fast car, max 2.0l budget 15k, ideas?

spunk_monkey

Well,

I'm looking for a new car, budget is anything up to 15k, although I would like to get away with spending less.

what I'm after:

-Engine no larger than 2.0
-As fast as possible!
-reasonable fuel consumption i.e no mazda rx8 or the like!

The obvious choice is the VW GTi as it seems to tick all the boxes, but they are common enough, and not that quick really..that said, I certainly haven't ruled one out, especially as they respond well to a remap.

Has anyone here driven a remapped manual version? Opinions?

My buddy has a remapped dsg, which is nice, but he reckons the manual is slightly slower..If I'm happy with the power in his remapped dsg, am I likely to be disappointed with a remapped manual, or is the difference only noticeable on paper?

Opinions welcome!

spunk_monkey

spunk_monkey wrote: »

Well,

I'm looking for a new car, budget is anything up to 15k, although I would like to get away with spending less.

what I'm after:

-Engine no larger than 2.0
-As fast as possible!
-reasonable fuel consumption i.e no mazda rx8 or the like!

A 200sx with a few mods would be an idea, save a fortune over a €15,000 Golf.

Ardennes1944

a nice standard s2000?

alias no.9

A clean MR2 turbo and use the spare 13k for petrol.

robtri

astra OPC....

fast as ****

spunk_monkey

RoverJames wrote: »

A 200sx with a few mods would be an idea, save a fortune over a €15,000 Golf.

yep, nice motor, but looking for something fairly fresh...

so to add to the requirements :

no more than 6 yrs old, so looking for a 2006 on with fairly lowish mileage (100k km or less). Also would rather a hatchback, as I need the space in the back(seats down) from time to time.

GavRedKing

Buddy of mine had a remapped GTi that had a DSG box and it was very quick. iirc it was about 260bhp which is quite decent all things considered.

Id go for a Honda S2000 though for your budget but that my choice.

B00MSTICK

VX220 Turbo if you can find one within budget

spunk_monkey

robtri wrote: »

astra OPC....

fast as ****

This interests me a bit...but I have read some posts here, 1 guy took one for a test drive and he said he was underwhelmed ..said it was a lot slower than he expected, and didnt feel any different to a golf gti?

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that has driven one.

Also, are they reasonable on fuel?

Ardennes1944

they torque steer like a mother-fooker....ive heard

deadlast

The first thing that comes to mind when you say fast hatchback is one of these: http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2110293

I know its 2.3 but....that extra 0.3l will give so much more !

Technique

spunk_monkey

Deutschlandfürimmer7 wrote: »

they torque steer like a mother-fooker....ive heard

yep, actually, I remember the top gear bit on it, didn't get a great review.

Some nice cars being suggested above, but as I'm after a hatchback..I keep coming back to the Golf....would be interested to get opinions on others similar (pref. quicker) alternatives though..

If I went for the golf I'd be going manual, just think it seems a bit slow on paper..but I suppose a remap should sort that?

Graham_B18C

I'd probably go for the OPC too, but a few other options

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201112201694407

Or this seems like a real bargain

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201110201545806

deadlast wrote: »

The first thing that comes to mind when you say fast hatchback is one of these: http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2110293

I know its 2.3 but....that extra 0.3l will give so much more !

I actually know the owner of this car, very fast car but "sleeper" doesn't begin to describe em, far too plain looking IMO

FunkyExige

Lotus elise, you wont get much faster in that budget

Twin-go

Alfa Romeo GT 1.9 JTDm

150bhp - Can be remapped to 180bhp
230 ft lb of torque
45 MPG

Graham_B18C

Scratch my OPC suggestion, Elise all day!

Take_Her_Handy

Celica GT! 2006 Giggady and reliable!! ,
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2006455

spunk_monkey

thanks for the suggestions- keep them coming!

The alfa is too slow:p
The lotus would be great fun, but not practical..

I'm not that mad on the look of the civic, but think the dc5 integra looks nice. I have never driven one though, how would it compare to a mapped gti?

Still interested in the opc, but again, not mad on the looks, and the torque steer ...

Ardennes1944

A Twingo 133 for me, what a car!

Quandary

Hey OP,

I have owned a 2006 astra OPC for the last 3 years. Whoever tells you that it doesn't feel as quick as a standard 200bhp gti is wrong. One of my friends owns a 2008 gti with dsg gb and it has no where near the punch the OPC does. Saying that, it's a lovely car and drives very well. The power delivery in the GTI is more refined but in my biased opinion its not as exciting as the OPC.

Sure there is a little bit of torque steer but any car that is sending 240 bhp to the front wheels is gonna have some.

