New car time?

Anonymous · October 10, 2005, 18:02

So I've started seriously thinking about my next car purchase. The turbo goes on my car in a couple of weeks so I can't really do much else to it (no, don't give me ideas! s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted: ), and I'll be paying the rest of the loan off in full soon too. Meaning I will have the capacity to take out another loan for another car! s:D

s:D

Thing is, I have no idea what I want. Actually, that's a lie: I know exactly what I want...

- 4 doors (or at the very least 2 doors, 4 seats)
- Not a sports car (I don't want anything similar to the '2, otherwise one or the other will never get used)
- Power, but not silly power (I want motorway overtaking torque, not 0-60)
- Style (poseability, for want of a better and not made-up word)
- Preferably not Japanese
- RWD or 4WD
- Not a diesel

I've been thinking about the M3, but I don't like the pedal positions so that rules out any BMW. Possibly a Jag XJ8 (I really like them), or even a Range Rover (but that's a bit too ostentatious for me). I'm even tempted by a Ford F150 Lightning (as in seriously tempted), but I would like a boot.

The obvious choices for power would be the STi/EVO, but I've grown out of those. And they're too close to the '2 in the driveability stakes.

In short, I want something that goes well in a straight line, but does it with class. Any one have any other ideas I can add to my list?

markiii · October 10, 2005, 18:18

I'd advise anagainst an M3, my neigbour had one and got rid, purely because it's tooo easy to acheive stupoid speeds and lose your license.

next question is; budget?

does it matter how thirsty?

and how old, does it have to be modern or can it be classic?

GSB · October 10, 2005, 18:22

Quote from: "Ekona"I'm even tempted by a Ford F150 Lightning (as in seriously tempted)

A friend of mine has one of those, and its a seriously comical car. Wont really fit your bill though as its only 2+1 seater, Unless of course you get the F150 Harley Davidson, which has a king cab, the same engine, and lots more toys. The downside is that its huge, a fair bit longer than the lightning, and you'll never park it! They also have a 3 speed auto (with overdrive), and leaf spring suspension, so they are endowed with all of the very worst in American technology and handling prowess. And unless you get a conversion, they're all left hand drive...

There are plus sides though, I went to Le-Mans in one, with a group of friends who were driving cars that you wouldn't normally consider slow (Noble GTO3, 911 Turbo, Ferrari 360 Stradale...), and even with nearly half a tonne of beer in the back, plus food, tents, barbeque, marquee, and god knows what else crammed in below the tonneau cover, it would demolish all the other cars by a country mile from a standing start, and easily keep pace up to about 120mph, when its brick like aerodynamics reigned in the freak show. Didn't stop it achieving a cruise speed of 150mph though! It should keep your desire for tuning alive as well, as they can be reliabley tuned, as in the car I went in, to put out 500bhp.

If your a family man though, you may want to see this first...

Its the result of a 40mph offset barrier crash test, with a Mini, and an F150. As you can see, the mini fared an awful lot better... Read more here
m http://www.bridger.us/2002/12/16/CrashT ... VsFordF150 m

Anonymous · October 10, 2005, 18:23

Budget is around £40-50K, give or take. Thirst doesn't matter (hence the F150 s:wink: :wink: s:wink: ), and I'd prefer something modern and slightly luxurious. Although a quality classic isn't completely out of the question.

proeliator2001 · October 10, 2005, 18:39

E55AMG? Second hand 911 (4 ish seats). Old style XJR is a bargain. How about a Monaro VXR (does the lot for less but low on style points). What about a 300C with a Hemi V8?

Anonymous · October 10, 2005, 18:54

I thought about a Merc, but the low build-quality does for them I'm afraid. Monaro is tempting, but maybe a bit too close to a sports car I think (same for the Porsche). And the 300C is a little bit too Premiership footballer for my taste. s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

XJR is definately on the list, though! s:D

s:D

markiii · October 10, 2005, 19:16

reckon you could get a new BMW 5 series 33CI Sport pack for that easy
or how about save money for the fun tuning and buy a mint Porsche 928.

sweet V8 2+2 seats, Fantastic motorway cruiser.

or a second hand Aston?

DB7 should be doable for that, likewise and old V8 Vanatge

or if it were me, how about a Delorean with a 350BHP engine conversion, you coudl by a beaut for that kind of money.

Anonymous · October 10, 2005, 19:17

just to put a cat amongst the pigeons, how do you feel about an Audi RS6?

Anonymous · October 10, 2005, 19:22

Can't do BeeEms Mark, I don't like the pedal position. DB7 is a nice one, again too close to the '2 possibly...?

