Cars, Cars, Cars. Which one????????

[Mikie711]

Must be because spring is in the air but seriously considering changing the Exige (mainly due to the very strong values for NA cars). Question is what for?
Been looking a lot at 2-11's as the price for a used one is quite respectable but the launch cars that are knocking about will probably have had quite a hard, if short life. But something with a definite track bias would be what I would want. Nothing to practical .
Another newer Exige, probably a cup car would also fit the bill but I am not renown for buying 2 cars the same in fact I have only once replaced a car with a newer model and that was my Impreza.
This also presents the opportunity to combine the elise/exige into one car, as try as I have I can't convince Ruth to let me get a bike engined single seater and believe me, I have tried , and perhaps get a shed for knocking around in.
So far I have been looking at 2-11's, Caterhams and the westfield XTR's although not many of the later around.
Any other options/recommendations from previous owners/drivers.

Edit: forgot to add, budget £30k±

[Edin430]

A nice spec 997 or cayman would be the direction my money would be heading in...

[kpb]

Let me know which way you decide,bonus and money from s1 sale burning a hole in my pocket but too many to choose from and work is too busy to get time to go and look .
Running about in the daughters Yaris with a whole 998cc,struggling with the power but love the 42mpg in town ,I dont think I have ever had a car that could do that out the road.
Give me a shout when you get back to the beach Mike
Cheers
Kinnon

[j2 lot]

if its to fulfil track duties my money would be on a 2-11

[Gourlay83]

Another 211 vote here Mike, just loving them at the moment and a close second would be a Caterham R4/500 ?

What about a Radical and trailor it with the Venga Bus ?

Alan

P.S You have too much money

[PartTimer]

Atom.

[Mikie711]

I really like the idea of an Atom, problem being as a catch all car it would be in with caterhams etc. Not sure how competitive it would be. I must admit to leaning towards a 2-11, means I stay within the marque, I like there idea of being able to upgrade your car over time reminds me a bit of how bikes have done it for years. Buy a base model and add manufactureres parts to upgrade/Individualise it. Some of the launch cars are around which would be a decent spec right from the off, or a brand new NA SVA car for £32k (sure I could get a bit of a deal ). Thought about a Radical as well, maybe just a bit to much track and not enough road.
On the caterham front at least you can get some weather protection for them, need to have a better look around at them.
Just like a bike with 4 wheels.

[mikeep]

Caterhams are good fun although very basic - even more basic than an elise/exige.

If you want to try one for a day, there is a place in perth that hires them (http://www.openroadhire.co.uk/). They are R300ish but you'll get a good feel for them.

Mike

[tut]

Mike, Graeme Lovie has a Westfield XTR2 that has been store away for the past eight years along with his other cars that he will probably never get around to selling.

It is road registered and I think he has had it out twice. He also has a brand new Westfield Hayabusa that he bought as a kit, rolling chassis stage, probably needs only a few days work to finish it.

tut

[gorrie]

If it's purely for tracking & only the occassional road run, I'd be looking at a Caterham ex-race car I think. In fact, because I'm a cheap-skate, I'd probably be looking at kit-cars under £10K for a track slag.
Fisher Fury Much cheapness, great fun.
I had one (1.8 zetec) in kermit green, & I think Smitsu on here had a 2.0 zetec orange one.
£8K gets a decent one... £5K gets a ropey one with some work needing done.

[Andy G]

what a great dilema

I think the first thing you need to work out is - will it be used for racing, or is it just for trackdays and fun? This would have a huge bearing on my choice.

Atom - awesome car - great fun at track days primarily as it doesnt like going in a vaguely straight line. You dont need the 300 either, as it cant cope with 245 let alone 300. Part of the reason most youll see on a track doddle through the bends and explode down the straight. Loved mine, but you are almost wearing full biker gear every time you use it, and its rarely if ever warm! It uses the uprights, and bearings, from an S1, which are gash, cant corner at the same speed as the 2-11, unless you take very creative lines, but if you like sideways, its so much fun, and with practise very controllable. As Walshy put it "this is your ultimate car!", due to its sideways from start to finish tendancies. Almost too fast for KH trackdays though!

