****, I forgot about the Audis. Good cars. S4s (new V8s), and RS6s. Put those on the list.

R32s are nice. They've very German manners and road feel, but portly (3,400 lbs!) and underpowered compared to the competition. Classier than Evos or STis, though. Unfortunately, will likely have horrible resale value as well. I lost my butt on a GTI once, won't do that again.

Gene

 

I know someone selling a M635CSi if your interested. Euro version.

 

z06 without question

but.....like Jim said get a 02 model and up. More power less factory recalls/lemons.

 

I'm actually kind of hoping the R32's do have horrible resale value after being out for a couple years. Let somebody else lose their butt for once... I should be sick of my high-mileage cars and ready to switch by then. Or I'll have a new job and splurge on a V8 S4, or with any luck the next gen rx7 will be out.

 

Sti wagon (maybe have to mod a regular wrx to this bc they dont make one. yet.), but i need something for winter in Tahoe next year and the rex would eat guardrail fast up there. Im going to keep both though- a wrx can be put to the same purpose as the FD but just doesnt handle the same. I like power on oversteer.

Audis scare me and are way overpriced- borrowed an A4 rental car at Thunderhill once and i took it back in after two laps b/c of really unpredictable brake fade and scary handling. Took out a crown vic instead! Maybe the S4 is better but im too much of an automotive racist to find out (also why I would nix the *****, i mean Vette).

 

Sold my FD about 3 months ago and replaced it with this, plus some cash left over to play with.

 

a mAD QuiK honda Civic yO!!... ... ...Z06 nuff said

 

Hmm, nobody has asked how you plan to use the car. Daily driver? Go the bimmer route for comfort, performance, and reliability (I personally love the coupes...) If your car does time at the track mostly, there is no better bang for the buck than the C5 Z06. None. If you're looking for a dedicated track car you can club race economically (where they're not dents, they're battle scars), I'd go Miata and build it up.

 

Jason what you driving now sir?

Zack you should get something that doesn't look like your dad's rides ...so im voting audi S4.

 

The car will be used the same as my FD now. Daily driver with some racing on the side.

just planning ahead rynberg. Im not thinking i should sell it and get what i can before it blows up 2morrow. Just considering my options because through 4yrs of college im sure ill be too poor to afford a $5k bill when the engine blows.

Also, my fathers 2000 540i has been modded with no problems as of yet. 42k on the odo.

 

now im just gonna pretend like you didnt say that.

 

Of course any Super Car (SALEEN S7, Viper GTS, Ferrari, Lambo, Mclaren)

-'98 6sp TT Supra

-Any new model 911 Porsche (GT2/3)

 

I'm holding out for the Boxster GTS Coup. If it ever comes out. I was holding out for the NSX replacement, but that got killed.

 

....im PRETTY sure all of those are out of the $30k range i specified...not to mention being more than 15x an FD's value

 

Oh ooops.....

 

Skyline or Sylvia

 

If you want to stay with a 2-door sports car:

Fixed Roof Coupe C5 Vette (Low Mileage $25k) + Heads/Cams Package ($4k) + Exhaust Mods ($1k) = 425 whp (easily) on pump gas for $30k

 

How about a decent Ferrari 308? just have to prepare yourself for $5000 tune ups every 15k miles... !

 

So in summary, its hard to beat the price, performance, driving, aesthetics package of the FD w/o spending roughly twice as much on a comparable car.

God I love RX7s

 

I'm really digging your idea for the M Coupe, or the NSX suggestion made by others. Both comfortable and reliable enough for daily driver, and fast/fun enough for weekend autox/driving events. Both are also uncommon and great lookers(imo).

I'm surprised you described the M Coupe as "blah". Look doesn't do it for you? Or what? http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1
They agree with you on looks(if that was the "blah"), but the description still made me think it's got an edge to it that would satisfy in a number of ways.

The NSX would be more refined than the M Coupe, still fun, etc. I think it looks *fantastic*/exotic. Has great performance.

I'd consider those two. I give props to the Z06 performance, but with how common they are(corvette's in general), and large they feel to me(from test driving the C6), *I* wouldn't put it on the list. But they are capable machines!

 

id replace my fd for a turbo2 or an even trade for a rx8.

 

Maybe you'd want a Porsche? My bro is selling his... for a lot less than $30k!

-------------------------
1986 911 Triple black Targa w/approx. 87K miles...

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/87turb...arga/pic02.jpg

 

I know these cars intimately, the 308 and 328 as well as the mondials are very reliable as long as their service tunes are performed. It is not a $5000 tune up every 15k mi, it is in intervals of that so you should only spend $10,000 on a bad condition car in 60,000 mi. You should also note these cars should never have been made street legal. Their mechanicals are more prone to failure from the car's state of tune or the part's tolerances not being maintained-not poor mechanics.

 

No - they use a completely different chassis. 2000+ M Coupes do share the same engine as the E46 M3 (slightly detuned).

I considered an M Coupe before buying my FD, but they are not really handling champs - they are more of a grand tourer. Which is fine if that is what you want. The rear suspension, for example, if from an E30 3 series (that is two - now almost three) 3-series generations ago.

 

ding ding