So I'm helping Phil find a new car. His last fun car was a Lotus Elise and hes looking for something under 25K, manual transmission. Open minded to pretty much anything. Will be kept here in FL until possible relocation to Austin next year.

So far we have looked at a 996 C2, Boxster S, E39 M5, E36 M3, E46 M3, C5 Z06, SL55AMG. I've already owned an S, he had an Elise. He wants something fun that will hold up for the next couple years before a move into a Viper, 996TT, NSX, etc. He has a pretty quick plane so travel is ok up to 800+/- miles for the right car.

My personal favorite is the E39 M5 - looks, performance, overall design and layout (no CTS-V tupperware interior please). We drove to Orlando to check one out a couple days ago ('03, 83K) and it had a loud ticking - my guess was lifters or VANOS, so passed (and I was pissed). We have test driven a few others as listed above. The SL55 was probably my favorite but definitely pushing the budget (this one was 30K, 04 with 68K) and I'm scared of the running costs associated with a mid 00's AMG (but that torque.. ugh..) - but not out of the question if theres a steal..

Also on the short list - R129 SL500/600, E31 8 series (manual), BMW M coupe/roadster (S54 01/02 or 06+).

What do ya'll recommend that I may be missing? Any good finds on Autotrader/Craigslist/etc?

 

Evo x gsr + a few bolt ons. Awd handles great

 

BRZ / FRS?

I've heard great things about the Abarth 500 that recently went for sale. I saw one for the first time and it looked damn good.

All the cars you posted were used so I figured I'd throw a wrench in there and post new models.

Didnt you guys really like the Z06 you rented? Can you get a vette for under 25?

 

E30 m3 or 964/993 carrera S. Get a classic sports car with character, feel, and emotion. It doesn't sound like it's a "practical" purchase, so reliability/maintenance shouldn't be too much of an issue so long as it's reasonable and not completely ridiculous like owning an 80s/90s ferrari.

Of those listed, though, I like the e39m5 or the e36 based M-coupe (s52 for trouble free, or s54 for exclusivity and more power - less than 700 e36 based m-coupes with s54 motors were delivered to the us).

 

In with 964/993, but then again I am a little biased

 

With that list I'd say just pick up the C5Z.
Maybe consider and Audi S4 as well?

Evan

 

Good luck with the M coupe, just recently found out how rare those actually are, so if you find one for a good price, snatch it up! 996's can be had for a steal now, just make sure the car has a good maintenance history and be prepared for the posibility of engine failure(not super common, but not super rare either.) Im a bit biased towards porsche, but another good buy would be an 84-89 911 carrera 3.2. Last of the "classic" 911's, 95% of the cars for sale are under 25k, engine is very reliable as long as maintenance has been kept up on, and they are quite engaging as a drivers car. An SC(73-83 i think) wouldnt be a bad choice either, since those are sitting in the 10-20k range, but they are known for timing chain tensioner failure(most have been updated with the 3.2's timing chain, but you never know...) Im looking at one for myself here soon(84-89), once i get back from my deployment....

 

Porsche 968 is a bulletproof car that is holding its value quite well. One of the rarest Porsche's ever made at time where there was still a lot of hand manufacturing compared to today.

There are super charger kits available that work real well and fit nicely.

 

E46 M3 or E92 335i with a tune and meth.

 

^ id vote for the e92 335i, but again, im biased as i own one and love it!