2-11 - didnt like it much the first time i drove it (hungover), but the 30 mins i had on track with Scottys at Spa had me totally sold. A tremendous track car, but in reality its a race car. Not as adjustable as an Atom or Caterham (input wise mid corner) and doesnt deliver to my mind the same trackday thrills, but its easier to pedal and fantastically fast. It really does show just what can be done with that chassis. Taking some of the more challenging corners at Spa flat was just epic, as was Eau Rouge (it was too fast to go flat) You will be destroying everything on track, and constantly waiting for others and being quickest can get a bit dull.

R400/500 - might even be a chance that my mate might sell his R400 (Duratec), which is only 18months old and get an R500 for the sequential shift. Awesome car, and hugely adjustable through corners, limpet like. If you havent tried one you should. I really enjoyed bringing this one up from London, the A68 was a riot, and it is even faster now accoridng to its slightly mental owner Cant wait to try it on track. Have driven a few on track and it was from that i decided to buy an Atom.

Exige - just doesnt give you the raw thrills of the above (as you fell further from the action, plus point is refinement and long distance cruising ability though!), but a fantastically accomplished it of kit. The best one I've driven to date is Ali C's which was hilarious fun around Le Mans. Huge brakes on Alis, Supercharger makes for effortless on road pace, if not hugely brilliant on track once the heat soak gets in to it.

340R - just bought one, and love it so far. Seems to be a bit of a compromise between the Atom and Elise. Much lighter, feels sharper, and looking forward to getting it on track asap! Loved the others i have driven though, and unlike most of the other cars on here, i suspect it will actually appreciate!

Wouldnt bother with a Prosche if its not your main car.

[ryallm]

I have a similar dilemma. Sold my NA Exige late last year and have considered a huge variety of cars to replace it - Caterham CSR, M3, Z4M, 996 GT3, Exige 240. Almost a bad as Gareth Problem is I can't really decide what I want. Quite like the idea of a track weapon, but if I am honest with myself it would probably sit in the garage and not get used enough, so I really want something good on the road too, and preferably something I can take my wee boy Max out in (Caterham not ideal for kiddie seats!). A GT3 would be perfect, but I looked into it and was seriously put off by the running costs. I was reliably told I should allow £1000 per trackday in servicing and consumable costs So, I keep coming back to an Exige 240. Believe it or not I am seriously torn between this and a VW T5 camper for skydiving and family trips, which really does make me worse than Gareth in the car chameleon stakes

If you are after a track weapon I would go for 2-11, no question. Never mind the track performance, it just looks way cool driving a near race car on the road

Mark

[hiscot]

Mike i expect it depends what track days you intend to do
i spoke to some once who had an audi elise / an honda elise and a 165bhp k series his quote
K is the only way on track it's the most satisfying the race car only has 165bhp but its so light and chuckable the problem with the audi or the honda is your a target for every have a go hero out there,
i expect if your on track with the same type of car / power ect ect it could be more fun than being out on your own with a radical ect ?

[Scotty C]

i'm with Andy, but a couple of things made me buy the 2-11.

The rug munchers
Cateringvans are great on track but not the best for the road and have no crash protection
Atom (same as above) loved hooning Andy's but would get bored owning one.
Exige cup - same as the 2-11, but only 80% as much fun (ask Ali C )

All other cars are tourers

If you want a track focused/ready to race 2-11 with a full cage I might know of one going cheapish.

Stop fecking about you know what your heart says.

I will be back in ABZ with the car on the 2nd of May if you want a wee shotty. Infact if you pay for a trip to KH i'm more then happy to share the day with you. You bin it you buy it

[Gareth]

Gareth is getting a beating.
For me, budget allows, GT3.
If not, nice daily runner to run alongside a R400.
I'm sure you could persuade Mr Momo to sell you my old SLR. He's based in Aberdeen too.