mid 90s Dodge Viper RT/10 Roadster

11/21/2013 12:41:06 PM

LMAO


Honestly I bet that gets better gas mileage than the M3 or C63

11/21/2013 12:52:43 PM

M3 is awful ...14/20. Premium at that. Money wise that's equivalent to daily driving F-250 10/15 on regular gas. Nice thing about them is they are easy to sell if you ever need cash quick. Most other cars take forever to sell.

11/21/2013 1:02:03 PM

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that the E92 M3 gets inferior gas mileage to a first generation Dodge Viper RT/10.

Just....how?

11/21/2013 1:29:44 PM

Quote :

"^Holy crap man, how did you find one for such a great price?! "

I was looking for a couple months in the spring all over the south for a Cayman S. Didn't care whether it was an 06-07 but it had to be a manual, not red, <75k miles , and have a clean carfax. Found a few but they were hours away and sold before I could check them out. A couple months later I randomly opened Cars.com and found one listed that day 5 minutes from my work with all my requirements. Test drove it at lunch and bought it the next day after a PPI. There was another 06' at that time listed in the area for $34k with 20,000 more miles than mine...lol.

11/21/2013 1:32:57 PM

^^high revving N/A. 3700lb... :-/

if you drive 15k/year you are looking at $1000/year more in gas over 335i.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=25862&id=30057&id=32311&id=23091

11/21/2013 2:56:23 PM

I still don't think that's enough of an explanation, lol.

BTW I drive closer to 20k a year

[Edited on November 21, 2013 at 3:50 PM. Reason : no $]

11/21/2013 3:39:44 PM

Damn, if I drove that much I'd like to think I wouldn't be tooling around in my 335i and paying >$4k/year in gas.

[Edited on November 21, 2013 at 3:52 PM. Reason : keywords: "like to think"]

11/21/2013 3:51:55 PM

Yeah it sucks.

Thoughts on this one?

http://tinyurl.com/pnaqyb4

11/21/2013 4:19:58 PM

I drive pretty damned close to 30k/year, so that probably colors my opinion even though I know everyone doesn't do that.

My car literally pays for itself relative to driving the vette (which itself gets good fuel economy). It's like a free car if I just drive it instead of the vette.

Fuel cost is no joke if you drive a lot. It's insidious, though. Do the math on it so that you actually quantify and put a price on your different options. For me, it makes tons of sense to have a DD plus toy car. Even if I only track it a few times per year, it makes sense if you're cool with slow but comfortable/quiet/practical day to day , and then it frees you up to have something totally berserk for track days and autocrosses.

11/21/2013 4:23:28 PM

I mean I don't need something totally berserk. And I've had 2 cars for going on 5 years now and I'm sick of it.

11/21/2013 4:24:44 PM

Oh, man, I love having backup wheels.

I need to not have 4 cars and a motorcycle , though. That's a little much.

11/21/2013 4:35:43 PM

Well it probably has something to do with the Integra needing constant work. Small things thankfully, but what a pain.

11/21/2013 4:37:38 PM

^^^ I'll let someone more knowledgeable than me speak about this, but I think that shop/seller is to be avoided. ES Motorsports or whatever they used to be called...run a search you'll probably find something.

11/21/2013 4:42:02 PM

Interesting.

11/21/2013 4:58:27 PM

https://www.google.com/search?q=es+motorsports+greensboro

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1829207-ES-Motorsports-Greensboro-NC

[Edited on November 21, 2013 at 5:06 PM. Reason : looks like they changed names...i can only assume same ownership]

11/21/2013 5:06:06 PM

^

Quote :

"According to information in BBB files, this company is no longer in business. If you have an unresolved dispute with this company you may wish to seek legal advice. According to the N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles, RALEIGH - the owner of ES Motorsports, Inc., Ehsan Shahnawaz, 32, of Crosstimbers Drive in Greenboro was arrested on Feb. 22, 2012 and charged with illegally billing customers for tax, tag and title fees for 87 vehicle sales.Inspectors charged Shahnawaz with selling vehicles to out-of-state customers, charging them illegally for North Carolina taxes, titles and tags, when the vehicles were not being titled or licensed in the state. The dealer also charged other fees not allowed by North Carolina law. In total, Shahnawaz was charged with 87 felony counts of obtaining property by false pretense, 12 counts of common law forgery, and six counts of common law uttering. Misdemeanor counts included two counts of having open titles, 25 counts of charging hidden fees, 4 counts of failure to inspect vehicles prior to sale, and 13 counts of improper issuance of a 30-day marker. - See more at: http://www.bbb.org/greensboro/business-reviews/used-car-dealerships/es-motorsports-in-greensboro-nc-33046726#sthash.NL53cia9.dpuf "

There's something to be said about having a backup vehicle for when your primary is out of commission, whether its routine maintenance or worse. I feel this is especially necessary if you track one of your vehicles. The cost of maintaining a second vehicle can be quite minimal. My biggest issue has always been more about space parking the second vehicle than anything else.

