What car to buy next?

Joined
16 July 2007
Messages
277
Location
New Jersey
Ok, NSX owners I want your opinions.

Just sold my 2008 M3 sedan. I have a $40k budget to buy another sports car. Must be a stick (scenario 1)

I also could sell my daily driver Jeep Cherokee and have another $10k for a total of a $50k budget (scenario 2)

If I did this, I would split that $50k and buy one fun car, and another car/truck as an AWD daily driver.

The daily driver would have to fit two children, one in a child seat, and (but not at the same time) carry my ice hockey bag and sticks as I play hockey 3 times a week. I'm not a goalie anyone more, I usually play center so I don't have to fit goalie pads in the car.

A third scenario would be to sell my Cayman S and I would have $75k to spend. I would keep the Jeep Cherokee as the winter car.

The NSX is a keeper and not for sale.


Here are my ideas so far:

Scenario One
$40k budget, sports car only, must be a stick, keep the Jeep Cherokee as a winter beater. My choices below in no particular order

1) Lotus Espirit TT, either V8 or 95 S4S
2) wait until a used 2010 Evora falls into my price range
3) Porsche RS America
4) Exige
5) Porsche 993
6) Porsche 996 Turbo
7) 03-04 Viper


Scenario Two
$50k budget, selling the Cherokee and buying one AWD car or two cars, one sports car and one AWD winter daily driver. My choices in no particular order

1.) Honda S2000 and Porsche 996 Turbo
2.) Honda S2000 and Subaru STI
3) Porsche 997 4S


Scenario Three
$75k budget, selling the Cayman S, keeping the Jeep Cherokee as a daily driver. One car only, must be a stick and prefer it to fit my hockey equipment
My choices below, in no particular order

1). Porsche 997 Turbo
2) Porsche 993 Turbo
3) Lotus Evora S

I am open to suggestions. What would you do?

thank you,

G
 
993 turbo without a doubt. You probably won't lose much if you sell a few years down the road. Oh the 993 turbo better has that huge double deck rear wing or else.
 
Depends on what you want to end up with, if you want to have the widest variety of fun cars to choose from then you can do the 03-04 viper and have a Japanese exotic, an American "exotic", and a Porsche to pick to drive any day. If you just want the best you can get, then sell all (minus nsx) and do 997 turbo.

If it was me and I miraculously had a 4 car garage, I would do scenario 1 and do the Porsche rs America, 993, or evora, and still have nsx, cayman s, 4wd jeep for whatever mood I'm in.

Just seeing all those cars at my disposal would cheer me up every day, but so would an NsX, a 997 turbo and a bus pass
 
Those are all tough choices. But if it was me. I would get the 997 Turbo. And keep the jeep.
Side question. Why did you sell the m3 ?
I am looking to get one as my daily when my wrx quits on me.
 
Sell the Cherokee and Cayman S

Winter beater:
98-00 GC8 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS (~$7000 for a decent one). Get the wagon if you want the extra space that you'd miss from the Cherokee. Good gas mileage (18/25). Manual transmission. AWD system.

2000_subaru_impreza_coupe_rs_fq_oem_1_500.jpg


2000_subaru_impreza_sedan_rs_fq_oem_1_500.jpg


subaru-impreza-2.5-rs-wagon-03.jpg


Fun in the sun:
993 Turbo

993TurboS_0307_1024.jpg


760406d1378754962-993-turbo-s-tailpipes-1997-black-porsche-911-993-turbo-s.jpg
 
I bought a Lotus Exige S. Keeping Cayman S and NSX. Sold the Jeep too and i am ordering a 2014 Mercedes CLA 45 AMG as a daily driver

I hope your CLA has a better transmission than the C63 AMG I had recently. Great, great engine and sound hopelessly woeful transmission.
 
I hope your CLA has a better transmission than the C63 AMG I had recently. Great, great engine and sound hopelessly woeful transmission.

The CLA 45 AMG has a dual clutch transmission.

- - - Updated - - -

Those are all tough choices. But if it was me. I would get the 997 Turbo. And keep the jeep.
Side question. Why did you sell the m3 ?
I am looking to get one as my daily when my wrx quits on me.

i loved my M3 , i was the original owner too so it was hard to let it go. I bought it new in 2008 so i had it 5 1/2 yrs which is forever for me.

When the new model M3 comes out next year it always kills the resale value of the previous model. The e92 depreciated the e46, which did the same to the e36. Didnt want to hold the car another year and it drops $10k in value.

Selling the m3 was about the same price as the Exige S. Next year the m3 would have gone down 5 or 10k and the Exige appreciate a few dollars, so next year they are $10k apart in price instead of an even trade.
 
Let us know what you think about the CLA45 when you get it.

Did you have a chance to drive one before you pulled the trigger?

The thing looks very intriguing- given the price point/engine/tranny/awd.

I'm considering selling my IS350AWD but i'm hoping that the high pressure turbo 4 doesn't behave like other high pressure turbo 4's i've driven.
 
Let us know what you think about the CLA45 when you get it.

Did you have a chance to drive one before you pulled the trigger?

The thing looks very intriguing- given the price point/engine/tranny/awd.

I'm considering selling my IS350AWD but i'm hoping that the high pressure turbo 4 doesn't behave like other high pressure turbo 4's i've driven.

