Frustrated with the state of sports car ownership

[twobone]

After taking a 5 year hiatus from sport car ownership I’m anxious to dive back in

I’m thinking 911 or Aston Martin Vantage. Something in the $30-40k US range

Problem is I live near Toronto and the culture and roads and community have gone to *****.

I’m concerned with the short season I just won’t use the car. Parking a hot classic on the street for an hour or two with all the meat heads around gives me heart palpitations

Also the quality or drivers and the volume of cars are ruining the allure of the “special drive”

I’m half tempted to find a cheaper manual car like a 135i and just bombs around without the fear of damaging a great car

[masraum]

I'm all for a 911 or Aston, but from the sound of things, maybe a boxster/cayman or miata might be less stressful while still giving you the sports car fun.

[twobone]

I’ve done the miata thing (mazdaspeed). I found it a bit to “tinny”

Thanks for the advice

[RANDY P]

Really good insurance and get ready to accept loss (due to lack of parts) if something happens.

With that said, I rarely take my stuff out unless I'm really motivated and know I'll always be close by.

rjp

[ted]

I would park a VW GTI anywhere.
A C6 Z06 would be fast enough.

[Alan A]

30-40k for a 911 or Vantage isn’t going to get you much.
So since it’s likely to be rough to start with why stress?

[twobone]

Originally Posted by ted

I would park a VW GTI anywhere.
A C6 Z06 would be fast enough.

A GTI has crossed my mind as well

My Dad briefly had an Aston DB4 in the UK in 69’ and so I’m feeling deeply nostalgic given he just passed. That’s why an 07’ Vantage V8 seems to be pulling at my heart strings. My fear is that it will just not get used enough.

[fanaudical]

Well, you say you want a "sports car", but what about that specifically appeals to you?

Maybe there's another way to scratch that itch. There are plenty of ways to go motoring around and have fun and maybe that better fits your use case. Join the local Jeep club? Old Chevy C10 dropped as a low rider? Volvo wagon with an LS conversion? Corvette?

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by ted

I would park a VW GTI anywhere.
A C6 Z06 would be fast enough.

Sorry, but I would not trust the environment most places to park a Mark I or II GTI.
Those, especially the 1st generation are a blast to drive.

Given the budget constraints of $30K for a air cooled 911 or Austin Martin, I think you will either end up with a big project taking the $$$ away from enjoying the driving experience.

[Baz]

I have to say.......I absolutely LOVE driving my 5 speed Volvo 850 wagon!

A wagon that drives like a sports car?

Yup.......



Best $6K for a driver I ever spent!

[twobone]

I have a weird complexity to my car passion. I have persistent tinnitus from owning a lotus super 7.

I’m super sensitive to loud persistent noise. It can lead to weeks of ringing ear spikes.

I briefly owned a modern Boss 302. The highway drone led me to sell it. I couldn’t take it

So I’m looking for a solid build quality tight manual car with a powerful but refined power plant

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by twobone

Also the quality or drivers and the volume of cars are ruining the allure of the “special drive”

I’m half tempted to find a cheaper manual car like a 135i and just bombs around without the fear of damaging a great car

I understand the feeling. I’m very cautious (paranoid) taking my Speedster out. I’ve thought of building a Speedster replica to beat around in, something with a more power and better brakes that I can drive and not care about scratches and road rash.

[Noah930]

What about a 996 or 997?

[berettafan]

Sounds like cayman money to me. If no garage to keep it in I’d stick with modern stuff that sorta blends in and isn’t special. I got a GTI this past year and love rowing the manual transmission. Acceleration is enough to entertain and handling (fwd aside) is a total hoot. Tight and refined are perfect descriptors for it. Wrx is a hooligans dream but refined isn’t a word I’d use. More of the current Japanese version of the old fox bodied 5.0. Might be a good choice for crap roads and snow. Put some meaty all seasons on it and woohoo! All of the above being modern cars there should be some blending in to avoid major attention and dings and such would be less stressful than with a premium brand.

If I wanted something more special/less practical I’d probably have gone cayman or boxster. To me bigger = less ‘tight’ feeling. Kinda special but still somewhat practical would probably be bmw as you mentioned. I’m not sold on modern bmw build quality at all but they sure can be fast.

[LWJ]

Cayman. I have a Boxster S and it is LOUD on the highway with the top down. Tinnitus here as well. Except for that, the Boxster is pretty awesome. It is an 01 and really not worth anything.

Me? I have similar issues. Other drivers have truly removed so much of the joy from driving. I have put more miles on a large pickup truck than my Boxster in the last year. And it is a far harder to drive as I need to do some front end work.

[oldE]

If you have a secure place to store the car, go ahead and get the Aston. You will drive it a few times and either have some wonderful moments when the roads are miraculously clear or focus on the frustration of driving a great car in unfortunate conditions.
At least you will have scratched the itch.

Best
Les

[cabmandone]

WRX STI. When I decide to get back into something with some snap that's relatively cheap to mod, that's probably gonna be my ride. I'll get the added benefit of being able to actually drive it in the winter if I want to.

[Alan A]

Originally Posted by cabmandone

WRX STI. When I decide to get back into something with some snap that's relatively cheap to mod, that's probably gonna be my ride. I'll get the added benefit of being able to actually drive it in the winter if I want to.

He has problems with noise and you want him to get a WRX? Interesting suggestion.

OP - get an electric car. Everything you want except a stick. Invisible. Theft proof - no one here wants them. Quick.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Cayman. I have a Boxster S and it is LOUD on the highway with the top down. Tinnitus here as well. Except for that, the Boxster is pretty awesome. It is an 01 and really not worth anything.

Me? I have similar issues. Other drivers have truly removed so much of the joy from driving. I have put more miles on a large pickup truck than my Boxster in the last year. And it is a far harder to drive as I need to do some front end work.

My boxster came with the optional hard top. I've had it on constantly for ~3-4 years now. Most of my driving is highway, high speed. The hardtop is much more quiet than the soft top. When I was buying, I'd have bought a cayman, but this boxster was too great to pass up.

[stevej37]

I've got my eye on the 26 Prelude....on sale this Fall.