Well yeah there’s lots of options if you look at the second hand market.
Like for like for a cheap fun new car I think the best answer is almost always an mx5
Unless a convertible is just too inconvenient (the Aussie sun isn’t kind….but if it’s a Sunday drive)
Yep. There’s a reason the Mx-5 is a legendary car. One day, one day.
Not sure if I’d go the fabric or hard top version. Equally , not sure which series. Probably the ND, a good balance of size and handling.
But I do like the Bmw Z idea as well, especially with the straight six.
And I think I’ll always regret not buying a Series 1-3 Rx7 when I was much younger , and they were much more plentiful. At least to have tried for a few years.
Though I don’t like the rag top, the MX5 Bullet has to be up there. This guy parks in my street every so often.
Maybe $30,000 to $50,000, or could just buy the new Harry Potter Pinball machine which will be no change from $20,000, just weighing up.
Anything you recommend in that price range
On MX-5’s Mighty Car Mods are doing one atm , what model/year is the best for these?
It’s really going to come down to what you want it to do, and the priorities you have.
Series 1 (NA) were small, light, pretty bare bones , less refined, not overly endowed with power but gave that real authentic convertible roadster vibe.
The NB’s ran the same engine but compression was up, the intake tracts were redesigned and it got a noticeable boost in power / torque. It also got bigger wheels , a suspension makeover and was considered to be THE mx-5 to get for that real driving experience out of the first three series.
The NC’s got more power again , but they also got heavier , longer, and softer. They do make sense if your priority is on comfort and cruising , as there’s noticeably more room in the cabin. For a long time they were kinda the ugly duckling of the range. But recently I think people are thinking that as any sort of daily driver, as opposed to the weekend only fang , these might be the best compromise.
Then Mazda distilled all three previous versions into the ND. It got lighter and a little shorter again, kept the NC’s power, but moved handling and spirit back towards the NB. Of course it’s much newer so you get all the modern touches and the things feel really premium quality these days. Unless you like the appeal of an old classic, the NA’s are probably getting a bit long in the tooth. If the budget stretches to it, the ND is the best all-round bet. If it doesn’t, take your pick between comfort (NC) and sheer driving grin ( NB) .
Edit - I’ve never owned one. I have driven an NB and an NC a few times. I’ve also driven a Toyota 86 - these things stick to the road mid corner like you wouldn’t believe - but I prefer the character of the Mazda’s.
Thanks @saladin, some very thorough information and will get me started on the MX-5 rabbit hole!
Rather than doing mods to an existing MX5, you could look at the Fiat 124 Spider, which is basically a MX5 with a 1.4 motor and turbo charged already. Saves you having to do any mods yourself.
Just having a bit of a look, there’s heaps of stuff on car sales that would fit your budget, even leaving enough room for the pinnie too.
Across your budget there’s plenty of ‘hot hatch’ in Subaru, MERC, VW, which would all be pretty modern, but also a daily driver.
Towards the top of that price range you can even find plenty of Mustang (old and new) ‘02 Monaro and Porsche 996/911.
In the middles, but probably less practical, there’s some nice Nissan 370Z and BMW M3 getting around. (The M3 might just be the body kit)
So it really would come down to what you want out of the car, how much work you want to do on it (for me that would be zero) and what ‘look’ you want, and how’s it going to drive.
But, If you like the Subaru BRZ or Toyota 86, you can get an older one, and still get the pinball, to diversify your investment.
So many reasonably priced aftermarket upgrades to improve performance. Especially for the Subaru’s.
Unless you can’t garage it, fabric is the only option I think.
Just get the cheapest barebone spec. Lightest and I’d hazard at a guess most fun.(although probably all good)
If your going that targa you may as well buy a 86/brz
I had a series 2 rx7 in mint condition. Wish I still had it. Great car.
Still news is that Mazda are building a spiritual successor. It’s been okayed for production
If I were to buy an MX5 it would be one with the pop up lights.
Last time I sat in an MX5 I could also barely get out 
The golf R (which we have) has some cheap and effective upgrades.
A stage 2 tune which I think is around $1,500 will take it from 300 to 390 HP. Taking the 0-100 from high 4sec to low 4seconds.
I mean, it’s super fun as stock, but if you want to dial it up a bit go for it.
I had a MPS from new. After owning it for a few years I did a number of mods including a custom Cobb tuner and costed around $5k.
The performance difference was amazing.
I looked seriously at a Mk Z4, with a straight 6 (the hard top convertible) a couple of months ago. My wife took one look at it and said buy it. Not at all practical for our needs, and we can’t afford a second car at this stage as we are still getting established in a new market here in Brissy. Hence the reason why we opted for a diesel X1, which gets brilliant economy and is a just right for us size.
Anyway, the wife loves convertibles but also insists on a hard top so it does limit our options, but most of those options are rather delectable. One day. For the record l am now 73 and will never stop loving sports cars. Over the years l have owned 2 MGBs, good fun to be sure and a truly great exhaust note.
Worth a read. Particularly for those driving or thinking about driving a swasticar.
Picked up another Next GEN Wildtrack this week. Upgraded from the bi-turbo to the V6 with the premium pack. Did this because of towing a heavy van, and I wanted the V6 ha ha.
Gotta say, the difference between the two is like night and day. The 2.0 was totally fine when the van was not on and, was a pleasure to drive round town, but the V6, geez, it’s like a different car.
I can’t wait to tow next week.
2004 Maserati Coupe Import Cambiocorsa Coupe Automatic Coupe Auction (0001-21051878) | Grays Australia ,Any one interested? Looks like a tradies work car hole in drivers seat ETC
A cool looking coupe, bland colour, Masers deserve more pop.
Edit: Went for over $15,000.
20 minutes after bidding closed and a couple of buyers are still duking it out. Price now up to $17,000.
Good price. Those sell for about 35-40k normally
