Firstly, we strictly had to pick three cars (although Luke kinda skirted that rule, but whatever). Secondly, every car had to be used — even if it was a demonstrator car sold at a dealership after a couple of months of test drives. Thirdly, the cars had to be available online — through Carsales, eBay or any other trading post website.
Fourthly, you’d be paying running costs and buying insurance for each, so no wildly outrageous choices that weren’t road legal. Finally, there was no way we could spend more than $100,000 — no extra wiggle room on this entirely fictional and hypothetical pile of cash. Here’s what we both decided on.
Campbell’s Picks
Daily Driver: 2012 Audi A1 Attraction 1.6TDI, $21,990
It’s a manual, and I know some people might find that annoying for daily driving, but I prefer it — plus it’s actually slightly more fuel-efficient than the 7-speed S tronic auto. Most importantly, it’s small, which is useful when I’m parking in the city or driving around the inner suburbs.
This particular example is optioned up with an up-spec stereo paired to Audi’s great MMI interface and pop-up screen, upmarket 18-inch rims, dark tinted windows and grey roof pillar accents. It doesn’t have a leather interior, but that doesn’t bother me because I prefer fabric, and it’s probably a little better for longevity during everyday use.
Because it’s white, it’ll keep its resale value. (To be honest, I wanted to stretch to a new three-cylinder Mini Cooper D, but at $39,384 it was a little too expensive for my budget. It’s a beautiful little car, and unlike the Cooper S, it’s available as a manual. Plus, that new modular BMW-Mini three-cylinder engine is a corker.)
Weekend Car: 2013 Toyota 86 GTS MY14 2.0, $29,900
The manual feels great, too, and not-too-sticky and relatively skinny tyres means it’s easy to drive to near its limits without risking speeding fines. If I wanted to do a little tweaking, there’s a fast-growing range of aftermarket suspension and engine upgrades from all the usual tuning houses. This particular GTS variant is a low-kilometres car, has a few more goodies than the barebones GT, and the owner has added a genuine rear parking camera and slim mud flaps — it has clearly been taken care of and not neglected.
(I was considering a plush 2007 BMW 335i, but I figured running costs would be a little harsh, and being an older BMW parts might start to get pricey if something decides to break on this particular computer-controlled twin turbo hard-top convertible coupe.)
Track Car: 2008 Lotus Elise 111 S MY08, $43,900
Just look at that interior — raised shifter, leather wrapped steering wheel, big gauges, and not much else to distract you from the task of actually driving. The Elise is a notoriously good track vehicle purely because it’s so light and so carefully engineered for poise and balance on the limit.
This Elise 111 S has been very mildly modified with a few smart improvements — strengthened shift cables that eliminate a common point of failure on these cars, a toe link kit and body brace, stiffer poly engine mounts, and larger slotted DBA rear rotors. I reckon I could take it down to the track and throw it around without killing myself, but also have plenty of room to learn and improve before the car itself became the limiting factor.
(Other cars I considered were the I-promise-this-is-stock-and-not-constantly-thrashed 1999 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R and the slightly-more-out-of-left-field 2013 Renault R.S Megane 265 Sport Red Bull Edition.)
Total Spent: $95,790
Luke’s Picks
Everyday Car: 2011 Abarth 500 Esseesse, $22,500
I’ve owned a Fiat 500, and it was one of the most character-rich and enjoyable cars I’ve ever had. Every time I got behind the wheel though, I was a tad let down by its conservative performance. That’s why I’m in lust for the Abarth 500. For those out of the loop, Abarth is Fiat’s in-house tuning company that takes cute cars like the 500 and makes them fit for lunatics like me. People who want to stick a tiny, front-wheel drive car into a bend at more speed than is probably sensible and come out with a smile on your face from ear to ear, and a little bit of wee in your seat.
For the most part, the Abarth 500 is still a pretty sensible hot hatch, which is why it’s my choice for an everyday car. I’d pick up this beauty (in white, naturally) with less than 50,000km on the clock. All up, it cost me $22,500 from my budget. Perfik.
Weekend Car / Track Car: 2006 Lotus Exige 118 S, $59,500
For $59,950, I get a supercharged, rear-wheel drive go-kart styled like the Batmobile, and engineered to corner on a knife’s edge. For the money, I wouldn’t have anything else on the track.
The Exige S is the hardest of the hardcore Lotus road cars and this model has an uprated supercharger kit; it’s actually a UK import and, according to the owner, is good for a 3.7-second 0-100km/h sprint. Yes please.
Two Wheels: 2010 Vespa GTS 300 Super Sport, $6750
Give me an extra $7000 and let me buy the best Vespa on the market (in my opinion): the GTS 300 Super Sport.
You can keep the budget-looking silver colour though: give me it in orange. Mega-swoon. (Cam’s note: no, you take what you’re given. Stop complaining.)
Total Spent: $88,750
Which three cars would you pick if you had $100,000 to spare? Take a few minutes to do a little searching, and let us know your thoughts in the comments. Feel free to throw in a link as well, so we can all agree and disagree violently with each other.
