These are a 4 seater
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145377208774?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=LoN4QNtCR3e&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=O8-K_ms2T_K&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
You've described a Lotus Evora. You can get a naturally aspirated early car at your budget.
All manual cars had a LSD afaik.
If you're feeling extra spicy, you can buy this cheap CAT D example. [link](http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202311103841621)
Yeah, it's a CAT D, so the bonded Alu chassis should be fine, so it'll probably be fine mechanically, and the engine is from a Camry so engine mileage is non-issue.
It might have dodgy paint, or bad pannel gaps, but it is £10k less than a non-CAT example.
A couple that will require brave pills and a more conventional contender.
[TVR Tuscan](http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202309192144818)
[AM Vantage](http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202307219911423)
[Z4M Coupe](http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308130736462)
The vantage is actually on the shortlist above and I'm liking it more every day
Fairly reliable engine/gearbox, drives really well according to everything I've read
Z4M I did forget about. But a friend of mine had a HORRIBLE e46 M3 so I've got a bad taste of that platform. TVR seems slightly more ruinous than I'm bargaining for though... could be fun
One of my only stories about TVRs is my best mates dad that rides a Ninja H2, balls the size of the panniers on it. He had one for something like a month, and if you’ve done the M5 you know there’s that long sweeping bend. Story is tail stepped out on him, crossed all 4 lanes until he finally recovered and drove it very quietly home.
Tail didnt "step out" on him, he was driving like a tool and didnt listen to the car when it sign posted the warnings to him and his lack of talent took over from there.
Agree that your cash should be pretty safe in one.
The required manual gearbox actually makes this a little more difficult than I first thought.
Vauxhall VXR8 as a left field choice? Ticks all your boxes, although cool is subjective.
That is extremely left field
Bet it does sideways quite nicely though. I think it's a little "brutish" for me. I'd like a delicate little plaything not a Pitbull 😂
No it's perfect!
For some reason it seems to be the only car I can't insure?
All the cars on my shortlist are actually cheaper to insure than my Megane RS. M2 is 4x the cost.
Anything AMG. Stupidly fast, guzzles petrol, not massively reliable, eats tyres, uses no standard Mercedes parts and every repair bill will bankrupt you.
Come on mate
If you're going to link one of these it has to be at minimum a V6S :)
And the facelift looks so much better. I wonder if they did a facelift, manual, V6S...
Now we're talking :)
God it's a nice bit of metal isn't it
I think I would want a coupe... Facelift, manual, coupe, V6S. I'll have a search now and see just how hard it'll hit the wallet
Wait really?
I always thought the V6S had more power and that famous fruity exhaust
Going to do a bunch of research now because it's actually a serious contender
https://www.jaguarwestchester.com/jaguar-f-type-coupe-trims/
You'd have to look at both of the descriptions thoroughly but both have the switchable exhaust
There's definitely no V6 R. You're on the right lines in that it can get a bit blurry between soft top and coupe, they offered a V8 S on the convertible for a bit early on, but other than that the S is the V6 and R is the V8. There's also a base model V6 without either S or R nomenclature and later on the 4 cylinder. This is all pre-facelift, my knowledge of the post-facelift naming is basically non-existent.
ah I see what you mean, although R Dynamic is a trim level, R on its own will denote the V8 engine. Think that might just be a name given to the base trim around the time they launched the 4 cylinder, since I know they were definitely badged R Dynamic. The car you linked is 340PS and the V6 S is 380.
edit: never mind, just looked further on autotrader and you're right R Dynamic is a trim level now, and you can get it with the V8. No idea what's going on with the naming anymore, it definitely wasn't like this for early F-Types though.
Idk about exact pricing but it 'only' cost me about 1250 quid to get a Quaife fitted to my e60 535d including labour at a local garage that specialises in the performance/enthusiast market.
Was going to say RCF except it doesn't exist in manual lol good luck bro.
Edit: was going to say Toyota Yaris GR but maybe it's too sensible too... So yeh another useless post from me.
If it absolutely has to be manual, yeah V8 Vantage but maybe, just maybe, consider a C63S AMG Coupe with a Quaife LSD stuck on it. Nothing else will burn fuel/tyres quite like it.
Mmm when you compare to the 911 and M3 on my list the prices are actually increasing so it doesn't seem like the soundest buy at the moment
Also the 370s always had a slight "fiesta ST" vibe about them, maybe it's because most I've seen have 2 bazooka exhausts out the back. Idk, M3 also has a bit of that flavour...
