the only reason I said no English cars was that they are all out of my league (Aston, Lotus, Bently, Roller, TVR) and the only ones that are in my league are Rovers! And I would rether prefer to walk! :D

The Lotus is nice though... very nice

The more I have looked into getting a new car the more I am swinging the diesel way.. The A3's and Golf's get a crazy MPG and the BMW 320's not to bad either.. I have never had a diesel car... but they are getting better all the time... you can even run them on old chip fat or coconut oil (yeh I know its not that simple!)

Gonna go test drive a BMW on Tuesday!

The only trouble with diesel is that it sounds like a van. My dad has a 5 series touring diesel and it's fine in the car but outside it really sounds bad. But I guess if you are driving you can't hear it and shouldn't car. What about the protons then? ;).

You can pick up a second hand VW Bora TDi 150 for £6000, and then get it chipped. Can anyone say 300 lb/ft of torque? Who cares about a bit of rattle when it is churning out the same amount of torque as an early Subaru Impreza and still getting 40+ MPG!

Incidentallyt though, you should watch the way you drive a diesel after getting it chipped. My 306 delivers pretty poor mpg (like high 30's) when I cane it, and if I put my foot down in a high gear with the turbo spun down, it delivers a better smoke screen than a combat ready Challenger 2!

Torque is good. My truck is delivering 610 ft-lbs stock, and I keep thinking about adding the computer mod to bring it up to 775-ish.

And I happen to love the way a big diesel engine sounds...

With biodiesel it's actually quieter and doesn't smoke at all. Plus the exhaust smells like a chippy. Are there any places selling bio in the UK?

Mmmmm chippy!

Just to throw a wild card into the mix...... how about a Mini CooperS? Its loads cheaper than anything else, loads more fuel efficient and 0-60 is blazingly quick... or is it a bit girly?


lol ;)

I have looked into biodiesel, and the supply over here is very patchy, to non existent.
You are right about the sound of a big diesel as well. Can sound very cool. That gutsy roar from low down in the rev range is a beautiful sound in its own right. Combine that with a dump valve attached to the turbo wastegate, and my diesel sounds quite cool, and the fitting of that valve has the added advantage of reducing back pressure through to the inlet manifold, allowing the turbo to stay spooled up, reducing lag. Next: intercooling! (when I have saved up the money of course!)

Incidentally again, do people know about the Audi R10 (http://www.audi.com/audi/com/en1/exp...i_R10_TDI.html) 650Hp and 1100 N/m (yes N/m!) of torque!! An absolutely insane engine, and it is taking on the petrol engined racers in Le Mans races. It's more economical, pulls out of corners better, and has a minimally slower top speed, the way I understand it. Now if they could just fit that engine in this http://www.bowler-offroad.com/NAV1.htm then we would have ourselves the ultimate car!

Yeah, in theory, very good cars, and can be upgraded by compaines such as bbr (their cooper turbo 300 is insane, and virtually undriveable.)

But from what I have heard, the bulletproof warranty they have been offering with it (5 years free servicing for £100 down at purchase from new) has been hitting BMW badly, as has the fact that they have up to now been built to such high quality standards. So look out in the future for build quality and finish to drop, something that they can probably afford to do to a minor degree, while they bask in the reputation that they have already created for themselves.

I would hang on a while on the Mini front as well, because a new engine range is going to be unveiled soon (if it hasn't been already, I haven't checked) Also the new engines are rumoured to be used in upcoming hot Peugeots, so that might be an avenue worth investigating.

French styling, with German engineering. Now there's a combination....

They are Ok but have you seen the dashboard???!!! It looks ugly

I disagree. Think it looks cool.

Picture
if you are a woman, then maybe so.
How about a Z4 M, just watching richard hammond throw it round the topgear track!

I'm not a woman, and I find the dash and interior to be fantastically styled. I'd love one but the price is a bit excessive IMO for what you're getting.

I'll have 2!

What car do you drive?

ps... I am an interior designer... so I get the final say on weather it looks nice or not! :)

Well i'm only 18, i have a reliable ford fiesta. But some day i'll have an aston martin v8 vantage, thats a stilish car.
That counts for nothing, did you see what that frech chick on top gear wanted to do with Jermy's S class. designing is a hobby not a job.

yeh... Aston would be nice!

lol.. what about Jonathan Ives?

I'm a bloke, and I like it. That's my opinion. I also like my beer cold, my lumberjack shirt pressed neatly before bedtime, and wild flowers..... oops

C'mon dude, please accept other people's points of view. My appreciation of the dashboard in the mini is based on aesthetics, not my sex....

You're 18 and drive a Ford Fiesta? Well of course you are going to have a chip on your shoulder then. How many times you been burned at the lights by a girl in a Mini?

laughing out loud

MARK!

just check your profile... so if your hobby is modding cars... what do you drive...and how is it mod'd? And if you had Audi A3 money what would you buy?

Who?
Never
Inever said that i didn't accept your opinion. That was just my opinion.

Maybe a second hand Radical SR3 if I was feeling irresponsible. Dunno really. An Audi A3 is a fine car, and the 3.2 V6 is a fine engine. If cash flow ever allowed me to consider a car of the A3's caliber (which it won't for a good few years) then I might even be tempted to get a new mini. I would then have the styling package from the Works GP kit put on it (http://www.johncooper.co.uk/JohnCoop...%20GP%20Launch) and the Stage 5 turbo conversion from bbr (http://www.bbrgti.com/mini.php) but this would end up meaning you had a £45000 mini: a bit excessive!

I might consider a second hand Clio V6 (the old one) or a Megane 225.

My car at the moment is a bit dull, but it goes alright. It's a 306 Hdi, which has been chipped, with a dump valve, induction kit and stainless steel exhaust. Not exactly a beast, but its the best I can afford at the moment, and does churn out a decent amount of torque.

My mate raced a couple of seasons in Formula Palmer Audi, and that was the most insane car I ever drove..... like **** off a shovel.... ah those were the days!