I don’t have a dream garage. But I figure a dream garage needs a sports car. I’m not going to stick to a rigid definition; here we have convertibles, hatches, coupes; two-seaters and four. Cars that respond to enthusiastic driving, rather than screeching their tyres in horror.
What do we find if we go looking for affordable sports cars? To perhaps inject an added dose of practicality, let’s restrict it to cars made this century, i.e. available from 2000-on. Hopefully that way we’ll avoid having to spend too much on repairs. I figure if a car breaks down, it has failed at its core purpose. Let’s make this cutoff a bit flexible, but without stretching it too often.
Perhaps surprisingly (or maybe not) almost everything on the list is Japanese. I’ve included a MINI Cooper. They’re fun to drive, but older ones would have a big question mark over them from the perspective of likelihood of things going wrong. Not a factor for a model. I’ve also included the original BMW Z3 roadster (1995-2002), though a BMW of that age could be a gamble. An M3, though nice, might fall at that ‘affordable’ hurdle. Then there’s the upkeep. Guess affordability is a relative concept.
Although the Subaru Impreza WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo would certainly qualify as a sporting drive, I’ve omitted them from today’s story because a) they will have or have had their own stories and b) they’re sedans. Not denying their ability, but this isn’t about sedans.
Here’s a couple of Nissan 350Zs to start things going. The stock one is nice enough, undoubtedly and uncompromisingly a sports car, but the NISMO edition has just enough subtle goodies to show it means business, without turning into a cartoon, like some tuner cars.
Naturally Mazda’s FD RX7 fits in here. Being selective, I’ve brought along the stock car (well, I’m not sure about that spoiler) and also the factory A-spec version. I quite like the lights of the A-Spec, though those wheels are something of an acquired taste. At a quick glance they look like chromed steelies.
Naturally the Subaru BRZ fits in here, as would the identical Toyota 86, if I had one. So we’ll have two photos of the Subie instead.
What, Daihatsu? Indeed. The 2002-12 Copen is arguably more of a ‘good times’ small motorized-hardtop convertible than a sports car, but it has a turboed 660 in JDM form, or a 1.3 for export. Rather than outright go, the chassis is the attraction, I’m told. The orange/black Pandora car shows what Japanese tuners can do with this. The bodykit is supposed to look reminiscent of a 911; I saw some Veyron and painted it accordingly.
The CRX is unquestionably a sports coupe, but it doesn’t make our year limit, even if I stretch it. What about the Del Sol, though? It was produced until 1998, so I’ll allow it. But is it worthy? Well, on the plus side the targa top makes it an open two-seater – which seems promising – but isn’t it a bit soft? It seemed Honda was turning its back on pure sport and making a comfy cruiser out of it. Extra weight and complexity do not necessarily make for a better drive.
Honda has a few Type R Civics which would fit in, being hot hatches.
There’s this 1997-2001 EK9.
And the 2001- 2007 EP3. I think this Fujimi kit’s proportions are a bit off.
Later Civics, though including a Type R, were not available as kits – unless your budget stretched to multi-hundred-dollar limited-issue resin kits. Mine doesn’t.
But then there’s these. Sold as Acuras in North America, but Hondas to the rest of us:
The Integra fits into this grouping brilliantly. The DC2 just squeezes into this century, with its successor the DC5 arriving in 2001. But are there any standard ones left?
Here’s some ‘Affordable’ sport from BMW. Made from 1995-2002, this Z3 is certainly a sports car
But can we have an M3, you ask? Indeed, an M3 would be nice. A cheap one might not be, though, but as far as years are concerned, this E36 almost makes our cutoff, so I’ll include it – writer’s privilege! Plus you get that marvellous S50 six.
Fun to drive, plenty of power, amazing FWD chassis – the first-generation BMW MINI certainly kept the character of the old car. Just don’t count on carrying anybody in the back seat more than once. We had a third-gen Cooper. Great fun to be in, undoubtedly sporting, but wary of potential repair costs, we traded our ‘15 at five years, just in case.
Honda does an open roadster, par excellence. The old Honda, that is, before Soichiro died, and the company got boring.
The mid-engined kei Beat misses out, being last produced in 1996 – that’s a bit too much of a stretch to include.
Just in case you can’t place what I’m talking about. But remember.
This Sprinter is a Corolla variation, but like nothing ever exported to my country. This AE111 series just squeezes into our cutoff, being produced from 1995-2000. In this Trueno BZ-G form it packed a 20-valve 4A-GE and six speed. Why is it that some manufacturers never export the good stuff?
I’ll stretch my flexible cutoff back a year to include this ST205 Celica GT Four. This was Toyota’s last rally special based in the Celica, as it had grown too large and was replaced by a Corolla-based car. It would have to be the ultimate Celica, and is rarely encountered. Now that I think about it, you don’t see many Celicas of any sort around these days.
The S15 is the last of the line of Nissan Silvias. It was only in production from 1999 to 2002, and was not replaced. I have two stock ones above, and two tuner cars below, by Top Secret (green) and Veilside (blue).
I find it amusingly ironic that a company named Top Secret produces such visually-obvious cars, though you can blame me for that violent green. The Veilside car shows all their usual highly-styled bodykit addenda, slightly toned down by the blue paint.
