mynickers

The old one wasn't really upto the mark considering it was a super car going up against Ferrari's and Porkers, but with the kind of performance that whilst good wasn't really 'supercar' out of this world, as the insurance would be (IMO). I think they're great cars, I love all honda's, but I would rather get an S2000 or even a DC2 than an old NSX, they're pretty cheap now, and that says it all. NSX-R is a different ball game altogether, but that's an import and very expensive, so then you have a whole host of choices for that money...

Everyone knows the car I will suggest, but hardly anyone takes it seriously - but's it's my fav overlooked or rarely mentioned sports car.

http://www.porsche968uk.co.uk/images/968_cs_yellow.jpg

The porsche 968 clubsport, is to many in the know one of the best 'drivers car's' in the sense of being stripped out, focused, and very good all around track car for the road. Very reliable if well maintained, without the ponce of a 911, and actually these days very, very cheap considering they're made like tanks.

You can pick up a 968cs for as little as £10k, but upto £20k, will get you a minter, £16k I recently saw a very good example for. Problem is as far as my research shows is they cost (like most porkers) a fortune to maintain (properly), and thus lots of people either 1) dont get them maintenced proper, or 2) get their mates to botch it at some back street garage. So good research into history, work done, would be vital.

The chassis is suppose to be amazing with ear perfect weight distribution and very stiff characteristics helped by the torque tube connecting the engine to the gearbox also some 911 components have been used in it's production.
All round independent suspension, McPherson struts up front with semi trailing aluminium arms at the rear. Its got a sophisticated vario cam 3L engine, with a 6-speed gear box, and f**king awesome brakes. (0Elf ventillating discs, open ventillation alloy wheels and a study of the air flow around the discs contribute to more than adequate cooling and so minimal fatigue and break fade. ABS adds even more safety to the already excellent braking system .)

Here is blurb from Parkers guide:

Reliability
Very good if properly maintained; build quality excellent; beware of thrashed/ crashed/trashed and rebuilt examples.
Driving
More predictable than 944/911 but still needs handling with respect; good grip and balanced chassis; superb brakes and gearbox; lightweight Club Sport is a real star with stiffer suspension, bigger wheels and tyres, recalibrated steering.
Performance
Thrilling; satisfying snarl from exhaust; power delivery is even and smooth; variable valve engines and six-speed gearbox give phenomenal acceleration

Also check out:

http://www.porsche968uk.co.uk/

carl

Pretty cheap? You can get an S2000 for around £15k and they were only released in, what, 2000? A 1991 NSX will still set you back around £22-23k, unless it's LHD or an auto. There's a big plateau with the prices, because you can get a '96 for around £25k. Bear in mind that the first 900 had the "Senna" suspension settings
As for "not up to the mark", the handling was reckoned (and still is reckoned) to be about the best -- Gordon Murray tried to get the Macca F1 to emulate it -- and surely the power output was comparable to its obvious competitors at the time, e.g. the Ferrari 348. You have to realize the crap that Ferrari was churning out was virtually undriveable -- the NSX was the first supercar that "your gran could drive". It certainly caused Ferrari to up their game.

mynickers

Also nearly forgot, MR2 (94+) Turbo grey import, cheap as chips to buy, serious performance, plenty of scope for tuning without upsetting the reliability. Thought about this car long and hard a while back, for a little extra in parts you can have a 0-60 sub 5sec car, good handling, mid engine, rear wheel drive, you can get these as cheap as £3k, but spend £6k, and get a really good one (seriously).

On the same note, the Celica GT4 also turbo charged, think it's the same engine unit, but 4wd, and rally bred (supposidily), an alternative to a classic scoob for same sort of money - odd looking though! (also similar money to MR2 in some cases).

As someone already mentioned the Civic Type R import's 1.6 are a very strong car, but as everyone will tell you, grey imports are all well and good, but you have to do an awful lot of homework, and you need to ideally get it from an importer you know of, or have heard good things about. Ideally I would say, one that has the thumbs up from the owners club. Unless you read japanese, you can never be sure what happened to the car prior to being shipped. Then once they've come here people invariably play with them more, and of course no cars of this nature get treated with TLC.

You'd be amazed what bargain cars you can get grey import, and I would never talk anyone out of that avenue, but I would say it isn't simple, and if you're the kind of person that impulse buys, or can't be arsed to do loads of research, grey imports probably aint for you.

JFB

Audi S6

Not as butch as the RS6 so has the stealth. But boy does it shift? 350BHP IIRC plus tiptronic and all the luxury leather etc etc.

JB

Budgie

iTrader: (4)

invicta s1
cizeta moroder v16

QuattroMNC

fast + fun =mitsi starion, squareish looks but will outdrag a std uk scoob

ianc

I could tell you, but then you would know about it, and we're trying to keep it a secret

AlmeraTastic

Ahhh, that'd be the Pulsar VZR, 1.6 175bhp NEO VVL variable valve jobbie. Brought out in answer to the Civic, or the even rarer VZR N1 200(ish)bhp

Great cars, but them I'm gonna say that...

