Cars

[oracleslave]

What do you guys make of these MR2 Ferrari replica's then (can insure them as Ferrari badged 'kit cars' for dirt cheap insurance):

http://www.mr2kits.gbr.cc/2410/info.php?p=6&pno=0

Why the determination to spend/waste money on wheels like this as your first car? Perhaps you need to temper the excitement of recently obtaining a driving license with some realism?

[DimPrawn]

If you're thinking of going down that route then a Lotus elise or better still a VX220 is the best performance v cash v insurance. All the fun can be had a lower speeds, than a more robust car.

I agree with Baggy again.

[Charles Foster Kane]

If you're thinking of going down that route then a Lotus elise or better still a VX220 is the best performance v cash v insurance. All the fun can be had a lower speeds, than a more robust car.



http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/279993.htm

I was looking at the Elise, and read a review of it in the Top Gear handbook (has all their recent reviews of most cars), and it comes with nothing, no airbags, no traction control, suspension which is only effective at high speeds etc.

I though the Elise would be good at first too, till I read that.

[gingerjedi]

Get a 2001 Civic Type R for about 7k that way you wont lose so much when you wrap it round a tree.

HTH

[r0bly0ns]

Also, considering the average salary here, what are you driving, Any sports car drivers here?

Ford Focus (seriously), and it's rubbish.

It's a base model as well ,1.6 CL Estate. I bought it a few years back when still a permie. I am paying off debts first then I'm gonna get a BMW 318SE

[Charles Foster Kane]

Why the determination to spend/waste money on wheels like this as your first car? Perhaps you need to temper the excitement of recently obtaining a driving license with some realism?

Interesting viewpoint, but why do you think it's unrealistic to not want to drive a heap of scrap as a first car? I know someone who bought a nice car as a first car, and they had no issues.

[Bagpuss]

I was looking at the Elise, and read a review of it in the Top Gear handbook (has all their recent reviews of most cars), and it comes with nothing, no airbags, no traction control, suspension which is only effective at high speeds etc.

I though the Elise would be good at first too, till I read that.

These are the reasons why it's fun, feels fast even when you are going slow. You want to learn to drive in a car without driver aids, otherwise when you don't have them and you drive fast in your normal fashion you could crash.
The VX220 has a better engine than the early Elises (current elise uses the Toyota MR2 vvt, apart from the base which uses a camry vvt). The VX has 2.2 litres and alot more torque which is handy in a nippy little point and squirt car.
I would avoid the turbo though, it would outsprint a basic 911 to 60 and you'd probably be visiting your local farmer via a backward spinning manouvre into the hedge. The VX is insurance group 16 from memory, will do 40mpg, and will still be worth 80% of what you paid in a year. For 12k you can get a car wil less than 20k miles.

[Charles Foster Kane]

These are the reasons why it's fun, feels fast even when you are going slow. You want to learn to drive in a car without driver aids, otherwise when you don't have them and you drive fast in your normal fashion you could crash.
The VX220 has a better engine than the early Elises (current elise uses the Toyota MR2 vvt, apart from the base with uses a camry vvt). The VX has 2.2 litres and alot more torque which is habdy in a nippy little point and squirt car.
I would avoid the turbo though, it would outsprint a basic 911 to 60 and you'd probably be visiting your local farmer via a backward spinning manouvre into the hedge.

I agree, that was my logic originally. Although the lack of safety features is slightly worrying.

[Charles Foster Kane]

Indeed.

Buy a 911.

Pedantic.

[oracleslave]

Interesting viewpoint, but why do you think it's unrealistic to not want to drive a heap of scarp as a first car? I know someone who bought a nice car as a first car, and they had no issues.

I guess my view is similar to what Sasguru said in an earlier post. Basically I like the thrill of driving a fast car as much as the next bloke. However my philosophy with cars as with most things I buy is if I don't have the cash I don't buy it. You are talking about a loan deal whereby you will have nothing to show for your money at the end of it. Whilst Dimprawns suggestion of putting the cash in BTL was in jest there was some sense in it to in my opinion. You also mentioned in another post you thought the cost of house prices in London was high. My view would then be to spend a little money on a reliable car (expense) and put the saved money into something else i.e. reducing a mortgage or an asset/investment of some sort.