Wednesday 13th April
£100K Garage: Lee Stern
Got your £100K Garage bingo card ready?
Got your £100K Garage bingo card ready? Lee has chosen MX-5, M car, GT-R and Renaultsport!
Previously owned : Mazda 2, Mazda MX-5 NB and Vauxhall Corsa
Currently owned : VW Polo
On the shortlist : "Having agonisingly waved farewell to my MX-5 recently, I feel the need to once again steer from the rear. Next on the list for the summer is a battered BMW 3 Series for a trip up to Scotland and a lap of the North Coast 500. To be honest, anything with more power than my Polo (75hp) would be a result.
"A metaphorical £100K could pay off my impending student debt, put a deposit on a house to secure my future, or be spent far more wisely on a dream garage. An eclectic line-up for my garage seems sensible: a car for commuting, another for touring and one for outright fun. But I've not done that... Only cars enabling big smiles will be housed in this garage."
Mazda MX-5 Mk1 Eunos VR ltdCost : £3,650
Balance : £96,350
Why I chose it : "Pop-up headlights! Going slow could not be more fun than in a Mazda MX-5. I had one; I am a believer, all who like the thrill of driving need to learn behind the wheel of the little Mazda. No car has more charm and character with involvement at the forefront of the driving experience.
"The 25 year-old Mazda MX-5 depicts a true PH car. The little Japanese convertible should be the car that pops the rear wheel-drive cherry of all drivers, and I'd urge everyone else to drive or own one given the opportunity. I have been on the end of heckling and abuse like "What time can you do my hair?" or "That's not a real sports car," but it's all lies! This version is equipped with an LSD, so perfect for maximum attack at track days and endless sideways action."
BMW E28 M5
Cost : £29,995
Balance : £66,345
Why I chose it : "What £100K garage would be complete without an M car? In my opinion, the coolest looking M car to date, reaffirmed for me by one doing huge burnouts at the recent Santa Pod Sunday Service. I love the boxy shape of 80s and 90s German saloons. With a small physical footprint by today's standard it is the ideal size and commands the respect demanded by any M car.
"Having crossed Europe in the backseat of my dad's old M cars, my garage wouldn't be complete without one. These cars have hugely impacted my taste as a petrolhead and what I perceive to be a great car."
Nissan GT-RCost : £38,997
Balance : £27,348
Why I chose it : "Albeit now nine years old, I don't think you can go faster for much less. Once again paternal influence is at work here with the GT-R holding a place as one of my all-time favourites.
"This car demonstrates A-to-B speed that very few can match. A cross country sprint beating down damp British roads will see the GT-R flatter and reward you all the way with electronic wizardry helping you maintain eye-popping speed. I am not a fan of this matte one, but if any car suits it, Godzilla does."
Porsche 911 (996) Carrera 2
Cost : £19,995
Balance : £7,353
Why I chose it : "A cliche car but with unique characteristics. That is at least what I have been told about the most important sports car around. That 911 boxer howl is instantly recognisable and one that pulls at my heart strings. I fail to understand people lamenting the 'lazy static design', it still looks perfectly proportioned.
Often seen as the ugly duckling in 911 lineage, I'm a big fan of the 996 with the fried egg headlights. It's the 911 of my generation and this Carrera 2 will also be worth keeping in the garage with the 911 bubble refusing to burst; one day it'll make me a rich man... Hopefully.
Renault Clio 182 TrophyCost : £7,250
Balance : £113
Why I chose it : "Commitment to the cause. This Clio represents the essence of what a hot hatch should be in its rawest and most extreme form. Hailing from the infamous Renaultsport division this is arguably their greatest creation. Who puts race spec dampers in a small hatchback?
"This would be the ultimate track and B-road weapon. The Clio is all about peeling back the layers removing you from driving. Blasting a car down the road with both you and it at the limit is where the Clio will come alive. When I imagine my dream driving experience it's something along those lines.
"Left with £113, I'd buy and bolt the biggest wing I could find to the MX-5. This would ensure onlookers know I'm a serious MX-5 guy, who knows the true use of a spoiler is to guide airflow away from your hair, and not to increase performance."