The one you wished you still had

[ZermattV]

I love my Zed to bits .. but if there was a car if i could get back in the condition i owned it in i would get one in an instant.

mine was an MX-5 1.8 Phoenix SE like this once http://www.mx5-mazda.co.uk/phoenix.htm

sold it after 2 years to buy something sensible (Audi A4 1.8 T) .... .. one of the reasons i got rid of it was the local mazda dealer managed to ruin the paintwork on the bonnet by grinding or similar near the car .. despite many attempts to get it sorted it out it was never the same ... this and 3 hoods in 2 years meant it was time for it to go......... big mistake ..

still hanker after another metallic grey and brown leather roadster ..... perhaps an E89 in space grey with walnut leather.

So if there's one you could get back which one would it be ?

[a11y]

Strangely, this:


2006-08-23 (2) by Ally Mitchell, on Flickr

It remains special to me because:
1) it was my first "proper" car with a bit of performance and decent handling
2) it's the only new car I've owned
3) I'd modified it to pretty much ideally how I wanted it (H&R coilovers, proper alignment set up, front Cup splitter)
4) it was just so much fun to drive

It's bittersweet because it was tragically unreliable although that was largely due to the incompetence of the (multiple) Renault dealers I had the displeasure of dealing with, who just couldn't fix simple things that went wrong. I got so hacked off with their attitude that I traded it in on a whim for a Honda Civic Type R and never quite got on with the Honda. Hindsight is a wonderful thing: I know now I should've stuck it out despite the problems and got things fixed myself and not worried about the warranty.

Good idea for a thread

[JayD]

Good Shout Ally, that was my first "proper" car as well so to speak and I loved it.

I only parted with it to move to a Mark IV R32 which I also loved. I wish I still had both of them to be honest

[Zed Five]

Great thread.

Mine would be my first car (and sports car) 1970 m
MG Midget Mk III. - 1275 . White with black interior. My first convertable... ... Changed my outlook forever....!

[Breaker]

My John Cooper Works S MINI (the supercharged one). Wish I'd kept hold of that as a weekend car!

Fantastic drivers car!

[Kryton]

My 1976 308 GTB (fiberglass model) sold it because my left arm and left leg were developed like "Superman's"

[RichardG]

Guess mine would have to be my old Peugeot 405 MI16 4X4, got some pictures of it at home somewhere. It was not the prettiest of cars or the fastest thing but it was by far the fastest car I had owned to that point, it stuck to the road like glue and has left me forever yearning another 4 wheel drive car.
I had an old 2.0 Capri before it and decided that at the grand old age of 24 I had to get a proper car but had no idea what I wanted (XR's and GTI's were all the rage if you could get insurance), took a day off work and drove round loads of garages in the area and ended up at Charters in Aldershot, it was love at first sight, plus they let go me go on the test drive all on my ownsome.
Only had it 1 year before getting a company car but that was long enough for it to get stolen off my driveway and discovered about 1/2 mile from I where I lived.

[Taz]

My 1976 308 GTB (fiberglass model) sold it because my left arm and left leg were developed like "Superman's" the clutch and gearchange were BAD, sold it 2.5 years later.

Cost me new £12k cars now selling for £35k

i had a scimitar, this was also fibreglass and just like you my left leg was massive lol

[mmm-five]

I'd happily buy back my...

Corrado VR6 - like a Z4MC with 4 seats, did a LOT of track days in this over 5 years, spent a fortune on tuning it, and only got rid as I needed more space


First e34 M5 - pussycat on the limit, and so easy to slide, and veteran of 20 track days, but cost about £1000 a track day

[jonnyfive]

Y reg porsche 944 in champagne gold ( silver )metallic , one of the best handling cars i have ever owned , sorry no pics

[lacroupade]

I had one of these...



...and I'd have it back in a flash.....

[roofless]

Like zed five mine would be my old MG midget, '72 1275 British Racing Green, lived in her for 3 months travelling round europe, at 6'4 i looked liked Noddy driving round and, now i'm about 4 stone heavier than i was then, i think she is best left as a memory cherished rather than an experience to be relived. There's something to be said for 'never go back', nostalgia is sometimes best as just that

[cj_eds]

Tough one for me but the wife's Puma edges it over my ST200.



Loved the Mondeo, the V6 was superb (although I've now discovered the BMW straight 6 is lovelier...) Sounded beautiful when you floored it and when cleaned and polished the colour was stunning. Even as a ten year old Mondeo people commented to me that it looked & drove fantastic. Although it was quick for a family hatch in the year 2000, by the year 2010 diesel VAGs where becoming my nemesis.

But the Puma can't be beaten. Fun per pound it's still leagues ahead of the Z4 even. I cost us about £1500 from memory and made me smile everytime I drove it. Made me realise after owning a series of bigger cars that small ones can be far more fun. Used to be able to chuck it around like nothing else and the 1.7 was surprisingly nippy given how light the car was. If it hadn't met with a sticky ending we'd still have it and I'd probably not have bought the Z4, would've ended up with an M5 or Evo or similar to replace the ST200 instead.

(Edited to add real pictures)

[pvr]

I was sensible and already knew which ones were keepers so still have them now

[Russ59]

The first one I would have back is my old Toyota Supra twin turbo (the one before my zed)
And my second choice would be the one before the Supra, My old Soarer twin turbo.
Both awesome cars.