Could one of these be my next car?

2009-12-11 12:36:00

I have my shortlist for a possible Chimaera replacement. I do seem to have strayed away from the criteria I set out in my last post. If I had a budget of £55k, this would be an easy task. I would have a Nissan GTR in a flash. Unfortunately my budget does not quite stretch that far yet, so here are my possible next cars.

Nissan 370Z
Ive always loved the 350Z partly as it is a sportscar in the same sense as the TVR - big, powerful engine up front and rear wheel drive. However, it has 500kg more weight that my Chimaera which makes it a slower car despite the extra power.

The new 370Z is more powerful and faster and even better looking with its wide wheel arches. At a motorshow in the London Docklands this Summer, I had a chance to get close to the car. When I sat in the driver seat I immediately felt at home - it felt exactly like the Chimaera. However, being a brand new car, it would be right at the top of my budget.

Lotus Elise
The Lightweight and minimalist nature of the Elise appeals to me. Town and country road driving would be fun regardless of speed due to the great handling and feedback from the steering. I'm pretty certain motorway and A roads would be less fun given the lack of power and more importantly torque.

There are a number of aftermarket supercharger options which boost the performance considerably. I've not heard any exhaust however that makes a sound I would call pleasing to the ear. I'm still not sure I could put up with a 4 cylinder engine after the V8.

Porsche 996 Carrera 4
In Turbo form, the 996 model 911 is an extremely fast supercar with great reliability from its 993 and race derived engine. At present, early cars are about £30k - a little more than I am prepared to spend.

The regular 996 has dropped to below £20k for early, often high mileage, cars. I've always liked the 911 though do find them a bit plain compared to TVR's. The Carrera 4 with its sophisticated 4WD system appeals to the geek in me. However, The rest of the 996 range uses a different engine to the Turbo, new for this model range, and has many issues in terms of reliability. A warranty would definitely be requirred if I were to buy a 911.

Focus RS
This could be the car. I love everything about it. The rally car styling is great especially in White or green The 5 cylinder engine together with its turbo and dump valve sounds amazing and performance is on par with the Chimaera, and actually faster in gear.

Already, there are a few tuners that have developed kits for the car taking power up to 385bhp. Road tests I have read have said the handling is extremely good and is one of the faster cars in the real world. But could I really part with £25k on a Ford Focus?

Three very different cars, with the Focus RS being my favourite. Truth be told, I have also been looking at newer TVR's. Prices of Cerbera's have really dropped with many available for around £8k. At this price, the chassis will most likely need work and the cost of running a Cerbera is considerably higher than the Chimaera. Tamora's are also looking attractive at around £15k though I do wonder about the reliability of Speed Six engine and the potential costs involved.