James Ruppert: Think you can’t afford a performance car? Think again Car News

It was kind of Julian to say how much he liked my choice of supercar in my article on ULEZ compatible used cars, namely the Audi R8.

Even though I have offered to go halfway with it, I have the impression that a £ 40,000, previously £ 80,000 and over motor is not realistically the cost effective or sane way to buy a high-performance used car that isn’t going to cost billions to run.

Let’s celebrate, then, some good old-fashioned working class supercars that we can buy for less.

Click here to buy your next used car from Autocar

What is an R8 in essence? I would say controversially that this is a Volkswagen Golf R that is a little less practical and a little less subtle. This is the best, so go find one. There are plenty of examples of pretty high mileage, which I still find strangely reassuring, for around £ 7,500. It would be better to sort out a clean 2015 sedan with 50,000 miles for £ 17,450. It’ll be at a dealership, so you’ll get decent protection – and what a great way to responsibly enjoy 300bhp.

I don’t think a lot of people are really getting the latest Alfa Romeo Giulietta, especially the Quadrifoglio Verde version, which shares its power source with the 4C but not the price. It’s not quite as pretty as this sports car, but whatever – you’ll get an interesting five-door hatchback, which is pretty rare. There was an example from 2015 20 miles from me, with a previous owner and just over 60,000 miles for £ 12,999.

Moving away from the hot hatches and coming back to what we’re trying to replace, then spiritually the Audi TT Coupe is the R8 of the people. Stylish, always head-turning and fun to drive, what more could you want? Well a TTS would be nice. It has 355 hp that it can deliver to the tarmac with its quattro system, just like an R8. An example from 2010 at a dealership with less than 80,000 miles is up to £ 17,500. It will also be easier to park than an R8.

Finally, you will have to hurry while stocks of new Subaru BRZs are exhausted. Everyone agrees that, along with its sister Toyota GT86, this is pretty much the best affordable sports coupe you can buy in recent history. They are well built and practical and seem to be bought by responsible enthusiasts like us.

Being great fun to drive and easy to own, these rarities remain popular and the prices quite firm. They start at around £ 11,000 now. For example, a 91,000 mile BRZ from 2016 with one owner and full history and in good condition is asking for just £ 11,500. It would be a good place to start and to end.

Tales from Ruppert’s garage

BMW 320, mileage: 85,401

The line for a technical check with us is getting longer, and until the Baby Shark gets their ticket, we can’t move on to the next one. Just for now, he might be in good health, with a replacement of the suspension arm cover. My local garage sort of let me down by suddenly saying they couldn’t find a new exhaust for the old maid. Now it’s my turn to play. We hope more updates will come soon once the postman delivers boxes (middle and back) from Europe. During this time, I dug up my Innocenti Mini, and the slow puncture it had seems to have corrected itself. I closely examined all the tires and took pressure samples. How funny.

The reader’s walk

Ford Mondeo

Thanks to Tim, who relayed some pretty important news: “I still drive my 2005 Ford Mondeo, bought at 16 months for £ 7,000. That’s less than £ 500 a year in amortization. Indeed, it has risen in value this year: when I thought about changing it last year, an online car buying service offered me £ 43, but this year told me £ 80 . Isn’t an old car that grows in value a classic?

“More seriously, it never broke down or failed to start, except when its idiot owner flattened the battery (although he only traveled 80,000 miles), and the glass front heater and air conditioning no longer work. “The only non-consumables I have had replaced are the reverse light switch and the two front springs, costing £ 280 from a mobile mechanic. I never gave it a full service, so it might even have the original spark plugs. I like my cheap car, as you know… ”

Questions from readers

Question: I own a Mitsubishi L200 to tow my rally car on a trailer and a Jaguar F-Pace 3.0 S to tow my caravan. What electric vehicles could do this work and allow me to go places without needing hours of charging? Alan Stark, by e-mail

Reply: There are a few electric cars that can do both of these tasks, most notably the Tesla Model X, which can tow up to 2,268 kg and generates an instantaneous torque of 800 lb-ft. Its battery life will take a hit, of course, but Tesla’s Supercharger network is the best. A 100D 2017-reg with 50,000 miles costs around £ 60,000. Too much and too valuable for rally functions? Try this halfway house, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. The towing limit of this hybrid is a reasonable 1500 kg and its …