Yahoo Autos Renault R5 Turbo, Lola T-200, BMW M235i Cup Car: The Dopest Cars I Found For Sale Online
Happy Friday, folks. I realized something this week, which is that my love of rain is maybe not normal. Apparently most people dislike being out in a downpour, while I’ll happily ride a motorcycle through hail. This, I’m told, is weird.
So, when those summer rains come pouring, it sounds like the rest of you need something to do indoors. Maybe something to wrench on out in the garage, where you can keep your heads safe from the horror that is precipitation. Maybe, for those rainy days, you all need one of this week’s Dopest Cars.
1981 Renault R5 Turbo - $259,000
I know the bit up top was about staying out of the rain, but can you think of a vehicle you’d rather drive through inclement weather? Tires spinning, tail sliding as the engine screams behind you.
I’ll admit, hooning a vehicle that costs $260,000 might be harrowing, but it’s what the car is built for. What it deserves. You, presumably rich Jalopnik reader, should give this car what it deserves.
1995 Kawasaki KLR - $1,500
I love when sellers describe a bike as “ready to go” when it is absolutely not ready to go. Sure, it’s all rusted and missing an airbox and exhaust, but it’s totally ready. Thumb the starter and let her rip.
Honestly, that would probably work, given the unkillable reputation of the KLR. Plus, even if it doesn’t run, you can’t say that livery along isn’t worth $1,500. Remember when Taco Bell looked like this?
2013 Scion FR-S - $4,200
This FR-S may not have an “engine” in the traditional sense — inside the vehicle, connected to the wheels, capable of producing movement — but it does have a V8 that has at least once sat between the front wheels. No word on whether it was ever connected to the drivetrain, but it’s a start. It also has a busted rod bearing, so, maybe not a start.
For just over four grand, with what appears to be a motivated seller, you could own one of the best chassis of the modern era. Put a 2J, a K24, an LS, whatever you want under the hood. Drive it Flintstones style, it’d still be a blast.
Lola T-200 - $25,000
You need an open wheel race car. I don’t say this lightly, and I don’t say it untruthfully: You need this. On Maslow’s pyramid of needs, this Lola is right down at the bottom with food and shelter.
You can argue that you’d survive without a bright yellow single seat Lola, and I might even believe you. But would you live? Would you really? Is a Lola-free existence truly as good as you deserve? I say not.
1985 Saab 900 Turbo - $7,500
Saab really nailed the whole “car design” thing early on. The proportions, the wheels, the front end, everything here is just perfect. I would argue, unironically, that this looks better than an E-Type.
Also, can we talk about the three car setup happening here? A Boxster, a 900 Turbo, and that GM box out back. That’s a perfect combination for every purpose right there.
1988 Chevrolet 2500 - $11,999
Sometimes you just need a good pickup. This is a good pickup. In fact, with that front end and those wheels, I’d call it a great pickup. If you’ve got taste, you’ll call it the same.
Two doors, one bed, four wheels; it’s a truck meant to do actual Truck Stuff without complaint or worry. It’s a workhorse. It’s what a truck really should be, at the end of the day.
2003 Honda S2000 - $12,900
I complained earlier this week that S2000s are too expensive, and I stand by that assessment. This, though, is proof that not every S2K is entirely out of reach. You just need one that’s been heavily modded to slip within the budget.
This S2000 has been widebodied and aerokitted, the interior’s been swapped for race seats, and the whole car’s been autocrossed. It’s been beat on, sure, but it’s also likely been cared for in that time. Worth the risk for a low-price entry point into a fantastic car?
2016 BMW M235i Cup Car - $90,000
Or, if you want a true track car without all those pesky mods, why not go with the factory built option? This M235i still has the race seats, widebody, and suspension considerations from that S2000, but here they’ve all been applied by BMW engineers.
The M235i will likely have fewer quirks than the S2000, but it’s hard to say which would be more fun at the end of the day. Maybe you need both, just to compare. You didn’t get the Renault, so you’ve got the budget, right?
1993 Honda Del Sol - $7,000
I’ve kind of come around on the whole “engine sticking out of the hood” thing. I used to think it was dumb, now I think it’s dumb in a fun way. It’s like stance, I can’t help but enjoy it.
Whether this Del Sol’s aesthetic appeals to you, with the wheels and the camber and the dash decal, only you can decide. I’d just implore you to keep an open mind around that hood. How else are you going to show off that B15 swap?
2019 Honda CB650R - $8,000
I rarely, if ever, see these CB650s on the road. Riding along, street parked, it doesn’t matter — they’re so rare out here. Is that everywhere, are they just rare bikes, or are we missing out in New York?
Either way, it’s a shame. These should be the modern UJM, but people seem to prefer more specialized bikes nowadays. There’s an interesting piece in there, with this market preference for more specialized bikes while buyers actually go for the omnicapable ADVs, but that’s beyond the scope of Dopest. Buy a CB.
1990 Mazda Miata - $4,400
A clean NA6 Miata with its original wheels intact? Missing the center caps, sure, but these Minilite-lites always looked better without them anyway. Pro tip: Get some plumbing caps from Home Depot, round them out with a hammer and a bit of pipe, and slot them into the wheel to prevent brake dust from getting into the center.
This Miata has some interesting design choices, like its wheel and what appears to be a Jack Skellington door card, but it’s a lot of Miata for the money. Get one now, before they start going for S2000 money. You know it’s coming.
1973 Nissan 240Z- $11,000
Blue Datsun Z, my beloved. Recently I’ve seen more and more clean Zs pop up for what seem to be very reasonable prices, and it’s made me wonder what’s going on with the market there. Are people losing interest in S30s?
If so, more for you and me. These are some of the most gorgeous cars ever put together by human hands, and I’m more than happy that their prices are coming down. I want one. I want one so bad.
2001(?) BMW R850R - $4,500
This bike could be a 2001, it could be a 2002, but that’s not what matters. What matters is that it’s absolutely gorgeous, decked out in classic BMW colors with a retro-modern round headlight.
BMW knows how to make a bike look beautiful, and it did not slack on this R850. The owner that spec’d these tri-spoke wheels, too, did us all a service. More tri spokes on bikes, please.
1980 GMC Sierra - $14,900
Amber? Putting a square eighties truck in Dopest? What’s next, is water going to start being wet or something?
This Sierra is cleaner than the usual beaters that end up in these hallowed slides, but sometimes we deserve a clean truck. Sometimes we deserve nice things. It’s okay to treat yourself.
2012 Dodge Ram 3500 Dually - $20,000
