Trophy or tweaked 182?

[Patrick Bateman]

I've been wondering if it makes more sense to buy a regular 182 and tweak the set-up with a good set of coilovers rather than put a lot of miles on something as rare as the Trophy, whilst freeing up an extra ~£2k in the process. Has anyone sampled a tweaked 182 in direct comparison?

My Trophy is on 84k miles now but it's hard to tell what's happening with values and it feels wrong to chuck a load of miles on one that aren't 'fun drives'.

This is in view of adding a third car to accompany the hot hatch and super saloon (M5) in the form of a roadster (likely MX5 NC or similar).

Or should I be happy to drive the Trophy and not worry too much about miles as they're always going to command a decent premium and just save a bit longer to complete the holy trinity as it were? :mask:

My biggest fear would be selling it and really regretting it if prices start to noticeably increase.

 

[Fletcher]

I would 'tweak' the trophy if I was in your shoes.

 

[VR46-G@Z]

You've pretty much got my dream affordable trio if you add an s2000......... :tongueout: M5 for holy s**t, trophy for best ever hot hatch and s2000 for wind in your hair, sunny day, rear wheel drive thrashing! Brilliant!!!

 

[Sesqui89]

As far as I understand it you'd have to spend so much to get anything as good as the trophy that you'd be eating into the ~£2k difference quite considerably anyway. Just keep enjoying the trophy and don't worry about the mileage imo.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

I would 'tweak' the trophy if I was in your shoes.

In what way exactly? The previous owner has fitted a whiteline ARB, scorpion exhaust, strut brace, short shift kit (which I really don't like) and had it remapped.

You've pretty much got my dream affordable trio if you add an s2000......... :tongueout: M5 for holy s**t, trophy for best ever hot hatch and s2000 for wind in your hair, sunny day, rear wheel drive thrashing! Brilliant!!!

Yes the M5 is 'the daily' as it were but it is akin to burning money in terms of maintenance. Part of the idea of a third car is to ease mileage and therefore maintenance on it (just ticked over 150k miles but, like the Trophy, they're pretty rare and adding commuting miles all the time feels guilty) yet adding to the available driving experiences.

 

[VR46-G@Z]

I'd get an s2000 to ease the mileage on the others....a friend has an s2000 gt with the hardtop, he uses it all year round, it's an epic car, they look great with gt pack and lowered with decent alloys!! I'll have one when I can afford it, very very good cars and amazing high up the revs! :smile::up:

 

[Patrick Bateman]

I'd get an s2000 to ease the mileage on the others....a friend has an s2000 gt with the hardtop, he uses it all year round, it's an epic car, they look great with gt pack and lowered with decent alloys!! I'll have one when I can afford it, very very good cars and amazing high up the revs! :smile::up:

Only thing with them is their values have gone up have they not?

I'd be thinking £5k tops but preferably lower come next Summer. The third generation MX5 was ticking the box as it's modern enough, cheap to run and looks like a decent place to sit with things like heated seats, ESP and climate control.

 

[VR46-G@Z]

Yeah a nice s2000 is around 6k now, they have crept up, but as a drivers cars they blow an mx5 away... Anyone who knows cars inside out as the likes of Chris Harris will tell you mx5's are overrated. I like mazda's but the mx5 has never done it for me, and after thrashing an s2000 I wouldn't entertain an mx5 unless it was a gift for my parents!! :smile: :up:

 

[VR46-G@Z]

P.s which M5 have you got?! :smile:

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Any excuse to post a picture...

 

[James Mk1]

I would keep the trophy. It's the ultimate hot hatch (in my eyes). Regardless of prices going up/down or saving money by buying a 182 and tweaking it etc, just keep the Trophy and dont care about the miles. It will happily run to 150k+ i'd imagine if you look after it.

Enjoy it, it's special, even if someone comes a long and says it's just a red 182 with fancy seats and suspension, it's not just that its the whole car/experience as a package.

 

[McGherkin]

Swap M5 for SL63 AMG.

Buy something normal for living with - an estate of some description. I'd go with a Volvo but I'm biased.

Drop an RS2 on the trophy, give it death. The ones that really command the premium will have half the mileage of yours. Enjoy it.

My work here is done.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

I think you have my budget confused with someone better off!

M5 is the one non-negotiable. Apart from loving it, I've spent so much on it I have to get my worth out of it. :grimacing:

 

[VR46-G@Z]

Nice M5 that!! Still think I'm right though, my work here is also done!lol

 

[VR46-G@Z]

I urge anyone who hasn't driven a nice s2000 to do so, they are awesome! I've been lucky enough to go in a lot of special cars due to sharing a lockup with a local millionaire, and I rate my friends s2000 right up there for thrills!! :up:

 

[Sesqui89]

I've never had the pleasure of driving an S2000 but a mate had one a couple of years ago. He's had an E92 335i and an S14a since and still wishes he'd never sold the S2k!

