Any Colour as Long as it is Orange!

Howdy,

I don't know what it is with me and orange coloured cars. I have a real love for orange colour cars.

I've not had the silver 2012 Audi TTS Roadster for so long now, but already I'm feeling like I made a mistake. For a sportscar/2-door, it should be any colour as long as it is orange!

There are a few cars that would suit me and look good in orange. This is a list of them in alphabetical order:

• Audi TTS/RS coupe
• BMW 2 series (M2 even)
• Lotus Elise/Exige
• Mazda MX-5
• Toyota GT86

An example Audi TTS at £44'950:

An example BMW 2 series (M240i) at £22'795:

An example Lotus Elise at £38'650:

An example Mazda MX-5 at £26,563:

An example Toyota GT86 at £19'000 (private):

My thoughts:

• Audi TTS: I like it but they are sort of wide and surprisingly heavy cars.
• BMW M240i: I like it, it has a 6-cyclinder engine and is very quick, but I've never really been that attracted to BMW's.
• Lotus Elise: I love Lotus but if anything not Toyota does break, parts can be tricky.
• Mazda MX-5: Really, you can't go wrong with a Mazda MX-5. Perfectly enough power for road use (not too much, not too little.) A nice compact and light little car. Really, this is the successor to the Lotus Elan. And Japanese reliability.
• Toyota GT86: Again, Japanese reliability. Looks great. Not the greatest interior (this is where you spend most of your time.)

My feeling at this precise moment in time is:

• Audi TTS: NO (too expensive and too fat)
• BMW: NO (does not have sportscar looks)
• Lotus: NO (too expensive and challenges with finding a decent mechanic to look after it)
• Mazda MX-5: YES (the perfect fun little sportscar)
• Toyota GT86: NO (looks great but not really fast enough - GR86 is another thing but they are expensive and I've not seen them in orange.)

So MX-5 it is!

But will I really get one!?

Truthfully, I don't have the funds. I don't want to finance a car, especially a sportscar (if it's an essential need, fair enough, but a sportscar/second-car is definitely not essential.) Also, I'd really like to get the white Audi A3 back again (been nearly 3 months now) and maybe once it is back, I won't need another car (I really don't need two cars.)

Whilst I enjoy my cars, I don't think I enjoy them so much that they've been worth all the hassle and expense. If I sell the TTS now, it will have lost me thousands in the space of a few months. Much better to keep it as a reserve/good weather car and maybe even make it my own. Things I could do to the TTS:

• Wrap/repaint it orange
• Exhaust & Map (make it a little faster)
• New sound system
• New car mats (yeah, a very little one, but they are getting a bit tatty.)
• Lightweight bucket seats

Time to make the best of what I've got and not lust after the best I can afford (at a stretch)!?

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything!" - Zig Ziglar