Mini Sports Cars

L-M

Just watching Top Gear and they had the FIAT 500 abarth on. Just got me thinking, there are a few of these types of cars out there (Panda 100hp, Polo Gti etc. etc.) That you see very little of. What do ye think of the likes of these.

One note, if your coming here to post ****e and this that and the other thing post it somewhere else. Sick of hearing about reccession this and no money that. Bit of motoring for once.

david

Limerick man wrote: »

Just watching Top Gear and they had the FIAT 500 abarth on. Just got me thinking, there are a few of these types of cars out there (Panda 100hp, Polo Gti etc. etc.) That you see very little of. What do ye think of the likes of these.

One note, if your coming here to post ****e and this that and the other thing post it somewhere else. Sick of hearing about reccession this and no money that. Bit of motoring for once.

Have a friend (apprentice mechanic, 18) who bought an '08 Twingo on finance last Jan. 1.2 turbo and scarily quick little car! Wrote it off during the summer through 2 concrete gate posts and walked away. Amazing how little damage was done (apart to the concrete posts!). He got it fixed up now, wasn't cheap!

Seriously great little go-kart

Owen

I think the Abarth 500 is one of the more interesting cars for sale out there at the moment. I wish they'd give it the Panda's 4 wheel drive option though, seeing as it's built on a Panda platform. Alfa's Mito left me a bit 'meh', but one of the most interesting little cars I've driven recently, was a Polo G40 - the supercharger in there was a cracking little motor to listen to and drive.

The older cars which really floated my boat would have been the Renault 5 Turbo for the 'When's this car going to kill me? Now, or in 5 mins' feeling, and the 205 Gti, the original hot hatch.

L-M

Twingo actually is another car that came back on the scene. I've only seen one modern of late. Would pick a 500 over though i'd say...

FearDark

I hear the "wah wah" sound of a boy racers glanza approaching...

L1011

I've got one of the ones you mentioned in the first post LM, although you know that obviously (its the Panda 100 8 cars back in his sig)

Most fun I've had on my own in quite some time when driving that on a good clear road. A former owner of a R5 Turbo (mate of my dad) compares it to that after a test drive.

P.C.

I think the Twingo could be the business, but have not driven one.
The FIAT 500 Abarth would be my second choice.

I like the idea of a 'baby hot hatch'.

Loved it whenever I got a chance to drive a Renault 5 Turbo when I was in College.

Another older one would be Lancia Delta Integrale - if you could find a RHD one. They don't look like much when you see one in traffic, but, they go!

Balfa

People here will probably kill me because it's too boy racerish, but I've long had a hankering for a Polo Super 1600.

Granted, it's only a limited run €100k machine for homologation purposes, but I just love the idea of over 200hp in a hot hatch...

http://www.speedarena.com/news/publish/features/article_3884.shtml

seanybiker

polo gti is class. Never drove one but the ads for it are funny so it must be good

galwaytt

My name is galwaytt and I'm an addict - car addict that is.

I hereby confess to buying a NEW Cinquecent Sporting. In Yellow. In 1996. Loved that car.

I have sinced learned, and including bikes, btw, that fun and enjoyment is inversely proportional to the size/price of the veh. The bigger/madder/faster/more expensive they get...........the more apprehensive/exasperating/frustrating/expensive (!) they get, too.

In bikes, it's like big/fast ones are better than you, so hard to challenge, safely, satisfactorily. Smaller/more modest though........and the driver/rider is a bigger contributor to the fun/satisfaction equation.


I love that 500. Someday, someday.......

.Longshanks.

Does this count?

P.C.

Longshanks100 wrote: »

Does this count?

I think it does.

What are the specs?

.Longshanks.

P.C. wrote: »

I think it does.

What are the specs?

Its a 1.6 turbo, 190bhp and 6.8sec to 60mph.

milltown

I always had a very soft spot for the Citroen AX GT, even over all the Golf, 205, Clio competition. Light weight, adequate power and great handling == big smiles. A mate had one and I couldn't get enough of it. If I could find a clean one I'd probably have it as a weekend toy but most seem to have been ragged half to death or chavved to the point of no return.

+100 on the 500 Abarth too though. Smashing looking little car.

markos79

my misses drives one of these, quick little car 1.6 dohc 125 bhp.fun car to drive.:D

Bluefoam

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/24/alfa-mito-gta-confirmed-with-230hp/

L-M

Longshanks100 wrote: »

Does this count?

:eek:
Who owns that....

I likes

.Longshanks.

Limerick man wrote: »

:eek:
Who owns that....

I likes

Its all mine;)

JimmyCrackCorn!

Dihatsu




Renault 5










Swift Gti


Fit the same kind of category. Unusually quick cars for there size.

bazz26

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the MINI Cooper S JCW already:



Others include the forthcoming Fiesta ST and RS:

CJhaughey

How about the Suzuki Cappuccino which must rate as a micro sports car.
Or perhaps the MX5 which is still a sports car especially with the optional hardtop fitted.

Anan1

Another great little car was the Peugeot 205 Rallye - 103bhp from a 1.3, under 800kgs in weight, cheaper than a GTI, easy to maintain, and lots of basic, stripped-out fun.

Owen

Longshanks100 wrote: »

Its all mine;)

Do you live in Cork? There's one down here always going flat out

Oh hey, lookie. It's my 4000th post!

Alanstrainor

Ah yes, the Panda 100bhp, have been wanting one of those in the past weeks, (i go through phases of wanting cars!) Perhaps a trip to the uk is what's called for! As there's practically zero of them in Ireland, and the ones that are here are too expensive! I could get an 06 landed in Ireland for under 6k incl vrt ect....