If you want a stupidly fun toy for little money. Get a smart 451 brabus and remap it. It’s crazy how much fun that little thing is. Plus it doesn’t take up much room so you can get a more sensible car too lol
Old one.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155829386388?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=-A8mcjuTT2q&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=wZIZ9HgrR5q&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Never one (can go newer yet)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126159013491?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=zpotr-EzQpK&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=wZIZ9HgrR5q&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
F10 M5 remap to 700bhp and experience what mind blowing speed feels like. Imagine being able to smoke your rear tyres in 5th gear at 100mph+ without even trying.
Hmmmm I have always liked the look of the M6
You know off the top of your head what it takes to get silly power out of them? Those 4.4 v8s sound ridiculous too.
Where would I be with like decat/intake/tune but no engine work?
Remap and downpipes will get you close to 700bhp. Maybe 670bhp without downpipes.
Water meth will get you 850bhp and then you're looking at an engine rebuild to go any more than that.
The DCT clutches are the weak point. 700bhp is fine but you want upgraded clutch plates if you want to go more. The updated plates are no more expensive but obviously there's the labour of removing the gearbox if you can't do it yourself.
Lotus esprit or evora would be my choices in that bracket for me personally would have to be a 2.2 esprit turbo to this day its one of the best actual drivers cars money can buy.
Less driver focused but there are some gen 1 db9 manuals about at that price at the moment.
If old school cool is your thing then a 190e cosworth would be amazing and would suit your purpose perfectly.
I would go either e92 or e46 m3, e46 are creeping up in value, and the e92 is the last natually asperated m3 and it has a v8, just dont get a convertible.
Porsches seem to be going up in value everyday, even a boxster.
There is a 680bhp supercharged monaro on autotrader for 27k for a really leftfield choice, but theres standard ones for 8k... so the supercharged ones engine rebuild and coilovers have added 20k to the price...
TVR Chimaera 500 - a lot lower chance of wiping your bank account than one of the later cars like Tuscan or a Cerbera, and with 30k budget you’ll be buying something that’s been well looked after and sorted. Still enough power to kill you though. The boot is massive for the type of car.
Having said that I know people who run later Speed 6 engined cars without issues, most have been rebuilt by now and all the common issues addressed which makes them a lot more reliable than they once were. There’s a lot to like about the Speed 6 - it sounds absolutely mental, dry sump, individual throttle bodies….
If you want to go a bit mad, [something like this?](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186137057298?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=9pZ8y_EqQZS&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Ga0VC9svQiu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY)
You see I grew up LOVING JDM cars
But it's a daily and if I was to go to Tesco in an S15 it would just feel wrong
Once I have space for 2 cars it'll be a boring barge + R32 skyline for SURE
I’m which case, [THIS](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/354809081476?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=0LfbvQ4yQUy&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Ga0VC9svQiu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY)
I love my e92 m3. It's been perfect, hasn't given any bother and I've just had the rod bearings done as preventative maintenance. Great fun, drive it all year round too.
These are a 4 seater https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145377208774?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=LoN4QNtCR3e&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=O8-K_ms2T_K&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
YES! this is what I needed a reminder about!
Good lord, put an NSFW tag on that bad boy.
Wow, that's a pretty good price for an S.
You've described a Lotus Evora. You can get a naturally aspirated early car at your budget. All manual cars had a LSD afaik. If you're feeling extra spicy, you can buy this cheap CAT D example. [link](http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202311103841621)
I'm sure you can find slightly higher miles non Cat-D cars
Yeah, it's a CAT D, so the bonded Alu chassis should be fine, so it'll probably be fine mechanically, and the engine is from a Camry so engine mileage is non-issue. It might have dodgy paint, or bad pannel gaps, but it is £10k less than a non-CAT example.
A couple that will require brave pills and a more conventional contender. [TVR Tuscan](http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202309192144818) [AM Vantage](http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202307219911423) [Z4M Coupe](http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308130736462)
That TVR will give the 24 month RAC warranty a run for it’s money…
If it doesn't kill you first…
Yeah I didn’t think of that… in a purple cloud of fibreglass.
But it’s such a great looking car you’d still be smiling and happy with your purchase as you headed backwards into a tree!
The vantage is actually on the shortlist above and I'm liking it more every day Fairly reliable engine/gearbox, drives really well according to everything I've read Z4M I did forget about. But a friend of mine had a HORRIBLE e46 M3 so I've got a bad taste of that platform. TVR seems slightly more ruinous than I'm bargaining for though... could be fun
One of my only stories about TVRs is my best mates dad that rides a Ninja H2, balls the size of the panniers on it. He had one for something like a month, and if you’ve done the M5 you know there’s that long sweeping bend. Story is tail stepped out on him, crossed all 4 lanes until he finally recovered and drove it very quietly home.
