New (to me) car time again, suggestions please

[gofast182]

I'm partial to the S2000 for obvious reasons

. It's just a special car. It started off as a project of passion, Honda's 50th Birthday present to itself (not originally intended for production) to see how everything they love about driving and learned from racing can be engineered into a small open-top sports car. That organic development with a lack of bean counters looking over their shoulders has a lot to do with why it's so pure and so great.
On the track in stock form with only upgraded tires and brake pads mine is faster than a lot of higher HP cars it shouldn't be on paper; and passing them is a thrill. Because of that the S2000 gets decent respect among those at any track I've been to.
And if more power is ever a desire, I have buddies who are SC or Turbo making 350-500+HP (respectively) on the stock block and head.

Here's some food for thought (and they're all recent):

Yahoo Autos - 10 Used Cars You Should Probably Own

Piston Heads Heroes - Honda S2000

Jalopnik - Why the Honda S2000 is a Future Classic

 

[cchase]

The BRZ/FR-S is a great suggestion, but they're way down on HP and Cujet specifically mentioned liking horsepower. I think the twins would leave a HP nut disappointed.

 

[Cujet]

The S2000 comes closest to "frantic" and I'm sure I'd like one. But having been there, done that, I want to step outside my comfort level.

The 370Z could be fun, but a good bit underpowered. The BRZ is way too underpowered for me to consider it.

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted By: jayg
Lotus Elise if you fit.


I fit easily. And, if I can find one for a good price, I'll consider it.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
Originally Posted By: jayg
Lotus Elise if you fit.


I fit easily. And, if I can find one for a good price, I'll consider it.

I've been in a 2007 supercharged one for a lapping session and its pretty neat. Everything happens right now! I doubt it had AC though. You can spend alot of time just looking at the parts on it. The aluminum door hinges, CF muffler, gold reflective foil...
I've driven a 01 Viper GTS, its kind of interesting too and my sister ex-bf basically uses it as he daily driver from May to Nov. up here. A 60mph first gear and the torque off idle is a fun driving experience too!

 

[gofast182]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
The S2000 comes closest to "frantic" and I'm sure I'd like one. But having been there, done that, I want to step outside my comfort level.

The 370Z could be fun, but a good bit underpowered. The BRZ is way too underpowered for me to consider it.

I have a buddy who wanted to step up from his S2000 so he got a 370Z, he quickly discovered it was not faster around the track than the S2000 and it had oil starvation issues on top of that so he traded it and got a GT-R, problem solved.

 

[tdpark]

GTO

 

[bladecutter]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
Suggestions Please!

Thinking outside the box is appreciated. Limit is about $30K, used.

I like sports cars, I enjoy HP. I especially like responsive engines and crisp cornering. I'm generally not a luxury/performance car guy (like CTS-V) but I'd consider it. I do like convertibles.

Having owned a Frantic 385RWHP Mazda Miata "R" track package, nothing short of an Indy car, or maybe an Enzo comes close. Maybe I need to look at more sedate rides...


Really, there is nothing that I find enticing.


I have the perfect car for you:

http://www.uscaterham.com/

You can thank me later.

BC.

 

[DuckRyder]

Caterham
Factory Five
308/328 of the prancing horse variety

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: 2James1
Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6


Actually an awesome choice, basically an AMG 320 chassis with a body from over here. It's what the 370Z wishes it was! Real gutsy, and very rare.

You'd like my Healey Replica, but it's far from a civilized daily driver. But stick shift and 550 hp is at least entertaining and challenging. So that's an option if you can find one.

I'd shop for a Factory Five Cobra replica. They can be had at that price and they are lightweight and almost always very powerful. Note they are a bit light on safety gear...

 

[97tbird]

BMW 128i / 135i / 335i / E46 330Ci w/ ZHP (Performance package)/E46 m3
Audi A5?

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: The_Jed
I'll also cast my vote for a new Mustang GT.
420 hp and 390 lb/ft from the factory is pretty amazing to me! I priced one out at $33k with the track pack. It would be perfectly docile in DD mode, not high-strung like I assume your Miata was.


