Around 20K Budget

Hi there

OK first of all nothing wrong with the 350Z. There's a blue one round the corner from me and its a stunning in the flesh. Certainly plenty of road presence. Can't comment on how it goes but I've seen the best motoring videos and they seem to perform and handle great. Also I've heard the tuning potential is great on the 350Z so if you want to make it fast then you can. :) Plus running cost won't be that expensive, servicing will be similar to your Ford as will fuel cost no doubt.

The other great suggestion is the Porsche Boxter S 3.2, but certainly got to get the 3.2l version for that extra ooomph. I'd say if your more into the driving experience then the Porsche Boxter S is the one to get as its rated as the best handling car on the road. However in my oppinion it does not have the road presence or looks of the 350Z.

However if this was my money for 20k you can get an M5 !! :D
Yeah you will be look at approx 6 years old but you will be able to find one with sub 50k on the clock and get extended warranty. 400BHP, just as much torque and handling that defies physics. If you do want something newer than there is always the M3 which is a cracking car again the only issues with the BMW's is they do all look similar.

You should not dismiss Subaru either, 20k would get you a lovely extremely fast motor, performance to better any of the cars you have suggested. :D

Oh and I drive a Mustang and I don't regret my purchase one bit!! ;)
 
Mr_Sukebe said:
errr, 911. Yep, it'll be older than some of the other cars here, but ... well it's a 911.
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I'd agree but don't think you can get a 996 for 20k can you these days, maybe 22k and then running cost could be very high especially considering it would be a high mileage car. :)
 
Thanks for all your replies. I know the beemers are great cars but i do tend to feel they are aging quite a lot now. As with Imprezas etc, also cracking cars but just not my thing really. I'm not after the quickest, or even most comfortable ride for my money. I want something different.

I know one thing, i'm very jealous of you Gibbo. I love the look of the Mustang, just the whole import thing is a bit of an issue for me. Maybe i shouldn't be so bothered by it? Did you import yours personally or through a dealer? Also what about parts/servicing etc? You ever considered the RHD conversion?
 
Gibbo said:
The other great suggestion is the Porsche Boxter S 3.2, but certainly got to get the 3.2l version for that extra ooomph. I'd say if your more into the driving experience then the Porsche Boxter S is the one to get as its rated as the best handling car on the road. However in my oppinion it does not have the road presence or looks of the 350Z.
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I think its the other way around. The Porsche Boxster S has shed loads of presence, incredible performance and the grip :eek:. The Nissan is good, but it cant compared to the all-round amazingness of the Boxster.
For £20k the Boxster should come far higher on the list than the 350z. The M3 is just as amazing as the Boxster, but its in a completely sector. More of an insane excutive mobile than a pure sports car imo.
 
50/50 said:
I think its the other way around. The Porsche Boxster S has shed loads of presence, incredible performance and the grip :eek:. The Nissan is good, but it cant compared to the all-round amazingness of the Boxster.
For £20k the Boxster should come far higher on the list than the 350z. The M3 is just as amazing as the Boxster, but its in a completely sector. More of an insane excutive mobile than a pure sports car imo.
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Thats why the world is an interesting place m8.

To me when I see a Boxster or M3 it just like another Porsche or BMW, see loads each day, so to me they aint that special. Yes they are truly awsome driving machines and I'd love to own one but for me there are many cars higher up the list. For me the 350Z is a far nicer on the eyes and rarer and can easily keep up with a Boxster 3.2, not the M3 however and I do have a soft spot for BMWs.
 
The 3.2 S is around 5 and half seconds to 60 (96-04 range) and the M3 (01 on Coupe) is 5 seconds to 60. The BMW is one insurance group higher.

I think I'd go with the M3. :)
 
JonnyC said:
Thanks for all your replies. I know the beemers are great cars but i do tend to feel they are aging quite a lot now. As with Imprezas etc, also cracking cars but just not my thing really. I'm not after the quickest, or even most comfortable ride for my money. I want something different.

I know one thing, i'm very jealous of you Gibbo. I love the look of the Mustang, just the whole import thing is a bit of an issue for me. Maybe i shouldn't be so bothered by it? Did you import yours personally or through a dealer? Also what about parts/servicing etc? You ever considered the RHD conversion?
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Well you won't get a Saleen for 20k, your talking closer to 30k for one. However all is not the lost as the Mustang GT is still a great car plus its a car you can have lots of fun with.

