Wanted: M2, M240i, 997.2, 987.2, GT86, Z4

[kevip6]

Hello, 

 

My current lease car in going back in March and so I'm starting to look around for a second hand car. 

 

At the moment I'm leaning towards an M2 (16 - 18) or saving £10k and just getting the M240i of a similar age. 

 

I'm also looking at Gen 2 997's but that would have to be a great deal to stretch the budget that far

 

Other options would be a Gen 2 987 Cayman S or possibly Boxster S

 

Cheaper options I would consider if it was a good deal would be the GT86/BRZ or a Z4 35is 

 

Basically after a fun car for my commute down country roads and the odd weekend trip out

 

Let me know if anyone is looking to move on this April and has something that fits the bill. 

 

Must have full documented service history and preferably low miles

 

Thanks!

[TAFKARM]

Put a 135i or a 140i in the mix too

[Rednop1]

140i moves well for the money 

 

but all these high power bmw and audi cars come with hassles attached too them the main problem is everytime you park it up you have to expect it not to be there when you come back or some scummy little chavs entering your house in the early hours and demanding the keys

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Having known some of your car history I think you’ll be disappointed with the 987 and gt86/BRZ.

 

the 987 is a great car but TBH I found it just a bit too ordinary and common My liking.  I opted instead for a BRZ, I preferred the balance and handling as its much more analogue and very rewarding when pushed hard, very much like a Westfield but you do have to work the gearbox to get the best from it and I fear you may be left wanting a bit more power than it offers.
 

 

[kevip6]

1 hour ago, Rush Motorsport said:

Put a 135i or a 140i in the mix too

 

I'm not sure about the 1 series, my mum had a 118d and it was dreadful to drive, always gave me a bad back and felt like it weighed 3 tonnes.  I know the M240i is probably the same but i prefer the look

 

54 minutes ago, Mark (smokey mow) said:

Having known some of your car history I think you’ll be disappointed with the 987 and gt86/BRZ.

 

the 987 is a great car but TBH I found it just a bit too ordinary and common My liking.  I opted instead for a BRZ, I preferred the balance and handling as its much more analogue and very rewarding when pushed hard, very much like a Westfield but you do have to work the gearbox to get the best from it and I fear you may be left wanting a bit more power than it offers.
 

 

 

I'd be very worried about the lack of power in the GT86/BRZ but I have heard its a very engaging drive especially as it would suit the style of road I will most likely be driving on.  The other advantage of a lack of power is that it's dangerously easy in my Cupra to break the speed limit without even realising... luckily I am very cautious and make sure that never happens 👍

 

I do really like the look of the 987 Cayman S though, problem is the steep jump in price to the 997.2.  They seem to be going up in price as well

 

[Mark (smokey mow)]

26 minutes ago, kevip6 said:

 

I'm not sure about the 1 series, my mum had a 118d and it was dreadful to drive, always gave me a bad back and felt like it weighed 3 tonnes.  I know the M240i is probably the same but i prefer the look

 

 

I'd be very worried about the lack of power in the GT86/BRZ but I have heard its a very engaging drive especially as it would suit the style of road I will most likely be driving on.  The other advantage of a lack of power is that it's dangerously easy in my Cupra to break the speed limit without even realising... luckily I am very cautious and make sure that never happens 👍

 

I do really like the look of the 987 Cayman S though, problem is the steep jump in price to the 997.2.  They seem to be going up in price as well

 

my BRZ is a cracking car and it would take a lot to make me consider anything different. I sold my Westfield to buy it so that says something and it’s a decision I don’t regret.

 

its certainly engaging and quick enough to be entertaining without being stupid with speed, but it’s not a car for the lazy driver which is where some of the bad press about its power comes from.  It’s not a car you can just stick it in the wrong gear and expect it to perform like you could with a bigger engine, it’s at its best when you use the gearbox to its fullest by changing up and down to keep the revs up. 
 

my advice is to get in one and try it.

[Steve20]

I used to run a Cayman S, great drive but your bank balance will run out as fast as the fuel tank, even using specialists these cars cost the earth to maintain and everybody in a car park hates them.

