As car guys we routinely get asked for car recommendations. Typically those recommendations are instantly dismissed by the guy who was just going to buy a brand new Ford C-Max anyway, because most folks are just looking for a painless way to get into a new car and drive it till the warranty expires...rinse and repeat. Fortunately, this site isn't meant for them, this site is for the wackos, weirdos, hackers, nuts, guys who do their own dental work and anybody who would consider driving a 40 year old Lancia every day of the week. (Hey, that would make a nice mission statement for DT...). Anyway, today's request comes from the friend of a friend, who is looking for a weekend toy - something like a Nissan GTR for the common man. List of requirements here:- paddle shift if possible, else manual, no auto
- $15k-ish
- no BMW, just because
- nothing crazy to fix
- relatively modern, mid-80s earliest
- RWD, or +$5k for AWD
- no convertibles
- no projects
This is a tricky list of requirements to fill, mostly because cars equipped with DSG gearboxes have only come out in the past few years, so finding one depreciated to these levels is tricky...but never discount the discount you can get on a used Audi. This 2009 Audi TT Quattro offered for $21,700 in SF Bay Area is equipped with the 2.0T FSI engine that is good for 200 horsepower stock, but the seller of this one has it tuned and claims 296 hp (but it is probably closer to 250.) Performance with the chipped engine and DSG gearbox should be in Boxster territory and this generation of TT is said to handle much better than the previous Golf Mk IV based version which was an understeering pig.
If the modified Audi with salvage title isn't your thing, then you'll need to go up considerably in odometer reading to hit the price target, but still..nothing depreciates like an Audi. This 2008 Audi TT 3.2FSI Quattro is offered for $17,922 in Fishers, IN via craigslist. The 3.2 liter engine was taken directly from the 2nd gen Golf R32 and puts out 250 horsepower into a DSG flappy paddle gearbox.
Perhaps the Mk2 Audi TT isn't the most visceral car available for the cash, but it does offer a fun driving experience and a decent level of performance for a fair price.
What would you recommend for a $15k flappy paddle weekend toy? Comments below.
WRX or EVO , both have aftermarket paddle kits
ReplyDeleteIf you want you could probably one of each for 20K total if you try hard enough
How about an Alfa-Romeo GTV Callaway, still getable for reasonable money, stick only, RWD, perfect balance ..... and you are not a real car guy until you have owned one and driven rings around 80% of the BMWs of the last 15 years.
ReplyDeleteWhat about a Boxster or Cayman? Those should be cheap by now.
ReplyDeleteIf not the VW R32 itself, then a Mitsubishi EVO X SE or MR for a few more dollars.
ReplyDeleteYou lost me at flappy paddle. I understand the no BMW, but for $15k the E46 M3 is muy increible. Por ejemplo:
ReplyDeleteBUY ME
As for others, C5 Corvette, 350Z, RX8, etc.etc.
Flappy paddles, meh. $15k, feh. Cheaper car = less stress, more fun, more budget for repairs and upgrades. YMMV, but with a $15k budget I'd buy 2 or 3 like these:
ReplyDeleteSweet, race prepped 85 Toyota MR2, only $4000, back it down a little for street use.
Nice black Prelude SH, low miles, upgrades, $5995 (fuzzycam :(
Old school 93 Nissan Skyline, 350hp, $10k
Shiny 87 Porsche 924S, maintained, only $3000
MkII 2001 VW GTI, shaved, supercharged, only 47k miles, $8000
A 545i....oh, wait
ReplyDeleteBrabus ?
Does weekend "fun" involved Grand Turismo highway miles and restaurant runs and less sports car canyon carving? If the bottom of a Jaguar J-Gates is "flappy" enough for him or he gives partial credit for a M112 supercharger "paddling" air into a boosted state then how about a XKR Coupe?
ReplyDelete370-390 Eaton M112 "paddled" (compressed) air horsepower. rear wheel drive. Not terribly unreliable actually, especially compared to a BMW or Audi electronic CEL nightmare machine (but you will be fixing a $80K-$90K car as well with the Jag when you do).
Jag may not be a "common man" vehicle but it's not a BMW.
- paddle shift if possible, else manual, no auto - (partial credit) Check
- $15k-ish - easy, especially for < '03 4.0L version or one with 100K miles. Ah, also less computer controlled garbage than a BMW or Audi which for a car out of warranty I would consider a good thing.
- no BMW, just because - antithesis of the far more common BMW and their ugly . . . I mean "inorganic" Bangle "styling".
- nothing crazy to fix - Just as on a BMW or Mercedes, make sure the transmission is fine and the fluid has been changed on the "lifetime fill" transmissions. Early 4.0L Nikasil (<'01) engines have either failed by now and been replace or were ok and are know no longer threatened by today low sulfur fuel. Check chain tensioners and water pumps especially on earlier engines. Most should have been replaced by now See prior electronics comment.
- relatively modern, mid-80s earliest. Check, unless you take off points for the chassis being based on the XJS which went back to ~ '77 and the IRS being based on the XJ40 (4th generation XJ6). But keep in mind, post acquisition, Jaguar and Ford were not interested in Jaguar's earlier E-Type redux design since they didn't think it would be competitive . . . and it became the Aston DB7. The XK8/XKR was more modern than the DB7.
- RWD, or +$5k for AWD. - Check, RWD.
- no convertibles. - Check. And the coupe is more handsome and less common in the XK8 convertible.
- no projects - Check. He'll find many are lower mileage second cars, usually well cared for and those with 10K-14K miles/yr are quite cheap.
What would you recommend for a $15k flappy paddle weekend toy?
ReplyDeleteBarbara. She's down at..ah,er. Never mind.
My previous employer (a certain Japanese automaker now in Nashville) had a TT 3.2 DSG as a department evaluation car and it went through three transmissions in a year or two. It was fun when it worked, though. My first thought on driving it was how much I'd love the R32 - very similar, as you pointed out, but gains a clutch pedal and loses trans headaches in the process. It's also one hell of a lot easier to find vs a GTV Callaway, which otherwise seems like a great choice.
ReplyDelete15K w/paddle shifters? 2 Year Old Base Subaru Outback Wagon. Paddle Shifters? Yep. Fun? God No.
ReplyDeleteAre we talking paddle shift as in DSG style or paddle shift as in slushbox with manual shift option? From the request up top, it looks like your friend is aiming for a DSG equipped car, which narrows it down considerably to VAG cars.
ReplyDeleteMy only experience driving an electronically controlled manual is in a rented Citroen C2 VTR w/Sensodrive. However I can speak to the volume of ass pain the DSG cars cause my good friend who is a senior tech for VW out east. From driving the Citroen and listening to my friend gripe about DSG cars all day, I can say with some confidence that I'd be hesitant to suggest an electronically controlled manual transmission equipped car to someone I know/like/have to see on a daily basis.
On a similar vein, I suggest a 2006+ Mazda RX8 auto! 6 speed automatic w/flappy paddles, RWD, great fun, and engine rebuilds cost about as much as a dealer performed timing belt change on an Audi. They happen at about the same frequency, too (every ~80-100k).
Around the $20k price point and this guy could get into a C6 Corvette which has a flappy-paddle equipped slushbox. But there are shifter and trans programming mods that can be done to make it crack off the gears almost instantly. LS2 cars would be more affordable than LS3s at this point.
ReplyDelete