What Car?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Famine
  • 126 comments
  • 4,660 views

What should Famine be driving in the summertime?

  • Alfa Romeo 156 GTA Sportwagon

    Votes: 10 13.0%

  • Lotus Esprit V8 (SE, GT or 350)

    Votes: 40 51.9%

  • Toyota Supra Twin Turbo (UK-spec, 6sp Manual)

    Votes: 14 18.2%

  • Stick with what you've got. Bugger all wrong with it.

    Votes: 5 6.5%

  • Don't Care.

    Votes: 8 10.4%
  • Total voters
    77
  • Poll closed .
Sorry, doublepost.
 
ExigeExcel
Yeah but Famine has a good insurance record to back him up. You're looking for a first car.
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True, but even so, I think $4,000 (or 1,700 pounds to all the UK folks here) a year for a 15 year old VW Golf for instance is a wee bit excessive.
 
Ev0
What type of moron buys a Supra with an automatic transmission? It makes absolutely no sense!
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Automatic transmissions allow you to maintain boost while shifting gears. Also, they tend to be able to hold more power overall.
 
Emohawk
Automatic transmissions allow you to maintain boost while shifting gears. Also, they tend to be able to hold more power overall.
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Allright, so it makes more sense if you're going to be making some huge engine mods, most likely for drag racing. But for most other driving situations, a manual transmission is better.
 
Unless you're a lazy poser who doesn't like shifting.
 
Supra. Toyota reliablity, the 2JZ is an amazing engine and can be setup to create a monsterous amount of power. Has a better shape than the Lotus.

While you may think the high power Supra would be tricky in the rain, an MR car is no joke either. While it may have more grip.... once it goes past that, you need super human reflexes and skill to recover. Also, the Lotus looks like... a wedge... or something :p

And ten years is not that much. Just make sure you are careful when you look at them, mostly depends on how the owner treated them, but thats the same for any car.

Supra... Toyota... 👍 I say I drive them with pride, my Corolla and MR2 ;)

PS - glad you dislike the look of the STi and EVO.... boy racer look is just bleh, and extremely F and Fish :p
 
Famine - are you likely to find a V8 Esprit for under £15k? - i would have thought you would be more likely to get a good Four pot turbo for that kind of money. You really need to get the best available (ie full service history, belts changed at right time etc) If you buy one because its the only one in your budget you could end up with a huge hole in your pocket.
 
Don't worry - I have budgeted (and doubled the estimate).
 
Did you/would you consider the Alpine/Renault A610 at all?
 
The clue is in the "Renault" part... :D
 
What about the 'Alpine' bit? - they were built by Alpine, only badged as Renaults in this country.
 
Famine, we want an update!?!??

How close are you to actually buying?/have you made you mind up yet?
 
I say the alfa romeo.....The Lotus is beaultiful.....But nothing looks worse than seeing someone with a expensive car bottom out...I mean come on..the sound is horrible and it's embaressing, not to mention it might see saw on some high speed bumps......
The Supra.....I just don't like them
 
I've been offered an Alfa...

2003 car, owned by Alfa themselves, in Rosso Red (perfect!). 6,000 miles and £16,995 (that's a full £11,000 off the new price for a car that has barely been broken in).

That's a cracking deal, but, in all honesty, I'm going to forget it. SHE has pointed out that no kids will arrive in the next two years, so there's no point getting a "practical" car. I'm officially on the Lotus hunt now... :D
 
Although....

There's a "Sports & Exotic Car" auction nearby in a few days. Might have to wander down... :D
 
neon_duke
You'll drive the Clio and love the Lotus.
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Do it, DO IT!!👍

I've been in the backseat of a supra many times, it's nothing special. I wouldn't list it as a + on the list.

As for the Clio, just slap a "my other ride is an Espirit" sticker on it and it will be ok...even if no one believes you :lol:

EDIT: sorry, missed your post about not having kids.
 
SHE has pointed out that no kids will arrive in the next two years,
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I give it 6 months for her to get broody.

Post pics of any car your thinking of getting :D And good luck at the auction, don't get carried away.
 
In that list, I would probably pick the supra, which i did :D, Supra's pretty Fast..I would rather use a Honda civic or integra but Supra's Acceleration is pretty fast
 
Out of interest, I've seen an Alfa Sportwagon with no visible rear door handles.

Is this normal?
 
