You're going to spend $50-55k on a car, what do you do?

So I dealt with the same or should say deal with the same thing you are worried about with getting a Porsche. I make decent money, but I am already on the more senior end of most people I work with who are quite a bit younger and definitely are not near my paygrade. But I am not at the senior management level where people just assume you get paid tons so when I bought a used 2011 Mercedes E350 Bluetec for less than I would have bought a hybrid accord or avalon people still look at me like I am baller status.

On top of that I moved from San Diego where cars like that are more common to Raleigh NC where most places I go it stands out a lot because its not a domestic.

While I feel weird at times, especially when I pulled up to Rallycross and everyone stopped to look it has mostly been a self awareness thing and not a real issue for anybody. A nice 996 Turbo will likely maintain or appreciate and the turbos dont have ims bearing issues etc. I've wanted one for years maybe someday I will

I'm going to +1 996TT, a nice 997, Cayman or a C6 Vette Z06.  Aston Martins are cool too but I have no idea what the ownership experience is like.

I'm so tired of seeing BMWs everywhere I go.  Plus they're kinda heavy and I personally don't enjoy hustling a heavy car on track.

Jaynen said:

So I dealt with the same or should say deal with the same thing you are worried about with getting a Porsche. I make decent money, but I am already on the more senior end of most people I work with who are quite a bit younger and definitely are not near my paygrade. But I am not at the senior management level where people just assume you get paid tons so when I bought a used 2011 Mercedes E350 Bluetec for less than I would have bought a hybrid accord or avalon people still look at me like I am baller status.

On top of that I moved from San Diego where cars like that are more common to Raleigh NC where most places I go it stands out a lot because its not a domestic.

While I feel weird at times, especially when I pulled up to Rallycross and everyone stopped to look it has mostly been a self awareness thing and not a real issue for anybody. A nice 996 Turbo will likely maintain or appreciate and the turbos dont have ims bearing issues etc. I've wanted one for years maybe someday I will

Yeah, I'm the youngest Tech Writer in the OKC office by more than a decade. We have some software guys on the other side of the office that are younger, but I'm sure they make as much if not more.

I also don't have any rugrats to take care of :)

amg_rx7 said:

I'm going to +1 996TT, a nice 997, Cayman or a C6 Vette Z06.  Aston Martins are cool too but I have no idea what the ownership experience is like.

I'm so tired of seeing BMWs everywhere I go.  Plus they're kinda heavy and I personally don't enjoy hustling a heavy car on track.

I love the C6Z, but the valve issues (that eat the motor) and cheapy interior are kind of turn off for me. 

z31m, my apologies sir, I had a long day demo'ing flooded houses and used you as the verbal speed bag ......and yes this years LL edition is very lacking in desirable trackhoo's .....for a reasonable amount of $$$$$

berkeley what people say or think based on what you drive. You bought it for you not them. 

759NRNG said:

z31m, my apologies sir, I had a long day demo'ing flooded houses and used you as the verbal speed bag ......and yes this years LL edition is very lacking in desirable trackhoo's .....for a reasonable amount of $$$$$

No worries! 

Kool  thanks....

So still leanin' towards the M2........or the ATS-V coupe??

I wouldn't worry about image.  I rarely see any correlation between how much someone makes and what they drive.  There is a strong correlation between someone's spending habits and what they drive.

759NRNG said:

So still leanin' towards the M2........or the ATS-V coupe??

I like the ATS-V, seems to be a depreciation nightmare! Call it unreasonable prejudice, I'm nervous about FI cars I haven't owned from new. I have a tendency to WAY over-maintain cars. 

I'd buy an na supra nd 1gz/v160 swap it with some itbs, high comp pistons and nasty cams. Shoot for 450wheel v12/6speed, 

That's probly an extreme build for most so for turn key $50k(ish) I'd get an rcf and put a blower and some volks on it. (570 whp) 

sesto elemento said:

I'd buy an na supra nd 1gz/v160 swap it with some itbs, high comp pistons and nasty cams. Shoot for 450wheel v12/6speed, 

That's probly an extreme build for most so for turn key $50k I'd get an rcf and put a blower and some volks on it. (570 whp) 

As I mentioned earlier, I want the modern amenities of a new car. 

