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Porsche Cayman S --- 06/07
Lotus Exige S ---- 06
Porsche Boxster S --- 05/06
Mercedes SL550 ---- 07
BMW Z4M ---- 06/07
I realize it might be challenging to find someone that is selling one of these cars at the price I am willing to spend but It should be doable. Based on the list above, what are the recommendations and suggestions you can give me?
I am looking for a good combination of performance and looks.
That's a wide range of cars. The Exige is probably the best handling, but it's tiny, rough, and lacking in any creature comforts. It's also the one that will attract the most attention. The SL550 is the pig of the bunch, but fast and very comfortable. The other three are great performance values, with the Porsches being excellent driving cars, but their styling is basic (or classic, depending on your viewpoint), IMHO.
Porsche Cayman S --- 06/07
Lotus Exige S ---- 06
Porsche Boxster S --- 05/06
Mercedes SL550 ---- 07
BMW Z4M ---- 06/07
I realize it might be challenging to find someone that is selling one of these cars at the price I am willing to spend but It should be doable. Based on the list above, what are the recommendations and suggestions you can give me?
I am looking for a good combination of performance and looks.
The car you should get should be what resonates with you. Since you're obviously not caring about ride quality, or practicality, it is totally an emotional decision. If you can find any one of those cars for under 30k, then you should get what makes your heart stir.
For me, it was the Z4. I have a 2003 original model year car and it has a couple little things that are wrong but nothing too serious. The maintenance is $$$ though, but that will be true for any of these cars.
Also, you may not think it, but the Honda S2000 is a great driver's car. It handles supremely well and is no slouch in the horsepower department either. ANd it will impact your wallet less. And it will be more comfortable then any of the above cars on real world roads (ever drive in a Z4 on the highways around Seattle? Oy... I feel like I need a chiropractor every time I get out of the car).
Whichever of those cars on your list that falls into your price range ... since you're seeking a lot of car for not much money ....
I'd be very cautious about condition issues. A thorough pre-buy inspection by a knowledgeable tech in the given marque would be advisable. You could be buying a lot of expensive problems ....
If you are able to do your own maintenance/repairs, that mitigates some of this concern. But if you are dependent upon paying others to do the work, the acquisition cost may be a small portion of what it will take to get and keep one of these on the road if it's got problems to begin with before you deal with routine maintenance/wear & tear.
I miss my 2005 Corvette, still kicking myself for selling it! Probably about the best "sports car" you're going to find for performance/dollar ratio. May not be luxurious but who gives a rip when a Mercedes and BMW are just going to be seeing your taillights, that's enough to put a smile on my face!
Those are high-dollar maintenance cars. Upkeep and upgrade costs are very high with German brands and Lotus is an exotic with exotic costs. I say if you could find a CPO car, that would be the way to go. Out of all those, the Z4M will be satisfying to drive with somewhat lower costs to own. The Boxster is low on power and the Cayman may be almost on par with the Z4M but higher costs.
The SL550 has bunch of torque but it's also very heavy and better slated as a highway bruiser. The Exige is very spartan and tight but it shines on track; more so than the Z4M. Nothing like driving a full-bodied gokart on the street. Make sure that it doesn't run over anything that may deform/puncture the aluminum floorpan or the insurance company will write it off.
Do tell us, what are you looking for out of this "2-door sports car" ?
Diverse list and you want a lot for your money. The examples of the cars you listed you are going to find for $30k or less are going to be older/high mileage and getting a proper pre-buy inspection and doing your due diligence will be very important.
If it were me, I would go with a Corvette, cheap to maintain and is hands down the best performer of the group. If you want to go budget you can pick up a great low mileage example of a Saturn Sky Redline or Pontiac Solstice GXP in that price range. I would also look at a Honda S2000 and that will slot price wise between the Sky/Solstice and the Corvette.
Also, you may not think it, but the Honda S2000 is a great driver's car. It handles supremely well and is no slouch in the horsepower department either.
I was in a road rally in the Napa Valley area a few years ago, in which a dozen people swapped in and out of an M3, several Boxsters, and S2000, a CL55, Audi TTs, and a couple other cars. I ended up in a Boxster S much of the day, with my final drive being the S2000. The Boxter S is poised, smooth, unflappable, predictable. The S2000 almost ended up in a guard rail a minute after I got into it. It handled so poorly relative to the S that is was nearly scary to drive. Yes, there's a price difference between the two, but I wouldn't put in anywhere close to the class of the Boxster S. Just my $.02.
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