I know it’s just wrong of me, but I’ve wanted one of those for years now. I keep telling myself that one day I’ll be so rich I could drop $100K on a car without even noticing, and then I’ll have one in every color.
If I ever have a midlife crisis coupled with an excess of cash, I know what I’m getting. Until then, though… dreams are still free, right?
'67 Shelby Cobra 427
I agree with Stranger. Porsche Boxster or Corvette are awesome bat out hell convertibles. They are also cost effective, being within striking distance of the middle class old fart mid-life crisiser. Chicks dig these cars.
If you can afford a much better car than this (Ferrari), you are not having a mid-life crisis and are just a friggen’ tool. In this case, buy the Ferrari, divorce the old bag and start dating that hot administrative assistant in human resources.
Why get a Boxster when they’re a dime a dozen? If I had 50 grand at my disposal, I’d make a point of being as unique as possible.
I guess what I’ve been trying to say this whole time is that I wouldn’t get a vehicle that screamed “midlife crisis” if I had a midlife crisis. I’d try to get one that said, “this guy wants to have a car that sets him apart from everyone else.”
I know Stranger said that the whole thing is a “cliche” and a “joke,” but I don’t believe in the idea of a fifty thousand dollar joke. Such a huge investment should only be made for a vehicle that you’re not going to see every day. At least the way I see it.
Ford has apparently started churning out production models of the 2007 Shelby Mustang GT500.
Interesting noone showed any support for a late model M3. Hmmm.
I acknowledge that a Saturn just doesn’t fit the mold. And funny, I bought one back when we were a young not-yet-pregnant couple when they first came out. It was a good car, but we outgrew it pretty quick. When I saw the Sky, I was surprised to learn it was a Saturn. Anyway…
Argent Towers, your idea of a european sports car from 30 years ago makes sense to me, and yet I remain concerned. I suppose with some disciplined shopping I can find one that hasn’t been too hard driven, or rebuilt and restored, but I don’t know that I have the automotive expertise to do that well. I’m concerned about maintenance and upkeep. The 1980 Jaguar would be the epitomy of this concern.
kawaiitentaclebeast, I wish I could be looking for a car that would never see rain or traffic, but I recently moved back into the city (which is how I got such a short commute), and don’t have space to store an “extra” car. I agree with you - but it just isn’t practical for me. Your Youtube link to the Carver is funny, because, as an American, I don’t have much opportunity to catch Top Gear. But I found that show about a year back, and I have now downloaded and watched the past few seasons, and also watched most of Jeremy Clarkson’s DVDs. I blame Jeremy, James, and the Hamster for my current focus on european sports cars.
crazyjoe, I think you are on the right track, and I appreciate your suggestions. I’m turned off of the Corvette mainly from various Top Gear reviews. For example, Clarkson reviewed the Corvette Z06 (with a 7.0L V8) in the DVD Jeremy Clarkson’s The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. He loved the power, handling, and braking on the track. But really panned it for a road car. I quote, “The Corvette is like herpes - its great fun catching it, but isn’t as much fun to live with every day.” Perhaps I’ll have another look, though, as I recognize Clarkson is not objective in his disdain for American cars. The Audi TT is intriguing, though I hadn’t given it serious consideration. I did spend some time on Audi’s website, and find it horrible to navigate. And I’ll also take another look at the Boxster S, perhaps a late model to fit my budget and remove the dealer lot depreciation. I also agree that the Mini Cooper S would be a blast to drive.
Chefguy, I’ll also take a look at the RS4. A 65 GTO Tri-power? With a ramjet, perhaps? Yeah, that would be fun. If I were a more mechanical type, I would seriously consider it. It doesn’t have the handling that I want, but it is one bad-ass MLC car. I like the way you think.
Likewise, Rick, the idea of a kit-built Cobra-style roadster is also intriguing. I don’t think I would be up for building one myself, and I just not sure I’m comfortable that I’m knowledgeable enough to buy well. I guess parts and maintenance are not much different than a Mustang, huh? It’s a thought… And I never heard of a Caterham. Know much about them?
And dbuzman, I’ll admit that my biggest concern with the Chrysler Crossfire Roadster is the name Chrysler. Obviously, a new Viper is out of my price range, but perhaps I can check the late model market. Funny, the same Clarkson DVD I mentioned above put the Viper on the track against a BMW Z4 M, and had a dead heat. The Viper had more power, but wasn’t as nimble on the track. I suspect the race was fixed, but it does have me questioning whether the Viper is a good value.
For the record, the only American car Clarkson seems to like is the Ford GT. In fact, he bought a GT X1.
Klaatu, I would need to add a zero to my budget, right? Another contributer to my current affliction was watching about 20 hours of the recent coverage of the Barrett Jackson Collectors Auto Auction. It did give me some sense of current values of classic cars.
Darryl Lict, I considered Ferrari. About two years back, I had a really nice boss that had a Ferrari 512. I say he was nice, because one weekend, he traded cars with me. That’s right, I drove the Ferrari for the weekend, and he drove the Camry. That’s another reason why I think I’m inflicted with this “european sports car” bias. Those are incredible cars to drive. My biggest concern isn’t the price tag (even though any late models are still above my budget). My biggest concern would be the maintenance expense. 30,000 mile service on Ferrari is in five figures. Ouch! Too rich for my blood.
Sophistry and Illusion, I’ve always like the Carroll Shelby designed cars, and the 2007 GT500 does appear to be a beast. I even named my daughter Shelby after him (though my wife tells a different story). My concern is that she will want this car in five years when she turns 16 - and that ain’t gonna happen. Perhaps if I get rid of it in two years…
Everyone, thanks so much for the input. I haven’t ruled out the M3, but you guys have given me some other things to think about. I would love to hear from an M3 owner out there…
If you are not totally set on the convertible thing, the Subaru Impreza WRX STi is the best performance for the money under 50K. It is a ton of fun to drive, doesn’t look too bad, kicks some serious arse and holds that road like there is no tomorrow. They are not particularly expensive to own, either.
