WORLDVIEW: Inferno Orange lesson – fun, and profit, can be made from modestly priced cars

Among my dreams is to one day own a Tesla. But until Elon Musk turbocharges his affordable car strategy, I'm happy to drive a mid-range Peugeot, as much for reliability as affordability. After all, to the rational mind a car is simply a way to get from A to B. Isn't it?.My Biznews colleague Jackie Cameron isn't so sure. She recently acquired a replacement vehicle and picked out an unlikely candidate. She writes: "I'm a scrooge when it comes to buying cars. They depreciate steadily and guzzle cash. Having run over two people in separate incidents (no fault of my own!), I am slow and nervous behind the wheel. .But, this week I found myself driving a cheeky little Inferno Orange sports car out of a used car lot after succumbing to its charms on a high-speed demo around the neighbourhood. My father thought we could do with a second car in the family and found this one tucked at the back of a tightly packed yard of bargain buys in a dodgy neighbourhood..___STEADY_PAYWALL___.The 12-year-old Renault Clio Sport has two exhausts peeking out of its decal-bedecked backside, a hint that its torque and acceleration are a delight to daredevil drivers. Inside, the snug seats, cruise control, metallic racing car style pedals and soft leather steering wheel add to the feeling that this isn't an ordinary A-to-B hatchback – this is a car with serious attitude..When I opined that this 'old banger' could be a car in which my teenage son could learn to drive in a few years, the dealer quickly disabused me of that notion. The engine specs are such that no UK insurer will cover people under a certain age for this particular model because they know what they will get up to on the backroads, he cautioned. My father agreed that the risks are great: 'He's your son. You can never let him drive THIS car.'.The dealer seemed a little peeved, too, that I thought his Renault Sport was in the league of 'bangers'. Some people collect these, he admonished. Others buy them, modify them and put them to the test on the racing circuit, he explained..Colin of Karz assured us that when it came to small sports cars we were getting the deal of the century and that we could expect it to hold its value and possibly be worth more in time. Naturally cynical about second-hand car dealers, I didn't believe him. .But, I wasn't worried about the investment case. This seemed like a functional little car, was easy to park and, above all, was terrific fun to drive..It didn't take long for it to dawn on me that I had just acquired a serious man toy. Heads turned at the service station as I pulled up to fill the tank for the first time. I spotted more people – mostly younger men – eyeing my wheels with envy wherever I was stationary for long enough to notice stares..Back home, I did a quick search. Colin was right. This large engine hot hatch is in demand, commanding several thousand pounds more out there in cyberspace than his selling price. Some versions are even tipped to become future classics, with The Telegraph listing the Trophy among the top 10 cheap cars expected to rise in value. .I'm not relying on this car to turbo-charge my long-term savings, though. For the first time, I'm starting to like driving, so I very much doubt I'll be able to keep it in the pristine condition required to unlock considerable sums later down the line. This one's for pure pleasure.".Although she intends having fun, it looks like Jackie has picked up some of that Scottish frugality supported by her understanding of the financial consequences of the high demand/low supply equation. A result of lots of shopping around – and a dollop of luck. Wonderful attributes when purchasing any big ticket item.

WORLDVIEW: Inferno Orange lesson – fun, and profit, can be made from modestly priced cars

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