Took it for a decent test drive and there's a lot to like about it.
(It's quite remarkable really, I parked a distance away from the dealer and turned up on the forecourt looking it over (so I wasn't seen arriving in my own car), guy came out and chatted to me about it for a bit, and then just gave me the key and said take it for a drive. Like, he didn't even check if I could drive, had my own car, or even had a driver's licence, or anything. Literally just 'Yeah here's the key for this 300bhp 155mph car, off you go'.)
Took it for a drive to Peel and back, stopping on the way back at a picnic area to pop the bonnet and give it a good look over. It's a good drive as it's got twisty bits and fast bits and bumpy bits, nice quiet road too.
PROS:
Comfortable and practical, not too big.
Stupidly fast.
Handles nicely.
Not too noisy or flashy.
Reasonable number of toys on it but not all.
Seemed to run perfectly.
I mentioned fast right? But seriously, in a straight line it's insane.
The DSG works really well and is incredibly smooth.
CONS:
I wouldn't call it 'tatty' or 'scruffy' but it definitely looked like it could have done with being looked after better. There were a couple of scuffs and scratches, and it's had a minor ding at the back which has put a small crack in the plastic of the bumper and popped it out of its housing slightly towards the wheel arch.
Similarly the interior isn't perfect, some of the switchgear is visibly worn, and it could have done with a clean. The thing is, my Civic is the same age as the R36, and yet its interior and switchgear is immaculate, basically showroom new or not far off. So I don't understand why the R36 doesn't look like that.
(I've been told they've not had it long and it'll be getting a full valet and the body stuff sorted before it's sold.)
It's got a bit of a weird spec, so it has the nav upgrade but no camera, it has an SD slot but I don't think it's got the hard drive. It doesn't have the keyless entry and starting. It does have the upgraded speaker system though.
Under the bonnet wasn't perfect either, I mean, everything was solid and intact but there was sort of 'debris' for want of a better word, like a couple leaves and a bit of muck and stuff, that'd clearly been there for a while. Most worryingly was what also looked like a bit of a silt build-up or something, but I can't imagine it's really been submerged in water.... I should have got a pic of that.
Overall it's hard to explain, it just didn't feel like it'd been looked after the way you'd expect a car of that rarity and expense to have been looked after. Oh yes, like the blue paint had come of the brake callipers in a few places too.
I'm told it's got a full service history from new but he couldn't find it whilst I was there, so I definitely want to see that.
OVERALL:
I'm torn. He's offered £6350 for my Civic, he's said he'll knock the R36 down to £10K and put a year's tax on it which is £463 (!!). Also six month's warranty and a full service before I take it. So I need to put up £3650 cash to make the switch and should then have no expenses other than fuel for a year. I can do that, but I'm not sure I should.
Oh yes on the price the £9650 was an error apparently and it's always supposed to have been £10650. Parkers puts it at £7K but in actual fact it's damn near impossible to find much of a guide on prices, Autotrader has precisely ZERO of them up for sale in the entire UK.
I did find this thread on Pistonheads where someone sold one in 2013 privately for £13100 -
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1286659 - but as you can see, they're seriously rare.
Another mention in that same thread from September 2014 where an '09 R36 went for £11.5K.
Gah! I dunno. Maybe I'll go back over the weekend for another look, and let Mrs Hearthly and Hearthly Jnr take a look......
I'll get some pics if I do and maybe make a short video too, see what you chaps think if you'd be so kind as to let me know your thoughts
Part of me can't help but think it could end up being AMAZINGLY EXPENSIVE if anything big goes wrong though....
It was an epically lovely car to drive though, as fast as a my old Scooby STi but a much nicer environment to go that fast in.