that's probably the real question - I'm not really sure where to go from here with motorsport. And that was the case before I gave that Wilkins engine back last year. That's why I tried rallying, and why I've been a bit lost with what engine to slot into the coupe this year. Really, the 1200 isn't going to get significantly faster than it was last year without spending some serious money on a CA or SR turbo engine. I just don't really see the sense in spending that much money on what is essentially all just for a bit of fun at hillclimbs and sprints. For a similar outlay I can get into this GTR if I sell both my other toys.

To be honest, I've pretty much lost interest in the 1200 anyway. A couple of members here know I've been toying with the idea of selling it for a while now. I think I've developed it as far as it can go without a serious injection of cash that will never be returned on the investment. Whereas the GTR probably won't drop significantly in value thanks to the end of the 15 year import rule.

As for going under the radar - that used to be one of the things I liked about the 1200, but hasn't been the case for a couple of years now. Everyone up here knows the car and what its capable of. I'm sure being fast in a GTR would surprise no-one, but that doesn't concern me. I think it will shake up the WRX club a bit though - they are very active in motorsport up here and it would be good fun to put a cat amongst the pidgeons in their Turbo AWD class.

I'm under no illusions about the maintenance costs of the GTR, but it will be cheaper than the rallying budget would have been over a year. And the competitve km's will be pretty low - just the Hillclimb series and a few other select events like the QLD Challenge road rally. I don't have the same kind of time or enthusiasm for 4 or 5 weekends away every year at supersprints and stuff like that anymore - been there, done that for a number of years. I haven't really missed competing this year until the last month or so, and the only thing I'm really motivated about is hillclimbing.

I don't think it will need much development for those kind of events. It certainly has all the grunt it will need to be competitive against the other AWD Turbos. In fact, I'd be surprised if it wasn't capable of giving the record (held by a WRX) a big scare...

I've always wanted an R32 GTR too, and this particular one is a very impressive car, and looks like a very good buy to me. Plus I can use it quite comfortably on weekends too, which will be nice because the Patrol I drive everyday isn't terribly inspiring on the road...