Also, only last week i worked out my fuel economy to be nearly 32 mpg. That was motorway and urban driving though. If you drive the csr the way it was designed to be driven with a heavy foot then that figure could plummet below 20 mpg!

Graham_B18C

I'd have the DC5 all day over a GTI, would handle better and it'd be just as fast (if not faster) than a mapped GTI. Handling would be better also.

But if I was in your position, i'd test drive an OPC and DC5 and just see what you prefer

Testament1

An Evo 8 or 9 ticks all the boxes bar the fuel consumption one!

Graham_B18C

Testament1 wrote: »

An Evo 8 or 9 ticks all the boxes bar the fuel consumption one!

The only reason I didn't go straight for the Evo suggestion was because the OP said max 2L, which means running costs are an issue!

challengemaster

Testament1 wrote: »

An Evo 8 or 9 ticks all the boxes bar the fuel consumption one!

They're not all that reliable though, and fixing them is expensive....

Testament1

Graham_B18C wrote: »

The only reason I didn't go straight for the Evo suggestion was because the OP said max 2L, which means running costs are an issue!

Ya but with a 15k budget you could pick up a good clean Evo for around the 11-12k mark and keep the rest for running it.

Viper_JB

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Ford/Focus-ST/201107201261249/advert?channel=CARS

And you can use the money saved on the extra tax for the car.

spunk_monkey

Graham_B18C wrote: »

I'd have the DC5 all day over a GTI, would handle better and it'd be just as fast (if not faster) than a mapped GTI. Handling would be better also.

But if I was in your position, i'd test drive an OPC and DC5 and just see what you prefer

Hi Graham,

what are the running costs like on a DC5 compared to a gti. in terms of parts/servicing/reliability?

Am I correct in that there is no point mapping a DC5 as there is no turbo? Does the fact that they are a jap import mean the insurance should be a fair bit higher than a gti?

Thanks.

spunk_monkey

Viper_JB wrote: »

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Ford/Focus-ST/201107201261249/advert?channel=CARS

And you can use the money saved on the extra tax for the car.

Yep, I did consider this but ruled it out because of engine size..If I was to go over the 2.0 then I think it would have to be the mazda 3 mps, as suggested by another poster..very quick car.

Graham_B18C

Insurance can be costly but ring your insurer to find out, a lil bit more than the GTI I'd reckon. No mapping would be needed unless you started modifying it. And general running costs, I personally will never own a VAG car. They are not as reliable as the Japs. And the K20 engine is lovely.

Servicing shouldn't be too bad, I've a DC2, I change the oil myself but get my brakes and other consumables done in Urban Performance, I got front pads and disks a while ago for less than 250, the DC5 would be a bit more (bigger brembo brakes) but it wouldn't be more than the GTI I reckon.

japasca

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Audi/TT/2.0-TFSI/201112201744260/advert?channel=CARS

FunkyExige

spunk_monkey wrote: »

The lotus would be great fun, but not practical..

I know when i talk about loti sometimes i sound like a broken record but i cant help myself The reason i didnt get one in 2002 was exactly that, everyone kept telling me how impractical they were so i went with an audi tt. But then when i was changing again in 2005 i decided to take the plunge and go for the elise and i really regretted listening to the 'non practical' advice 3 years earlier.

Now ive moved onto the exige and the boot is smaller and i cant put things behind the seats because there's a harness bar in the way. However i still have no problem carrying what i need. I fit so much in you wouldn't believe. Here's a photo of the stuff i fit in in one trip:

A pc tower - 20 x 18 inches
A monitor - 20 x 16 inches
A sony pc - 23 x 17 inches
3 large bags of cat litter
A full very large bin bag of washing
Xbox 360 with 8 games/leads/controllers
Large rucksack
Extra large dunnes bag filled with keyboards/mouse/leads/misc stuff
8 rolls of christmas paper
Big red bag filled with pressies
And a normal size ardkeen (shopping bag) with books and other misc items




Lately we just got two kittens and they travel in it on 3 hour journeys a few times every month along with a hell of alot of luggage. I'm a girl and i dont travel light. Ive done a couple of weeks away in the uk in the elise and also fit everything in no problems. There's only been one time i needed to bring a different car because of practical reasons and that was to pick up a 50 inch tv


So if your really worried about practicality have a proper look around one. The boots got a small enough opening but its quite big inside. Once yo drive a good one you'll be hooked! Good luck with the search!

B00MSTICK

Well you have me sold Funky, All I need is the 15k

How does the Elise compare to a VX220?
I'm guessing the lighter weight and more power make it the better option?
Any trouble with maintenance/parts etc.?

