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Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 12:35 pm
by Zonda_
So working from home now means my X1 has become a drive ornament and does at most 4 miles a week. The plan is to sell it and get a toy in a couple of months. I’ve been training my hand for a while so manual boxes are back on the list for me. A Boxster seems top of the list, I just need to get to grips with the potential issues like bore score than can affect them. What else would be on your list? It seems the bottom end of the market for an Elise.
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 1:01 pm
by ZedLeg
Looks like it’s bottom of the market for V8 Mustangs as well if that floats your boat
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... product=HP
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 2:19 pm
by mik
Boxster/Cayman is a good shout. Low end of Evora market too (probably only NA for that money - might get a leggier ‘charged car.
Z4M
370Z
Super/turbocharged MX5
for examples
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 2:29 pm
by integrale_evo
I’d probably buy an e46 or e90 M3, or an M2.
Or a Z3M + something else
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 2:30 pm
by Zonda_
mik wrote: Mon May 25, 2026 2:19 pm
Boxster/Cayman is a good shout. Low end of Evora market too (probably only NA for that money - might get a leggier ‘charged car.
Z4M
370Z
Super/turbocharged MX5
for examples
My first MX5 put me off them. Oddly I think the Cayman hasn’t aged as well as the Boxster, I would normally go for a coupe if there was a coupe/convertible option but I’m not really a fan. I considered an Evora, didn’t think they’d be in budget.
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 6:25 pm
by mik
A bit “softer” (?) - F-Type
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 6:38 pm
by IanF
Weren’t there an S1 and S2 Elise posted here this week for £25k ish? Are you planning on taking your other half with you? Probably as big a factor as anything else..
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 6:47 pm
by Zonda_
mik wrote: Mon May 25, 2026 6:25 pm
A bit “softer” (?) - F-Type
An F Type is a possibility.
Ian, it’ll just be for me.
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 6:52 pm
by dan
When I started shopping for a new fun daily I put 20k into the autotrader budget, had to be rear drive but other than that I was open minded.
The choice was boxsters, caymans, s2000's, mx5's, z4's and the like but it was the abarth that caught my eye and I subsequently bought one after a test drive. The car I bought had 13k miles on it and was showroom fresh, I was put off by all the really leggy porsches as all I could forsee with those were big bills when things inevitably went wrong, i've never been a fan of mx5's (don't know why, they just never did it for me) and I didn't want a BMW.
I've had it since last february, done almost 10k miles, driven it to italy and back, been to the nurburgring and done 4 laps in it and it hasn't missed a beat or cost a penny other than servicing.
Now I obviously have a ludicrous elise already so my criteria was probably slightly different, but for a really fun and cheap to run car you can't go wrong.
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 6:58 pm
by jamcg
Bit left-field with a side of what could possibly go wrong
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... eage=10000
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 7:03 pm
by Rich B
mik wrote: Mon May 25, 2026 6:25 pm
A bit “softer” (?) - F-Type
This would probably be my choice if it was my only car.
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 7:10 pm
by Sundayjumper
Zonda_ wrote: Mon May 25, 2026 12:35 pm
What else would be on your list?
996 with an aerokit, or a Vantage.
Or two F10 M5s so you have a backup when they break down
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 7:13 pm
by Zonda_
Rich B wrote: Mon May 25, 2026 7:03 pm
mik wrote: Mon May 25, 2026 6:25 pm
A bit “softer” (?) - F-Type
This would probably be my choice if it was my only car.
I do like the looks, a guy in town had a first gen and a guy in the next town now has it (I live in a small town, it’s the only one round). What was their thinking behind the 2.0L, looking at the figures the 3.0S quicker all round obviously but gets better MPG!
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 7:26 pm
by Beany
Rich B wrote: Mon May 25, 2026 7:03 pm
mik wrote: Mon May 25, 2026 6:25 pm
A bit “softer” (?) - F-Type
This would probably be my choice if it was my only car.
