So I would like to ask a question.

If you had a budget of say $45,000 - $55,000, what would you get as a replacement to your S2000?

As some of you may know I sold my 2008 S2000 CR 8 months ago in hopes of getting into a GT3. Now I have been keeping a eye out on the Porsche market but I looks like it will be another year or year + before the price of what I want will drop down to a level I feel comfortable paying (a green 2007-2008 997 GT3RS is what I want). Or I can say F-it and give a big down (45-50k) and still have a $800ish month payment for the next 6 years. I really don’t mind the monthly payment BUT I don’t really feel like taking my savings almost down to 0 just to put down on a car that I could do without. So a car in the 45-50k range (with no down or minimal down payment) I can live with and I still get to keep my savings to invest or as a down payment on a house (which I still see as a long term investment).

So I ask you, what would you get? I really don’t want to get into any more Japanese cars (that’s all I have ever owned and I feel like I need to take a break). It needs to do everything my old S did. Weekend car I would take out of town trips in, go to the groceries, fun/sporty back road driving. The newer the better, the more reliable the better. The S was great; cheap to operate, repair and was nice to drive.

I was thinking a 964 RSA or a 993 S, both Porsche but I finding that most P-cars fall into three groups. Really clean with low miles with a high asking price or high miles with a little lower asking price or really shit car with a higher than normal (what a non-Porsche enthusiast would think of as fair) price just because it is a Porsche.

So I’m asking because I really want to get into something new already and I did say in June I would buy something new/newer already. I’m planning to going back home in July for a week and I really don’t feel like fly out this time, so I would like to roll out in a new/newer toy rather than my EG.

My EG will stay as my DD and i'm looking for input as far as a weekend toy/ride.

Thanks for your time and input.

 

I'm a Porsche fan myself...

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...17029088&Log=0


Here's a couple of non-Porsches I'D consider... (not necessarily this actual car, but maybe one like it)

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...18687288&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...15603352&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...17422611&Log=0

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/a...q1-modded.html

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...15869270&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...18293134&Log=0

(Keep in mind, some of these, while having excellent performance, are still primarily luxury driven)

 

BMW M Coupe

 

Another S2000.

 

It is a really tough category. You are stuck where most people get stuck. They decide to move on from the S2000 and try something else and spend more money, but most people never find a true replacement. Moving on from an S2000 you really only have two directions to go in my mind.

1. Move to a Lotus as its a close replacement to the S2000. Mainly more hardcore and raw. I dont think that is the right car for you. Very small, cramped, hard to get in and out of for us bigger guys.

2. Get a GT car. Meaning, BMW M3, Z4M coupe,and to some degree a Corvette. Maybe an older Porsche 996. Note most people that move to the GT category routinely end up selling their car and getting another S2000. Why? The S2000 is a great blend of sports car, and touring car. It has some amenities and is comfortable, yet can be beaten hard on track and in the mountains. Its also a cheap car to operate.

IF I were to move on from the S2000, I would want something very different. I honestly would take a very hard look at a Corvette Z06 08+. Stupid fast, yet can get very good gas mileage. 08's are probably over what you want to spend, but 05-06 can be had for upper 40's. Not as nice as a German car quality wise, but will be faster than just about everything on the road.

 

Porsches are OVER rated!

I dont know what I would do. In that price range I would probably get either a 135 or 335 with upgrades and put it around 400/400. I feel that could be had for less then $35k.
Then just pocket and invest the rest until I had more monies or I really saw something that caught my eye.

 

I would go for an M3 for that price range

 

^^^ I agree, I vote for M3.

 

If I were in your shoes and just HAD to get a toy this is what I would go for, honestly.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Shelb...item1c2522183f

 

+ ELEVENTY BILLION!!

I so wish i could get another one sooner than later!