CLA 45 AMG is an awesome car, i ordered it with the AMG drivers package which gives you the sport suspension. Harsher ride than stock but no body roll in the corners. Dual Clutch (only trans available) works great in manual or sport mode, very jerky in comfort mode. Very happy with my choice. 4 seconds to 60 and 31 mpg on the highway.

- - - Updated - - -

Spring Update: Sold the Cayman S and Jeep. My new daily driver is a CLA 45 AMG and I have my wife's 2014 Cherokee Limited for the winter or places I don't want to park the AMG. I still have the NSX and Exige S. Those are keepers and not for sale.

Looking for another sports car, budget $65k, must be manual trans. I sold the Cayman and Jeep because I was trying to buy a Porsche 993. After the Cayman S was sold I test drove one and it was fun but not as fast as I remember them. I need a little bit more power for the crazy prices 993s are commanding.

I then focused on buying a 993 TT or 964 T, unfortunately in the last few months prices have gone crazy and out of my budget. I am working a deal for a 993 TT that is not officially for sale. That is my first choice. If that doesn't work out I will choose one of the cars below.

Now considering:

Lotus Evora S - probably a 2011 model, 2012 models have not dropped to $65k yet, Test drove it, awesome to drive, build quality and depreciation scares me but much more exclusive than a Porsche. I would prefer a 2012 model.

997 TT - test drove this, amazing and manual trans too. They have already depreciated 50% so further depreciation will be minimal.

2014 Cayman S (slightly used ones have fallen to this price range, downside is that they will continue to depreciate, a lot).

others I am considering:

2011 BMW 1M - i previously owned a 2008 & 2003 M3. I love M cars. 1M was only made for one model year, 740 units sold as compared to 25,000 units sold for the 2008-2013 V8 M3's. 1Ms currently sell for more than they did new. What concerns me about buying this is that BMW has approved the M2 for 2016. Concerned this will drop resale value greatly when the M2 comes out.

2014 Corvette Z51 - Find me a Laguna Blue with black wheels, Z51, and a manual trans and this becomes my first choice. Z51's are on back order. Blue w/black wheels are impossible to find.

2014 Alpha 4C - This is my kind of car. I believe launch editions are $70k but I hear rumors of a base model in the mid $50's. This could become my first choice. It is supposed to split the difference between a Cayman S and Exige S.

honorable mentions:

2008 Viper - cant go wrong with 600 HP. I love it in bright colors like green and blue.

2009 GTR - most GTR's that fall into my price range have been beat on. The 2009's had launch control which could blow the $20,000 transmission if abused. Harsh ride, high maintenance costs.

2013 - Camaro ZL1 - I prefer handling over power but I have some great handling cars, why not 580 hp.


Am I forgetting anything? thoughts, suggestions? Anyone have experience with the cars mentioned above?

thanks

G
 
Testarossa is a complete money pit...unless someone else has just spent the money and is sick of the car.

I would say 964T or 993S or 993TT or if you can stretch you budget a bit 996 GT3/997 GT3. Also - AM Vantage's are in 60's. They are GT cars but that would be a good contrast to your exige/NSX.
 
Looking for another sports car, budget $65k, must be manual trans. I sold the Cayman and Jeep because I was trying to buy a Porsche 993. After the Cayman S was sold I test drove one and it was fun but not as fast as I remember them. I need a little bit more power for the crazy prices 993s are commanding.


others I am considering:


2014 Alpha 4C - This is my kind of car. I believe launch editions are $70k but I hear rumors of a base model in the mid $50's. This could become my first choice. It is supposed to split the difference between a Cayman S and Exige S.


G
The 4c will only have flappy paddles, so no manual available!
 
Testarossa is a complete money pit...unless someone else has just spent the money and is sick of the car.

Its a Ferrari, so of course it is a money pit. I don't see it being any worse than any other most other Ferrari's though.

Consider this nice looking F430: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/fe...netta-tdf-beige-13k-miles-fully-serviced.html About $100k would walk away with that car. Its a nice machine, but the only problem is that it will soon be an $80,000 car. When you factor in the depreciation costs of a newer Ferrari the $5-7000 you spend annually to keep a Testarossa running isn't so bad as it will have zero depreciation.
 
Could take your NSX, supercharge it, coilovers, 6-speed, 2002+ wheels and drive it more.
Or Subaru BRZ + Supercharger and have tons of money left over.
 
I second the Aston Martin Vantage vote. It's already depreciated a lot, and the shape of that car is just sex on wheels. Plus maintenance is about the same as a Jaguar instead of a Ferrari.
 
I would take the $65k and use it on a down payment on an income property.....you already have enough cars.....lol.
 
996 Turbo - I had a 996 C4S which has the wide body, sport suspension and brakes of the turbo so it would just be a faster 996 C4S to me, but I agree great value.
Gen 5 Viper - I would definitely buy that if used ones were $65k
Ferrari doesn't work, maintenance too much.

I have driven the V8 Vantage extensively. i used to belong to a car club that had one. I would definitely consider it, I would want red or blue, everyone is gray, white or, black. Maintenance costs scare me, I have very good Porsche and Lotus mechanics nearby. Don't know where to get an Aston serviced except at a dealer, which means big $$$$.
I would also consider a V8 Lotus Espirit in a bright color like Orange or Blue.
 
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