I've had 4 of these great cars!
I would say the genre of the thrill is the same as what the EK9 has but it is not as much. EK9 is the same thrill just more of!
I've had 16v's and 8v's and prefer the 8v's. 8v's are also decent on fuel too.
One of my last 8v's did 243k miles and was still strong as a ox.
This to watch out for:
2nd gear syncro, will crunch on fast change
Rust on:
Battery tray
front wiper blank
grommets in the boot
jacking points (stick your finger in the hole, it should still be strong, if it flexs or crumbles, its terminal
sunroof drain channels, it rusts behind these
Other then that, it should be ok.
3 doors are much more desirable compared to 5 doors but you have to pay for the privilege.
Few pics of my last one: