So after 8 wonderful years it's time to move on. What would you move onto after the megane/clio scene? i know many variables come into play when changing cars so I'll say budget it £30k and not fwd the better the car for less money is always a plus. It also needs to be able to do daily drives from time to time cheers
Tried a bmw m135i auto before my megane 265,bit more grown up ,faster but not as much fun as I like cars that you can get by the scruff of the neck!,horses for courses.
New shape S3 (sportback) or wait and get a focus RS for 30k and it's a brand new car to own for another 8 years and it still be worth 18-20k!
I have friend with a new CTR which is very nice and has 345bhp (with basic mods - 300bhp std). The older FD2 is quite cool too. Potentially wait for next RSM? An Elise is awesome but quite different (I had a s/c Elise and Evora S for the last 10 years). A Porsche is nice but maybe a bit unexciting. As you say, with your budget, your only problem is making a decision.
I am actually on the list for a new focus rs but the wait and very limited updates is killing me. All the suggestions have been spot on and audi's RS cars seem to be the next step up in performance. if I could have really justified it I would probably have gone for an early gtr however Im a firm believer in if it breaks can I afford to fix it and some of the horror stories I've read are probably enough to keep me awake at night
not been in any variants of a cayman but have driven a boxster s and a 911 996. I personally think they showed how much technology has advanced when it comes to cars especially hot hatches
Maybe with the VW emissions scandal and the fact their sales are down you may get a good deal on a new golf R but if times not an issue I would defo wait for the new focus RS.
would really need to know more information on your requirements and preferences, 30k is a great budget and could get you behind the wheel of a vast array of cars, from a brand new latest hot hatch to an early Aston Martin V8 Vantage, all depends what floats your boat as they say! I'd of been recommending a BMW E46 M3 CSL as an exciting and solid investment previously, but these have largely surpassed this price point now. A quick note on your comment about the GTR, I'm afraid once you enter the realms of Porsches, RS/M Power products, or any other modern high performance car, they all have the ability to cause serious damage to your wallet!! And this goes for consumables such as brakes and tyres as well not just general faults. If your not up for the potential risk of this then getting a newer car in warranty could be the answer and will be a good way of narrowing down your options also! For those on the list for the Focus RS from what I've read so far you could be in line for a very special car, likely to be worth the wait imo!
Yes, its hard not to like them but it felt less special than my Lotus. It felt a bit of a 'trophy car' and often felt quite ordinary unless you were absolutely on it. Lovely build too. A few Lotus owners bought Boxsters and Caymans but never seemed to hold on to them for long. Not sure why.
Waiting on cars is a nightmare, I'm waiting on updates for an Audi Q8 E-Tron and the NSX I placed my order on at Goodwood FOS in 2014
If you genuinely want an upgrade in terms of performance then it has to be a Lotus or similar. I was having the same debate with myself a while back with a similar budget and i was pretty set on an Exige S, had considered a M135i with a few upgrades, Namely suspension/Quaife and a map but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Its not until you start actually looking at what performs as well on road and track, Particularly if you have a fettled Megane that you realise just how mental Hot hatches are these days performance wise. Realistically the only way for me to upgrade from the Megane is by going to something that costs a lot, lot more in terms of buying costs and general running IE, Exige V6, Cayman GTS, F80 M3 etc Something I'm not prepared to do at the moment. Hence I'm keeping it and turning it into a track/clubsport spec toy. Ill pick something cheap up on a lease as a daily
