Touché Keweenaw, touché.
That Cadi is NOT going to be in his price range… is it?
Maybe a bit above some of others listed here, but not as much as you think
$29,990 Starting MSRP
Of course if you have your heart set on a zippy riceburner that everyone else and their older brother drives, then its probably not the car for you.
The OPer seems to want a convertable.
Me, personally… I like my rice burner, and I’m not ashamed or afraid to call it that. It IS a little racist, but whatever. Does everyone and his older brother drive an RSX? Hmm… then they’re all enjoying the ride as much as I am, I suppose!! Less road rage when drivers love their cars? maybe… 
Well, they might not be in your price range, but you might be interested in a few of the more unusual car models…
Like Ford’s Nuclear Powered concept car…
Or Chrystler’s Jet-Turbine models…
Or a few of the modern Steam Powered models. (A design by Stanley reached 127 mph in back in 1906)
Get a Volvo C70 convertible. It’s a safe and sensible car. I think a used '98 would be in your price range.
Come on, ya wimps! Get a frickin’ muscle car
Sheesh.
From the cars the OP is looking at, I’m going to guess he likes to stop and turn on occasion.
I’ll 2nd a wait and see on the Mazda RX-8. That car is going to be awesome. If you can’t wait, go for the Mr. Two or the WRX. The Dodge is, well, a Dodge.
<hijack> Anybody ever work on the previous generation MR2? I am going to be trading in my 2000 Golf 1.8T in on a Minivan (stop laughing) soon and I had my heart set on a 1st generation (1979-1985)RX7 for me to beat on. They are impossible to find anymore. Then I remembered my uncanny love of the 1992?-1997? Toyota MR2. But the mid-engine layout kind of scares me for things such as alternator replacement, oil changes, etc.
Bottom line, are they as hard to work on as they seem they would be?</hijack>
Wait a few months and get the Pontiac GTO.
It is not what it looks like - a Grand Am with GTO badges. Not that the Grand Am looks bad, looks good IMO, but if it were just badging I would not recommend it. It aint no GTO rip off but a high performance 350 ci rear wheel drive soon to be beast.
You will not get ridiculed in that bad boy!
Dude, get the Miata. You’ll have loads of money left over for tuning and performance mods, so by the time you’re done, you’ll have a seriously ass-kicking convertible
Another vote for a Miata, but if you like the feel of a car around you, this won’t be the car for you. It also won’t be the car for you if you’re big/tall: sumo wrestlers need not apply! The ones I’ve sat in fit me prefectly… but I’m 5’2".
Also, the general opinion of the fellow females I’ve talked to is that Miatas are cute… if you’re considering the reactions of single females, that is. 
<< Drive defensively–buy a tank. >>
I love my Miata! It’s fun to drive, economical, and I get plenty of attention with it. On the down-side, the interior is more cramped than other types of roadsters that I’ve ridden in, so it’s not ideal for taller/bigger people.
But I’m a short, single woman, not an 18 year old boy. The testosterone driven seem to sneer at it as a “girlie” car.
One more vote for a Miata, if you’re considering the MR2 Spyder.
The MR2’s a cool loking car in its own way, but no beautiful like the Miata. The Miata’s a couple thousand bucks cheaper, plus it’s actually got a decent sized trunk (the Spyder’s only got two tiny storage compartments behind the seats). There’s also a much larger market of aftermarket parts for Miata.
There’s an excellent online resource for Miata enthusiasts at www.miata.net and www.miataforum.com
But then, I might be a little biased…
Eric