Our turn - what grand touring car?

E36 328iS. 3/4ths of the M3 with superior fuel economy. Smoother car in overall feel.

m

MKIII Supra.

They are cheap (a turbo can be found in decent shape for less then $2000), comfortable, very very well built, can be made fast for cheap and easy to work on.

I second the Porsche 928. They define grand touring for me... plus they're gorgeous, classy, classic, and allow you to say things like "Let's take the Porsche." Sure, it'll require more TLC and are a bit pricey to fix, but any of the greats will.

Another option... older Merc SL. Everyone looks good driving an SL, they're classic, have investment potential, and have that legendary Merc quality and durability. Might require some restoration and TLC, but again, look at it as an investment.

Sonic/Chrissy, Do yourselves a favor. Before you buy anything, go and test drive a GTO. You may have a hard time finding one for $9000, but some of the other cars in this posting are above that range too. If you do consider going higher, the GTO should be on your shopping list.

I had an '04 GTO a few years ago. Mine was heavily modified, but even in stock form, they're a lot of fun. Yes, it's on the larger size. Yes, it's heavy. But it's wicked fun to drive. Fast, handles well for it's size. Engine mod parts are readily available. Suspension parts are available too, but a bit pricier. Very comfy for long cruises. I could have gone hours in that car with no complaints. Even with my modified engine and swapped out rear gears, I could get 26mpg highway, and 21mpg cruising the Berks/Montgomery county suburbs. Awesome car.

Other thought - maybe Mustang GT? The E36 M3 is certainly a gold standard, but would you spend gold bars keeping it up?

Hmmm, I wonder how difficult it would be to put an LS V8 into an 8 Series...

Klayfish, I think we will. Chrissy has always liked the Barbados blue 2004 models, and it seems like they can be found in the $10-12k range, and are new enough we can have it paid off in less than a year.

Datsun, thanks for the tip, but even if it were super clean, I just don't like gold cars...almost as much as I don't want a read one.

Shameless self promotion, but have you ever considered a Subaru SVX?

My 5 spd SVX on EBay

Sonic wrote: Klayfish, I think we will. Chrissy has always liked the Barbados blue 2004 models, and it seems like they can be found in the $10-12k range, and are new enough we can have it paid off in less than a year.

Now you're talkin'!! Blue '04 GTO. This was mine...

I would imagine you could get a Lexus IS-something in this price range with a manual. My brother-in-law loves his (though laments that he got an automatic). Scott in the office has one that he enjoys very much; he managed to find a rare combination of manual transmission with a limited slip. Should be plenty durable, quiet, comfortable, sporty and good on gas. Well, I guess just like the SC300, but probably easier to find unmolested.

And hey, it's the car that started the whole Altezza taillights thing.

darkbuddha wrote: I second the Porsche 928.

I will third it and add LS1 928 to it as an addendum.

Stout cars, but when something breaks, ouchies.

It's the ultimate GT car IMHO. Still looks perfect, too--especially on a modern set of wheels.

Otherwise, let's be boring and say V6 Accord with suspension/wheels/tires. Great highway mileage, quiet, solid, decent-looking, cruises at 85 all day long. Not as pimp as a 928, though.

Klayfish wrote: Now you're talkin'!! Blue '04 GTO. This was mine...

You know, I thought those looked boring when they came out, but they're actually aging quite well, I think. Better than many of its contemporaries.

Sonic, if you hadn't said "manual" I would recommend an XKR. Plus there's that whole "maintenance" issue. ;-) But they're pretty, almost completely depreciated, and fun to drive. But who wants to spend Jaguar money on maintenance.

I vote 944 Turbo, but I'm very biased.

Sonic wrote: -NO VW/Audi products. Ever. Just because.

That makes me a sad panda.

OK, how about 4th gen Honda Prelude? It's an orphan too, but you've got Honda at your back.

friedgreencorrado wrote:

Sonic wrote: -NO VW/Audi products. Ever. Just because.

That makes me a sad panda.

Funny you say that. I've been there, done that (pic below)- supercharged VR, show car that was showing wear and it didn't have any of the upgrades it needed like coolant hoses, etc. Bought for way too much money and it sat. Scared to drive it. Fortunately we sold it and broke even before it became quite costly.

So, while I would adore to have one, Sonic won't have one unless we swap a Honda motor in it which I approve of. I've had 25+ old VWs and dont care to push another one (cause thats what you're usually doing with VWs.)

I mean no disrespect, but Honda and VW products simply don't fit the description "Grand Touring".

There trim level, weight class, wheelbase, and available options all don't fit the description.

Nice cars, and I'd like one very much, but not Grand Touring.

SVreX, I totally agree. To me a GT is a mid sized car that provides room for two plus a substantial amount of luggage, and can cover vast amounts of miles easily, both as a highway cruiser, and as a backroad stormer, and it should be able to be run on track without significant upgrades and be competent, even though it is out of its element.

Examples: Aston Martins, 911s (except the GT3s, etc), 928, Ferrari 599 and 550 etc, BMW 6 series, and on and on.

While I'm not in quite that price and weight class (I prefer smaller cars), the idea is what I'm looking for, something fast and entertaining that can eat up the miles with the two of us and luggage.

Drive a C4 corvette one of the late ones 95-96 Not the sexiest of the breed but a joy to drive and decent examples are available in your price range. I don't suspect well maintained ones are going to drop much further so you should do ok with it long term.

I dont think the op is really looking for a grand touring car, more a fast sports sedan/sports car. A gto or m3 probably fits that requirement pretty well.

I think you are mistaken.

Sonic wrote: SVreX, I totally agree. To me a GT is a mid sized car that provides room for two plus a substantial amount of luggage, and can cover vast amounts of miles easily, both as a highway cruiser, and as a backroad stormer, and it should be able to be run on track without significant upgrades and be competent, even though it is out of its element. Examples: Aston Martins, 911s (except the GT3s, etc), 928, Ferrari 599 and 550 etc, BMW 6 series, and on and on. While I'm not in quite that price and weight class (I prefer smaller cars), the idea is what I'm looking for, something fast and entertaining that can eat up the miles with the two of us and luggage.

Sonic and Chrissy (the OP) are a pair.

I wasn't really kidding about the Subaru SVX. Honestly, it's essentially a Grand Touring car. It fits your description, at a much more affordable price. Don't rule it out.

Corvette. Its the american thing to do! (f*&k yea!)

SVreX wrote: I wasn't really kidding about the Subaru SVX. Honestly, it's essentially a Grand Touring car. It fits your description, at a much more affordable price. Don't rule it out.

I don't think the SVX was ever available with a manual transmission.

Has the BMW 6 series been mentioned?

I will own one some day. I hope.

series8217 wrote:

SVreX wrote: I wasn't really kidding about the Subaru SVX. Honestly, it's essentially a Grand Touring car. It fits your description, at a much more affordable price. Don't rule it out.

I don't think the SVX was ever available with a manual transmission.

You apparently haven't seen SVreX's 5 speed swapped SVX which is currently for sale :)