Hey guys, I like the look of this thread. Could I get an opinion from some of yous? Don't know too much about cars, but I'm a very show-boaty sorta guy. I'd like a car that is very unique and stands out. Is there a reason not to save up for a very early Porsche Boxster? As in, I'll be on my Ps for the next 2 and a half years, and I hence can't drive any WRX or Evos (which I have looked up) because they have turbos. All my dream cars have 8 or more cylinders; the only other cars that I am very interested in and am legally allowed to drive are these two: -Lotus Elise -Subaru BRZ And both of them cannot even be considered because of the price. For me, a Porsche Boxster drips of personality (whether that be a negative one or not) simply because it is a 2 seater convertible. I'm very limited for choice as a P plater, university student basically. Are there any cars that any of you might have in mind? Keep in mind that I don't want some run-of-the-mill Falcon or whatever. They don't stand out. And don't worry, I already have the crap box that I'm meant to tell everybody about as my first car: 1998 Nissan Pulsar N15 SLX Sedan I already try and smack that thing to 6,500 revs, lol. (just because it looks like this thread is a competition, hehe!) Unfortunately, my friends don't understand the difference between high revs and going fast. During daily driving, I stay in first gear and take it to 45km/h and I get shouted at.
My daily drive is an 08 Subaru Liberty 3.0R Spec B powered by flat 6 goodness. Absolutely love it. My 3rd Suby since 1996and boy do they make some great handling cars.
@Crunch Id recommend the MX5, lots of aftermarket bits available to give it some flair, and a real pleasure to drive. Bang for buck its unbeatable on a budget! Speed wise won't be much different from the Pulsar, but it will feel faster as your lower to the ground and very very nimble. Plus it's RWD, so it's a real car and a hell of a lot more fun. Plus when you've gone through your Ps there's a guy in Newy that will turbo it for 3k and you can beat Porsche's I rate it as one of the best cars ever built. A lot of people will disagree but a lot of people think Falcodores are amazing.
@Crunch : old European cars should probably be steered clear of, unless you are financially well off. Old beemer's and porsche's will cost you a fortune to maintain, with almost all the work needing to be done by specialist mechanics and parts needing to be sourced from overseas. If you're looking to be a bit flashy, you can get some nice Japanese sports cars, 300zx, Mitsubishi gto awd with or without turbo, supra, 180sx, the list is endless, and being Japanese, the parts can be bought from your local Milk Bar. It's one thing to buy a car already done up, but to get something that you can slowly improve over time will give you something more personal and fulfilling. My 2 cents.
Mitsubishi FTO would be a good choice, they look cool and they are a V6. Should be able to get a nice one for about $8000
If you have cash to splash after the purchase of the car, then you can consider the Boxter, FTO and half the other cars suggested. If not, then don't even bother looking for something 'unique' I loved my Liberty 3.0R Chose that over the RB for the ivory interior and softer ride. Was such a shame to get rid of it... Ended up with a new Impreza to stick with the AWD, but it's just not the same
Thank you very much everyone! I'd had a look at MX-5s, and while it was a flashy convertible, in my mind it's still a Mazda 4 cylinder. That's my problem I still think. I'm not willing to compromise. The reason I have the Nissan Pulsar to begin with is because I was given it, for free. All I had to do was pay for the comprehensive car insurance and it was mine. If I had the luxury of picking and buying my first car, I'd scoop up the Boxster immediately and be paying off the loan for the next 5 years. It just seems to me like the car to have throughout university. What I liked about Boxsters was that the styling is extremely consistent since they first came out in 1996. The 1997 ones I was looking at do not have that 90s dated look on them. The FTOs resemble a far more lucrative offer because of the power and sports car look. But ultimately, you've already highlighted the issue of money, so I believe there's really no reason to be trying to get another car when I have a very, very solid car with my Pulsar already. Guess my decision is to finish my law degree and save up for the Porsche one day. Probably have to ask for permission to use my dad's Alfa when picking up dates I reckon. =P - So I might contribute to the real car conversation now with the details: 1998 Nissan Pulsar N15 SLX Sedan (my car) 2003 BMW 318i E46 (mother's car) 2002 Alfa Romeo 156 V6 Monza (father's Sunday drive) - very similar in style and speed to 'Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6 24V '98' in GT6, except our car's 2.0L capacity 2004 MG ZR (father's daily driver) - don't know much about it except it is a post-facelift model
i did that about 3 weeks into owning my ute, 2 red P-platers in 2 ek honda civics drag racing each other at a set of lights, i was behind, took of behind them there cars are screaming of the line, at about 60 i over took them in the parking lane, looking at them with a big smile on my face. the look on there faces was priceless. i was only a P-Plater then too, but somethings never change.
Wait till you roll up on an R8 full of idiots who are hanging out the windows telling you how sh!t your car is, to only get dusted and then at the next set of lights have all the windows wound up and sitting extremely quiet. Was a great night that one.
lol reminds me of when I had an audi R8 for a weekend... These p platers in a excel tried to drag me on my way out to watch the bathurst 12 hour. It was all in good fun, and everyone in both cars cracked up laughing.
Old post but I've gotta agree... my poosar had 230+fwkw (kept spinning on the dyno even with 4 guys sitting on the bonnet), and over 400NM without raising the boost. Basically, would do mini burnouts every time I drove that thing, even though I had an 1.5 mechanical LSD. Was a fun car, but I moved to Sydney were its tough to drive more than 200m without stopping... so I got over driving it daily and sold it. Haven't heavily modified a car since.
@Crunch First problem with the Boxster, is that it's a Boxster. It's like a poor man's 911, plus a Porsche with P-Plates just screams . Honda S2000 would be a good choice. Good power, only 4 cylinders and they look decent. Plus Honda have remarkable reliability and hold value quite well. Quite exclusive too as they don't make them any more.
Yeah, but that's the point for me anyway... lol It's much worse than you think too... the Boxster I was looking at that was the cheapest for $13,999 had a carbon fibre coloured bonnet already... I don't have a problem with Porsche enthusiasts looking down at me in a Boxster. As a university student, how can one expect me to afford a 911?? I thought a Boxster would be a sweet 6 cylinder. I like my Pulsar, but more power would be good to play with. But I'm actually not even in the market for a new car basically.
6 spd manual, perfect pedal position and awesome seats. Not for those over 6ft or with delicate spines. Around 15k these days, and down on power compared to modern hot hatches, but still go around a corner before you even realised you've turned the wheel. Oh, did I mention VTEC baby!! 8000rpm all day long!!!
First, I'm not a hatch guy. Second, I'm 6'3. Third, for $15,000, there's so much more powerful stuff out there. But I agree it's damn stylish.
