Bored with my daily car.....what next?

[Northnoble]

Got the feeling fellow Ariel owners are like minded so here goes.....

I currently do 25k miles a year (daily work commute of 130 miles)

For the last 3 years have enjoyed a BMW X3 35D MSport.....great performance and decent mpg (34-36 mpg)......but I am Sooooo Bored!

I reckon the "extra" economy saves me £2k a year over a more fun car......just not worth it anymore!

Current thoughts are a BMW M3 convertible.....great engine, great handling and added pleasure of roof down on dry days!

I am on my own 90% of the time but do want 4 seats.....and must make me smile every day

Thoughts?

[Hedge]

Budget?
Cheers,
Hedge

[phil4]

I gave up trying to get a practical but fast car when I got the atom, it just didn't seem too much point with the atom as capable as it is.

So current daily driver is a Golf GTD.  It's nicely chuckable when you want, enough torque to overtake most things if they're not fussed, and the auto cruise makes nose to tail commuting a doddle.  But it's nothing special, and so I'm not disappointed.

If I were in a different mindset, if I could forget the atom and therefore needed a good car, then I think an M3 would be quite high on my list.  I mean if it didn't need 4 seats then the answer would be different (911 etc).

[Bungle009]

If you didn't need 4 seat, Cayman S PDK ?  Otherwise M135i, or the Mercedes A45 AMG is getting good reviews.

[Ben Long]

Audi RS4?

[will smith]

My daily driver is a gtr,
Not sure on your budget but £40k will get a respectable one, must be honest, not cheap to run though!

Will

[Mattv6]

Clio 182 trophy.

[meladdo]

A VXR8 420 bhp fun with 4 doors all for 15k 

[Northnoble]

[quote="Hedge"]
Budget?
Cheers,
Hedge
[/quote]

Budget circa £40k......must have 4 seats and make me smile most of the time.

Did quite fancy a Focus RS but the wife says I am too old for a "boy racer" car 

Also fancy a convertible.....good way to enjoy the daily commute when stuck on boring dual carriageways with too many speed camera vans!

[Northnoble]

[quote="meladdo"]
A VXR8 420 bhp fun with 4 doors all for 15k 
[/quote]

Hmmm, now thats a thought 

[John Scherrer]

.. so long as you allow £15k per annum for the Arab's delight ..

[FlyingTrotter]

Maserati engine note might put a smile on your face - should get a 4 seat quatraporte for that 

[wattie]

Maserati Granturismo 4.7 or QP GTS as mentioned above but if you go there nothing will ever be the same again...totally bewitching.
Cheers Wattie

[wattie]

On the convertible front, Jag XKR, Merc E 5.5 conv Coupe...... Am DB9 Volante......all Very reasonable nowadays!
Cheers Wattie

[Bruce Fielding]

Two options...

Buy a classic - will make you smile every day (but also occasionally groan when the bills come due). There are LOADS of practical cars with character out there and for your budget you'll get a good 'un. And it'll be worth more every day.

Buy something for under a grand and thrash the nuts off it. There's nothing quite like not caring what happens to your car to make you smile. When you're bored just get another one... And you can probably sell it for what you bought it for, or give it away if you can't be arsed to sell it. That'll make you smile, too