Right gents. time to get me thinking, mainly as the insurance is up for renewal It's never gone down in 20years so I'm dammed if I'm ging to start saving money now!

The superb I have is; superb, was great doing 80miles a day over the peak district, now I'm doing 4 miles a day on my bike... I feel it's ging to waste and I'm sure I'll change my mind when it snows...

I've never really had a "real" fun car; unless you count an mx5 or a part share in a F reg 325, both of which I and anyone can have a lot of laughs in

So I'm thinking what woud be a good, by good I mean reliable, possibly a sleeper, but above all a fun car to get in and go, a sports car. Ideally should be comfortable enough to make it to Lands end from John OGroats with breaks, given I'm less than 40 still. I don't think a seven,tiger, caterham sadly will do it... tempted as I could be, storage is the issue and on that my brain is working well over the seat of my pants.

Sports car is a big vague, I'd like it if it had a boot and took 2 people ok, 3 at a push if they were small or flexible, so perhaps a GT more than vx220.

Nothing too flash either, it's roadside parking.

Really it should be a v8 astra van, but I think even thats beyond Ben

Mx5 is a standard thats hard to beat.

S2000

Nissan Z350

Scooby

Elise

Debadged M3/5 (going to be rough for 10k)

Debadged 335

honda s2000 is a very solid car, i think the bhp is around 230-240? 2 litre VTEC engine which you can thrash knowing it wont let you down.

When I was getting the mx5 I was very tempted by the s2000's. I reckon if I had I'd still have it. As close to an Aston as you can get a s2000 Not sure if it's working power or big lazy power, i.e. a sweet vtec or a v8.

If I was doing an mx5 again, and tempted as I am, is to go with a cheap as mk1 and do bit of a make *upgrade* on it. I was only unhappy once in the 5, with the hood up on the M56 when the dam thing conked out at 70mph middle lane... Other than that -15 hood down, heaters on; oh mk1 don't have good heated seats... dam.

Agree a M3/5 would be great, but a bit of a bin... the odd z3m kicking about.

Least you'll know the honda starts...

Fear not Skoda fans there will still be a skoda in my family, mother in law just brought a black RS Octy Might get a citi car, reckon a 1.8 would fit?

E46 M3 would be where i`d be looking after taking Alistair`s for a spin recently. Quick, buckets of fun, but then can be a massively comfortable motorway muncher at the same time.

Z3M are very very nice, and uber rare, worth looking at if you can find a nice one.

330D? A bit of a left field, but easily chipped up to 280+bhp. RWD, a sleeper and even quiet economical

I would have suggested the 123D couple, but I don't think they will be under budget quite.

Edited 30 November, 201114 yr by Lady Elanore

Mister D...

MX5 all the way MK1 for raw fun, MK2 for a bit more grown up fun... MK2 supercharged like mine for holliganism!

3.0 Z4's are the current performance bargain - early ones can be had for 6k... that will fulfil your GT-convertible urge.

350Z's are also well in your price range, altho youll get royally shafted for the 400+ quid a year road tax.

S2000 are getting a bit long in the tooth, and the handling on them sucks.

And as already mentioned, the E46 beemers..(330i/d) be careful with a M3 in this price range.

Mister D...

MX5 all the way MK1 for raw fun, MK2 for a bit more grown up fun... MK2 supercharged like mine for holliganism!

3.0 Z4's are the current performance bargain - early ones can be had for 6k... that will fulfil your GT-convertible urge.

350Z's are also well in your price range, altho youll get royally shafted for the 400+ quid a year road tax.

S2000 are getting a bit long in the tooth, and the handling on them sucks.

And as already mentioned, the E46 beemers..(330i/d) be careful with a M3 in this price range.

I thought about Z3s but neither they or 350Zs are sleepers.

Yeah be wary of M3s, a lot of ****ters out there.

MPi Fabia Sporty enough, I know of one you can have for £10k as your a mate.

I thought about Z3s but neither they or 350Zs are sleepers.

I wouldnt say Z3's - they are old and naff.

Z4 are good because 95% of them are the 1.8 lol.

Although 6k is getting into mk3 MX5 territory now. and the mk3 will out handle the previous incarnations with a decent geo..

I wouldnt say Z3's - they are old and naff.

Z4 are good because 95% of them are the 1.8 lol.

Although 6k is getting into mk3 MX5 territory now. and the mk3 will out handle the previous incarnations with a decent geo..

