

In fact, there’s a homologation plate under the bonnet, just one of the many hardcore features about these cars. The unique little 1294cc single cam ‘four’ revs to 7400rpm, producing 100bhp and just 80lb ft of torque, and was chosen to enable the car to fit into the right category for international rallying. Which one to go for? Personally, I’m always attracted to the original, partly because I owned one many years ago, and partly because it’s that bit more distanced from the regular 106 than the S2.
Jdm cars under 5k series#
These may be low-powered cars, and cheap when new – the Series 1 was just £8995 back in the day – but they’re very rare (just over 1000 S1s came into the UK, and only 500 S2s) and actually very special. First of all, you really want to find one that’s as original as possible. See our comprehensive buying guide in evo issue 208 for confirmation of that, and for more info on what to look out for.ġ06 Rallyes had been pocket change for years, and therein lies part of the problem with buying one now. Prices start at around £4k for an R26 with 80,000-plus miles on the clock, but don’t let that mileage put you off, as these things are hardier than the clichés about French build quality might lead you to believe. The former is further honed beyond that on the F1 Team’s 225 Cup forerunner, while the latter may not be present if the person who originally bought the car was daft enough to delete them.
Jdm cars under 5k plus#
But it does have the same 227bhp engine and limited-slip differential, plus two more ingredients that feature on some of the very best Renault Sport models: a Cup chassis and a smattering of stickers. You could almost call it a ‘front-wheel-drive GT3-lite’, then, except it’s 125kg heavier than the track-focused limited edition. R, but it does have the benefits of, well, glass windows, a radio and some rear seats – and, for that matter, sensible front seats, a passenger airbag, headlamp washers, front fog lights, a rear wiper and some soundproofing The standard R26 may not be quite as special as the roll-caged, plastic-windowed and radio-less. Renault Sport Mégane 230 F1 Team R26 - Ian Eveleighīuilt to celebrate Renault’s success in the 2005 Formula 1 drivers’ and constructors’ championships, it is also the car that spawned the ‘front-wheel-drive GT3 RS’, the Mégane R26.R. Where once BMW’s E30 325i was the entry point of choice for cheap rear-drive thrills, today I give you the 350Z.įind used Nissans at BuyaCar. The 1525kg kerb weight restricts its 0-60mph time to 5.9sec and the 350Z was limited to 155mph, but it’s still plenty quick enough on road and track when you get into the meat of the V6’s 268lb ft of torque. Clutches need replacing every 40,000 miles but, this aside, rear-drive, six-cylinder coupe action doesn’t come much more affordable. GT Packs are common and the 276bhp V6 is still considered bombproof from a mechanical point of view. You'll pay in excess of £15,000 for low mileage examples today, but for £500 under our budget you’ll find imported examples with around 100,000 miles and for a similar amount over budget UK cars with similar mileage. Lusty 3.5-litre V6, rear-wheel drive, looks that have stood the test of time remarkably well and its rough-around-the-edges character appeals so much more than the near perfectly mannered Mk5 Golf GTI that costs similar money We've made a few suggestions with each vehicle as for what to watch out for. But this far down the food chain, be extra vigilant. Obviously when buying any used car you want to make absolutely sure you do as much research as possible beforehand. Though you'd be crazy to miss out on some of these, and you could in theory buy all of them for the price of a modern hot hatchback

The choices below are the individual selections of the evo staff, and very much not an evo-recommended list of cars you should actually buy. We have depreciation to thank for that – a depressing fact of life for new car buyers (unless you put your name down on the list for a 911 GT3) but a gift from the gods if your budget is a little lower, dragging down some hugely desirable cars as they're superseded or rendered obsolete Five grand doesn't buy you much on the new car market – in fact, it doesn't even buy you a Dacia – but it can go a lot further than you think when it comes to buying a performance car, from used supersaloons to proper sports cars, hot hatchbacks and sports saloons.