Same, I'd have a 3.0 S/C coupe as reputedly, they're actually rather reliable. Although you have to watch the tax, they can be anywhere from the thick end of £800 for a manual based on emissions, to £200 for an auto with the flat rate tax, which is £600 a year difference, every fucking year if you get it wrong.
If they pique an interest, look for late 2017 onwards cars, although they're a little on the high end of a £25k budget. It's an Auto, but it's a ZF8 and you we all know how good they are.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... 5112295791
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 7:41 pm
by Beany
A bit more reading:
Apparently there's a coolant Y pipe under the supercharger which is - of course - plastic. That cracks and leaks. Can be replaced with a metal one. And there's a noise isolator for the supercharger that can fail. Other than the usual timing chain rattles on any chain car - if it sounds rattly from cold, walk away - that's the main worries.
You'd probably want to have about £1500 set aside to deal with the pipes and supercharger isolator, do a gearbox service, general service, etc and basically have an 'oil, fuel and screenwash' car for a few years.
Yes, one of these is something I'm looking at once the Z4C loses it's charm, and I've been looking, in advance
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Tue May 26, 2026 6:34 am
by 240PP
A neighbour has just sent his early but low mileage (~21k) F-Type for scrap. I don’t know the full details but it’s some terminal engine/gearbox issue.
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Tue May 26, 2026 10:10 am
by scotta
dan wrote: Mon May 25, 2026 6:52 pm
When I started shopping for a new fun daily I put 20k into the autotrader budget, had to be rear drive but other than that I was open minded.
The choice was boxsters, caymans, s2000's, mx5's, z4's and the like but it was the abarth that caught my eye and I subsequently bought one after a test drive. The car I bought had 13k miles on it and was showroom fresh, I was put off by all the really leggy porsches as all I could forsee with those were big bills when things inevitably went wrong, i've never been a fan of mx5's (don't know why, they just never did it for me) and I didn't want a BMW.
I've had it since last february, done almost 10k miles, driven it to italy and back, been to the nurburgring and done 4 laps in it and it hasn't missed a beat or cost a penny other than servicing.
Now I obviously have a ludicrous elise already so my criteria was probably slightly different, but for a really fun and cheap to run car you can't go wrong.
A solid choice. These look great value starting from around £15k with a bit of miles on them.
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Fri May 29, 2026 6:18 pm
by nuttinnew
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Sat May 30, 2026 9:04 pm
by 16vCento
I don't think I could ever get an F Type over an XK.
Same platform, just without rear seats, which although aren't great seats, do fit a load of stuff should you go away and take a decent amount of luggage/dogs etcs.
You'd also get a proper XKR 5.0 SC cheaper than any F Type R, and you'd notice no performance difference.
XK rides and handles better on our roads than the F Type, and the late ones can be had with al kind sofa packs, carbon bucket seats, what ever you fancy.
I think I'd be tempted by a Mustang though now over them both, just as you don't see many, they're quite cool looking and you have a decent aftermarket if you want to play with it.
Re: Weekend toy £25k
Posted: Sat May 30, 2026 9:17 pm
by Matty
Probably just me, but I bulk at the idea of spending £800 a year on road tax for a second car.
I could probably justify if I was buying a single, all-rounder, but paying £1500/year for tax and insurance for a car that's only for weekends before you get to fuel and servicing rubs me the wrong way. Especially if you buy some uber, gas-guzzling 3 ton motor after 2017 and you pay £200.
If you can put up with an Elise and it's usability shortcomings, that one everyday. Solid residuals, the most fun, pennies to own/run.
If you can't, then an MX5 or Abarth and good middle grounds.
Otherwise, you want more comfort, then usual Evora/Jag/Porker (in that order, IMO). Just be aware the running costs start to stack, and it depends how much you'll use them to justify it....at least with an Elise the £/Mile stays very low even if not used.
