sports car?? what one would you buy

[tt9]

what used performance car would you buy for under �30,000 ....what looks good and goes even better ???

[KebabMeister]

You could get a Porsche Boxster for �33,000 brand new.... so maybe a top spec used one for about �30,000.  I think I'd go for something like that. 

[THFCUK]

subru imprezer (and im a woman by the way!!) my hubby brought me a clio sport thats fast enough for me at the mo, but ill will be gettin a subru in the future

[GeordieSteve]

Depends what your looking for. 350Z's seem a great bargain at the mo but maybe not as fast as you'd like. If I had that much to spend I'd have to drag myself away from buying a Honda NSX ;)

[Impret-Sir]

Firstly, do you want a sports car as you put in your question, or a performance car, as you put later on? The two are not really the same thing. I own a Subaru Impreza Turbo, and as a performance car, for what it costs, it is bettered only by its main rival, the Evo. Both need to be driven to be believed, (its not just the speed, but also the handling and road holding, plus the usefull ness of four doors, a big boot, and clockwork reliability), plus both are  available for well under �30 grand. But neither of these are sports cars. I think most people agree that the best sports  car available today for slightly sensible money is, indeed, the Boxter, second is probably the Honda S2000, if you like V-Tec engines, which personally I dont. For more simple and less demanding fun, cars like the evergreen MX5 and Toyota MR2 are still good choices, and cost much less to buy and run, and seem to hold their value well.

[KebabMeister]

When I mentioned the Boxster I said so since it was more like a sports car rather than the performance cars a la Subaru, Mitsubishi etc.  If you're after a performance car rather than a 'sports car' then I'd also consider the Audi TT Quatro and Mazda 350Z already mentioned.

[Oneeyedvic]

Or how about an Axiom Atom or similar - the most fun you can have on 2 wheels. - Blisteringly fast (0-60 2.9seconds (if you are quick enough))

 

Recently covered on Top Gear - came in the top 5 of their fastest lap - cost �30k.

 

Totally impractical in anything other than summer though

http://www.arielmotor.co.uk/04/frames.htm

[tt9]

many thanks for all your answers alot of your suggestions are what i would choose...sports car the porsche boxster s 3.2 litre is excellent value for money as a used car & performance vechicles such as subaru and subaru , evo etc deliver amazing performance for under �20,000..but i like the bmw e46 m3 and for under �30,000 you can pick up a 2000/2001 plate convertible and thats from a dealer..

[Oneeyedvic]

Just to add something further - I work for a finance company and finance a lot of prestige / sports cars.

 

One of my customers had an Evo VIII and has just changed it after driving it for 3 months to a M3 - he said that the Evo was just too fast and you felt you had to put your foot down all the time. The M3 is slower but more refined.

[Impret-Sir]

The M3 is a good choice, but I would not have a convertible, they look like the sort of car a second division footballer would drive, or maybe female hairdresser.

[Kev_UK]

I'd buy a Chevrolet Corvette (though a Dodge Viper is my dream car). Depending if you want a sports car or performance car (not always the same thing), you could consider a Morgan, TVR, Lotus Elise, Lotus 7 (or "copies"  such as Westfield, Robin Hood, etc). Panther Kallista, an old Ferrari, Lotus, etc, etc.

[deejbee]

It's all down to taste, to some extent and possibly more importantly whether you want a 2 or 4 seater.  I recently drove a 2.5 BMW Z4 and was somewhat impressed.  You could pick up a 3litre Z4 for just under 30k I expect.

[scotch19]

I would recommend a Porsche 2.7. Mine is 2003 facelift model with Bose, climate control, leather, PSM (stability management). I bought it in May 2005 for �26,000 iwth just 12,000 miles on the clock. New price would have been about 33k. By getting the base Boxster you save money on insurance - group 18 (group 20 for the S) that was kind of important for me as I am 31 and dont have full no claims bonus. Engine note is excellent and acceleration and handling are superb- remember its a roadster so the mid engined design makes going through corners at speed a breeze. Practicality is good with 2 boots. I could go an all day like this but to summarize- with a Boxster you have excellent residual values- better than almost any other car. However you do have high running costs. You also have the prestige of the Porsche badge. I respect the performance of the Jap cars - impreza and so on, but i couldnt imagine owning one as the styling is appaling compared to the elegant curves of my Porsche.