Which fun and completely impractical car?

[Backhills]

After years of sensible family cars, now DC have cars of their own, I was thinking I might treat myself to something really stupid

I was along the lines of an MX5, but DS1 has told me I can't have a middle aged mum car and shall be ignored

What would you go for for your midlife crisis car? Is there something fun that's a little less midlife crisis?

They don’t make them new any more but I loved my Audi A4 cabriolet - 4 seats , plus I got the Sline (sporty model) so DH loved it too. I swapped to an SUV but I miss it so much !

@shetlandponies I had a porsche boxster for a couple of years a few years ago, lovely car. It was expensive to main at about £1,200 every year for service, mot and anything like tyres, brakes etc., at a main porsche dealer (it had full main dealer service history and I wanted to maintain it) but nothing apart from this. However when I sold it I got back what I paid for it, happy with that!
We bought carefully, full service history with receipts, genuine private seller and the car looked well cared for.

Some of those Alfas are really stylish - even the more everyday ones like the Mito.

Has anyone mentioned the TVR yet? That used to be my dream car. Love a growly engine.

Or an Aston Martin Db6 or 7. Or a Jag xjs. Long and low. Or a Lotus Esprit. I love those old British sports cars.

I'd buy a Jag without a second's thought but there's no room in the street.

Nissan 370Z Nismo is a lovely sports car

Yes - haven't thought of the Nissan

50s corvette
Replica batman car from the 60s series
Monster truck thing with the huge wheels
Car that goes up in the air like in one of the despicable me films
1950s bubble car
One with an ejector button
Replica 3 wheeler only fools and horses
One that turns into a submarine
Sinclair c5

Got to be something in there that takes your fancy OP!

God, I would love an Audi RS6 in non metallic grey... but it will never happen...

I have a secret yearning for a Maserati Ghibli, I will probably end up with a Fiat 500.

I like the TVR a lot visually, although I've never driven or been driven in one. The ex used to file them under "penis substitute", and to be fair, if you look at them side on...

I also quite covet this (even thought it's a far later model), and so will anyone else my age:

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106153864950?include-delivery-option=on&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&postcode=ec1n2ht&make=PONTIAC&radius=1500&sort=relevance&advertising-location=at_cars&page=1

We've got the Abarth 124 Spider. Cant go too far wrong as they are no longer made so rarer in the UK.
Look for the 'plaque' version with the issue number.

Absolutely love ours.

DH borrowed a Maclaren recently. It's a beautiful item but completely impractical. I vetoed.

Had an MR2 Turbo pre kids (rev 4). L reg, great to drive, enough boot for a shop if required. Strict 2 seater though so had to go once DC1 came along.

@TheNestedIf
Reminds me of ...

I'd love a hot hatch like a fiesta ST.

@BluTangClan That's the one! A mere £14,999.

I have an Audi TT - I was only going to keep it for a year, but 3 years later…
It drives brilliantly, cheapish to run, accelerates like shit off a shovel and I love it.
Agree with a previous poster though, you do get men trying to beat you at the lights etc and I always win

[quote rosesarered321]@shetlandponies I had a porsche boxster for a couple of years a few years ago, lovely car. It was expensive to main at about £1,200 every year for service, mot and anything like tyres, brakes etc., at a main porsche dealer (it had full main dealer service history and I wanted to maintain it) but nothing apart from this. However when I sold it I got back what I paid for it, happy with that!
We bought carefully, full service history with receipts, genuine private seller and the car looked well cared for.[/quote]
Oh that's not too bad then really, especially getting stuff done at Porsche

I had a mk1 MX5, which I swopped for something safe and boring when I was 9 months pregnant. My youngest is off to university in the Autumn, so I've just bought an MX5 again. I toyed with the idea of a new one, but I much prefer the old Mk3 shape, plus I wfh so my mileage is very low, so I went for a high-spec middle aged one in the shape I prefer. I absolutely love it!

@GandTisgoodforme

Abarth 595 competizione

Seconded.

Once I can have fun cars again I’m buying this.

I had to sell my fiat 500 for a big boring motorway car…I bloody loved that car, I smiled every time I got in it, the only thing wrong with it was the speed so a 595 would be awesome.

A merlin purple Audi RS6 .

I actually may have mine already configured on the Build My Audi website. All I need now is the £179,600 ish quid to click Add To Basket ……

@plominoagain

A merlin purple Audi RS6 .

I actually may have mine already configured on the Build My Audi website. All I need now is the £179,600 ish quid to click Add To Basket ……

#endthread

Totally agree on this , bikers in so many senses but equally hugely practical too.

90% of the population would have no idea what it was capable of or that it cost any more than £40k

I've got a Fiat 500 at the moment and I don't find it impractical at all. It's really old now tbough and I'm only thinking of changing it as I'm back in the office and traveling again.

Fancying "spider" cars but the only one in my price range (ie not a lot) is the Alfa Spider. I'm wondering if they appreciate (or at least hold their value).

Watching Line of Duty last night (again) and drooling over Steve's Mx5.

This is the Abarth 124 Spider. It's based on the MX5 but taken to Abarth in Italy for a facelift. As I said above it's unusual. There is about 10,000 in the UK and wont be any more so you have the advantage of a car thats becoming rarer, but as its MX5 based the parts are still freely available.
The first 1000 I think had a plaque inside with a number on, ours is something like 560.

There was a cracking deal on them 3 years ago for leasing which means that is now expiring so there are a few on the market at the moment. The heritage pack is desirable (the black matt bonnet) and they did an uprated one with better lights and bose speakers. If you didn't want the Abarth version Fiat did a basic 124 which is frankly nowhere near as much fun.

Literally everywhere we go in it we get 'what is it?' or the odd kid who's played it on the Forza game thats never seen one in real life.

That abarth is lush @alanthepig. You can see the Mx5 - ness.

@Fozzleyplum

I had a mk1 MX5, which I swopped for something safe and boring when I was 9 months pregnant. My youngest is off to university in the Autumn, so I've just bought an MX5 again. I toyed with the idea of a new one, but I much prefer the old Mk3 shape, plus I wfh so my mileage is very low, so I went for a high-spec middle aged one in the shape I prefer. I absolutely love it!

I had a mk1 mx5 1.8i when I was 19!! It was only 4 years old, took out a big loan to buy it lol

I absolutely loved it but the insurance was high at the time. And then I totalled it 2 years later 😳

I decided I wanted another one a while ago but they're now classic cars and go for ££££££££££££