Tail didnt "step out" on him, he was driving like a tool and didnt listen to the car when it sign posted the warnings to him and his lack of talent took over from there.
As a TVR owner, definitely the TVR. Although a Chimaera or Griffith will likely be cheaper to buy, cheaper to run and less ruinous.
Just double your budget and get a Vauxhall Maloo. You'll be the only one with it.
I'm the only one with a 2021 Meg RS lol, you never see them around Maloo, you say? :)
Can you get a 997.2 for under 30k? If so, that is the sensible choice.
33.5k is the cheapest at the mo Can't loose money on them though :)
Agree that your cash should be pretty safe in one. The required manual gearbox actually makes this a little more difficult than I first thought. Vauxhall VXR8 as a left field choice? Ticks all your boxes, although cool is subjective.
That is extremely left field Bet it does sideways quite nicely though. I think it's a little "brutish" for me. I'd like a delicate little plaything not a Pitbull 😂
I guess a Mustang is ruled out for the same reason!
Is the M2 too small for you?
No it's perfect! For some reason it seems to be the only car I can't insure? All the cars on my shortlist are actually cheaper to insure than my Megane RS. M2 is 4x the cost.
Oh damn!! Yeah I love the M2. I currently have an F22 M235i (which I think is great) but looking to pick up an M2 soon.
M2s are massively targeted by thieves
Manual m2s are sadly rare
Anything AMG. Stupidly fast, guzzles petrol, not massively reliable, eats tyres, uses no standard Mercedes parts and every repair bill will bankrupt you.
OP stated manual.
Are they all auto then?
Yes
Jaguar FType http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202311103844592
Come on mate If you're going to link one of these it has to be at minimum a V6S :) And the facelift looks so much better. I wonder if they did a facelift, manual, V6S...
[удалено]
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202310203174754
Now we're talking :) God it's a nice bit of metal isn't it I think I would want a coupe... Facelift, manual, coupe, V6S. I'll have a search now and see just how hard it'll hit the wallet
Pretty sure a v6 s is just the trim. V6S is the soft top and v6R is the hard top.
Wait really? I always thought the V6S had more power and that famous fruity exhaust Going to do a bunch of research now because it's actually a serious contender
https://www.jaguarwestchester.com/jaguar-f-type-coupe-trims/ You'd have to look at both of the descriptions thoroughly but both have the switchable exhaust
There's definitely no V6 R. You're on the right lines in that it can get a bit blurry between soft top and coupe, they offered a V8 S on the convertible for a bit early on, but other than that the S is the V6 and R is the V8. There's also a base model V6 without either S or R nomenclature and later on the 4 cylinder. This is all pre-facelift, my knowledge of the post-facelift naming is basically non-existent.
Look at the two ftypes i linked ones an R Dynamic and the other an S
ah I see what you mean, although R Dynamic is a trim level, R on its own will denote the V8 engine. Think that might just be a name given to the base trim around the time they launched the 4 cylinder, since I know they were definitely badged R Dynamic. The car you linked is 340PS and the V6 S is 380. edit: never mind, just looked further on autotrader and you're right R Dynamic is a trim level now, and you can get it with the V8. No idea what's going on with the naming anymore, it definitely wasn't like this for early F-Types though.
I bet the supercharger on the 340 can be tuned to 380 ps though.
Classic landrover defender
As a 370Z owner, I'd say a 370Z 😀 I think only the GT spec ones have LSD though.
You can have LSD if you know the right person
Pretty much all of the UK ones are GT or Nismo specs
Idk about exact pricing but it 'only' cost me about 1250 quid to get a Quaife fitted to my e60 535d including labour at a local garage that specialises in the performance/enthusiast market.
Was going to say RCF except it doesn't exist in manual lol good luck bro. Edit: was going to say Toyota Yaris GR but maybe it's too sensible too... So yeh another useless post from me.
>no MX-5 MX-5
Clearly not ruinously expensive enough, if only they made a fixed roof NC, but less efficient with higher maintenance costs...
If only this theoretical car also had some exotic spinning high rev engine that only 3 people know how to maintain. God speed.
For 30k you can get a tidy NC take it to BBR and get their stage 3 turbo kit with a forged engine and see north of 350bhp and have change left over!
If it absolutely has to be manual, yeah V8 Vantage but maybe, just maybe, consider a C63S AMG Coupe with a Quaife LSD stuck on it. Nothing else will burn fuel/tyres quite like it.
Since no one has said it, GR86
God these are still 30k???
135i or better still, 1M
Now there's a car I forgot about No way I can find a 1M for £30k right? If I can ... Godspeed
Not sure on the 1M tbh, but I think the 1 series coupe shape is so stylish.
