Another what car thread.

[StiflerMR2]

interesting - can't say i'm overly keen on the styling and looks like a bit of a ladys car imho.

Still you cant judge a book by its cover

I have no idea how they drive but they are so bland - a major disappointment after the earlier mini Ferrari looks of its predecessor

Read this months EVO to find out how they drive

[Jeremy]

If you add stunning good looks to the original criteria then such a car is unlikely to exist within a £10k budget. If bland looks make a car as competent as this available for £2.5k then bravo to the bland styling I say

Ed may think differently of course but I don't see any other car suggested which meets his criteria quite so perfectly.

Regards,

Jeremy

[Tom]

If you add stunning good looks to the original criteria then such a car is unlikely to exist within a £10k budget. If bland looks make a car as competent as this available for £2.5k then bravo to the bland styling I say

Ed may think differently of course but I don't see any other car suggested which meets his criteria quite so perfectly.

Regards,

Jeremy

We were talking last night, and if we're going to do it on a budget it's boiled down to MX5 and MR2. Both about 1000kg, both about 140bhp, both can be had for £2.5k. Both should be reliable, but we'll have parts and labour so it doesn't matter if it blows up. And both are apparently reasonable fun to drive.

Don't really like the styling of either, but I guess the MX5 wins here. Both are a bit hairdressery, but as you say for 2.5k we're not looking to love the styling.

Don't see many ads of MX5s with air con, but as far as I can tell they do exist. MR2 doesn't have a boot which is a bit of an issue. Does anyone know if we could fit 2 crash helmets in the boot of an MX5 with the roof down?

[Andy G]

if its Mr2 vs Mx5 - i'm in the toyota camp.

Tried the mx5 - not impressed.

Mr2, SC it - might be fun and scalping to be done.

Luggage - I wouldnt worry, there's always someone to help out

[Jeremy]

toyota camp.

You said it ! (only kidding)

Oh I asked Chris earlier and the MR2 does have a boot, so I don't know where the no boot red herring comes from. It's in the front also decent sized storage cubbies behind the seats.

[StiflerMR2]

Front boot will take a helmet, 2 might be pushing it. The cubby holes will easy take two sports bags.

[ed]

After alot of thought im not sure a mr2 is really for me and not sure tom and I would have a good time on frolic in it.

I think a better compromise might be an s2k. Found this one which seems ok with good mods: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2416518.htm

[campbell]

Uh-huh. Think that's the tail-happy version though. Needs to be something like 2004-on for that aspect to have been "sorted", such as it can be.

And yes you might say you want to be drift kings on the trip, but presumably that's on the track, and not the public highway...by mistake

All that said...it has potential and Al and Kellie certainly found theirs to be a capable GT on their European Tour.

[Mike Scib]

http://vimeo.com/3474944

[campbell]

This one's an object lesson too:

http://vimeo.com/3475971

[Alistair]

After alot of thought im not sure a mr2 is really for me and not sure tom and I would have a good time on frolic in it.

I think a better compromise might be an s2k. Found this one which seems ok with good mods: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2416518.htm

As Campbell mentioned - 2004 onwards are a little more settled and less likely to bite you. As you see from the clips the earlier models are quite quick to break away (Expert piloting though)

Some however prefer the original - and I believe the very first models in 99 (though even more likely to see you facing the wrong way) are amongst the favourites for more experienced S2k drivers.

One thing - if you get one make sure the geometry bolts aren't seized and have been greased so you can get a good geo before you go (or at least it has had one in the last year). The car is uber sensitive to its setup - and many of the stories about how twitchy it is are really just a by product of seized bushes leading to bad geometry. The Japanese forgot we use salt on our roads

Ours has a rear camber and front caster seized - fortunately not too far off spec. and the car was transformed in how it drove after being to see Willie at CLCM.

Here is a good place to keep an eye on - the guys on the S2k site generally seem a good bunch and most of the cars for sale seem to have been given the correct maintenance - http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=249683

And don't be swayed by exhausts, filters etc - it takes a lot to get any more power out of the F20C, generally they just make the car louder!

Cheers

Alistair

[Andy G]

so where are we with this?

Some cheap 7's about.

Unless you have bought the cheap Duratec Elise - in which case bravo

[Sanjøy]

Fast clio buying guide in evo this month.

[pete]

I had an early (P reg) Mx5 for a while. Awesome, but too small for a tall chap like myself. We'd have kept it otherwise.

But no power to speak of.

(The most fun I ever saw anyone having at KH was in the pissing rain in an MX5 sideways the whole way round. Mate was struggling to find traction in his 350bhp RA Scooby. The MX5 just stayed out to play when everyone else was getting scared.)

But not enough power in the dry.

[Fluoxetine]

I have one of the the 'ladies cars' - a '99 MX5 - It's a 6 speeder import, with a slippy diff... Having not driven the last gen MR2, I'm not sure I can comment - But I can already slide mine around roundabouts, like my old Caterham... And you can pick up a turbocharged one with a cage (+ a/c ) and a turbo setup with 250+bhp for under £5K...Decent suspension / AO48R's, and I'd love to hear the excuses of the the lower powered Elise drivers when you scalp them...