More thinking out of me. I would have to agree with Luke. I'd have an Elise. Esprits tend to be expensive and the owners (thru personal experience) are A-holes. The 355 has been a dream car of mine since I was about 10. There is alot of problems though that I dont want to deal with: Dash shrinkage, header cracks, fuel line fittings, F1 - worst gearbox in history at that time, belts being done... I'd take the Elise, track pack in Chrome Orange, with the Stage 2 exhaust. 
A supercharged Elise derivative should be as fast as a C5 Z06...
Other than that, this should be done when the new Miata comes out - all the better to show off the new car's added speed and agility...
What about a C6 z51? that would be my choice.... at least for the 20-30k price point.
Teh E36 M3 wrote:Aeromoto wrote: The HUGE problem with the Ferarris, Lotus, Aston, Maserati, etc----- So lets say you buy one on a budget, and then you scatter something vital like a gearbox, engine block, etc? I'd say you'd have a really sexy looking lawn ornament from that point onward.And I'd say you now have the opportunity for an E-rod LS3 swap for the cost of rebuilding or replacing said "exotic" part.
Werd!
I'd get two FD RX-7's.
Conquest351 wrote:Teh E36 M3 wrote:Werd!Aeromoto wrote: The HUGE problem with the Ferarris, Lotus, Aston, Maserati, etc----- So lets say you buy one on a budget, and then you scatter something vital like a gearbox, engine block, etc? I'd say you'd have a really sexy looking lawn ornament from that point onward.And I'd say you now have the opportunity for an E-rod LS3 swap for the cost of rebuilding or replacing said "exotic" part.
Seems like a bad way to go, actually. I love LS swaps, but in something like a Ferrari, all you're doing is destroying the value of the car. You'd end up with a car that still has a lot of very, very expensive parts and is worth very little.
Most exotics depreciate to a point that average people can afford to buy them. You'll see that the Ferraris that have had Chevy V8s in them since the 70s are not nearly as valuable as those that retained the correct engine.
You can't get a good 348 with records for 30k .. even a well cared for quattrovalve 308 is going to run you more then that......
F355 belts aren't a huge issue anymore with the into of kevlar units and the ability to change them in the car... no longer need an engine drop to do it.
Get a mondail.. people dog on them, but those who own them love them.
None of them are going to touch a z06 thou.
V8 Esprit or Ferrari 308. After all, we're talking about supercars. And there's the "I would put a poster of it on my wall" aspect to supercars. M3s and Z06s just don't cut it in that regard, as they're really just hot versions of a relatively common car. Same with the E39 M5, which I think is a more iconic car than a late M3 and kicked off the whole supersaloon binge.
The NSX has never pushed my buttons but I do think it would be a good choice as well.
But if it were a real choice to sit in my driveway - I'd be test driving Caymans and Elises.
Where is the Pantera in this comparo? I'd have picked it over that whole lot.
No GTS stuff either - straight up old school
c4 zr1 was pretty exotic
Not sure if Maseratis..like Bora and Merek have been mentioned yet.
Edit nevermind on the maserati suggestion....I missed the 20 year old limit.
PeefoDaftronic wrote: My vote goes to the Lotus. The noise from the twin turbo v8 is just glorious.
Yep, I know two people who own them. Nobody knows what they are, they look like an exotic, and take maintenance like an exotic, but way to freikin' cool. And you can build BIG powa if you got the doh.
The only other one that turns my crank (and I will own one) is the C5 Z06, but that's because I like racing cars!
The BMW 850i would be a legitimate addition to the group. V12 and manual gearbox if you shop. Ceased production in 1997. The 348 and 355 Ferraris- you wish. Unless they've had an engine fire or crash they are way over the $30K. Also keep in mind that a Toyota Camry will beat both the 308 and the Mondial in the quarter mile. The 308, at least, will likely hold it's value or increase in value as long as you own it. If you want a 355, buy the Cambiocorsa which has the engine and F1 gearbox from the 355. Ferrari bought Maserati in 1997. The Pantera is too old to be included.
Quite a diversity of opinions. David are you reading this? Round up a few of these along with a new Miata and do a comparison test. I'll bet your readers own most of these (or the local owners club) and would be happy to have them featured in the mag.
Argo1 wrote: If you want a 355, buy the Cambiocorsa which has the engine and F1 gearbox from the 430.
Corrected it for ya. The Cambriocorsa was the test mule for the the 430 motor and trans.
Argo1 wrote: The Pantera is too old to be included.
The last one came off the line in '91. I'm pretty sure that is newer than the Ferrari or NSX on that list.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:Argo1 wrote: The Pantera is too old to be included.The last one came off the line in '91. I'm pretty sure that is newer than the Ferrari or NSX on that list.
Haven't all Esprits and Panteras caught fire by now?
The last NSX was built in 05
I would probably go Lotus Elise as well
Am I paying to maintain and repair my choice? If so, I am thinking NSX.
Am I driving it as my only car? The a 911 or an M3 are the only ones I would consider.
All the Mondials have caught fire too, I think.
Argo1 wrote: The BMW 850i would be a legitimate addition to the group. V12 and manual gearbox if you shop. Ceased production in 1997. The 348 and 355 Ferraris- you wish. Unless they've had an engine fire or crash they are way over the $30K. Also keep in mind that a Toyota Camry will beat both the 308 and the Mondial in the quarter mile. The 308, at least, will likely hold it's value or increase in value as long as you own it. If you want a 355, buy the Cambiocorsa which has the engine and F1 gearbox from the 355. Ferrari bought Maserati in 1997. The Pantera is too old to be included. Quite a diversity of opinions. David are you reading this? Round up a few of these along with a new Miata and do a comparison test. I'll bet your readers own most of these (or the local owners club) and would be happy to have them featured in the mag.
850s are horrible to maintain. They are damn near free because of this. Even for free, I don't want one.
The Z06 probably makes the most sense from a performance/maintenance standpoint. The 308 makes the least sense from that standpoint.
So I say 308.
DukeOfUndersteer wrote:Argo1 wrote: If you want a 355, buy the Cambiocorsa which has the engine and F1 gearbox from the 430.Corrected it for ya. The Cambriocorsa was the test mule for the the 430 motor and trans.
Correct you are!
Otto Maddox wrote: 850s are horrible to maintain. They are damn near free because of this. Even for free, I don't want one.
I'm curious. What is the maintenance issue? From personal experience? I've got 180k on my BMW 5 series and my mechanic says the BMW V12s are bullit proof if you don't overheat them. I would suspect the required maintenance would be less than the Ferrari, Maserati, etc. It's an affordable V12.
Otto Maddox wrote: Haven't all Esprits and Panteras caught fire by now?
Somebody was out driving their mint, no rust Espirt V8 TT (a late model one) and it was -10*C out with snow on the ground. It can't be that bad if he's that brave
For cruising/collecting/staring for hours at sitting in my garage: Aston or Maserati
For driving/hooning/laughing for hours on the road: NSX or Z06
For driving/hooning/laughing for hours on the track: Elise or Viper
The rest compromise too much between the above 3 uses IMO...
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