Home
News
Esprit Models
Owners
Esprit History
For Sale
Other Stuff
Roadtests
Buying & Running
Parts & Specialists
Other Esprit Stuff

Smarter for Ten?
Panda just a little too.... Sensible?
We find out what else you can buy for £10k – if you're prepared to go second-hand

Evo Magazine January 2007

So, the Panda 100HP is a hoot, as much fun as you could reasonably expect of a new car that dips below the £10k mark. But is it enough? Is it too sensible for a super-unleaded-fuelled enthuiast? Maybe your expectations are higher, maybe you don't care too much for warranties and budget insurance premiums.

Maybe you spend too many hours perusing websites and glossy mags stuffed full of irresistible bargains to even think of sinking ten big ones into a car designed for the real world when the same money could buy you a ticket to B-road or trackday heaven. Maybe we can help you out...

Let's assume you want your £10,000 to buy you more than just a bit of fluffy fun. You want excitement, speed, a sense of occasion when you settle behind the wheel and a flush of pride every time you open the garage. We understand. We're afflicted with the same disease. And so it came to pass that we started thinking about what we'd buy with our very own ten grand. The list, whittled down from a dozen or so to just seven, has everything from mid-engined supercar to rear-engined hatch via big brawny saloon and loony Japanese coupe. Let's take a look at our £10k heroes.

The Lotus Esprit is pure fantasyland, the antithesis of the Panda. But it had to be here. It's the real deal, a supercar for supermini money, and it looks so good it reduces men to schoolboys at fifty paces. As does the Clio V6, a car of humble origins and questionable dynamics in its early life, but also blessed with an effortless charisma. Deep down it might be 'just' a Renault Clio, but it looks, feels and sounds incredibly exotic. How do they do that?

return to top
home email news esprit models road tests buying an esprit running an esprit esprit owners maintenance pictures for sale history Lotus models links