RoundyMooney

Congrats, neddie boy

What I remember from years back, and what I'd sell my mother for, is a Charade DeTomaso, the 83 on one.

A Youghal garage at the time imported them, along with mid eighties civics, and Rover 213s (most of which rotted within a year or two).

Only 70 odd bhp at most, but what fun.

edit: I may yet spring for a 500 though.

.Longshanks.

ned78 wrote: »

Do you live in Cork? There's one down here always going flat out

Oh hey, lookie. It's my 4000th post!

No, but I was in Cork during the summer & one did fly past me on the road out of city by the train station. He didn't slow down to say hello!

CJhaughey

The Yaris RS looks like it might be fun, unfortunately this car will never see these shores due to the emissions tax from our own lovely green party.

L-M

Longshanks100 wrote: »

Its all mine;)

Very nice, more pictures:D

vectra

I am surprised that nobody mentioned the Fiat Uno 1.3 Turbo

Lively thing's

Uno turbo Vs Skyline :cool:

RoundyMooney

Marvellous indeed, but tragically breakable-which is beside the point of course.

Armin_Tamzarian

I thought that this was quite insane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5mkRUbaRUE&NR=1

It's s 205 with a TT engine from a Toyota Supra fitted.
Just to add to the insanity they swapped in a big single turbo
instead of the twin.
Yep, sticking 400+ Bhp into a 205, what could go wrong?

gorfield

Longshanks100 wrote: »

Does this count?

Defo,i own one and its absoloutely brilliant. Very expensive though. They are getting affordable now though and would devour a cooper s, clio 197, polo etc. Although iv just driven the 160bhp fiat 500 and its a close one!! wudnt ever buy a fiat with my own money tho...........

gorfield

Limerick man wrote: »

:eek:
Who owns that....

I likes

I have one exactly like pic for sale if u REALLY like it????????//

L-M

gorfield wrote: »

I have one exactly like pic for sale if u REALLY like it????????//

I'll swap you my Golf for it?:P

Other than that no, because i'm still recovering after getting fleeced on my insurance:(

spav

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Ah yes, the Panda 100bhp, have been wanting one of those in the past weeks, (i go through phases of wanting cars!) Perhaps a trip to the uk is what's called for! As there's practically zero of them in Ireland, and the ones that are here are too expensive! I could get an 06 landed in Ireland for under 6k incl vrt ect....

I bought one back in September and was told that there are only 20 or so in Ireland.

The list price here is about €17k I believe, and as they're so rare it's hard to get much of a discount (mine was €13,750 ex demo with about 2,500km on the clock).

You can get a brand new one in the Uk for around £7k I believe.

Cracking little car, especially at that price.

Drummerboy08

markos79 wrote: »

my misses drives one of these, quick little car 1.6 dohc 125 bhp.fun car to drive.:D

I think these yokes are the business. I must get on to the Suzuki dealer and try and bag one for a weekend.....

What about this yoke? I remember driving one ages ago and i thought it was the best fun i've had in a small car ever! (Well apart from....actually no i wont go there )

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1297020

Cionád

galwaytt wrote: »

I hereby confess to buying a NEW Cinquecent Sporting. In Yellow. In 1996. Loved that car.

Haha, I wanted a yellow cinquecento when I was a kid! Everytime I see them on the road these days they look like they're going to blow over.

Nowadays, that 500 abarth would be my choice of the mini-motors. New small cars look so solid too, the comparison to the olden days is amazing!

cjt156

I'd be seriously torn between the 500 Abarth and the MiTo GTA. I love that "oh look at the cute little...oh fcuk what just happened" factor.

Looking at a 1.2 500 in the work car park the other day; HUUUUGE alloys, teeny-weeny drum brakes!

Owen

If you're into the little Cinquencento, he's one a guy called Dangeruss did - he does some pretty amazing 3d car art on http://dangeruss.deviantart.com/gallery/

spav

cjt156 wrote: »

I'd be seriously torn between the 500 Abarth and the MiTo GTA. I love that "oh look at the cute little...oh fcuk what just happened" factor.

Looking at a 1.2 500 in the work car park the other day; HUUUUGE alloys, teeny-weeny drum brakes!

The 1.4 Sport has discs all round - same engine and running gear as the Panda 100hp, albeit slightly heavier.

The Abarth is lovely but could be a pain to own. As far as I know there are only about 20 service centres in the whole of the UK - no idea how many in Ireland (if any). I'm quite taken with the Grande Punto Abarth, but the service issue puts me off slightly. That, and the fact I can in no way afford it.

I think the MiTo is really ugly, personally. Looks OK in publicity shots, but horrid in more candid photos.

B00MSTICK

Micra ST is on my list of "cars I would like to have a go in"

omega man

gorfield wrote: »

Defo,i own one and its absoloutely brilliant. Very expensive though. They are getting affordable now though and would devour a cooper s, clio 197, polo etc. Although iv just driven the 160bhp fiat 500 and its a close one!! wudnt ever buy a fiat with my own money tho...........

Doubt it would 'devour' a cooper S or the clio 197, polo GTI yes but thats not fast at all really is it. I actually like the corsa (and astra) OPC but slightly too max power-ish for me to have bought one. Where does the line between a 'baby hot hatch' and a 'warm/hot hatch' begin and end? I would class the 500 abarth as a baby hot hatch easy and the Mini cooper S as a hot hatch but where does the likes of the Punto abarth, Corsa OPC etc sit?