Basicaly im looking at changing the vrs in a few months for something jap either awd or rwd

So far its between an rx8 which due to having plenty money left from my car will probably get a turbo strapped to it or the engine ported out

Or a toyota soarer.....although trying to find a 1jz powered one and a manual is rather difficult

An rx7 is also a possibility but id need to wait about 6months till i get 3years ncb and the cost to insure halves

Also had a look at altezza rs200 but to get the kind of power i want it would need to be boosted which is expensive

Evos,supras and skylines are all out due to insurance and my mates already have a s13,s15,350z and a dc2 teg so there all ruled out

Anyone had any experiance of any of the above or can think of anything iv managed to miss

You do know that non-GT-R Skylines (which were all imports) are all rear wheel drive and cheap.

You can get a decent one for around £5k.

Such as: http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/nissan/skyline-r33/stunning-nisan-skyline-r33-gts/934604

As they are a bit older now you can get classic insurance too as they are pretty much only owned by enthisasts.

They also look pretty cool and are easy to modify if the need arrises.

No personal experience but a mate bought an RX-7 a year or so ago and within a few months had to have another lump - I think it's common practice for the car to kill itself at 50k.

You do know that non-GT-R Skylines (which were all imports) are all rear wheel drive and cheap.

You can get a decent one for around £5k.

Such as: http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/nissan/skyline-r33/stunning-nisan-skyline-r33-gts/934604

As they are a bit older now you can get classic insurance too as they are pretty much only owned by enthisasts.

They also look pretty cool and are easy to modify if the need arrises.

Yeah i had a look at them but Even a gts-t skyline was atleast 9grand to insure, and classic car companies dont like my age :( a skyline would have been ideal aswell

(Insert prestone motors quote here)

Yeah thats the only thing thats putting me off the mazdas is the engine need ALOT of maintance

Yeah i had a look at them but Even a gts-t skyline was atleast 9grand to insure, and classic car companies dont like my age :( a skyline would have been ideal aswell

Holy cow!

That's 10 times what I pay on the GT-R. :peek:

Sounds like anything properly quick is going to cost a fair bit then.

Holy cow!

That's 10 times what I pay on the GT-R. :peek:

Sounds like anything properly quick is going to cost a fair bit then.

The rx8 and soarer are 1100 to insure which for my age aint bad and the rx7 drops down to that in 6months

A single turbo supra is 1300 but i think there all imported and as soon as you tell then it rockets the price up

I could be being very boring here, but if the price is too high, why not wait until you've got 4 years NCB and then look seriously at these vehicles.

The extra year and protected NCB will probably make a good difference.

I could be being very boring here, but if the price is too high, why not wait until you've got 4 years NCB and then look seriously at these vehicles.

The extra year and protected NCB will probably make a good difference.

That would be the sensible thing to do but the warrenty is up on the fabia in the next few months and there not exactly known for reliability so id rather change it before then

I'm seriously looking at the latest shape RX8 at the moment... Not sure about the engines though, still got A LOT of digging to do before I decide...

Oh and it's max tax

If i was going for an rx8 i was gonna buy a petite racing built engine that way it would be more reliable, but i was looking at the pre 06 rx8 to avoid the tax.....i think if looked after proparly they will be good

Just found this http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/toyota/other-models/toyota-altezza-2004-310bhp-supercharged/855626 boosted plus NOS

That would be the sensible thing to do but the warrenty is up on the fabia in the next few months and there not exactly known for reliability so id rather change it before then

I'm not sure it's going to be any less reliable than an older Jap car that has probably been thrashed a bit, as most high performance cars have.

So if you are buying older with no warranty anyway there may be not much in it?

Just an idea.

Pre 06 plate RX8 is obviously over 6 years old, so it'll have a seen a bit of err... action.

I'm not sure it's going to be any less reliable than an older Jap car that has probably been thrashed a bit, as most high performance cars have.

So if you are buying older with no warranty anyway there may be not much in it?

Just an idea.

Pre 06 plate RX8 is obviously over 6 years old, so it'll have a seen a bit of err... action.

The money left over from selling the fabia will go towards fixing any problems where as if anything goes wrong with the fabia i have little to no budget to fix it, plus most of my mates know their way around jap cars so they can always lend a hand for odd jobs

Think the other thing is im starting to get bored of the fabia now and the gearbox is starting to get anoyying, really want a manual again

I know what you mean. I'm starting looking at rwd/4wd stuff now too. I'm not changing for a while as I can't afford to but I'm already thinking I want manual again. Also want rwd/4wd to learn more about driving different cars. Front wheel drive isn't all there is.

Took my brothers Swift out for a spin just to make sure it was ok and to put air in the tyres Took it down a local B road and loved it. I drive my parents car regularly but I forgot how much interaction I'm missing. It's not faster on the straight than my vRS or on corner exit but is really good on corner entry, keeping speed up and you can really play with it and adjust it on the throttle. Pedals are perfect Heel-toeing too and it's just fun. the vRS is great and more practical but it's too easy. Going for an 8 hour blast on my birthday (20th) to see if I can love it again.

I know where you are coming from.

I know DSG is the way forward, I have one.

But I still prefer a blast in a manual sometimes.