 

Thought about a 997.2 then common sense kicked in and now have a 440i coupe, brilliant car and quicker 0-60 than the Cayman.

[kevip6]

3 hours ago, Mark (smokey mow) said:

my BRZ is a cracking car and it would take a lot to make me consider anything different. I sold my Westfield to buy it so that says something and it’s a decision I don’t regret.

 

its certainly engaging and quick enough to be entertaining without being stupid with speed, but it’s not a car for the lazy driver which is where some of the bad press about its power comes from.  It’s not a car you can just stick it in the wrong gear and expect it to perform like you could with a bigger engine, it’s at its best when you use the gearbox to its fullest by changing up and down to keep the revs up. 
 

my advice is to get in one and try it.

 

Sound advice mate, and a much cheaper option!

I will take a closer look at these

[kevip6]

3 hours ago, Steve20 said:

I used to run a Cayman S, great drive but your bank balance will run out as fast as the fuel tank, even using specialists these cars cost the earth to maintain and everybody in a car park hates them.

 

Thought about a 997.2 then common sense kicked in and now have a 440i coupe, brilliant car and quicker 0-60 than the Cayman.

 

I agree the 3ltr twin turbos in the BMWs have good 0-60 times but I'm looking for something to throw around the country roads and I'm worried the BMWs are a lot heavier

 

What was costly with the Cayman? Did it require a lot of work or just general servicing being pricey? What year was it?

[Steve20]

The Cayman was one of the very last Gen 1s, so 2008.

 

In theory should have been a great car, 1 owner, full Porsche history and 43,000 on the clock when I qbought it.

 

Brilliant handling, great performance but weirdly always felt a bit fragile. Quality was compromised by poor quality interior plastics and whilst being an S specification, things that you would expect in a similar high list price car simply weren’t there.

 

When seeking a replacement I was looking for a 911, initially was completely focused on this and would not entertain anything else, however ended up driving a lot of nice cars but with high ticket prices wasn’t compelled to buy.

 

In the end struck lucky and picked up the BMW 440 coupe, 7 months old, 35 miles on the clock at 38% below list and it was fully loaded. Became a simple decision and certainly haven’t regretted it.

 

Loved my Porsche, but the BMW has a far higher spec, is quicker, more comfortable and costs me less 👍

[kevip6]

48 minutes ago, Steve20 said:

The Cayman was one of the very last Gen 1s, so 2008.

 

In theory should have been a great car, 1 owner, full Porsche history and 43,000 on the clock when I qbought it.

 

Brilliant handling, great performance but weirdly always felt a bit fragile. Quality was compromised by poor quality interior plastics and whilst being an S specification, things that you would expect in a similar high list price car simply weren’t there.

 

When seeking a replacement I was looking for a 911, initially was completely focused on this and would not entertain anything else, however ended up driving a lot of nice cars but with high ticket prices wasn’t compelled to buy.

 

In the end struck lucky and picked up the BMW 440 coupe, 11 months old, 35 miles on the clock at 38% below list and it was fully loaded. Became a simple decision and certainly haven’t regretted it.

 

Loved my Porsche, but the BMW has a far higher spec, is quicker, more comfortable and costs me less 👍

 

This is why I keep going back to the M2, I like the look of them, would be a lot newer in terms of interior and connectivity/technology  and would be bl**** quick. 

 

Just my heart keeps whispering 911 to my head

 

Not sure what depreciation is like on the M2 though? Resildules are seeming strong on the gen 2 997 and 987 at the moment,  they both seem to have gone up in the last 6 months I've been researching 

 

[Yanto]

I went through this exact same dilemma in Nov 19, I tested all of the above cars you have listed @kevip6, I loved the Cayman but couldn't really afford an S which ultimately is what I wanted, the GT86/BRZ was just a bit too chavvy for me (I'm late 50s) although it was probably the best handling of all, the m140 went well but the back end felt as I can only describe as being "wobbly". The M240i has a different rear end set and felt much more planted, it goes like stink but lacks an LSD as standard which it does need if in SportPlus mode (no traction control).

 

The M2 I found to be a bit too harsh on some surfaces, the M240i also suffers some road noise but the M2 added harshness to it, and performance wise there isn't much to separate them, in fact I've seen the M240i accelerates a tad quicker at lower speeds as it has more torque lower down.