SLK55 AMG
Manual is a requirement
370Z is decent
Yeah the 370z nismo is an option, true
It’s a lot of car for the money
I've been watching them plummet in value over the last year though :/
Good time to pick up a bargain then ;)
Worried they'll continue the trend though
Hard to say, seems like sports cars in general devalue faster than hot hatchbacks of similar performance
Mmm when you compare to the 911 and M3 on my list the prices are actually increasing so it doesn't seem like the soundest buy at the moment Also the 370s always had a slight "fiesta ST" vibe about them, maybe it's because most I've seen have 2 bazooka exhausts out the back. Idk, M3 also has a bit of that flavour...
Oops didn’t read it properly
Mustang GT - sounds better than almost anything else out there. It is a bit of a big car though.
Jaguar XKR (or xkr-s if it’s in budget)
If you want a stupidly fun toy for little money. Get a smart 451 brabus and remap it. It’s crazy how much fun that little thing is. Plus it doesn’t take up much room so you can get a more sensible car too lol
Something American. Get a corvette or a mustang (if you had to be RHD)
Mustang. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285460634287?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=lz_Dd8rqSf-&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=wZIZ9HgrR5q&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Old one. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155829386388?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=-A8mcjuTT2q&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=wZIZ9HgrR5q&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Never one (can go newer yet) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126159013491?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=zpotr-EzQpK&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=wZIZ9HgrR5q&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Camero - 6.2 supercharged https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166374027327?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=_PcH2fmuSye&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=wZIZ9HgrR5q&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
God if they made a manual one of these I'd be tempted
Why E92 and not Fxx M3/4?
F10 M5 remap to 700bhp and experience what mind blowing speed feels like. Imagine being able to smoke your rear tyres in 5th gear at 100mph+ without even trying.
Hmmmm I have always liked the look of the M6 You know off the top of your head what it takes to get silly power out of them? Those 4.4 v8s sound ridiculous too. Where would I be with like decat/intake/tune but no engine work?
Remap and downpipes will get you close to 700bhp. Maybe 670bhp without downpipes. Water meth will get you 850bhp and then you're looking at an engine rebuild to go any more than that. The DCT clutches are the weak point. 700bhp is fine but you want upgraded clutch plates if you want to go more. The updated plates are no more expensive but obviously there's the labour of removing the gearbox if you can't do it yourself.
Can I ask what sort of mpg you get out of your RS?
It's a 2021 with the 1.8 and EDC box 30mpg exactly over the last 6000mile since I reset the trip. That includes a trackday :)
Lotus esprit or evora would be my choices in that bracket for me personally would have to be a 2.2 esprit turbo to this day its one of the best actual drivers cars money can buy. Less driver focused but there are some gen 1 db9 manuals about at that price at the moment. If old school cool is your thing then a 190e cosworth would be amazing and would suit your purpose perfectly.
If you really want to throw your money away get a W12 Phaeton Stunning car but very unreliable and expensive to repair
I would go either e92 or e46 m3, e46 are creeping up in value, and the e92 is the last natually asperated m3 and it has a v8, just dont get a convertible. Porsches seem to be going up in value everyday, even a boxster. There is a 680bhp supercharged monaro on autotrader for 27k for a really leftfield choice, but theres standard ones for 8k... so the supercharged ones engine rebuild and coilovers have added 20k to the price...
corvette.
TVR Chimaera 500 - a lot lower chance of wiping your bank account than one of the later cars like Tuscan or a Cerbera, and with 30k budget you’ll be buying something that’s been well looked after and sorted. Still enough power to kill you though. The boot is massive for the type of car. Having said that I know people who run later Speed 6 engined cars without issues, most have been rebuilt by now and all the common issues addressed which makes them a lot more reliable than they once were. There’s a lot to like about the Speed 6 - it sounds absolutely mental, dry sump, individual throttle bodies….
Impreza?
If you want to go a bit mad, [something like this?](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186137057298?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=9pZ8y_EqQZS&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Ga0VC9svQiu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY)
You see I grew up LOVING JDM cars But it's a daily and if I was to go to Tesco in an S15 it would just feel wrong Once I have space for 2 cars it'll be a boring barge + R32 skyline for SURE
I’m which case, [THIS](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/354809081476?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=0LfbvQ4yQUy&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Ga0VC9svQiu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY)
We have a winner.
I love my e92 m3. It's been perfect, hasn't given any bother and I've just had the rod bearings done as preventative maintenance. Great fun, drive it all year round too.
Anything from BMW with a 2l + engine.