Fast does not always equal Fun.

That would be the sensible thing to do but the warrenty is up on the fabia in the next few months and there not exactly known for reliability so id rather change it before then

1 year warranty direct (everything cover) is a lot cheaper than a car change.

I had an RX-8 for about 6 months. Most reliable car I've ever owned! Only thing I did was replace the coil packs/plugs as a precautionary measure.

The other plus point is they're dirt cheap now due to the running costs and perceived issues meaning you do get a lot of car for the money (so money left to mod, or fuel the thing!).

One of the worst things IMO was the DSC in it. If it ever slid at all, just as I started to correct it, the DSC would kick in and do it for me, leaving me then counter steering a slide that wasn't there anymore! Never did manage to get used to it in that respect :( You could turn it off though (which logged a fault code), but for every day driving I left it on. (The BMW kills any slide dead instantly, so not an issue, but also no fun!)

Anything in particular you'd like to know about it?

Edited 17 December, 201213 yr by TriggerFish

What's fuel like on a motorway run?? I'm expecting 25 at most (and that's being relatively optimistic)...

And oil usage? Is it as bad as they say?

What's fuel like on a motorway run?? I'm expecting 25 at most (and that's being relatively optimistic)...

And oil usage? Is it as bad as they say?

+1

Also are they actualy quick in a straightline? Iv heard people say there slow but other folk say there fast, i just dont want something thats going to be massivly slower than the fabia

+1

Also are they actualy quick in a straightline? Iv heard people say there slow but other folk say there fast, i just dont want something thats going to be massivly slower than the fabia

They are quick in a straight line but are more built for handling as per the GT86...

Rx8's are slow , thirsty and can cost a horrific amount to run , they are cheap for a reason. Thy do handle well and get the right one and it can be fun but its a bit like Russian roulette

Skylines even the normally aspirated ones are all group 44

My 400hp highly modified Evo 6 was cheaper to insure than a totally stock Skyline:(

Factory manual Soarers are like hens teeth , most are converted, I have a friend with a 600hp factory manual

Looks like insurance might be the issue so what about the Nissan gtir , mx5 , ctr,?

What's fuel like on a motorway run?? I'm expecting 25 at most (and that's being relatively optimistic)...

And oil usage? Is it as bad as they say?

Umm, I never used mine on the motorway much. MPG ranged from 19 to 21 over a tank, regardless of how it was driven. I wouldn't expect much more than that, even sitting at 56 with the lorries.

I bought a 5l bottle of oil when I got mine - over the 6 months and (I'd guess) 6-8k miles I used about 3l of that. So IMO, it's not really an issue (at least on my example). My Fabia used more oil. Don't forget - they inject oil as part of the combustion sequence by design, so it's going to be naturally higher than a normal car.

+1

Also are they actualy quick in a straightline? Iv heard people say there slow but other folk say there fast, i just dont want something thats going to be massivly slower than the fabia

Define quick I guess! Cross country I never had anything keep up with me - the handling helps to make up for any power deficit. Look at the Topgear lap times - it's as fast as an E46 M3/350z, despite being down up to 100bhp. . .

Faster than my Golf PD150? Yes. Faster than my 330d? Off the line I'd say so. 50-70 etc/ in gear, I'd give it to the 330d I think, but it's hard to be sure. I never had any issues overtaking in it though. Where it felt slow was on the motorway - I'd often drop into 3rd to get into a gap when pulling out to overtake. It doesn't feel punchy though due to the linear and smooth power delivery, unlike the Golf or something where the power came in one horrid lump, and then fell away again instantly.

I'd say 'fast' is something you'd need to judge yourself as it's quite subjective.

My mate has an 2005 RX-8 good car, however very thirsty on fuel and oil.

Also has an issue with one of the ports in the engine, which means basically means the engine is on the way out or towards a rebuild.

Rx8's are slow , thirsty and can cost a horrific amount to run , they are cheap for a reason. Thy do handle well and get the right one and it can be fun but its a bit like Russian roulette

Skylines even the normally aspirated ones are all group 44

My 400hp highly modified Evo 6 was cheaper to insure than a totally stock Skyline:(

Factory manual Soarers are like hens teeth , most are converted, I have a friend with a 600hp factory manual

Looks like insurance might be the issue so what about the Nissan gtir , mx5 , ctr,?

He dosnt want to sell it does he? iv found one but its "drift spec" which is code for....had the ****e kicked out it

Gearboxes blow up alot, im too tall, and too slow without boosting

Mate of a mate had an RX7.

Don't recall him having much trouble with it. But everytime I followed him anywhere I'd sooner or later see him running back down the road to pick up a bit of carbon fibre that had fallen off.

I liked his RX7 other than it was so small. He was a wee guy anyway but the RX7 is tiny.

Mate of a mate had an RX7.

Don't recall him having much trouble with it. But everytime I followed him anywhere I'd sooner or later see him running back down the road to pick up a bit of carbon fibre that had fallen off.

I liked his RX7 other than it was so small. He was a wee guy anyway but the RX7 is tiny.

Are they cramped inside? The only person i know with one is asian and there not exactly known for being tall...... Whereas im 6ft 3 so if its small then it may be too cramped for me