Forget Buying That Ponderous Punto: Bag A Perfect Porsche Instead

A Porsche for Punto money? Yes, it can be done. A proper, pucker Porker of your very own...or you could spend anything up to £20k on an Abarth Punto Evo. Here's the lowdown.

Porsche 924: £1000-5000

The downright cheapest way into Porsche ownership is a raggy old 924 like this. While the 2.0-litre four cylinder engine in the front only sends 125bhp to the rear wheels for 0-62mph in 7.7sec and a 144mph top speed (basically Toyota GT86 pace), the 924 is still a lightweight 2+2 coupe with RWD and freaking pop-up headlamps. As an old shed to run to the rev limiter and eventually into the ground, it's rather tempting, like a German No F**ks Given RX-7...

Porsche Boxster: £5000-11,000

First-gen Boxsters can now be had for £5k. It'll be a tatty 2.7-litre car for that money, but you're still getting a mid-engined flat-six soft-top with Porsche pedigree as standard. Chuck in some upgraded brakes and a four-point harness and it'd make a sweet track day candidate too. Still want that Fiat ecobox? Course you don't.

Porsche 911: £10,000+

If you're thinking 'enough entry-level Porsches, I want rear-engined bargains' then it's a 996 you're after. Thanks to blobby Nineties styling, purist-annoying water cooling, and engines infamous for eating themselves if neglected, these early 996s are the cheapest way to get into a 911. A 3.4-litre Carrera hits 62mph in 5.1secand heads on to 179mph. If nothing but a 911 will do, this is where the love affair (and bankruptcy) begins.

Do you dare?