Abdabz

Check their owners club website - both cars standard a starion couldnt out drag a UK Scoob at all - quality performance - with 6.9 (2.0 litre) and heaver 2.6 in at 7.8 - 60 the 2.0 would give the classic a serious go - maybe even match it - but off the line is more likely to find parity with GSI Vectra bit of nostalgia overload there...

prodriva

Unknown stealth and cheap? Read on.
-Nissan Micra Turbo (yep, old bubble shape ones. Made for JDM market but I think a few have been imported over here. Apparently very quick but not sure how it handles)
-Toyota Starlet GT Turbo. Drove one years ago and it was bloody quick for what it was.

Cant think of anymore just yet

allywrx

Alfa 155 Q4 - A 155 with Integrale engine and running gear, does'nt go or handle like the Integrale but is still a bit "Q"

Mk 1 Golf GTI sp - Built as a factory option for the French market, VW worked in conjunction with Oetingger who fitted a 1.6 16v engine (136bhp) into the Mk1 Golf and sold it through French dealerships, very rare. Thing sp stands for "sou papes" French for 16 valve or I think.

Scirocco 16v - Built for european market, Mk2 VW Scirocco with the Mk2 Golf GTI 16v engine (139bhp KR) and rear discs.

Passat VR6 - Not the newer shape one but older (M reg. etc) came with the 2.8 vr6 engine, not many about.

Nissan Skyline estate and 4 door variants - Don't know much about these but have seen them and they still go like stink 2.6 twin turbo 4wd etc. Seen Skyline pickups but presume they are conversions and not factory cars.

Can't think of anything else at mo.

Brit_in_Japan

A mate here has a Supercharged MR2 (Mk1). Not especially powerful (about 150PS) but given how small and light the Mk1 is, the performance is pretty handy.

tmo

Old fella had a Fiat 132 1800 (not the wolf in sheep’s clothing advert 2000cc) Beautiful twin cam went like stink.
Reversing up the drive one day the cam belt snapped and fcked the lot

tmo

Agree, drove one of the micra turbo's in the late 80's, can't remember what they call it. Very quick little nimble car.

krisby

Mitsubishi Legnum VR4. WE have a few legnums in NZ, but most are the GDI or ST versions. The VR4 is a twin turbo estate, 2.5L V6, 5 speed semi-auto tip gear box, 4WD, agressive body kit, Active Yaw Control (I think the Legnum may have had it before the Evo), ASC, TC and 276bhb standard, imagine what some tuning would do.

Or a Ford Falcon XR6T. Down under most people know an XR6 is a 6 cylinder Ford Falcon, but you guys in the UK may not be aware, the "T" version is a turbo, thats a 4L staight six with a turbo pumping out 320bhp.

I would get that as my next car in preference to an RSK or Legnum, but I need a 4WD for when I go skiing, and RWD just can't hack it.

Del mar

Lancia Hyena.

Integrale with a sexy(ish) coupe body on it. Walkers had one for sale for about £60,000 !!!

Imagine the repair bills for that .

Mosquito

Delfino Feroce.

2 door, 2 seater sports car with the 280 bhp Scooby engine and running gear!!
4 second 0-60 sprint!

The old man's got an RS4 that's been de-aluminiumed. That's a seriously quick sleeper!!

JDM

Fiat Uno Turbo ie , with the boost wicked up, a set of steelies and '55' badging.

defdrummer

Subaru Forester

handles like an impreza, looks like a station wagon

n/a - more torque than a normal wrx, atleast until the turbo kicks in
xt - foresteresqu wrx
sti - well, it'll be good when it comes

rallycol

iTrader: (4)

Cadillac Seville STS FWD 300bhp

kilo_4que

Koenigsegg CC 2000,

yes it is probably the most underated car considering it has been in production for a while and the performance is argued to have surpassed the McLaren F1. Top speed is faster than the McLaren but 0-60 varies depending on sources and arguements put forward since the Mclaren had a top 0-60 under conditions that would have favoured it over the conditions the Koenigsegg was tested for its 0-60 (confuses me a lot)

Simon Lau

LOL

Was it your granny?

kilo_4que

LOL

rallycol

iTrader: (4)

Micra turbos were called March's

Big Col

cool. It has been proven to be faster than the F1? Top speed of 240mph+?

I'll need to get more info on this badboy

Dracoro

0-60 figures are really quite irrelevant these days. What's the 30-70 or 0-100. That'll give a better indication about which is faster (in a straight line anyway).

Controversial statement but I'd love a Koenigsegg.

kilo_4que

Controversial it is since the statistics either way keep on bringing up controversy. Btw, the Koenigsegg top speed is 242mph

Ale555

MUST BE THE "YES! Clubsport or Roadster"

http://www.fast-autos.net/yes/yes.html

billythekid

Ultima GTR with Chevy 600Cubic inch (custom) (10L!) engine pushing out about 800 - 1000 bhp.

carl

Hispano Suiza Type 68bis?