I remeber when we had Stuart Halls old Z3M to sell and it was mighyt quick It also had the reg Z3VD

This may not fit the picture but they have a boot and reasonable storage behind the two seats. Plus points to me anyway looks, cheap to insure and run (£270 for unlimited business use not bad - I am 47). I paid just over 5k having missed one at £3.5k. One of the best on pistonheads right now for under £10k

http://imageshack.us/g/833/img2405lb.jpg/

If you need to know the bad let me know.

Edited 30 November, 201114 yr by Mr Bountyfull

+1 for MX5. Even an early 1.6 is a lot of fun for little money and nearly unbreakable. Just watch out for rust in the UK.

hehehe, for a moment I thought you mean the ZT

Which in the old v8 lump is alot of car for the cash

That libra is possibly in the same boat as the caterhams etc... a bit too close to sports, but a lot of fun for the cash

If your mileage is pretty low have you thought about a Yank V8. You could get a lovely C4 (possibly the ZR1?) Great soundtrack. genuine 30mpg at 70 on the motorway. Rustproof body and go kart handling. I love em and enjoyed driving then when I was at Bauer Millet. Or how about a F150 Lighting? 3 seater, 280bhp and 0-60 in around 5.6 seconds if the road is very dry...........and it's a pickup!! You can get all your climbing gear in the back. Mind you the mpg should be called the gpm :(

Stretch to £10k and get a lancia thema with the Ferrari engine... Looks like an old sietra sapphire, yet has a genuine 200bhp+ Ferrari engine and will do 150 mph, yet sound fantastic, and double as a long distance cruiser, and being a classic will never loose money! And what a 'q' car!

Alternatively a cheap lotus Carlton?

Why bother with a sleeper.

How about a Porsche Boxter plenty around under 10k.

A bit steep on the service costs though I would imagine.

If its a real sportscar you are after then tvr chimaera, ignore all the pub talk bulls**t about reliability I've run one for the last 3 years with very few issues. Look after it sensibly and you won't find a more enjoyable car for the cash, plus depreciation is virtually nil. Loads of good ones on piston heads for £8k up.

MX5 roadster coupe. 2.0 sport 6 speed.

Push button roofiness, heated seats, and more grown up looking than

earlier MX5s IMO

Mine was £9250 on a 57 plate with 16k

Also after being set up properly they can out handle most things.

Particularly if lowered :yes:

Redline it in 4th (6700rpm) and you'll be doing 110mph with two gears still to go.

I wasn't overly impressed when we got ours initially but

after having the geo sorted and a decent set of tyres put on, it

has transformed the car.

Give one a try

If its a real sportscar you are after then tvr chimaera, ignore all the pub talk bulls**t about reliability I've run one for the last 3 years with very few issues. Look after it sensibly and you won't find a more enjoyable car for the cash, plus depreciation is virtually nil. Loads of good ones on piston heads for £8k up.

Thats not pub talk, I know someone with one as a toy, spends more time in the garage than anywhere else. Managed all of half a lap of a track day this year before dying. I think your is the exception not the rule.

dont forget roadside parking, a 10k TVR parked on the road would mean sleepless nights for me, regardless of how quiet the street is!

I would be all over the Nissan 350z if your requirements where mine!

Vauxhall Monaro? It's a Holden really.

Quite a few kicking about for under 10k. 5.7l Chevy V8 and 400hp.

One on autotrader with a blower and 500hp.

Also looks like the newer VXR8 with the 6.0l V8 is just creeping under 10k too.

Big yank V8 should be quite reliable if thirsty.

If you buy a TVR you'll just sit in a tunnel with the windows down blipping the throttle.

Edited 1 December, 201114 yr by Aspman

Vauxhall Monaro? It's a Holden really.

Quite a few kicking about for under 10k. 5.7l Chevy V8 and 400hp.

One on autotrader with a blower and 500hp.

Also looks like the newer VXR8 with the 6.0l V8 is just creeping under 10k too.

Big yank V8 should be quite reliable if thirsty.

If you buy a TVR you'll just sit in a tunnel with the windows down blipping the throttle.

ooohhh, I'd forgotton about those, that would be another on my list

As per my signature I can only suggest one thing: Mazda MX5 Mark 3. Like grr666 suggested.

I've been backwards in a tvr at 120mph, then forwards at about 115mph then backwards at about 110mph, I wasn't driving.

All mentions are on my un-mentioned shorty list. Monaro, some of the tvr stock, but yes sleepless nights for anything thats 'nice'...

A few odd balls indeed, the mx5 is definitely popular and rightly so, I did enjoy mine, I really did.

However I've made one serious mistake... I told swmbo... I know I should of asked