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

[tut]

Tis all jocular as you know mads, if I really tried to keep up with you in your R400 for a few laps I would probably throw myself off track.

However I did enjoy lapping with you in the 360 as there was nothing in it, and it was great to see you drive it as if you had stolen it. Fair does to N3, that is the first time that it has broken in over two years, and even then it was my fault not its.

tut

[craignicol]

Huge power Caterham or a 211 in my opinion.

[Mikie711]

Scotty, cheers for the offer will see if there's any trackdays that I am around for failing that a chance to have a good look over one and a chat would be good. Give you a shout when I get home.
Might try and blag a shot of Phil's R500 if he's willing
At the moment I am leaning towards a 2-11 if I can sell both cars for enough. Selling the S2 will be easy, question will be how much for the S1. I take on board what everybody has said so in summary:
Radical, murderous running costs and to much track not enough road (found a service interval sheet on another forum damn)
Caterham, Definite possibility especially if the budget is tight. Very upgradable car once you learn to explote what it. Loads around easy to work on and fix and relatively cheap.
GT3, having done the Porsche thing in the past would love one but regardless what you think they are expensive to maintain. Which would be worse with track use.
Exige, brilliant car but I am not going down the upgrade path with mine, as I did with the S1. In a lot of respects it's a fools errand as you never get back anything like what you spend. Might concider a cup 240 or even 260 car.
2-11, base model can be upgraded to full GT spec or anything in between. Quick enough on track. Usable for runs, but still a £30k car. Residuals look OK but hard to tell as thay haven't been around that long. Some concern over gearboxes especially if driven hard.

[tut]

Selling the S1 after all the work that you have put into it, is a wankers move.

Exige is just an Exige, so a different proposition.

tut

[renmure]

Wendy and I are off for a test drive of a 911 (996) GT3 on Monday but I doubt our feedback on what it is like to pootle around in will offer much to anyone wanting to drive one properly

[Mikie711]

Don't hold back, say what you mean tut!!.
I would only sell he S1 if I got a really good price for it. That car has about the best bits you can get for an S1 on it so it would have to be worth my while to sell it. That and I have a huge spares package for it as well.
But at the end of the day everything is for sale, it's just a question of "how much". That and it's still only a freeking car.

[Mr Momo]

swap ?

[ryallm]

Wendy and I are off for a test drive of a 911 (996) GT3 on Monday but I doubt our feedback on what it is like to pootle around in will offer much to anyone wanting to drive one properly

I like the gt3 For the same reason as the exige. It is a car with purity of purpose, designed and built to be driven hard. Seems to me this also makes them both rather pointless unless you are going drive the doors off them.
.

[renmure]

Wendy and I are off for a test drive of a 911 (996) GT3 on Monday but I doubt our feedback on what it is like to pootle around in will offer much to anyone wanting to drive one properly

I like the gt3 For the same reason as the exige. It is a car with purity of purpose, designed and built to be driven hard. Seems to me this also makes them both rather pointless unless you are going drive the doors off them.
.

Can't really argue with the logic of that from the driving point of view.
On the other hand I loved owning and driving my s1 exige even tho I never drove the doors of it.. and it was a fairly safe place to put some money and own a car, knowing that it wasn't really going to cost much (if anything) in terms of depreciation. Same factors came to mind when buying the F355 GTB and Evo VI TME to be honest and I guess my thoughts are similar re the 996 GT3. Perhaps not the purest reason for narrowing down a car choice.. but at least worth factoring in.

[H8OAG]

As Jim says
Why not own a depreciation free/slow depreciating motor without the need to rag the ar*e of it
It used to be called pride of ownership

[alicrozier]

An Exige on track will always be a compromise Mike, mine is quite accomplished but 20% lacking in every department compared to a 2-11...
Ideal for long euro trips in relative comfort though and a fantastic road drive (although probably too quick and too much grip).

2-11 a different experience to a Caterham, best to try both.

If I were in your position (with tow car):
Sell the S2 for the high current market price.
Keep the Special K, flog the mega engines and put a standardish spec in it - roadrun and wet trackday spec.
Buy a Caterham/2-11 and trailer (for competition and towing to further away trackdays).

[tut]

I think one of Mikes objectives with the mega K was to take Graeme on in the Sprint Championships, so after all the work on his engine, twould be a pity if he shelved that.

tut

[Mikie711]

Yeh but Graeme has gone and got himself a Radical Pro Sport so no longer be competing against him directly although his class records still stand.

The problem with the K is two fold, one is the reliability especially in a high state of tune. Just ask Vic, the second is age. Good as they were it's getting a bit long in the tooth. I am still going to run the S1 this year and eventually I will return it to a more normal spec, something about 160bhp engine is what I was planning or might build a supercharged K similar to Turbotechnics but using a Rotrex charger or M62 if I can get it to fit.
The reason for the question was because of the strong resale price of NA Exiges and the fact 2-11's are becoming more available second hand. Ali's plan is the ideal and may well be the way ahead. S1 already has all the parts to make a kick arse road car, all be it I would have to change some stuff back so it's more road than race but with the current suspesion, gearbox etc it would be a fantastic road car, that and some paint.

Food for thought.

[Gourlay83]

that and some paint.

No No No, Don't paint them ....

Build them and drive them, shinny paint doesn't work in a S1.

Alan

[renmure]

Wendy and I are off for a test drive of a 911 (996) GT3 on Monday but I doubt our feedback on what it is like to pootle around in will offer much to anyone wanting to drive one properly

Well, we went off to have a testdrive of this car
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1346956.htm

Was a bit damp and the salesman was keen that we didn't end up in a ditch so not really the best day to get much idea of ultimate performance other than say it felt fast enough. But.. I have to confess it was a wee bit underwhelming as a package for me. I had primed Wendy beforehand that it would be loud and wild-child looking and when it was brought round to the forecourt she said "oh, that's ok". Thankfully the salesman hasn't put us in the "timewaster" pile.. despite turning up in the Mini in dog walking gear.. so we are going back up when it is dry to try out a Carrera & Turbo and to give the GT3 another go.

Funny thing is that in anticipation of being bowled over, I put the TME up for sale in order to get a bit of floor space in the garage and am having to fudge taking a deposit on it from a couple of buyers.