Wildcard fast for £30k | Six of the Best

It’d be boring if we all liked the same thing, right? While there’s no denying how good the typical fast and fun cars are, there’s a lot to be said for doing things a little differently. Taking the alternative choice, plumping for the less obvious option, and being a maverick in the best way possible. So that’s what we’re celebrating here; great though a Porsche or a BMW is, the world would be very dull if that’s all there was. So we’ll begin with a car you may not even have heard of: the Melling Wildcat. Al Melling was famous in PH circles back in the day as the designer of the TVR AJP8, and when the brand went bust he embarked on a project to make the car he felt the Griffith always could have been. The Wildcat offered a range of raucous powertrains and a classic roadster aesthetic, but 2008 wasn’t the time to be launching a new sports car brand – it’s believed just seven Wildcats were ever made. This one gets the tried and trusted Chevy 5.7 V8, and has only ever been driven 2,000 miles; one way to stand out at a Sunday Service, that’s for certain…

If the rest of the gang wants to join in with the fun of a British bruiser with an American heart, look no further than the ZT-T 260. A Mustang-engined MG looked like a genius move 20 years ago, aiming to fulfil the potential of the ZT platform with rear-wheel drive and a V8 engine. And the chassis was properly sorted (thanks to some Prodrive help), being loadsa fun in the best front-engined, RWD, long-wheelbase fashion, although the standard tune of the 4.6-litre motor was almost too tame. The MG’s old lump was barely any more powerful than a 330i despite another 1.6-litres and pair of cylinders; sad though it is to think of now, buyers didn’t flock to the V8 MGs. This only serves to make the survivors look even more interesting, especially with a whole heap of power only a supercharger away. This one sat unused for the start of its life, and has now only recorded 30,000 miles. The upside of that, of course, is that it looks basically brand new; there’s surely not a cooler family wagon around for £20k. 

Alright, if an old estate car isn’t quite wildcard-y enough, this ought to be much more like it. A Rage buggy is probably the most fun that can be had with four wheels and an MOT, combining superbike power with rally-raid hardware for the ultimate in go-anywhere thrills. And for a heck of a lot less than an Ariel Nomad, or anything else comparable. If such creature comforts as a windscreen and doors are just too luxurious, and tarmac too ordinary a transport route, a Rage will be just the ticket. According to the advert for this 14-year-old, yet seldom driven, example, a 1.4-litre engine and six-speed sequential should mean 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds. Short of a superbike, you won’t go faster for less money. Or have more of a giggle with an engine and wheels. What a way to get the milk this could be.

If your interest is more in pit lanes than green lanes, perhaps a Tiger Avon will do the trick. You’ll recognise the design from a host of Lotus Seven-style sports cars, because classic track car thrills are best served up that way – so why meddle with it? There’s a Ford Zetec up front, a manual in the middle and a Quaife limited-slip diff for the power rear wheels; with just 600kg to shove along, there’s not very much more a thrill seeker is going to need. This 2016 example was made by the factory and was used as a demonstrator for a period, before covering just 3,500 miles since. So it looks pristine, as well as an absolute hoot for the upcoming track day season. For a good bit less than the more obvious suspects, too…

Perhaps more left field than a genuine wildcard, the 9-3 X Turbo X is nothing if not an interesting take on the speedy Swede formula. At the end of the ’00s, Saab wanted to resurrect its forced induction glory days, and the Turbo X was the result. Offered only in black, it was the most powerful 9-3 ever made – 280hp from a 2.8-litre turbo V6 – harnessed by an all-wheel drive system that featured a rear eLSD as well. With the big wheels and a small suspension drop, the Turbo X looked like a fitting flagship for the smallest Saab range; and if not an outright thriller, the world feels more interesting for a 9-3 like this in it. This one has actually been stored for a decade, so is waiting on a bit of recommissioning, but promises to be a mighty cross-country missile when it’s ready to rock. 

The GT6 gets included as the less obvious option when it comes to old-school sports cars. While the roadsters, the MG Bs, Spitfires, TRs and Austin Healeys of the world, remain the stereotypical Great British classic dream, there are some cool old coupes to consider as well. More than 40,000 GT6s were made across three generations and almost eight years on sale, of which precious few will remain to this day. But with its timelessly smart styling and the straight=six snarl, those after a mini muscle car could do a lot worse than the Triumph. This 1973 car will be one of the last, and has been owned by its current keeper for 34 years. Who kept a record of every single day they owned it. All that for not much more than a Dacia Sandero…