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[twistedsymphony]

Last weekend I sold my 2002 WRX... It was a great car but I was seriously bored with it and thought it was pretty ugly. It was great for all seasons because it was reliable in the winter snow and fun in summer sun.

I've got a 94 Toyota Pickup now for the winter months and now that the paperwork for the sale of the WRX is nearly completed I'm looking for what my next car might be.

My requirements are:

-Must be Rear Wheel drive, maybe all-wheel but I'd prefer Rear
-Must be a stick... 6 speed preferred
-Must have 2 doors... 4 doors are right out
-Must be a coupe... I don't like open roofs, sun roofs and t-top are nice though.
-Must handle well... I'm all about good cornering ability, power is good but it takes a back seat to handling
-I prefer Japanese or European over domestic... mostly for the point above this one. Also I like SMALL cars that feel light, I've driven various Camaros and Firebirds and they fell far too large to me.

Finally cost... I'd like to keep the costs as low as possible... I don't mind cars over a decade old, since it will be a 2nd vehicle and summer only it doesn't need to be super reliable, I just want something fun, that I can tinker with a bit and take to the occasional auto-x.

I'm making about $4-5K on the sale of the WRX, it'd be cool if I could throw in a few more grand and buy something outright, but taking out a small-ish loan on something newer wouldn't be bad either.

I've recently had my eye on an RX-8 that's been for sale for a while now at a local Subaru Dealership. http://www.getauto.c...1FE173540118889
Someone traded it in in the late fall and they were asking $24K for it... once the first snow started to fall the price dropped quickly and now it's only $18.9... a nice deal if you ask me...

I figure now is a great time to find the kind of car I'm looking for because the cold winter months ahead will drive the price of summer sports cars down  

Other cars I've mulled about in my head and might consider buying (if I could find them) are:
-Nissan 300ZX - I just love the way they look, and they're pretty quick too
-Nissan 240SX - older car and rather slow but if I went this route I'd probably try an SR20 or RB25 engine swap and probably an S15 front end conversion as well... the draw here is something unique as I rarely see 240s in my area, I've never seen a converted one in my area, and I regularly attend car shows/track nights too. I love the styling of the Skyline R34 (if you couldn't tell from my sig) and this is probably the closes I'd get.
-BMW M3 - probably an older one... my favorite style is the e30 as I'm in love with wheel bolsters and that version was just damn cool looking
-MR2 (gen 2) - light, small wheel base, and mid engine = excellent handling, I'm not a fan of the way the gen1s and gen3s look but the Gen 2s are nice. I'm also a big fan of Toyota's products so that's a big plus for me too.

The only NEW car I've seen that interests me is the Saturn Sky (open top I know), saw one at a trade show and it really impressed me. I like the way it looks (save the giant friggin Saturn logo) and it seems like a really classy car. While it's a hair out of my price range, being a new car I'm sure I could get some good financing out of it. The Pontiac version I don't like the looks of at all. the only other question I have is how tuner friendly the car is... I'd like something where I can buy some bolt-ons for the suspension, and engine, and maybe dress up the body a little bit to make it unique.. being such a new car it doesn't have anything like that available and there's a question if it ever will have much. Being that the Sky is a bit slower then what I'm used to it's getting more power out of it is definitely something I'd want to do.

Of course there are other options...

I've never driven any of the above cars... only looked at them, sat in a few of them, and I'm familiar with some of the technical stats...

Based on that does anyone have any insight on what to look for/look out for in these cars? Does anyone have any first hand experience with these cars, and based on what you could gather from my tastes and what I'm looking for does anyone have any suggestions on other cars I might want to look into?

[Arjun]

Didn't they stop making M3s? Or something like that...I've been thinking about picking up something in the three-series. But have you thought about a G35? Or even an IS? My cousins just got those and they are so damn fun to drive!

[twistedsymphony]

really I'm looking for something a whole lot cheaper...

the G35 is WAY out of my price range (I'd rather have the Nissan Z anway) and the IS is a 4 door sedan... not exactly the sports car I'm looking for.

I realize I had a long post but did you at least read any of it?  

[Lemon Crevice]

ive been looking for the same kinda car but with a lower budget. My list is pretty similar to yours, but i also have a Audi tt on the list i know its not rear wheel drive but you can't go wrong with quattro, the 1.8t starts off with 225(in the quattro coupe)and with a chip exhaust and intake you can clear 300 which isn't anything to sneeze at. The rear seat in the coupe is alittle on the tiny side but its there for emergencies. I like the styling in my opinion a little girly but better then a wrx(no offense) but aslong as it drives well.SO yea thats what ive been looking into so i thought id throw it out there.

