2/2.5k budget for fast fun car

Might be selling my M3 very soon to free up some cash and will then just spend 2/2.5k on a run around car but I want it to be fast and fun and still fairly reliable.

Options so far I can think of in order of preference:

ClioSport 172 or 182 (dont know much about them though)

Fiat Coupe (Although already had 2 of these and if I had another I would want it mildly tuned)

Any other ideas guys?

Cheers, M

Audi TT 225 (Easily tuned and 4WD albeit a bit girly)
Megane 225
Cupra
Civic Type R EP3
Pug GTI 180
Mini Cooper S
Mazda RX8 (not sure if this ticks the reliable box!)

Pug gti 180

They're not that bad for £1500

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201507145179767

Audi TT 225 (Easily tuned and 4WD albeit a bit girly)
Megane 225
Cupra
Civic Type R EP3
Pug GTI 180
Mini Cooper S
Mazda RX8 (not sure if this ticks the reliable box!)

Thanks for the input mate, but from that list I could never own an Audi TT, hate them and if it goes wrong dont think it would be cheap, same with the RX-8.

Like the idea of a cupra, but I would want the R and im sure they are a bit more pricey, will definitely have a look though and the Megane did cross my mind too.

Many thanks!!

I couldn't own a TT either if I'm honest. Decent car and performance for the money, but, I just couldn't. RX8 looks great on paper and a lot of car for the money but reliability would give me nightmares.

I'd probably go for an EP3 Type R if I was in your position.

Got to be a 182.

Type r civic.

I've been running a 182 for nearly two years and still think it's a cracking little car.
The seating position isn't the best but mine has the recaro upgrade.
It's a little noisey on the motorway but I still manage around 60 miles a day in it. Cracking out of the box if you want to do an occasional track day too.

Here's one of mine around Blyton Park

I think the clio 182 is the one at the moment.

Whats the difference between 172 cup and trophy etc and do they do these in the 182???

Cheers, M

Trophy had very expensive suspension fitted as standard for very little extra cost when the car was new and only came in red. That car will be a classic but as an every day car it could be expensive to fix as I hear(might be scare mongering) that each suspension section could be a £1000 each to replace. The trophy commands a premium price too.

Easier to get a good cup.

The cup had a wider track and was lower but had a basic spec interior and interior parts(radio,speakers etc).

The 172(172 BHP) cup had nicer alloys than the 182bhp IMO and the exhaust hides behind the bumper.

K-tech racing are the people to talk to about getting one of these. On pistonheads clasified they have a few cars for sale, usually a bit higher priced but you get what you pay for.

The trophey will be out of your budget and as mentioned the Sachs dampers need money spent on refurbishment every 12k miles or so.

For the 182 there is a stripped down cup but there were also cup pack options on the standard 182. There was one pack giving a larger rear spoiler and front splitter, and the other cup pack being the suspension pack with wider track, different hubs and darker wheels, the "full fat" having both cup packs along with auto zenon headlights, auto wipers, climate control etc. For me this was the one to get.

If you pick one up with a missing front splitter don't pay Renault the £120 they want for a new one, Skoda do one for about £15 which fits.

They like to be revved as well. You don’t get much until quite a kick at about 5krpm.

I have a 172 as a runaround/loan car. Cracking car really, very good on fuel, so chuckable and reliable to boot. I remapped mine to just over 180bhp, great around town as so nippy, but even greater on the back roads!

Cheers Leighton.

I just sold a Renault Clio 172 Cup. It drove great but I had no end of trouble with it so ended up selling it for a loss.

Water leaks under the drivers carpet, gearbox noises, poor hot starting, steering wheel melting and thumb grips falling apart. The cam dephaser started rattling, and it leaked oil from several places on both the gearbox and the engine.

The car had done 82k from new, although I suspect the gearbox noise at least was from the car being abused as many cars like this will have been.

The wiring for the electrics is a joke, the underside of the fusebox looks like an accident in a spaghetti factory.

Although it drove well it has put me off of French cars. I am not back in a nice reliable Alfa.

How about a Seat Leon Cupra? Not the best handling car but mechanically and electrically pretty sound. They are easy to tune and make handle due to there being loads of parts around for them.

Looks like another Fiat Coupe then

Just out of interest, I love the M3s and might stretch to owning one eventually.

What are the pro's and cons of owning an M3?