Then blown rcf it is ;)

+1 for Cayman S, only three Miatas, and a bag of chips.

Why the trepidation on FI you haven't owned from new he asks....while munching tostitos

759NRNG said:

Why the trepidation on FI you haven't owned from new he asks....while munching tostitos

I don't really have a good answer for it then just it makes nervous.

I work in IT as well as a developer. I love my C6Z, but bringing it to the office was awkward sometimes - I found myself hiding it in dark, empty corners of the garage and basically sneaking in and out of it so people wouldn't realize it was mine. I didn't want people to think I was showing off or something (people often think the C6Z is a brand new car, it's been mistaken for the latest model quiet a few times). I don't think people realize it's "only" ~$38k -ish, and I also think when non-car people see a "nice" car they're more inclined to think you're showing off rather than that you're an enthusiast who simply loves driving.

Anyway, while the valve issue is real, it can be fixed for about $2k with new valve guides. And the interior isn't bad like everyone said it is - actually, almost all of my car enthusiast friends who sat in it were surprised at how nice it was, as they'd heard Corvette interiors were not great. The only bad thing about the interior is the seat flexes, but if you're gonna replace that with an aftermarket unit it will be a moot point.

SivaSuryaKshatriya said:

I work in IT as well as a developer. I love my C6Z, but bringing it to the office was awkward sometimes - I found myself hiding it in dark, empty corners of the garage and basically sneaking in and out of it so people wouldn't realize it was mine. I didn't want people to think I was showing off or something (people often think the C6Z is a brand new car, it's been mistaken for the latest model quiet a few times). I don't think people realize it's "only" ~$38k -ish, and I also think when non-car people see a "nice" car they're more inclined to think you're showing off rather than that you're an enthusiast who simply loves driving.

Anyway, while the valve issue is real, it can be fixed for about $2k with new valve guides. And the interior isn't bad like everyone said it is - actually, almost all of my car enthusiast friends who sat in it were surprised at how nice it was, as they'd heard Corvette interiors were not great. The only bad thing about the interior is the seat flexes, but if you're gonna replace that with an aftermarket unit it will be a moot point.

My biggest issue with the C6 interior is that steering wheel. I wish there was some way to change it to something nicer but still OEM-looking. The rest of the interior is fine.

Steering wheel is a easy swap on the C6 now. The guys who were making Carbon wheels for Porsche's and R8' did this one for a client around 1500$. 

Don't worry about the image thing.  I drive all different kinds of things from a beat up Suburban to a low mileage Ferrari.  Unfortunately,  people will judge regardless, so just drive what makes you happy.    

I remember driving a beater 951 to work when I was 22,  these days I may drive a really nice 930,  but you get treated very similar.  Most normal people don't know the value difference between a beater 951 and a nice 930,  they just see the badge.

Cotton said:

Don't worry about the image thing.  I drive all different kinds of things from a beat up Suburban to a low mileage Ferrari.  Unfortunately,  people will judge regardless, so just drive what makes you happy.    

I remember driving a beater 951 to work when I was 22,  these days I may drive a really nice 930,  but you get treated very similar.  Most normal people don't know the value difference between a beater 951 and a nice 930,  they just see the badge.

I usually don't care, but I am cognizant of the fact that we have Software Devs/Designers/Tech Writers that are all paid well and allowed to work from home some or most of the time. 

And then we have others in more standard office/admin type positions that don't get the flexibility, pay, ability to work from home, etc, either. 

This thread definitely gives me some thinking to do. 

I'll have to finagle as many test drives as I can as I get closer to actually doing something.

I'll put in votes for a recent Corvette (the later the generation the better) or a Viper.

As someone who has very seriously considered buying an Elise, I wouldn't recommend one over just about any other car in the same price range if money is a concern at all, due to many of the costs involved (mainly body repair, but also the almost Porsche-level "rich guy tax" on aftermarket parts). The fact that the car is less practical than a Miata should also be considered.

You can get a brand new base model C7 Corvette for less than $50k right now. You can also get used Z51 C7 vettes for that. That seems like a hard value proposition to pass up!