[twistedsymphony]

The problem I have with the TT is that it's slower then the A4 (because it weighs more)... my brother got an A4 around the same time I got my WRX both my WRX and his A4 were chipped and had full exhaust replacements,  my WRX was always faster... not to mention his A4 was at the dealer at least once a month for repairs... in the 4.5 years I had the WRX it was never once at the dealer for anything but regular maintenance.

the TT is good if you want a quick roadster that will turn heads, but for the price it's just too slow, especially considering it's sedan cousin is faster and it's sport sedan cousin (the S4) is SUBSTANTIALLY faster.

The GTO is far far too large a car... I've actually driven one because my father owns one... the engine sounds nice but that's about it... quite possibly one of the fugliest cars on the road IMO, and it handles like a boat (probably because it is one).

The Civic SI is a decent little car... the low end Hondas always felt cheap to me... I had a friend in college with a genuine RHD Type R Integra (He had an internship with Honda and pulled some strings) Amazing engineering and he always whooped me in Auto-X but it just felt like a tin can when you drove it and the engine always sounded like it was a few rotations away from exploding. Other cheap things like a clutch that would wobble back and forth and buttons an levers that just felt like cheap plastic (though not nearly as bad some some more expensive American cars I've driven)... besides the biggest problem is the fact that it's FRONT wheel drive..

I've never owned a Front wheel Drive car and I don't plan on EVER owning one... I hate them with a firey passion...

no joke if you just up and gave me a FWD car I wouldn't drive it... PERIOD, I hate them that much.

[Modderxtrordanare]

QUOTE(twistedsymphony @ Dec 21 2006, 09:46 PM)

no joke if you just up and gave me a FWD car I wouldn't drive it... PERIOD, I hate them that much.[/b]

If we gave it to you, couldn't you sell it and add that money to your budget on getting a new car?    jk

[twistedsymphony]

hey I never said I wouldn't do that... just that I wouldn't drive it..

I don't have to drive it to sell it  

moding it into a RWD or AWD vehicle is within reason as well

[ubernewb]

1. toyota ae86 (corolla) ... very light and agile, can be very fast with a swap, handling is fantastic due to the 50/50 weight distribution

2. toyota supra mkIII ... very strong (go turbo over n/a of course), little ass heavy, but a good suspension can correct the handling.. warning, this car is a money pit though. the 7mgte engine is prone to head gasket issues, definately recommend replacing with a metal gasket. either that or look into a 1jz swap, or 2jz if you're insane

3. honda s2000 ... pretty quick, decent handling, convertible can easily replaced with a hardtop (carbon roof = teh_seks)

4. nissan 240sx ... with a swap very comparable to the supra,  but with better weight distribution. sr20 red top + bigger turbo = tire roaster


personally i'm thinking up picking up another supra.. had an 87 turbo and it was funner than hell. had a buddy that worked at a tire shop so on the weekend we'd mount some used tires on steelies and go fuck around in the mall parking lot till one blew out.. then we'd grab my rims out of his truck and go.

supra definately needs to be a second car though.. with the upkeep, you don't wanna have to rely on it being your primary vehicle. check www.supraforums.com for some info on them if you're interested so you can get an idea of what you can expect..

[Lemon Crevice]

i know that the TT with only 180 hp is slow no question about that 0-60 is about 7.4 which for the money is really slow and pathetic. but the 225hp 1.8t is 0-60 in 6.2 which is pretty good no S4 but can beat a stock a4 without to much trouble, And for weight the tt's a little lighter then an a4. but neither are really light considering there size just makin sure u got the right information cause getting a new car is a big decision.

[o The Drizzle o]

take it a eclipse gsx or a talon tsi AWD are too cheap too? how about a 3000gt? or possibly an older evolution. just throwing out some suggestions....

