Fishy Dave
New Member
Hello,
First post here..... I could do with some advice please.
First off, apologies if this seems a cheap plug (it isn't), I own fastfilms.co.uk , part of our work involves using our cars as a filming platform/chase car trackdays. At present we are using a Clio 172, in the past we have used Fiat Coupes.
So, i'm looking for a replacement to the Clio that is going to be more comfortable on long journeys (we cover 20k+ a year), lose less in depreciation and be more stylish.
It still needs to be fairly practical and able to carry our display stand and stock to car shows (guessing the ski hatch will be fine for Gazebo poles?!).
It needs to be fairly rapid on track and able to take 10 or more trackdays a year without costing huge amounts to upgrade or replace parts. Tyres and brakes i can cope with but major suspension or bush overhaul on a regular basis is a no.
I had never previously considered owning any Mercedes, except perhaps the 2.3 or 2.5 190, but just happened to notice that the CLK seem to represent great value at the moment. £6k to £7k seems to give a good choice (our budget) of models, although mileage seems to be a bit high in many cases.
So does a 230k or 320 fit my brief?
Autos seem far more popular, but a manual is pretty much essential. Would i be better off looking for a sport, or would another trim level suit me?
Can the traction control be disabled/re-enabled easily?
Whilst the standard performance figures are not exactly slow, I would like to boost these a little providing this is possible for sensible money, does the 230k make a better option for this by raising boost levels for example?
Do any of you currently track you CLKs? If so, how do you find them? Modifications needed/recommended?
How easy are they to carry out basic servicing yourself? I'm aware that having a full MB history is something that many appear to value, but now the cars I am considering are between £6k and £7k the high premium you pay for MB main dealer stamps may prove to be more costly than any depreciation?
My questions may give the impression that i would be better off with a dedicated trackcar, rather than looking for a do it all road car? However, I would prefer to keep just one nice car that is a compromise in all areas and be something that myself or my Fiancee can drive (we have previously gone down the route of having 3 seperate vehicles, and prefer not to do this again)!
Lastly, I have spent a nice amount of time using your search facility which has answered many of my questions, so hoping you won't mind answering the more track biased questions above.
Cheers, Dave
First post here..... I could do with some advice please.
First off, apologies if this seems a cheap plug (it isn't), I own fastfilms.co.uk , part of our work involves using our cars as a filming platform/chase car trackdays. At present we are using a Clio 172, in the past we have used Fiat Coupes.
So, i'm looking for a replacement to the Clio that is going to be more comfortable on long journeys (we cover 20k+ a year), lose less in depreciation and be more stylish.
It still needs to be fairly practical and able to carry our display stand and stock to car shows (guessing the ski hatch will be fine for Gazebo poles?!).
It needs to be fairly rapid on track and able to take 10 or more trackdays a year without costing huge amounts to upgrade or replace parts. Tyres and brakes i can cope with but major suspension or bush overhaul on a regular basis is a no.
I had never previously considered owning any Mercedes, except perhaps the 2.3 or 2.5 190, but just happened to notice that the CLK seem to represent great value at the moment. £6k to £7k seems to give a good choice (our budget) of models, although mileage seems to be a bit high in many cases.
So does a 230k or 320 fit my brief?
Autos seem far more popular, but a manual is pretty much essential. Would i be better off looking for a sport, or would another trim level suit me?
Can the traction control be disabled/re-enabled easily?
Whilst the standard performance figures are not exactly slow, I would like to boost these a little providing this is possible for sensible money, does the 230k make a better option for this by raising boost levels for example?
Do any of you currently track you CLKs? If so, how do you find them? Modifications needed/recommended?
How easy are they to carry out basic servicing yourself? I'm aware that having a full MB history is something that many appear to value, but now the cars I am considering are between £6k and £7k the high premium you pay for MB main dealer stamps may prove to be more costly than any depreciation?
My questions may give the impression that i would be better off with a dedicated trackcar, rather than looking for a do it all road car? However, I would prefer to keep just one nice car that is a compromise in all areas and be something that myself or my Fiancee can drive (we have previously gone down the route of having 3 seperate vehicles, and prefer not to do this again)!
Lastly, I have spent a nice amount of time using your search facility which has answered many of my questions, so hoping you won't mind answering the more track biased questions above.
Cheers, Dave
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