I'd forgotten about the Audi's! I do really like them, and the RS6 is definately one of the better ones. *scribbles Audi on list*

Keep 'em coming!

markiii · October 10, 2005, 19:26

Quote from: "Ekona"Can't do BeeEms Mark, I don't like the pedal position. DB7 is a nice one, again too close to the '2 possibly...?

I'd forgotten about the Audi's! I do really like them, and the RS6 is definately one of the better ones. *scribbles Audi on list*

Keep 'em coming!

If you like Audis, consider an s8, understated and oh so quick.

and they were avilabe in mettalic purple if you like that kind of thing :-) :-) :-)

Jap GT300 · October 10, 2005, 19:29

Range Rover Sport?

proeliator2001 · October 10, 2005, 19:35

Quote from: "Ekona"Monaro is tempting, but maybe a bit too close to a sports car I think

Try and have a drive in one, I really don't think you'd ever compare it to a sports car, its far more of a tarmac ripper GT than anything.

Anonymous · October 10, 2005, 19:37

the new Lexus Is350 just came out. or the cadillac CTS-V

aaronjb · October 10, 2005, 20:08

Quote from: "Ekona"Budget is around £40-50K, give or take.

Feck me, Dan!

[edited to add a comma, so it didn't look like I was after sexual favours from Dan! s:oops: :oops: s:oops: ]

LeeUK · October 10, 2005, 20:12

Dan you have far to much money, why don't you enter the 5th gear comp?! Nice DB7.

heathstimpson · October 10, 2005, 20:16

Quote from: "aaronjb"
Quote from: "Ekona"Budget is around £40-50K, give or take.

Feck me Dan!

Thats what I was thinking; 40-50K for a second car; I look at 20K s:shock: :shock: s:shock:

Anyway what about a Jag StypeR; 4litre diesel A8 or 3litre diesel A6. Both the Audis have phenominal torque and are pretty quick along with having the good old quattro system s:wink: :wink: s:wink: New Discovery?; offroaders can be fun to have along with a sports car as well.

kanujunkie · October 10, 2005, 20:21

i know you said no to sports cars, but i know of a really good condition GT2 clubsport thats been heavily modified, sticks to the road like something else does to a shovel

LeeUK · October 10, 2005, 20:31

Just buy the Lotus exige 240R, I know you don't want a car like that but I'll buy it off you when your tired of it! s:D

s:D

Anonymous · October 10, 2005, 20:34

I'd love another sports car, but then I would be left with the (admittedly nice) problem of which car to take out when I want to go for a blast. I'd hate to leave the '2 in the garage, and there's no point in getting a second car if you never use it. Hence my reasoning for wanting something completely different.

I don't have £40-50K in cash laying around, but that's what I could reasonably afford to spend over the course of a 3 or 4 year loan. So don't try and rob my house. s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

The only Jag I've ever really like is the XJ series (probably down to my Mum owning two of them since I was about 12), so the buck-toothed S-Type is never going to make the final cut.

What's people's opinions on the new Mustang? It's no handler (which is a good thing), but the V8 has power and style... Yes, I'm really into Yankee cars atm. s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

So far I've got:

Audi RS6
Audi S8
Range Rover/Sport
Jag XJ
DB7
Monaro VXR

markiii · October 10, 2005, 21:01

new mustang is nice, but for that money you could get an original, maybe even a shelby, now that would be nice.

aaronjb · October 10, 2005, 21:21

Quote from: "markiii"new mustang is nice, but for that money you could get an original, maybe even a shelby, now that would be nice.

Now you're talking.. proper American muscle s:)

s:)

Anonymous · October 10, 2005, 21:23

True, but keeping it running could prove expensive... Or would it?

LeeUK · October 10, 2005, 21:23

I kept reading all the mustang tuning mags when i was in Florida. I now know how to fix a supercharger to a mustang GT!

aaronjb · October 10, 2005, 21:26

Quote from: "Ekona"True, but keeping it running could prove expensive... Or would it?

Probably less expensive than you think - parts are dead cheap in the US, and there are quite a few specialists in this country for parts and soforth (probably cheaper to import them direct, though).

Ok, fuel would be expensive, but then so would most of your other options..

Anonymous · October 10, 2005, 21:32

For around £50-55k and looking for a family car, I would go for a second-hand Ferrari 456. For that price you could get a '98 with 35,000 miles like this one: m http://www.carsource.co.uk/car-details? ... id=7675209 m

This was almost £200k new...