[Porsche-O-Phile]

I do. I opted for the 320 V6 with the 6-speed manual. Fun car. The supercharged 230s are generally considered more "mod-able" between the typical R170 models (230 or 320). I actually had my sights set on a Boxster S when I went down and it had sold that day unfortunately, so I ended up testing out several 2 seater convertables including the Z3 and Z4 BMWs, the S2000 Honda, both flavors of SLK and the Audi TT. The Mercedes were the best of the bunch; for me personally the 320's true manual gearbox and low-end torque gave it the edge over the 230 but the 230 was a good car in its own right - definitely worth a look.

A couple of things to watch for in the R170s are PSE issues (there's a pneumatic "brain" that controls a lot of functions including door/trunk locks, etc. - they're known for getting water in the systems if owners aren't careful and if so, they can cause a lot of problems (and are not cheap to replace). That and typical maintenance. Dig around the forums on benzworld.org - lots of good info. there.

I don't know what your budget is, but you may want to look for the AMG32. They're available these days for the mid-to-high teens, which is a hell of a lot of car for the money. They've got the supercharged V6 and are VERY quick, along with having all the nice looks and other benefits of the R170 line (plus all the nice AMG goodies like the nicer rims, better suspension, etc.)

Best of luck. I'd definitely say the R170s are worth a look. They're very good cars overall. Don't let the naysayers fool you into thinking that M.B.s from that era aren't worth having because of the whole Daimler-Chrysler merger - it's a load of B.S. The M.B. cars are just fine. The only issues I've had with mine since buying it are an O2 sensor, a crank position sensor and a hood strut. Other than that, it's been perfect.