I got a very lucky buy, a chap had already imported the car and decided he no longer wanted it as he wanted Saleens new F150 but his wife said no more cars unless he gets rid of one. So I snapped his hand of when I saw my car for sale with just 600 miles for 26k. :D To be frank I got a great buy and I've been offered 30k for it from random people so selling on should not be so difficult as it is so rare. :)

For your money you can get a 2005 Mustang GT 4.6l V8, maybe a bit less and the other good news is it will have less than 10,000 miles on it so still that newness about it. :)

So you don't need to import one, load up Autotrader plenty for sale and the headache of importing already done for you.
Servicing I do that myself and its pretty easy as the car is very easy to work on, pretty basic and plenty of room under the hood. Plus any decent mechanic could service one of these cars, just find a mechanic who has built or raced cars and they will be at home with the Mustang.

Would I ever consider a RHD conversion? NO!
Really LHD is fine once you get used to it, overtaking is no harder and after a week or so driving you will be fine. Hardest bit for me was changing gear with my other hand but now I am used to that. Though most Mustangs are automatic and its a very good AUTO too, still hits 0-62mph in 5.2s. :D
Put it this way there are Mustangs doing the 1/4 mile in 12.7s-13.0s and the only mods are CAI+Tune, UDPs and a good driver. Thats quick go and have a look at some super cars and you will see it ranks up well. Fair enough into three figures the Mustang aero-dynamics are against it but it will still pull upto 150mph quite easily. There are some guys in the US running the same mods as myself who are doing the 1/4 in 12.5s with 110mph terminal speeds and some even go as far as drag tyres which has seen as low as 12.2s, in the USA they seem addicted to drag strips though. Then the blown guys are into the 10.5-11.5s 1/4s but they are pushing 500BHP.

Also the great thing about the Mustang is Ford built a retro car and did a good job on it but they also made it friendly for the car modder who wants more.

For £400 you can get a CAI and custom tune for our fuel from the US which transforms the cars, such a tune on an AUTO can firm up shifts and makes the drive-by-wire system feel more like a cable accelerator as STD the drive-by-wire is laggy so a custom tune is needed to sort that. The above will see you around 325-330BHP and all round better drive. As STD they handle fine once you master the RWD but the handling can be improved upon massively as about 1k thrown at the suspension makes them very good and indeed surprisingly good. I've spent approx £1500 on mine for performance mods and am at 372BHP now and I've done it all myself, it was only the exhaust/manifolds I had to get fitted by pros.

Next on my list is De-Cats, Driveshaft and uprated ignition coils, am hoping for a good BHP improvement at the wheels due to the driveshaft and engine BHP should be upto 385ish. :)
 
jonarob said:
You see, the problem for me with the Boxster lies precisely in this statement.

Get an E46 M3.
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My Uncle's "partner" has one, oh they've just had a civil service as well (they're gay) :o Cracking cars though.

Always loved the m3 but a 350z would be tempting. :)
 
600 miles on the clock + 26k = Saleen? You lucky ******* :D

The Saleen 'Stangs look mighty fine. Might have to think about spending a little more on my new toy :P

I see what you're saying about getting used to LHD, and that it took you longer to get used to gearshifting, but surely the biggest problem is pullin into Maccies drivethrough? That would always cause me a pain in the a$$ :D
 
JonnyC said:
but surely the biggest problem is pullin into Maccies drivethrough? That would always cause me a pain in the a$$ :D
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Just don't go food sux anyways, mustang is the way forward fine fine car.

Gibbo, spotted you the other week mate on the hill outside congleton tescos, you was parked up ready to turn right and i flew past you since i was going straigh on, not sure if you spotted me? (Black MX5, rather loud :p )
 
TripleT said:
My Uncle's "partner" has one, oh they've just had a civil service as well (they're gay) :o Cracking cars though.

Always loved the m3 but a 350z would be tempting. :)
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hahah :)

I'm sure they are a great car, but they do have a stigma.
 
Gibbo as you drive a LHD you could register the car outside of the uk, for example the Czech Republic, get it insured by a company in Austria that insures the car by the Vin number and not the number plate. No speeding tickets, congestion charge, mot or Road tax :)
 
Paras said:
Gibbo as you drive a LHD you could register the car outside of the uk, for example the Czech Republic, get it insured by a company in Austria that insures the car by the Vin number and not the number plate. No speeding tickets, congestion charge, mot or Road tax :)
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And not legal :)
 
Im looking into RHD conversion atm for the Mustangs lol.

Wonder how much it will entail. Lot of drilling holes in footwells i assume? Wouldn't want to feel like im driving a car fulla holes under the carpet kinda thing. Just dunno if i could ever get used to LHD in the UK :s
 
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