^^The Mustang w/Track Pack. Those cars have insane power and are FUN to drive!!

 

[JimPghPA]

In case you have not been watching the news lately, **** Van Dyke has a black low millage Jaguar that he is looking to sell, real cheap.

About a minute after he was helped out of his burning Jaguar it totally went up in flames while he told the man that helped him get out of it that he "just got it back from the shop". Then he kidded that he guesses that he will be looking to sell it. They showed a picture from the air as it was being taken away. Pretty much a black totally burned out wreck from front to back.

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
In case you have not been watching the news lately, **** Van Dyke has a black low millage Jaguar that he is looking to sell, real cheap.

About a minute after he was helped out of his burning Jaguar it totally went up in flames while he told the man that helped him get out of it that he "just got it back from the shop". Then he kidded that he guesses that he will be looking to sell it. They showed a picture from the air as it was being taken away. Pretty much a black totally burned out wreck from front to back.


Hahahahahahhahahahahahahaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG!!!

You made me laugh..... I saw that on the news. I guess Jaguar is probably not the safest choice... But I still like the XK-8R, it's sexy, fast and capable. Just swap in a big block Chevy...

 

[Cujet]

So, the 370 is out. Too many overheating and oil pressure problems on track days (which I might do with such a car)

The S2000 is still in the running.
The C6 'Vette is still in the running, I want to like them, but don't. I'm sure a few mods would make it more to my liking.
The GTO is out. Don't like it.
The Camaro convertible is in, if I can find a nice one for a good price.

 

[SteveSRT8]

I just shopped a C6 ZO6 for a friend, it only had 9000 miles!

Pretty easy to like, gets 25-28 real world hwy mpg and doesn't even get good traction until 100 mph! An exhaust and a tune turn it into a bit of a terror for many drivers, it would entertain you for a bit.

It is a fact that it lacks a sophisticated or refined feel...

 

[JimPghPA]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
So, the 370 is out. Too many overheating and oil pressure problems on track days (which I might do with such a car)

The S2000 is still in the running.
The C6 'Vette is still in the running, I want to like them, but don't. I'm sure a few mods would make it more to my liking.
The GTO is out. Don't like it.
The Camaro convertible is in, if I can find a nice one for a good price.


Back in my late high-school and early college days, one of the many families of cousins, lived above a 4 car garage that our grandmother owned and we used to work on car. One cousin had a beat up 68 Camaro with the 327 V8 with a 4 speed manual transmission, and fairly big slick back tires that were still street legal. Man that thing was fun to drive. One time I opened it up going up a hill with a left hand turn at the top and an apartment building in line with the road if you did not make the left. I swear that car made me consider that if I kept it floored all the way to the turn that it just might go air-borne and end up in the second floor of the apartment building. Another time I was driving it and power-shifted by just letting off the gas enough to not over rev the engine during the shift, but keep the revs up and got back on the gas as soon as the shift was complete, so there was less than a foot and a half of no black tire laid down on the road during the shift. My cousin who owned the car was in the passengers seat seat and said "you know Jim, you can let off the gas during a shift". I told him that I had let off just enough to prevent over-revving and then got back on it as soon as the shift was finished. That 327 screamed, and got great gas millage, though at $0.69 per gallon it was not a big deal if it drank some. The frame rusted out on that Camaro so we found another 68 Camaro with a blown motor real cheap and dropped the 327 and 4 speed in that one. When he sold that car the person who bought it, bought it for the engine, and he was going to pull the engine and put it in something else.

Many people like the 69 Camaros. But the 69's weighted 500 pounds more because the 68's had too much frame flex and frame rot problems. But the 69's used a 350 instead of the 327, and those 327 with 202 power packed heads and 4 bolt mains were screamers.

A really great, but very rare 327 is one with a billet aluminum block. For years I though that the one in the 68's my cousin had were aluminum, but years later when I mentioned it to that cousin, he told me that 327 was the plain iron block.

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BTW, the recent Camaro's have a 6 cylinder that puts out 325 HP.