FunkyExige

FunkyExige wrote: »

.................Here's a photo of the stuff i fit in in one trip:

............3 large bags of cat litter.........

wtf :eek:

Eoin

Why the 2.0 limit? I wouldn't have thought that the difference in motor tax between that and a 2.2, 2.5 etc is really going to be one of the bigger costs when you take everything else into account?

Indeed, madness spending €15,000 on a performance car and limiting yourself to 2.0s.

Tea 1000

B00MSTICK wrote: »

Well you have me sold Funky, All I need is the 15k

How does the Elise compare to a VX220?
I'm guessing the lighter weight and more power make it the better option?
Any trouble with maintenance/parts etc.?

The VX220 turbo is quicker than the Elise. It's based on the same chassis, not quite as light, but good bit more power and plenty more torque make it a quicker car. Supposed to be more comfortable too. Very rare though.

omb0wyn5ehpij9

Graham_B18C wrote: »

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201112201694407

Or this seems like a real bargain

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201110201545806

That silver one was sold a couple of months back

spunk_monkey wrote: »

Hi Graham,

what are the running costs like on a DC5 compared to a gti. in terms of parts/servicing/reliability?

Am I correct in that there is no point mapping a DC5 as there is no turbo? Does the fact that they are a jap import mean the insurance should be a fair bit higher than a gti?

Thanks.

In terms of my insurance, there is about €100 - €200 difference between a DC5 and MKV Golf GTi. Current policy is €1500 on a DC2 fully comp, would be less than a €100 to move to a DC5, and would get less than €100 back if I went to a Golf GTI. I'm 27 by the way

Atomic Pineapple

I assume you'd recommend going abroad for an Elise funky? There doesn't seem to be much choice in Ireland for €15k at the minute?

Homer

gavredking wrote: »

Buddy of mine had a remapped GTi that had a DSG box and it was very quick. iirc it was about 260bhp which is quite decent all things considered.

I had my DSG MkV GTi remapped but I was told that 240bhp was the most they recommended upping it to.

jimmynokia

cant be the daihatsu charade GTTI
TWIN CAM
12 VALVE TURBO
CHEAP TAX
CHEAP INSURANCE
40MPG

Sheeps

Forget the 2.0 limit and buy a second hand M3. Has anyone mentioned an RX8 yet? Of course the elise is a good call too, but surely the cost of insurance will counter the cost savings in tax by looking for a small engined sports car.

jimmynokia

yeah M3 super car my mate is selling his due to the tax 12 grand 02 convertible

MetzgerMeister

Sheeps wrote: »

Forget the 2.0 limit and buy a second hand M3. Has anyone mentioned an RX8 yet? Of course the elise is a good call too, but surely the cost of insurance will counter the cost savings in tax by looking for a small engined sports car.

Why in the name of jaysus does everyone forget/tell the OP to forget the original criteria and go and recommend an M3!? :mad: I had a thread recently about a new car and the same thing happened even though I stated that an M3 wasn't an option! There are other cars out there!!

The OP specifically mentioned in his/her original post no rx8s

Graham_B18C

I was also waiting for the M3 suggestion, they're not for bloody everybody!

Atomic Pineapple

einheisserschre wrote: »

Why in the name of jaysus does everyone forget/tell the OP to forget the original criteria and go and recommend an M3!? :mad: I had a thread recently about a new car and the same thing happened even though I stated that an M3 wasn't an option! There are other cars out there!!

The OP specifically mentioned in his/her original post no rx8s

Same here and for €15k there isn't really all that much choice unless you go for an older model. Newer models usually look rough or have high miles.

dr.fuzzenstein

Coxter?
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Porsche/Boxster/3.2-S--L/201107201315568/advert?channel=CARS

okane1

Renaultsport megane cup / trophy
Renaultsport clio 182
Seat leon cupra

Big Nasty

There's so much more out there once you go over 2L, and the thing is OP because many, like yourself, are setting a 2L ceiling anything above that is much better value.

Another way of looking at it is a 2L Turbo is gonna cause you more hassle than a 3L N/A, and very much worth it for the few extra bob in tax.

Sheeps

einheisserschre wrote: »

Why in the name of jaysus does everyone forget/tell the OP to forget the original criteria and go and recommend an M3!? :mad: I had a thread recently about a new car and the same thing happened even though I stated that an M3 wasn't an option! There are other cars out there!!

The OP specifically mentioned in his/her original post no rx8s

relax

Vertakill

OP, you're going to have to compromise on something from your criteria I think.

I don't think there is such a thing as a REALLY fast, sub 2 litre, practical and economical car for 15k.

Depends what you deem fast when you say 'as fast as possible' I suppose.
I'd say a remapped S3 ticks all of those boxes.


If it were me though, I'd ditch the 2 litre bit and get a very fast RWD car...

Go the whole hog! Live a little!