Time to go. See you next week!
Peter: The BMW is my choice, although I never really cared for the extra enhancements of the ‘M’ spec. I had the opportunity to keep one for a test drive, inline 6/manual and was contemplating purchasing it, but alas! a woman bought it on a Saturday afternoon, and totaled it on the following Monday!!
Oh no! That must’ve been awful, to have it sold to someone who couldn’t handle it.
This is my era. Love this installment. I really like the inclusion of the Daihatsu Copen, especially the Pandora kit. Nicely done, and nicely painted. I am quite fond of the more obscure wheels on your FD RX-7 model, too, but I’m curious as to why you didn’t showcase one of the crazier bodykits available for the FD? Perhaps Veilside, and/or ABFlug would’ve been a neat choice here. The S15s are really neat too, though I’m curious why you strayed away from the signature colors on the Top Secret and Veilside cars. Nice kits, and nice job painting and detailing them. Great batch of cars this time around. I do have a suggestion though, for a next batch of this genre of cars. Can you include a Daihatsu Copen in stock form, and R33 Skyline or perhaps a Subaru SVX, or are you gonna do one for the big JDM heavyweights?
Hi Colin, and thanks.
It comes down to how much space is available to me, what I have to choose from, and what’s most likely to be appreciated here.
While I do have some models with crazy bodykits, most of the folk here prefer closer to stock. Okay, I can live with that. So for the FD, while I could have shown the Initial D car (below), I didn’t. RE-Amemiya, I think; crazy enough?
Colours, well I always like to go my own way. And I always try to avoid copying the box art. For the Veilside car, silver, red or grey (as per their website) are SO predictable. I figure a shape so unexpected calls for an unexpected colour, then threw a two-colour fade into the mix. Likewise the Top Secret car. I was just getting into tuners when I built that one.
The eggplant-coloured Copen is stock, though admittedly it’s the Ultimate Edition, so it’s a bit more dressed-up than usual. R33s I have aplenty, and showed them all when I wrote up my five-part Skyline history – but if there’s an SVX kit I’d love to know about it. I’d have built half a dozen by now! 😉
oh cool. I really like that reasoning, and I somehow missed the Skyline post? I will keep my eyes peeled for an SVX kit 😀
Little-known trick: click on the author’s name under the heading and it brings up a link to every article they’ve written here. In my case we’re now up to 101 articles on models! Here’s the link to R33s (and 34s):
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/miniatures-toys/cc-in-scale-nissan-skyline-part-3b-r33-and-34/
Going back from there you’ll find the rest of my Skyline history articles.
According to my Japanese friends the SVX was never done as a kit. Sad, I know,
Your opening sentence is a great hook – I’ve long thought that scale models, whether bought assembled or built like yours, are a ticket into a fantasy garage of sorts.
Loved that you included some 350Zs. I wasn’t super crazy about them when new (I liked them okay), but now they turn my head.
Great assortment!
Thanks Joseph, I think a dream garage is something we’d all like to have.
You could say I have a dream garage in scale, but it’s much broader than that as it includes models from a lifetime of building; including things which appealed to a younger me and reflect that, things which reflected a passing interest now gone, things given to me which I would not have chosen – and so on.
Yes, I have also found the 350Z has grown on me, especially since the 370Z came out – and now that too has been replaced. Tempus fugit!
Very nice slice of an era lost to us; most of these cars have no successors, and some of those that do sell in very small numbers.
A Fiat Coupé, a Mustang and a Camaro/Firebird would complement nicely your selection: different philosophies but affordable fun!
Yes, Gianluca, a very good point about the Fiat Coupe. Unfortunately the regular model companies don’t seem to have done one. BTW, Google has some very funny ideas about Fiat coupes! Fujimi did a Barchetta, which might suit this grouping – but I don’t have one of those.
To be honest, the Mustangs and Camaros never even occurred to me! A very different philosophy as you say. Not that I haven’t built them…..
Interesting selection, Peter and so well made and presented. Given the time span I did wonder if there might be an MGF, but on searching I don’t think anyone’s made a 1:24 version.
Thanks Bernard. An MGF (or a TF) would have fitted in well, but as you say there isn’t one – unless some aftermarket resin kit producer does one. On the other hand, with the fast-rising popularity of 3D printing in the hobby, the files do exist to print your own (I checked) – but that’s not an area I’m familiar with.
This was a great period for sporty import coupes and roadsters. I would have said Japanese cars, but as you added a few from other manufacturers. There were so many to choose from back then, now there are only a few available. Looking at older used cars, too many examples have been thrashed or have too many miles to take a chance on. I had considered a new CRX at one time, but instead chose a ’90 Civic SI couple. A very versatile, usable, practical, and fun to drive vehicle. It remains one of the best cars that I ever owned.
Thank you, Jose. I didn’t want to make this story all-Japanese, but aside from the more high-end Europeans there wasn’t much more available in this kind of car, in my country or I suspect in yours. Companies like Fiat and Renault, which were common here in my childhood days, had been pushed to the margins (or pushed out altogether) years before. It sounds like your Civic coupe is a perfect example of the reason why.