Yes. The rear doorhandles on all Alfa 156s are below and to the rear of the window, for that "pre-smoothed" touch.
 
Ooh, svelte.
 
Glad you're going with the Espirit. I remember a comparison Road & Track magazine did a few years ago of a Ferrari F355 versus the Espirit V8 Turbo. They opened the article by saying that standing between the two, they could almost hear Colin and Enzo arguing with each other.

The two cars were in lock step with each other, too. Good for the F355, but stellar for the senior citizen Espirit.

Besides, as a fellow British sports car owner (bought a 1970 MGB GT as my first car for $450) I couldn't possibly in good conscience let you buy an Alfa Romeo produced after the Giulia Spyder was killed nor could I allow you to give money to Toyota (after all, their MR2 killed our kindred spirit Fiat/Bertone X1/9).
 
I've had one of my characteristic changes of heart.

It's nigh-on impossible to find an Esprit V8 even close to "average" price for the year - obviously since they're not exactly over-used cars so they have WAY underaverage mileage, bumping the prices up - and I'm not settling for a GT3 (despite the less indecent prices) since I'm not overenthusiastic at the prospect of a Lotus 2-litre 4-cylinder (ka-blammo!).

I started looking for summer toys - cars which are low in price in winter and gain value through the year as they become more desirable due to the weather. Elises and the like. There are a few nice S2 Elises knocking about but... Not me. So I nearly bought this - the price was nice, the colour is terrific and the value for money was spectacular, but alas it went over my maximum (I'm not spending £7500 on an 11 year old imported car which I've never seen before).

So, I'm kicking back. I'm going to explore what I can do in the way of fettling my current automobile and let my money earn itself for the next 18 months, when the other half's lease car goes back. Or "Plan A" as it's known. By then I should have some more capital and the Esprit V8 will have dropped more into range.
 
Go for the Lotus... I'm not sure which one though as the US only has one version of the Esprit V8. No SE, GT, 350... which ever one has the most luxury options, which I can only assume would be the SE model -- go for that one. 👍
 
Famine
and I'm not settling for a GT3 (despite the less indecent prices) since I'm not overenthusiastic at the prospect of a Lotus 2-litre 4-cylinder (ka-blammo!).
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Is there a difference in reliability between the V8 and the 4? They are both built by Lotus you know.... and they've been building the 4 for longer so they should have it sussed by now. Maybe.
 
It's a Rover-based 3.5 V8 - so it has no great aspirations toward reliability itself. But I've not heard anything about engine-issues on these cars, and nothing BUT on the 4-cyl. Besides which, with a specific output of 100hp/l compared to 125hp/l I'd imagine the V8 is less stressed and less likely to break in the course of normal driving.

With potential for turning up the boost, natch :D
 
Famine
It's a Rover-based 3.5 V8 - so it has no great aspirations toward reliability itself. But I've not heard anything about engine-issues on these cars, and nothing BUT on the 4-cyl. Besides which, with a specific output of 100hp/l compared to 125hp/l I'd imagine the V8 is less stressed and less likely to break in the course of normal driving.
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What's wrong with a Rover-based 3.5-liter V8? :confused:

Also, what's the difference between the SE, GT, and 350?

With potential for turning up the boost, natch :D
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Not that I would know anything about turning up the boost... :sly:
 
There's actually four V8 models...

1996-1998 - V8
1998- - V8 SE
1998- - V8 GT
1998-1999 - Sport 350

The V8 and V8 SE are basically identical. The V8 GT has a bit more kit and a bit less weight. The Sport 350 has 100kg (220lb) less weight and they only made 42. 8 exist on US shores, but aren't classed as Sport 350s, due to the softening of the ride for the US market.

Have a quick squizz at Lotus Esprit World, which will answer pretty much everything Esprit-related.
 
Famine
There's actually four V8 models...

1996-1998 - V8
1998- - V8 SE
1998- - V8 GT
1998-1999 - Sport 350

The V8 and V8 SE are basically identical. The V8 GT has a bit more kit and a bit less weight. The Sport 350 has 100kg (220lb) less weight and they only made 42. 8 exist on US shores, but aren't classed as Sport 350s, due to the softening of the ride for the US market.

Have a quick squizz at Lotus Esprit World, which will answer pretty much everything Esprit-related.
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Thank you. :) Added to favorites. 👍
 
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