[G0t M4xx 21]

I have a 2005 Mazda RX-8

It's a very fun car, small, light, handles well, and has so far been pretty reliable, haven't had any serious issues with it at all

It could use a little bit more power, but that's more than made up for my the sheer amount of fun I have driving the car. The engine is so light weight that even for a front engine, RWD car, the weight balance is very near 50/50 and the handling as amazing. Plus shooting out flames at 9,300 RPM is pretty cool

Car also has great modding potential, I got mine fairly tricked out, did all the work myself of course:

Gutted and ready for screen installation:
http://img.photobuck...ct/IMGA0101.jpg

Screen installed, custom bezel made:
http://img.photobuck...ct/IMGA0106.jpg

Part of modification to the HU for Aux input:
http://img.photobuck...ct/IMGA0154.jpg

Almost done!
http://img.photobuck...ct/IMGA0113.jpg

Yippee
http://img.photobuck...ct/IMG_0075.jpg

The brains:
http://i30.photobuck...io/IMGA0534.jpg

Can't forget the music makers...
http://i30.photobuck...io/IMGA0341.jpg

And my latest mod:
http://img.photobuck...s/IMG_04571.jpg
Just waiting to get it back from the paint shop

But anyways, it's a great car, and if I know you Twisted, you could do something even more badass

[twistedsymphony]

QUOTE(ubernewb @ Dec 22 2006, 01:40 PM)

1. toyota ae86 (corolla) ...
2. toyota supra mkIII ...
3. honda s2000 ...
4. nissan 240sx ...

I love all of those suggestions and I would buy any of those cars if given the opportunity at a reasonable price. the 86 being so old and my area (new england) they're near impossible to find, or rather impossible to find where they aren't just a pile of rusted metal that something thinks they can get 3 large for. I'd MAYBE pay 3 large if it was near flawless with a swap but a stocker thats been beat to crap and rusted to dust... not hanks

the Supra is an awesome machine, my father had an MKIII tuned to 550whp it was just disgustingly fast. I'd love to have one but I haven't seen one priced below $35K in years.

Honda s2000 I hadn't thought about... if they're not too pricy I might look into one

and of course the 240 is one of my top choices  

QUOTE(o The Drizzle o @ Dec 22 2006, 03:34 PM)

take it a eclipse gsx or a talon tsi AWD are too cheap too? how about a 3000gt? or possibly an older evolution. just throwing out some suggestions....

Those are all cool cars, the problem with the eclipse/talon is they're just too generic for my tastes, I see TONS of them on the road. the 3000gt is nice, I might consider one, and the Evo is just too similar to the WRX

QUOTE(G0t M4xx 21 @ Dec 23 2006, 01:40 AM)

I have a 2005 Mazda RX-8

It's a very fun car, small, light, handles well, and has so far been pretty reliable, haven't had any serious issues with it at all

It could use a little bit more power, but that's more than made up for my the sheer amount of fun I have driving the car. The engine is so light weight that even for a front engine, RWD car, the weight balance is very near 50/50 and the handling as amazing. Plus shooting out flames at 9,300 RPM is pretty cool

Car also has great modding potential, I got mine fairly tricked out, did all the work myself of course:
But anyways, it's a great car, and if I know you Twisted, you could do something even more badass

cool thanks for the vote of confidence on the RX-8 have you done any engine/suspension modifications or just the AV system?

I'm gonna test drive that one I linked earlier some time this week.

[Arjun]

QUOTE(twistedsymphony @ Dec 21 2006, 09:59 PM)

really I'm looking for something a whole lot cheaper...

the G35 is WAY out of my price range (I'd rather have the Nissan Z anway) and the IS is a 4 door sedan... not exactly the sports car I'm looking for.

I realize I had a long post but did you at least read any of it?  

Lol. I did read your whole post, promise. But when I read your title, those were the cars that popped in to my head, so I had to say it.

[thewickedjester]

I'm gonna have to recommend a 300zx 91-95 (dont get a 96 cause they had problems with engine revisions, and I wouldn't recommend a '90 cause a first gen isnt always the best idea)

I was looking into getting one, but figured I'd just stick with the Impala, everything everyone said was:
Deffinetly don't get a TT model if its your daily driver
They don't make good snow cars

Etc etc

Anyways, a really good condition one seems to be a bit out of your price range but they are nice cars.

[G0t M4xx 21]

QUOTE(twistedsymphony @ Dec 23 2006, 11:39 AM)

cool thanks for the vote of confidence on the RX-8 have you done any engine/suspension modifications or just the AV system?

I'm gonna test drive that one I linked earlier some time this week.

Not a whole lot yet, Racing Beat cat-back exhaust w/ 3 inch midpipe, and an Axial Flow Engineering short shifter

When I get some more cash I'm gonna have it turbo'ed, ProTech Performance makes a really nice turbo kit for the 8 and they're a local shop here in town.