Seconded. I’ve driven an '87 560 for a dozen years now and I’ll never tire of it. Plently of power, solid as rock and that big engine just sounds beautiful when you give it a little encouragement. Although I now use a Porsche for my daily driver, I’m pretty sure I’ll always keep the Merc for sunny weekends, etc.
Was it the 505 hp V10? I was in one the other night and was blown away by it’s acceleration and handling. My only concern was that it’s suspension is so stiff it beats you up after awhile but that wouldn’t be an issue with a four mile commute. Used, I bet you could easily find one in your range. This car was a real pleasure, waaay more fun than I anticipated.
A real AZCowboy would be happy with a F-150.
I got nothing. The Boxster was my first thought.
Yeah, but they are kind of the riceboy asthetic. Don’t look at me like that; I love Subarus, and the STi is wicked fast and reliable beyond hope, but not what I think of as a MLC car. They do make a cosmetically toned down ‘Spec B’ version, but for a few $K you can get the Legacy ‘Spec B’ which shoves like a German rollerskate and clings to the road like a cat out on a tree limb. Both are pretty stately, though, in subdued colors (grey, black) and a lack of exterior badging.
** AZCowboy**, be very, very wary of BMW ‘M’ cars. Oh, they’re performance monsters alright, and handle awesomely on dry pavement, but the first time you have to affect a repair you’ll see what I mean: just about everything on them, including safety belt buckles, is a specialty part and costs about three times as much as the comperable non-‘M’ part. Reliability, while probably better than their competitors, is not on part with the Japanese; the Germans seem to expect that you’ll perform regular maintainence beyond basic PM. If you really want German, I would seriously recommend looking at Porsche. (Audi is good, too, but reliability has been irregular on various models and years, so do your research.) You can pick up a ‘classic’ 911 or (avoid front engine models due to parts availability and often indifferent handling) for well within your budget, and they’re suprisingly inexpensive both to maintain and insure. They’re also pretty decent daily drivers, save for some hard steering at low speeds.
Stranger
I’m not postive, but I think so.
Been there, done that. Had a '96 Red Flareside Extended Cab F150 when I lived in AZ. That was my ride when I bought the wife the Camry I’m now driving. I sold the F150 when we moved from Arizona back to Georgia, and bought her the minivan when we got here. It was fun, but I don’t have much need for a truck - I feel a need for speed!
That’s good information that I didn’t know. Right now, I’m looking at a 2004 M3 convertible with 27,000 miles. That means that it will remain under the new car warranty through sometime in late 2008 or sometime in 2009 (I’m not likely to put more than 23,000 miles on it in that time). I suspect that I will get the performance car bug out of my system within that timeframe. And every BMW owner I have talked with has been very impressed with the ease of getting warranty work done. I will relook at the Porsche, however.
Doing a quick check, I can see a 2004 Boxster S with 12,500 miles for $42,900, and I can compare that to a 2003 911 Carrera with 36K miles for $6K more. Which way would you lean?
I’ve never considered a Suburu, so I’ll have to do some basic research there.
To find a Viper in this price range, I would have to go model years 1999 or 2000, albeit I see quite a few with low miles (some less than 20K). Wow, an 8.0L V10. That’s scary. I have a “rule of thumb” - its called the “times 10” rule. Never (regularly) drive a car with a horsepower more than 10 times your age. At 500+ HP, that would break my own rule…but you know what they say, rules are made to be broken…
Drive 'em both. There’s quite a bit of difference. For me, I’d take the 911 hands down but that’s simply a personal preference.
Save for another year or so and then get this!!
The '08 Dodge Challenger.
It’s a thing of beauty, really.
I’m saving up for one.
If you do decide to buy an older Euro car, sell the Camry and put the proceeds into a high interest savings account. Label this account “Parts and Maintainance Fund”.
You laugh now. I laughed at first too.
“Oh come on, how much could a silly convertible top cost? It’s just a big piece of canvas, what is it? +1 German cloth of Teutonic Mercedes Precision? Hahaha.”
Hah. :smack:
In Jeremy Clarkson’s words:
He’s talking about Alfa Romeo in particular, but I think it applies to all European cars.
If I were spending the money, I’d go with a Caterham or an Elise. In fact, I did buy an Elise. But AZCowboy mentions that he lives ‘in the city’, which sort of rules out the Lotus. You just can’t parallel park it. No bumpers. I learned that the hard way.
I’d stay away from the convertibles… they totally mess with your combover.
Perhaps a DeTomaso Pantera would fit the bill? Sleek Italian styling with a Ford power plant, all at right about your price point, gently used.
I wouldn’t rule out a Saturn Sky redline. It’s exactly what the OP is looking for - fun, convertible, doesn’t need to be practical. It’ll run with a Boxster all day long for half the price.
The main drawback to the Sky is the lack of any luggage space, but if you’re just using for a fun commuter car, who cares? It might be an even better road car than the Boxster - slightly softer suspension and a wider track should make it nicer to drive on city streets than a Boxster.
It’s also one of the best looking new cars on the road.
There’s a version of the Sti that has leather seats and no godawful wing on the back. It’s the ultimate sleeper car. But a midlife crisis doesn’t necessarily lend itself to a sleeper car - it depends on whether you are interested in ‘making a statement’ to others around you, or whether you’re just looking for a car that’s a blast to drive.