Following on from my ‘Family Hatchbacks – which would you choose?’, I have turned my attention to bargain sports coupes. I have a set budget of £3,000, so read on to find out how I got on.
As Ford has now resurrected the Puma brand name for its new compact SUV, it would only be right to start with the Ford – the Ford Probe to be precise. After looking through the classified ads, I found one model which was in our budget at £2,300.
Mazda RX-8
The Mazda RX-8 was billed as successor to the RX-7 and was powered by a 1.3-litre Wankel engine. It was first shown at the Detroit Motor Show in 2001 and became a production reality in 2003. With its suicide rear doors, the RX-8 was a true four-seater and gave the market something different.
A rumoured replacement has been talked about, but we haven’t had confirmation of an RX-9 just yet.
Used buyers can still get a 2007 231bhp version, which sees the car sprint to sixty in just over six seconds for £3,000.
BMW Z4
The BMW Z4 was launched at the Paris Motor Show in 2002, with production starting at the beginning of 2003. Both 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre engines were offered, and the car was available as either a coupe or a roadster.
We found a 2006 example with 77,000 miles on the clock for £4,500, which I know is slightly above budget, but the extra money is worth it.
Chrysler Crossfire
The Chrysler Crossfire was launched in 2001, with its whacky styling and Mercedes SLK base and was brought to the UK market in 2003. Powered by a 3.2-litre V6 engine, with 215bhp, the car was able to get to sixty in just over six seconds and onto a top speed of 155mph.
We found a used example with only 66,000 miles, which topped out our budget but still gives a punch.
Toyota Celica
The Celica was a stablemate for the Japanese firm between the years of 1971 and 2006, when the car was axed from the line-up. However, the car still has a strong reputation and excellent examples are still being had on the used market. The final generation car is within our budget and we found a 2005 example with only 70,000 miles on the clock for just over £2,600.
Nissan 350Z
The Nissan 350Z is a spiritual successor to the 300ZX, which went out of production in 2000.
We had to go above our budget to find a decent model, but I promise it’ll be worth it! Our model is a 2005 model with 77,000 miles on the clock, priced at £4,300. Powered by a 3.5 V6 engine, the 350Z has 276bhp and gets to sixty in 5.9 seconds before maxing out at 155mph.
The 350Z was launched in the UK in 2002 and was based on the 240Z concept, which was shown at the North American show in 1999. Designed by Diane Allen of Nissan Design in San Diego, California.
Daihatsu Copen
The Daihatsu Copen brought open-top motoring to the masses, when it was launched in 2002. The car was available with a 660cc engine and had a folding hardtop. The Copen Concept debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1999 and was a follow-up to the X-021 and Personal Coupe Concepts. It was launched when there was little known about ‘Kei’ cars in Japan and allowed other companies to follow suit.
On the used market, there are still bargains to be had with a 2004 example with 25,000 miles on the market for £2,995. May not be suitable if you’re six-foot like me, but if you’re not, then maybe it’s worth a try?
Alfa Romeo Brera
The Alfa Romeo Brera was launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 2002 and was powered by a 390bhp, Maserati V8 engine. Everyone loved it and it was put into production, with the launch happening three years later.
It shared its platform with the 159 and was a replacement for the ageing GTV and GTV Spider.
Engine options included a pair of petrol engines with either 182bhp or 256bhp and a diesel with 197bhp.
After looking at the classifieds, I found a Brera with the 2.2 JTS petrol engine and a great example for just shy of our budget.
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Michael Docherty 