An American Porsche? BMW? Alpha? Mustang?

[piscator]

Thanks to the Corvette guys for their discussions. Corvettes have always intrigued me, but due to lack of exposure, I've never really been a 'vette guy. The last one I drove was a 1977, in 1977.

Anecdote:

When I lived in Washington in the late '80's my downstairs neighor was some kind of Pentagon analyst and scratch golfer. He bought one of the first of the newly styled 'vettes of that era. One afternoon, I saw him in our parking lot, walking around his 'vette, a contemplative look on his face, and scratching his chin.

I complimented what was a very attractive auto and said, "I bet that car really runs!"

To which he said, "Well it's fast going straight, but it doesn't handle very well."

Amazed, I asked, "Whaddya mean it doesn't handle? The articles I read said it was the best handling 'vette ever!"

Friend, "Well it's fast going straight, but it's lousy in turns."

Me, "I just can't believe that, is there something wrong with your car? Is it broken?"

Friend, "Naagh, it's just that they come with uni-directional tires. They're great going straight, but they just don't turn. I'm probably going to replace them."

True story. And he wasn't putting me on. Nice guy who I believe was involved in analyzing Russian military assets. His apartment was floor to ceiling with books on Sino-Soviet stuff.

[piscator]

Progress Report: I truly appreciate the cars suggested and have read a lot about them. The trouble is that they are all so compelling!

That said, I'm still drawn to the Mustangs and that would be a cool car for my daughter, when she's home. I didn't know anything about the SVT's until you guys suggested it. From the 80's through the 2000's I was running a business and didn't have much time for the hobby.

Zeke and 996AE, Thanks for your early SVT/Cobra suggestions. You must be quite prescient, because that's the car I'm drawn to. From the outset, the IRS in the 1999 intrigued me. There's a Wkipedia article on the history of the SVT/Cobra that's quite good. According to Wikipedian:

"All 1999–2004 SVT Cobras featured independent rear suspension, unique to only the Cobra."

After reading that, I've been looking at Mustangs from those years. I love the 2003 and 2004's, but they're a bit above the budget. I take it these cars are no secret! I'm not in a rush, so maybe I'll luck out and find a good deal on a '99 - '02 car.

I'm truly a Mustang neophyte, so any thoughts or suggestions on the breed (of any model year) would be most appreciated!

Thanks again to everybody!