 

[McGherkin]

I think you have my budget confused with someone better off!

M5 is the one non-negotiable. Apart from loving it, I've spent so much on it I have to get my worth out of it. :grimacing:

Oh. I thought you had a new one for some reason.

S2k it is then.

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

Only thing with them is their values have gone up have they not?

I'd be thinking £5k tops but preferably lower come next Summer. The third generation MX5 was ticking the box as it's modern enough, cheap to run and looks like a decent place to sit with things like heated seats, ESP and climate control.

I've known a couple of people to have MK3 MX-5s and I wasn't really impressed to be honest. The interior looks ok from a distance, but once you get into it, it all feels a bit cheap and nasty I found. The ride was always pretty terrible in the Sport models I went in, as bad as my lowered Clio. The wind and road noise was also pretty shocking with the roof up.

Maybe it would be ok on a nice sunny Sunday afternoon if you were in the mood for it, but I thought it was a pretty awful thing really!

 

[Leslie Graham]

I urge anyone who hasn't driven a nice s2000 to do so, they are awesome! I've been lucky enough to go in a lot of special cars due to sharing a lockup with a local millionaire, and I rate my friends s2000 right up there for thrills!! :up:

S2000 is one of the best cars ever. I've done road trips to Italy & Spain and caned it around Spa, Nurburgring & Catalunya. Traded for a BMW 650i with a viee to being sensible and am already back in the market for 3rd S2k. Incredible fun, just incredible

 

[Leslie Graham]

I've never had the pleasure of driving an S2000 but a mate had one a couple of years ago. He's had an E92 335i and an S14a since and still wishes he'd never sold the S2k!

Had a Z4M and a 650i and going back for 3rd S2K. Best machine I've ever owned

 

[VR46-G@Z]

100% agree @Leslie Graham :up:

 

[VR46-G@Z]

When I mention the local millionaire, he changes cars like the wind, his cars have been such as a Ferrari CS, 430, a 458, a 458 speciale and a special edition all carbon Lamborghini Diablo, oh and a LY Clio V6! I've been in all but the Diablo and I still rate my mates S2000 as a great thrill alongside that lot! :up:

 

[ForceIndia]

Drive an s2000 before even thinking of buying. Marmite cars.
Some find them brilliant. Love v tec etc.

I find them dire. Up there with the most disappointing cars I've ever driven. You can replicate the steering and chassis feel by sitting on your sofa, steering with a plate making "vroom" noises. Early ones were truely cuntish things, combining a total lack of feel and interaction, stupid power delivery, and a snappy chassis. Gearshift is epic though. And you'll need it, or the prick in the 320d will muller you. Both have silly power bands, but his is twice as usable.

As once said "nothing, nothing, nothing, vtec yooooooo, ditch"

I'd rather an early Boxster and nightly prayers that the engine doesn't s**t itself.

 

[Dannyeff]

My trophy is on 108k and still driving it every day.. Once the engine goes it will be in bits sadly but had a major service so no worries here!

 

[Leslie Graham]

Drive an s2000 before even thinking of buying. Marmite cars.
Some find them brilliant. Love v tec etc.

I find them dire. Up there with the most disappointing cars I've ever driven. You can replicate the steering and chassis feel by sitting on your sofa, steering with a plate making "vroom" noises. Early ones were truely cuntish things, combining a total lack of feel and interaction, stupid power delivery, and a snappy chassis. Gearshift is epic though. And you'll need it, or the prick in the 320d will muller you. Both have silly power bands, but his is twice as usable.

As once said "nothing, nothing, nothing, vtec yooooooo, ditch"

I'd rather an early Boxster and nightly prayers that the engine doesn't s**t itself.

Must've driven a very very bad one bud. Had quite a few motors in my time and this is by far my favourite.
Each to their own I guess.
Here's my second one... Built up from what was a shambles before... see 3rd pic

 

[Leslie Graham]

And for track too...

 

[ForceIndia]

I've driven 4 in total. The only one that was even slightly enjoyable had a fast road alignment setup done. But even then the steering had feels like Hannibal Lecter, not enough torque. It's a car (imo) for those that are either infatuated with the engineering (understandable), or those that equate flat out speed with fun.
Whereas the mx5 is for those that can understand balance and fun without the need for loads of power (under the right circumstances).
S2000 isn't my kind of car, there's just no feedback from it. Step out of a dc2/5 into an s2000, and it's unbelievable that the same company produced both chassis.
For top down wafting, 3litre z4 is a much nicer place to be. For actually a driving, boxster is on another planet (but potentially a financial killer).

