the performance, if the issue with the performance is the not feeling comfortable with it then what can you do to limit that effect.
Maybe an auto, they tend to be easier to drive than manuals in faster cars.
Then the angle of what it looks like etc. If you can think of some that you think might get a balance acceptable to you then you can work on her, for example I find women like minis, and TTs
So something like a JCW mini, or a TT to test drive?
You could try the GT86 angle like mentioned although suspect the fact she doesn't want a car thats fast is really she wants one that feels safe and they dont really meet that criteria.
The new MX5 would be a good bet, but too expensive I would guess at the mo.
Partly comes down to really what you are after, speed, looks, rarity etc
What I find most with women and cars is for the vast majority its more about what they look like than anything else. So if you could do fine with one car then the better daily seems more logical.
What you need to find is the one where she likes the car more than she doesn't want the performance, if the issue with the performance is the not feeling comfortable with it then what can you do to limit that effect.
Maybe an auto, they tend to be easier to drive than manuals in faster cars.
Then the angle of what it looks like etc. If you can think of some that you think might get a balance acceptable to you then you can work on her, for example I find women like minis, and TTs
So something like a JCW mini, or a TT to test drive?
You could try the GT86 angle like mentioned although suspect the fact she doesn't want a car thats fast is really she wants one that feels safe and they dont really meet that criteria.
The new MX5 would be a good bet, but too expensive I would guess at the mo.
Partly comes down to really what you are after, speed, looks, rarity etc
Don
It's almost as though you're looking to spend all 15k on the car, hence some crazy suggestions in the OP. There are plenty of 'fun' cars for a fraction of the cost which you could own and do little milage per year.
Honda s2000, MX5, Clio 172/182, RX8, etc etc; list is endless.
I think you'd be better off properly specifying your conditions for the car; e.g. it must be under 8s 0-60 to be classed as fun. It must, or must not be a convertible. It must be RWD, or FWD; This will shorten the list dramatically and steer you away from 90's Jags.
Honda s2000, MX5, Clio 172/182, RX8, etc etc; list is endless.
I think you'd be better off properly specifying your conditions for the car; e.g. it must be under 8s 0-60 to be classed as fun. It must, or must not be a convertible. It must be RWD, or FWD; This will shorten the list dramatically and steer you away from 90's Jags.
Soldato
I was/in a similar situation when buying a car. I previously had a Leon Mk3 which the GF likes due to being cheap to run and modern.
It had the 1.2TSI engine so performance wasn't anything exciting and I always had it in my head to get it remapped. Due to some issues, I had to return it and got a full refund.
I looked for another Leon Mk3 but this time in FR trim for that extra ponies. My selection grew the more time I spent looking from Leon FR, Focus Mk3, Fiesta ST Mk7, Mk5 GTI, Mk7 GTI.
As you can see, the cars are all over the place with no similarities apart from being hatchbacks.
Then one day a local guy advertised his Jap import immaculate e39 540i with lots of preventative work done. A car that I never considered, went to see it, drove it, liked it and bought it for £6.5k. Of course the GF isn't impressed but at the end of the day, it was within my budget and I liked it
I should probably update my Fuelly as it'll be half of that if I'm lucky
I paid a little bit more for my Z4 35i a few months back, if that takes your fancy. That was from main dealer, relatively low miles ( <40k miles) and FSH, plus 12 months warranty. You could get one for 15k i imagine; prices will have dropped a bit now, plus if you go private you will find some below 15k as well.
Soldato
Live your life and buy a fun car while you have the means. If it's something that you've wanted for a while and have an actual interest in, then go for it!
A V10 M6 would be unbelievable, but the potential of having to spend the purchase price again when it goes wrong is not insignificant! Not for the feint hearted!
A Honda S2000 is much more reliable, and a hoot to drive, but not quite the German barge that you're after I think. I wonder if the C63 suggested above (not that particular example) isn't such a bad idea as it's a bit newer! You'll need a maintenance pot for any car of this age as there isn't any worthwhile warranty. If you've got a garage with access to a trickle charger there's not much stopping you from keeping a car for high days and holidays.
A V10 M6 would be unbelievable, but the potential of having to spend the purchase price again when it goes wrong is not insignificant! Not for the feint hearted!
A Honda S2000 is much more reliable, and a hoot to drive, but not quite the German barge that you're after I think. I wonder if the C63 suggested above (not that particular example) isn't such a bad idea as it's a bit newer! You'll need a maintenance pot for any car of this age as there isn't any worthwhile warranty. If you've got a garage with access to a trickle charger there's not much stopping you from keeping a car for high days and holidays.
Soldato
Aren't these pretty unreliable or have the ones that remain on the road all had rebuilds? Won't they need regular rebuilds anyway in the future? If I didn't need the back seats, but still required 9,000 rpm I'd have a Honda S2000!
Associate
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£300 a month will easily see you in a brand new Mk4 MX5 and its a brilliant car and one of the most fun cars you can get. This would be on a pcp deal which is what i would do... ohh wait.. i did 
Been there, done the older Jap turbo nutter wagon ... done the 6cyl BMW (boring), done the hot hatch...
Now onto what it most certainly the most fun motor i have had.
Been there, done the older Jap turbo nutter wagon ... done the 6cyl BMW (boring), done the hot hatch...
Now onto what it most certainly the most fun motor i have had.
As long as you stay on top of maintenance they can be fine. The rotary is definitely an engine that requires an enthusiast mindset to work around its ... quirks. I am not sure I would have one for 12,000 miles a year. But about 2000 a year, why not.
But considering you can pick them up for barely £1k a rebuild being in the region of £2k, you can have a proper blast for not much. There has been quite a lot of development and understanding around the 13B rotary in the Rx8 by the aftermarket. So as long as you keep the ignition system in tip top condition and keep a beady eye on the oil you can be golden.
Soldato
Why not just hire a fun car when you want one, instead of wasting £15k that could be earning you interest and then wasting £350pm (£4,200 pa) on 'maintenance'? The £350 alone would get you a decent hire for a couple of days, and then you aren't stuck with it if it all goes up the wall.
Before blowing £15k on a second car for fun ask yourself :-
Do you have any loans/debt?
Is your main car paid off?
Do you have your mortgage paid off?
Do you have any other savings/investments beyond that £15k
I don't expect you to answer them here but I'd suggest the answer to all the above should be yes if you want to buy a second weekend car for fun!
Do you have any loans/debt?
Is your main car paid off?
Do you have your mortgage paid off?
Do you have any other savings/investments beyond that £15k
I don't expect you to answer them here but I'd suggest the answer to all the above should be yes if you want to buy a second weekend car for fun!
Associate
I knew Martin Lewis was a member of this forum
but yes - I agree. Spending a couple of grand on a second car is one thing, £15k is a big chunk of change for a bit of fun.I knew Martin Lewis was a member of this forum
Not wanting to sound sensible but if you took that £15k + £350 per month that you would have spent and invested it into starting your own business or bought a rental property/ISA/etc it could easily be worth £100k plus 10 years from now.... I find it helps to consider that when you want to make a frivolous purchase....
Then you can buy a Lamborghini with it instead
.... Or, and this is the situation you want to be in, you at least have enough money to buy and run the car you were considering buying now without having to worry about whether it's too expensive
TLDR Go buy the M8 or Supra ....
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Don
Yea, a little; But they're good, fun cars if you can get a good one.
More so making the point that if you define what you're after exactly, you'll narrow down the selection by a lot
Soldato
Honda S2000. Fun, reliable and probably appreciating in value soon.
Associate
Soon? You've missed the boat
Edit to add a little more to the thread: Yes the cars will cost money to run and there is the Tax/Insurance on the extra car to factor in, but most of what you listed will hold its value so in reality the extra car cost isn't quite as a bad as at first glance.
Soldato
Loving my s2000
Other than fuel and tax it and service it has been great.
£350/month is enough to run one
Other than fuel and tax it and service it has been great.
£350/month is enough to run one
Not wanting to sound sensible but if you took that £15k + £350 per month that you would have spent and invested it into starting your own business or bought a rental property/ISA/etc it could easily be worth £100k plus 10 years from now.... I find it helps to consider that when you want to make a frivolous purchase....
Then you can buy a Lamborghini with it instead
I’m all for investing, but you’d need to achieve nearly 8.5% a year for 10 years to turn that sum into £100k. Not really achievable for the average joe.