[Edited on November 21, 2013 at 9:20 PM. Reason : .]

11/21/2013 9:17:59 PM

^ Same location, similar name. I wouldn't do business with them without hearing a bunch of glowing reviews on the forums.

11/21/2013 11:11:25 PM

After driving a new gen PDK Cayman S, I have pretty much decided to make that my next car when prices come down. That being said, of the cars you've mentioned, I think I'd honestly do the 135. You probably don't need the rear seats and probably easier to find one cheaper than a 335. I like the compact look of the 135 vs. the 335 coupe which still has a bit of bulk to it IMO. 50/50 weight distribution and (probably) better power-to-weight ratio.

11/22/2013 12:32:45 AM

I've always thought the 135 looked short and stubby, and the curved character line along the lower body to be incongruous. To each his own, I suppose, and the performance is hard to argue with.

11/22/2013 2:55:39 AM

M roadster?
Lotus Elise?


not sure if decent examples are in your $$ range, but I think they are close?

11/22/2013 8:16:54 AM

Yeah I really don't like the looks of the 135.

Ferguson, both good choices but I don't want a convertible again and the Elise is just way too much of a compromise.

11/22/2013 8:34:08 AM

My b, I think I meant M coupe. I know they are kinda hard to find but it seems like it would just be a slightly smaller, but more stiff and powerful BRZ.

11/22/2013 8:40:19 AM

That's a good point. I'll do a search but they are incredibly rare. Could be a tough find. And smaller than a BRZ? Lol, nah man.

[Edited on November 22, 2013 at 10:11 AM. Reason : k]

11/22/2013 10:08:52 AM

if you're so worried about gas prices for long distance driving... why not just get a used economy car and a used c5/c6/m3/whatever as a fun track/weekend car?

unless this has already been covered, but whatever, TLDR

11/22/2013 12:47:56 PM

already covered. let's just put that idea to rest

11/22/2013 2:04:43 PM

Other ideas maybe, for $30k, you can get really nice examples of:
> BMW Z4M Coupe, Z3M Coupe (S54)
> Boxster S
> S4
> Elise
> e46 M3

With the cars being listed in your original post, I think you have to go Cayman S or 135i if you can stand the looks. Having driven a 370z, it's just not in the same league with respect to fun or feel for the money. The evo will be fun but if it's an only car, I think you'll miss the refinement of other cars. The C6 is still a good choice and I think the interior is decent enough.

11/22/2013 11:40:18 PM

Honestly if you could deal with its small stature the Elise would be a no brainer.
Mpg and track prowess on a Toyota engine iirc.

11/23/2013 12:08:11 PM

the fact that you couldn't buy enough groceries to last a week with that car is kind of a deterrent. i thought the exige was what i wanted until i actually tried getting in and out of one

11/23/2013 3:50:20 PM

What's the buy back on the brz?
I got 5 on itttt

11/23/2013 10:30:31 PM

Seriously, based on the OP requirements, an 06-07 Elise is an exact fit.

And you can fit a full cart of groceries in the trunk, I know because I've done it many times.

11/24/2013 4:06:52 PM

I don't know that I'd want an Elise as my only vehicle...and I think it would sometimes be aggravating to not have enough room for stuff...but if you're a single dude, I can't imagine how in the hell you would ever buy more groceries than you could bring home in an Elise.

11/24/2013 7:44:28 PM

I just drove my bro-in-law's brand new IS350 with F Sport package. What a nice little car. He test drove a 335i before it and loved the Lexus even more.

he's leasing it ($45k sticker)

he did:
$1000 down
$500/month
15000 miles/year

11/24/2013 8:24:49 PM

Duke, is the Elise trunk that much smaller than a vette's

11/25/2013 6:19:53 AM

Quote :

"Other ideas maybe, for $30k, you can get really nice examples of: > BMW Z4M Coupe impossible to find (esp in my price range) > Z3M Coupe (S54) How difficult is it to find those? Something to consider maybe > Boxster S not interested in a convertible > S4 what year are you suggested? > Elise no, too impractical for me > e46 M3 just not digging those, for whatever reason"

tchenku, I'm not the least bit interested in that car. And I am not going to lease a car. Good suggestion though.

baonest, I should know by Tuesday or Wednesday. I have mentioned to the insurance company that I know a few people that would potentially be interested in the car. FYI the insurance company still has not officially told me it's totaled (dunno why they're dragging this out) however they have stated that the estimated repair bill would be $18,000.

