Which NEWER car will replace your M100?

[nitroman]

I just turned over 50k miles. That made me logically add 50k plus 50k plus 50k equals 150k. It may take more years to actually drive than the math suggests, but it got me thinking. What NEWER car would I be happy with, and yet still afford? Here's my short list in order. What's yours?

1) Maserati Spyder (2002-2006)
2) Lotus Elise (2005) - the only year with a direct mechanical throttle
3) Saturn Sky Redline (2006-2009)

[rip]

I can't think of anything.
I believe that car design has gernerally deteriorated since the 1990s.
When I bought my previous daily 8 years ago, I looked at newer cars then & wondered what my next daily would be. I didn't like anything very much.
I have replaced that now...with one a few months older.

[JonT]

Quite fancy a GT3 or S4 Esprit. If it had to be more practical, an E34 or E39 M5. Porsche 993s also appeal, but more potential for big bills. Still none are that much younger than the Elan. I tend to agree with rip that car design is being done ever more by accountants and marketing men leaving the engineers an ever harder job to do and making the cars less interesting, worse handling and built to a price, not a standard.

Very little since 2000 appeals, and it's rather depressing as the cars I would like to own are getting ever older and harder to find good examples of by the point I might be able to afford to own/run them

[steve matthews]

1. Maserati spider 2001 (red -w- camel interior)
2. Honda S2000 Red of course
3. Saturn Sky, only for looks not performance and in Red
4. Z4 with performance package and in Red.

[Rambo]

For me the car to replace my 100k M100 would be ........................................






















a newer M100 - with fewer miles and in better condition Not that I'm biased or anything

[woody]

Easy : Porshe 911 Carrera 4S Coupe
Cheers,
Woody

[Dave Eds]

what Rambo said!

[nitroman]

1. Maserati spider 2001 (red -w- camel interior)
2. Honda S2000 Red of course
3. Saturn Sky, only for looks not performance and in Red
4. Z4 with performance package and in Red.

RE your #2, unlike the Maserati, if I got either a Sky or an Elise I'd do several power upgrades, especially to the Sky, as the stock power is not satisfactory even on the Redline. That said, there is the promise of fairly cheap power to be had from it.

On the Elise, I wish there was an equivalent to this brilliant MINI bolt on replacement for the old inefficient Eaton unit... http://www.m7tuning.com/parts/product_i ... b5615449d3

[steve matthews]

Ops, my apologies to the M-100 in the garage and all other
M-100's. I thought NitroMan wanted other than M-100.
Please forgive my senior moment.
Steve

[rip]

what Rambo said!

You daft bleeder!
You bought a newer Elan with fewer miles...





but you forgot to sell your 1st one.

[nitroman]

You understand exactly. Twice now I've done the lower-miles, like-new M100 swap (I'm on my third). With the cancellation of Aftersales I've a general feeling that the car will become at the very least, more costly to maintain. Every old car becomes unsupported at some point.

I remember my grandfather telling me how at International Harvester they'd raise the price of parts ten-times-over to force farmers to buy new tractors, instead of maintaining old ones.

Ops, my apologies to the M-100 in the garage and all other
M-100's. I thought NitroMan wanted other than M-100.
Please forgive my senior moment.
Steve

[markv]

I don't plan on replacing my Elan but I do plan to supplement it with an Evora when I can afford. I've driven the Evora at a Hethel visit and it's a brilliant car.

It took me around 20 years from launch to achieve my goal of owning an Elan; the plan for the Evora is to get there within 10 years.

So 8 years or so to go, and counting...

[tigerdog]

Newer cars will come and go but Smaug will be in the family for the foreseeable future. No need to replace something that does exactly what you want it to do.

[hatters]

There are very few cars you can compare with the M100
I have had an ELISE so thats out of the equation, I think it would have to be the Evora or maybe a 350 Esprit ,I like them , without the silly spoiler on of course

[lotusgirlmarie]

I would take an Elise and in true LGM fashion remover the crap 4 banger and transplant an esprit V8TT. Widen out the rear and front clams and switch up the suspension to accomidate such an upgrade.

Or a Lamborghini diablo

Or Countach

Or Ferrari 355

All perfectly practical cars........ Just like my baby.

[nitroman]

The last two posts were very good, but I see some of you just want to turn me into an attorney! Your wish is granted. Just for you I'm changing the question to:

Suppose parts are no longer available for your M100 (and NO, you are NOT able to go out to the garage and cast them yourself) and a bug in the guidance system of military drones worldwide causes them to target every M100 the planet over, destroying them at rest or play. Fortunately, you were in the loo taking a wiz when it struck, and governments worldwide have paid the agreeved for their losses. Now, armed with that money and whatever other ill-gotten gains you have, what car(s) would you consider buying instead ? ("Instead" means you can choose any car(s) except the M100) Sheez!

[HJ2]

Sorry mate, but this should be in the 'things that made you smile' section. Mod please!

[dapinky]

......and governments worldwide have paid the agreeved for their losses. Now, armed with that money ......

Assuming it's the British Government, and they ain't got any money, I'd probably be lucky to get an Austin Allegro .....

....but if it were the Chinese Government, and they're loaded, I'd be on the lookout for a practical 4 seater convertible of a similar age to the elan (well, a little older probably).....

1987-Aston-Martin-V8-Vantage.jpg

[Dave Eds]

[Stef]

Tough question I often ask myself

Carerra 4s but I know the bills will hurt

Aerial Atom - but that's a pure toy car!

So in general comparison to the Elan on uniqueness, economy and style IMO I think a Daihatsu Copen. Shame it's not British.

The new Renault Wind Convertible caught my eye the other day too.