 

I did actually buy a pre-reg M240i, (9 miles on the clock) I love it, I wish the exhaust and intake were louder though, although I always drop the windows to hear it start up.

 

Comfort wise the longest drive I had done in it was Edinburgh to Salisbury in a oner (one stop for pee and a sarnie) and I found it very comfortable, I did originally (on test drives) find they made my back ache, but this turned out that the adjustable bolsters were a tad too tight.

 

I took out maintenance package of £30/ month for 36 months which covers first two services at 2yr/4yr or 18 and 36k miles, which is a lot less than I was paying for my Volvo beforehand, the M2 is IIRC nearly £50 per month.

 

Fuel usage is working out about 35mpg for shortish trips I do now, but I've had 46 mpg on a long run when I was taking it steady and traffic was heavy with trucks, overall average for the time I've owned it and 6k miles is 40.1mpg, but it does like to drink when you boot it, maybe I don't boot it enough!! There is no need to rev it to the limit although when you do the engine sounds great, you have to be quick changing gears (Flappy paddles) as the revs rise quickly with the 8 speed box.

 

There are plenty of aftermarket businesses doing various mods, although I don't think it needs more power I may stick in an LSD, and tweak/change the exhaust.  

[kevip6]

2 hours ago, Yanto said:

I went through this exact same dilemma in Nov 19, I tested all of the above cars you have listed @kevip6, I loved the Cayman but couldn't really afford an S which ultimately is what I wanted, the GT86/BRZ was just a bit too chavvy for me (I'm late 50s) although it was probably the best handling of all, the m140 went well but the back end felt as I can only describe as being "wobbly". The M240i has a different rear end set and felt much more planted, it goes like stink but lacks an LSD as standard which it does need if in SportPlus mode (no traction control).

 

The M2 I found to be a bit too harsh on some surfaces, the M240i also suffers some road noise but the M2 added harshness to it, and performance wise there isn't much to separate them, in fact I've seen the M240i accelerates a tad quicker at lower speeds as it has more torque lower down.

 

I did actually buy a pre-reg M240i, (9 miles on the clock) I love it, I wish the exhaust and intake were louder though, although I always drop the windows to hear it start up.

 

Comfort wise the longest drive I had done in it was Edinburgh to Salisbury in a oner (one stop for pee and a sarnie) and I found it very comfortable, I did originally (on test drives) find they made my back ache, but this turned out that the adjustable bolsters were a tad too tight.

 

I took out maintenance package of £30/ month for 36 months which covers first two services at 2yr/4yr or 18 and 36k miles, which is a lot less than I was paying for my Volvo beforehand, the M2 is IIRC nearly £50 per month.

 

Fuel usage is working out about 35mpg for shortish trips I do now, but I've had 46 mpg on a long run when I was taking it steady and traffic was heavy with trucks, overall average for the time I've owned it and 6k miles is 40.1mpg, but it does like to drink when you boot it, maybe I don't boot it enough!! There is no need to rev it to the limit although when you do the engine sounds great, you have to be quick changing gears (Flappy paddles) as the revs rise quickly with the 8 speed box.

 

There are plenty of aftermarket businesses doing various mods, although I don't think it needs more power I may stick in an LSD, and tweak/change the exhaust.  

 

That's very helpful, thank you! 

 

That was my rationale for the M2 as it comes with the LSD and a few other bits and I prefer the wider rear, so once you've paid for the extras there wouldn't be much in the price.  I will test them both nearer to March and see how I feel about them

 

Great detailed help though mate thank you for the insight 

[maurici]

On 22/01/2021 at 14:29, kevip6 said:

I'm not sure about the 1 series, my mum had a 118d and it was dreadful to drive, always gave me a bad back and felt like it weighed 3 tonnes.  I know the M240i is probably the same but i prefer the look

An M140 has little to do with a 118D. And yes, indeed, other than the hatch the 1 and 2 are identical.

Give them a try. they sell well, they hold the value, and the prices the move makes it easier to trade them later with little lose.

[kevip6]

May have just requested a test drive of the Yaris GR as well. I know there is a long wait for these though