But hey ho, only opinions. I'd keep the trophy. It's going to be a long time before there's real value to keeping one hidden away, and they are made for driving.

 

[Leslie Graham]

I've driven 4 in total. The only one that was even slightly enjoyable had a fast road alignment setup done. But even then the steering had feels like Hannibal Lecter, not enough torque. It's a car (imo) for those that are either infatuated with the engineering (understandable), or those that equate flat out speed with fun.
Whereas the mx5 is for those that can understand balance and fun without the need for loads of power (under the right circumstances).
S2000 isn't my kind of car, there's just no feedback from it. Step out of a dc2/5 into an s2000, and it's unbelievable that the same company produced both chassis.
For top down wafting, 3litre z4 is a much nicer place to be. For actually a driving, boxster is on another planet (but potentially a financial killer).

But hey ho, only opinions. I'd keep the trophy. It's going to be a long time before there's real value to keeping one hidden away, and they are made for driving.

Did the Z4 route myself, kept it 6 months. I'll be going for another S2 for a summer trip to Gibraltar and keep the Clio strictly for track days. Had looked at MX5's before Clio, until I drove one, then past one, then another. Same story continues on track, glad I went Clio route, besides the Clio has a much better forum!!!
Z4 for reference on track at Catalunya...Poor though, wish I had Clio there...

 

[VR46-G@Z]

I don't know enough about the S2000 as an on the limit car as I only drove my friends in a normal manner, if it were my own I'd have certainly explored a bit more...but from what I experienced it was epic as a road car, and what he also says and he's had a lot of nice cars. I believe the op just wants another option to add to his trophy and M5, and I'd take an S2000 all day long over an old folks gutless mx5!

 

[not normal dan]

Tweaked 182, I owned the trophy 309/509 and was a cracking car whilst I had it.

I carried out full suspension and steering refresh, had the dampers rebuilt and powder coated and de-pinned and fitted PMS top mounts and stuck koni adjustables on the rear.

It's the only car I've had that has had members of public come over to me half way across Europe asking for a look but I believe in my opinion there mega over hyped!

Pre my trophy I had a 197 and a 172 (modified) which I enjoyed so much more. Your always restricted with modifying a trophy in fear of putting off potential future buyers and some of the parts are ludicrously expensive.

I loved my trophy and glad to say I've owned one but when you can get a clean 182 for half the money, stick some bilsteins on it and it be just as capable......

 

[RS Charlie]

From a non 182/Trophy owner I'd ask whether you wish to modify a car alot. This IMO will get you closer to the answer you want.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

On the 3rd car note, what about a 350Z convertible?

 

[VR46-G@Z]

Love the 350z!

 

[Patrick Bateman]

I'm just curious as to how the roadster is compared to the coupé. I know they're not the lightest but I'd hope you could still take them on some twisty roads and have fun.

 

[theburns1]

If you just using it as a toy on the road then I'd go trophy, if it was a full on track toy I'd be going 182 with lots of mods. Now I know the trophy is a track car from factory, but to get the most out of a car on track you have to push them. This can result in a crash, spin or just major wear on components. I'd rather do that to a 10 a penny 182 than a rare limited edition trophy with more expensive parts.

 

[Rawhide]

I loved my trophy and glad to say I've owned one but when you can get a clean 182 for half the money, stick some bilsteins on it and it be just as capable......

I'm glad you posted that as it saves me the bother. I have done just the above and it really cost less than half of what I sold my trophy for. Any extra weight is not noticeable, the toys are handy and i think the car is faster on my local roads.

 

[RS Charlie]

From what a few traders have said on here, well Fred @ BTM, he was saying that there was no comparision between the chassis of a Trophy and that of a tweaked 182.

 

[SharkyUK]

Now I know the trophy is a track car from factory, but to get the most out of a car on track you have to push them.

I politely disagree The 172 Cup is more akin to a track car from factory whereas the Trophy is more a B-road warrior. Whilst the Sachs are superb (and expensive!) and a little crashy at times, they really excel on the B-road blasts. Of course, they are also very good on track. However, if track days are your thing then it's best to go with some high-end coilovers rather than the Sachs on the Trophy

 

[cpaterson76]

I politely disagree :smile: The 172 Cup is more akin to a track car from factory whereas the Trophy is more a B-road warrior. Whilst the Sachs are superb (and expensive!) and a little crashy at times, they really excel on the B-road blasts. Of course, they are also very good on track. However, if track days are your thing then it's best to go with some high-end coilovers rather than the Sachs on the Trophy :smile:

Can you remember what that's like???? Sorry Andy, couldn't resist 🙈

 

[SharkyUK]

Can you remember what that's like???? Sorry Andy, couldn't resist 🙈

:car::spanner:With all due respect... sod off! :tonguewink: