What's the top retirement-present car for £60K?

Want a new car but don't know where to start? Just send us your criteria and we'll give you our top new and used car choices, and even tell you how much we can save you...

Autocar

19 February 2019

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We've been asked to help a motorist with a budget of £60,000 find a sports car - here's what we came up with

The question:

"I've just retired after selling my business, and having driven executive saloons for most of my working life, I now want a sports car with which to have some fun. Crucially, I'd like to be able to use it every day, so it needs to be spacious enough for me and my wife to take on longer trips. I don't especially care about fuel economy, but I would like something reasonably sensible for my budget, which is around £60,000. What would you suggest? Nick

The brief: Sports car, most likely with a petrol engine; Usable every day; Reasonably spacious

So what are our recommendations?
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Buying new

Our recommended choice: Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio auto

If you're looking for a sports car you can use every day, look no further, because Whar Car? named the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio as their Sports Car of the Year for 2018. Why? Well, as well as being based on the already well-regarded Giulia executive saloon, the Quadrifoglio has a storming 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine under its bonnet with 503bhp on tap. That means you'll be able to crack the 0-62mph sprint in 3.9sec and keep accelerating on to a top speed of 191mph.

Inside, the Quadrifoglio is just as practical as the regular car – that is to say very practical indeed, with comfortable sports seats in the front and good-sized seats in the rear. The boot will easily take a couple of large suitcases or a set of golf clubs, too.
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Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio auto - interior

But what about fuel economy? Well, while you'll be visiting the petrol station more than you would in the regular Giulia, the Quadrifoglio's emissions and economy are actually competitive for this class. Just watch out for some fairly eye-watering servicing costs.

List price: £62,500

What Car? Target Price: £60,683

What are the other options?
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Porsche 718 Cayman 2.0 PDK

The Cayman is a joy to drive and beautifully built, but watch out for its poor fuel economy.
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Porsche 718 Cayman 2.0 PDK - interior

Still, we think it's one of the best sports cars on the planet.

List price: £45,467

What Car? Target Price: £45,467

More ideas:
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Audi TT RS quattro S tronic

It's not the sharpest sports car around, but Audi's go-faster version of the TT coupé offers jaw-dropping performance and a wonderfully classy interior.
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Audi TT RS quattro S tronic - interior

It's pretty practical by the standards of this class, too.

List price: £54,230

Target Price: £51,462

So that's the new-car options - what about the used-car ones?
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Our recommended choice: 2012 Porsche 911

The Porsche 911 is an institution that has been going for more than 55 years, thanks to continual improvements that have turned it into the best sports car you can buy – at any price.

Even the standard 911 is a bit of a back road weapon, with 350bhp, a top speed of 179mph and a 0-62mph sprint time of 4.8sec. A car equipped with the PDK (Porsche's automatic gearbox) would be faster still, but since this seven-speed manual is so nice to use, you won’t feel hard done by.
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2012 Porsche 911 - interior

What’s more, the 911's handling is beautifully balanced, its steering is accurate and well-weighted and its grip levels are phenomenal. Traction off the line is also superb, thanks to the weight of the engine being at the back.

Arguably, the 911 is an even better purchase when used, because while a new 911 will cost you nearly £80,000, the 2012 example we found is just £55,000. And since every 911 re-style is so conservative, you could put a private numberplate on it and few would notice that it wasn’t factory-fresh.

Also, the 911 is so well built that you can still depend on it every day, and approved used examples like the one we've spotted are supplied with a two-year Porsche warranty for additional peace of mind. Fast and fun yet practical – the perfect retirement present.

Price: £55,000

Mileage: 31,857

What are the other used-car options?
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2017 Jaguar F-Type 5.0 V8 R AWD

If you fancy something that’s a bit more exhilarating, the F-Type R could be the answer.
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2017 Jaguar F-Type 5.0 V8 R AWD - interior

It also comes with two years of warranty cover, but it also has a thunderous 550bhp 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine that’ll launch you from 0-62mph in less than four seconds. The example we found has four-wheel drive for added traction in the wet.

Price: £60,000

Mileage: 11,851
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2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupé Premium

Another performance car with a thumping great V8 petrol engine is the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupé.
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2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupé Premium - interior

It will be a great choice if you need something practical, because it has a large boot, but you’ll no doubt fall for its exhilarating engine and glorious exhaust note.

Price: £58,000

Mileage: 2516
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Final verdict: Buy used

We think you could have tremendous fun in any of our new or used recommendations, but there's one car here that is, quite simply, the ultimate sports car: the Porsche 911. It's fast, stylish, luxurious inside and outrageously good fun to drive, and it can be practical enough to use as your main car. What's more, the used example we found, with just 31,000 miles on the clock, shows that it needn't cost the Earth to buy.

If that doesn't float your boat, rest assured that the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is still brilliant to drive and pleasantly practical. For our money, though, we'd buy used.

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