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If you would want to purchase a used sportscar, which one would you prefer.
Up to now I always wanted a Corvette C5. But since I am quite impressed of my 1993 Honda Legend (Acura in US) -- in terms of build- and ride quality for such an old car -- I am now leaning somehow towards an 1990-1997 Honda NSX.
Knowing that both cars have a different character I am sure both are great fun to drive and will not eat me alive, moneywise ... which is what I am looking for.
Maximum price is difficult to answer as vehicle prices are very different on this side of the pond. Just imagine that the budget would allow the purchase of a non-European 10-15yr old sportscar.
I'm a Honda guy. So I would pick the NSX with all of the scarcity that could be involved.
The NSX is going to be harder keep in parts as time goes on. If you drive it hard, you're going to wear things out and go searching for replacements. If you can put up with that, it's a great car and a unique look.
The Vette (pretty much any Vette) is really a no brainer. I despise GM, but the Vette proves they can build a decent sports car. The new one proves they can hang with the big boys at the higher end too. Neighbor has a sick, sick sick C6. I'd look at them.
As far as "other" you are kind of starting out in the middle of the wild range of pre-owned sports cars. Any lower and you're into used Boxsters, S2Ks, Z4s, Miata, etc, the roadster set. Any higher and you're into the strange market of used "exotics". I assume building old "muscle" is out of the question since you seem to be following the purist definition of sports car.
To operate in Europe I would have to think hard about some sort of 911. If you make a good deal on a good car, they are hard to beat and if you get an older one depreciation won't eat you alive, you could have a car that's going up in value.
The Corvette would be more unique in Europe, they are pretty common around the States, they are simple and robust, very easy to work on, no expensive or hard to do maintenance like cam belt changes, etc. But the other side of the coin to simplicity is a certain level of crudeness, which in itself has it's own charms.
The NSX is a great car in it's own right, in stock trim they wear tires out very quickly, this might be more of an annoyance than a real problem, but it's not a trait that endears the car to me. Maybe someone who has had one for a while will post up on tire life and if anything can be done besides grin and bear it. It does have belt-driven cams that require periodic changes.
How about an E30 M3? I certainly like mine. They are an easy to live with and entertaining to drive car that you don't see every day, only downside is that Gen Y people think it's a 325i with a body kit...they think I did it...not that I care much what they think..
Miata has the image of being a "hairdresser's car", it does not have the "butch" power delivery of the 'vette, but it's a damn good car, lot of fun to drive, reliable, easy and cheap to maintain...not much room but a sports car is not intended to be a truck or a bus...
I personally would only look at a C6 Corvette - the changes are so much better over a C5.
That said, between a C6 and NSX, I'd side with the C6 but probably look at a used Boxster S or Cayman as well. The NSX is an okay car - it handles great and it is rare, but "across the pond" a Vette is also rare and has more panache. The NSX is way over priced imo. Looking at used prices in the US, for what I can buy a 10-15 year old NSX for I can get a much newer and nicer Porsche.
Check out the Infiniti Essence. Still in concept but it's going to be a luxury sports car.
that looks like it will priced over $100K and way more thyan what most of us could afford.
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