11/25/2013 8:38:16 AM

Quote :

"just not digging those, for whatever reason"

Have you driven one?

11/25/2013 9:33:26 AM

I know the newest ones are now pushing/over 10 years old, but how about an NSX? Or is that too old for your comfort level on a DD?

11/25/2013 9:48:17 AM

^^no

^There's no way I could get financing for something like that.

11/25/2013 9:57:58 AM

^Are you sure about that? Not sure if you'd want to, but you probably *could*. In 2004 I looked at a low-mileage '86 BMW 635CSi that the seller was asking something like $9K for. Figured it wasn't the best idea but I asked the loan officer at the bank if I'd be able to get financing for a car that old, and he said if the book value supported the loan amount they didn't have any sort of age cutoff.

Ended up not doing it because it seemed wrong to DD a 30K mile E24, and financing was probably easier to get then than it would be now, but it's not necessarily out of the question.

[Edited on November 25, 2013 at 11:53 AM. Reason : (still fitted with TRX tires/rims no less)]

11/25/2013 11:51:49 AM

Ah, I didn't see the "this is my only car" part of the OP, mostly because he didn't say anything about that.

It's an impossible list if you want all that AND have it be a comfortable GT car in your price range. Unless you buy something old as shit.

That said, just fucking man up and buy the Lotus. It's only impractical for sissies.

11/25/2013 2:55:07 PM

hahaha, true.

11/25/2013 3:53:48 PM

A lot of credit unions will finance any age used car

11/25/2013 4:08:18 PM

I'm on the 5 year plan for a c7 zo6 now.

I've started making car payments to my car investment fund :-).

11/25/2013 4:28:54 PM

A Corvette has way more space than an Elise or an Exige. Other concern with a Lotus is that it's well, a Lotus. Lotus as a car manufacturer is regularly teetering on the brink of collapse.

11/25/2013 6:20:03 PM

The z3m coupe has a dedicated site with all listings in the US (http://www.mcoupebuyersguide.com) that is quite handy and has a lot of information. The 99/00 have the e36 M3 S52 engine with the 01/02 having the e46 M3 S54 engine, and subsequently cost quite a bit more, but there are no other differences between the modes. Here's a clean example of the more powerful year: http://goo.gl/zwcwSm
For what it's worth, there is little to no depreciation at this point. If you don't mind some miles, they're very reliable and can be had under $20k if you can live with the S52. Be sure to get the rear subframe welds checked out prior to purchase.

The z4m coupe carries the same S54 e46 M3 engine as the later year z3 variety, but is substantially more refined. It no longer carries the trailing arm rear suspension or extra quirky styling...which may be a plus or minus. Here's a nice example: http://goo.gl/Jvnpe7

Unfortunately, plan on a 1 way flight for these cars due to their rarity. For the S4, I honestly didn't have a year in mind but mentally was about at 2006-2008: http://goo.gl/kyyN5z
That being said, if you're looking at a cayman, I'm not sure this is really a contender.

11/25/2013 7:29:31 PM

Quote :

"That being said, of the cars you've mentioned, I think I'd honestly do the 135. You probably don't need the rear seats and probably easier to find one cheaper than a 335."

False.

Used 135s are nearly impossible to find in this price range. When I was looking 2 years ago, I had 2 sold out from under me before I could even get to the dealers to test drive them. Main reason I ended up with a 335 instead.

11/25/2013 8:12:14 PM

How much lighter are the 135s than the 335s I thought I remember it being relatively insignificant considering the size difference.

The only benefit of the current model 1 series is the visibility and feel if the car makes it drive like a mini in heavy traffic, only with way more power.

But they are a little ugly in the "proportions are wrong" kind of way.

11/26/2013 6:13:08 AM

like 200lbs or so? I can't recall the exact number.

I don't disagree on the looks, it was the performance I was after.

11/26/2013 6:56:17 AM

Quote :

"A Corvette has way more space than an Elise or an Exige."

Quote :

"Duke, is the Elise trunk that much smaller than a vette's"

Haha, OH yeah. I can fit 2 full-sized suitcases in the trunk with room to spare for duffel bags and other stuff.

I drove mine up to NC last year for Christmas...packed for a week and a half for my daughter and myself, and had room to spare to bring back all the Christmas presents.

11/26/2013 7:56:35 AM

200lbs would be worth it!

Shit I thought it was like 50

11/26/2013 7:56:52 AM