Right, as most of you know... I want to get a barchetta, I'm faily certain I am, BUT... There are some strong contenders, and I can only have one (for the time being anyway). I'm a way off getting anything at the moment, because I want to get a propper job before I do anything silly, like buy a car.

Above are the options, and below are some pics of the cars. So vote based on the following criteria

1) Insurance, maintenance is not an issue, its about the same on all of them except for the Fiat Coupé which is held to gether with sticky tape and chewing gum.

2) Is it too much of a 'hairdresser' type car (that pretty much rules the MX5 out)

3) Is unusual enough (which brings us back to the barchetta)

See pics below

I would say Coop if you can afford a 20VT


Although tbh not actually been in a Barchetta....

I'd get the Coop, and definately the 20VT. The Barchetta is a fab car but if you need to ever carry peeps or you buy something big, a Coop is going to be more practical. Also with the Barchetta being LHD, it can mae it awkward to judge when to overtake efficiently.

if you can afford the high costs of coupe ownership then i would say fiat coupe!

I wouldn't touch a coupe with a barge pole, too many problems with it and the costs of repairs are extortionate. Why is no-one talking about the Alfa? It's the most beautiful car there, if I saw you driving that Alfa I would be very very jealous.

P.S. The barchetta looks like a chunkier version of the mx-5, which is definately a 'hairdressers' car.

TBH the appeal of the Barchetta is the LHD and the fact that it is stupidly impractical, the GTV is a surperb looking, but its an alfa from the mid ninties so its going to fall apart like the coupe, and the MX5 is just cheep and cheerful

sammiboo said:

if you can afford the high costs of coupe ownership then i would say fiat coupe!

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I had a feeling you might say that

Like most, coupé if you can afford it, but remember you're getting close to super car performance so expect high costs eh Sammi.

Does anybody know if the GTV is based on the coupe at all? I have always wondered and asked a few times but nobody has ever said either way.

Paul, I'm not sure, I did ask a while back and the general consensus was no, but nobody could provide any evidence... I personally think it has the same chassis, but the T-Spark engine I believe is unique to Alfa.

Yeah I agree with that, I just think they look far too similar to be not based on some similar items, but looks can be deceptive.

This site suggests so but it's not exactly evidence lol

http://www.usedcarmart.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=1394&postcount=9

I know they are a tad expensive but have you looked at a Toyota Supra twin turbo? Bloody fast and very good looking (the new model that is)

i seen a rhd barchetta in autotrader the other day, was yellow ...i think

i love the barchetta, got more balls than the mx5

can you afford to run all these cars, not just insurance, but all the 'unforseeable' , the barchetta is basically a punto in nicer clothing so i would imagine cheap to maintain

LOL @ Darkcircuit.... I remember you telling me you wanted a coupe the other week

Just to set the record straight, the coupe isnt more unreliable as any other fiat its just the fact that because its a sports car then expect to pay sports car prices!

Looking at some pics of coupes that have had major crashes and people have walked out of these alive i personally think they are well built.

If you want honest opinion then vist the coupe forum, they will tell you what the pros and cons of owning one... If you have a drive of a coupe then i am sure you would want one.

TBH Alex you have had your eye on the barchetta for a long time and said how much you like it so why not stick with that? There isnt many about and they are nice cars.

darkcircuitUK said:

I wouldn't touch a coupe with a barge pole, too many problems with it and the costs of repairs are extortionate. Why is no-one talking about the Alfa? It's the most beautiful car there...

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The Coupe does have problems, but these are mostly limited to the 20V Turbo. The 20V or 16V would be more equivalent to any of these other cars. While Coupe repair costs aren't exactly cheap, they aren't exactly extortionate either. Personally I wouldn't say the Alfa is that great looking. The headlights are too small, the back seat is useful only if your passengers have no legs, and sitting in one is like looking through a letter box, the windscreen's that small.
The Coupe and the GTV share the same floorpan, which is that of the Tipo. Shame it took Alfa years to put a powerful engine in (the V6).
If you see a RHD Barchetta, it's been converted. They only made them in LHD. They are so cheap new you might as well buy one new!
The MX5 is supposed to be a great driver's car, with RWD. However, as it's from Japan, the interior is crap.
And I wouldn't say the Coupe is "close to supercar performance". None of this lot are.
H

darkcircuitUK said:

I know they are a tad expensive but have you looked at a Toyota Supra twin turbo? Bloody fast and very good looking (the new model that is)

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Saw one today... £4500 jap import so a definate no no.

Yeah it sucks that they are an import, but they are a really beautiful car and MUCH faster than any of the others that you have listed there. We can only dream eh

sammiboo said:

LOL @ Darkcircuit.... I remember you telling me you wanted a coupe the other week

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I said that so you wouldn't bite my head off when I was insulting yours lol

sammiboo said:

TBH Alex you have had your eye on the barchetta for a long time and said how much you like it so why not stick with that? There isnt many about and they are nice cars.

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I know... I know... Just want to make sure that I'm not missing something. In all honesty, I don't think the FIAT coupe is for me. The GTV is sooo tempting, and it would mean I could be rid of the escort too, where as I'd have to keep it if I got the barchetta because I'm goint to need something to haul my parents too and from the airport with where as they could just about squeze into the alfa. I threw the MX5 in just to check that everybody else thought :yuck: about it too, and there are far too many Eunos Roadsters on the streets!

EDIT: My folks could just catch a taxi

EDIT AGAIN!: Local dealer has a Barchetta in the show room (I saw it on Autotrader), and I can't get there now until tomorrow... but I'm going on holiday tomorrow for a month

Alex i really think you should go for the barchetta... why dont you have a test drive of the Barchetta and the Alfa, then you should know which is for you