Ok... just for fun I'll make it 2 cars, but really I would only get the second...
99-00 BMW M5 $17,000
Boxster + X51
One of the best handling cars ever made, matched up to a 3.8L flat 6 that screams pushing 400hp... (enjoy the video) 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PbV55zOpHk
$5000 Prius $35,000 ST? BRZ or STR S2K
Most of the cars listed would still be way over the $40K cap.
The boxster with the x51? The conversion alone is almost $25K.
Here's mine. Used Radical SR3 and F150
WRX STi $35,000
240Z $5,000
EastCoastMojo wrote: I buy two beater $5000 cars and spend the rest on reducing my debt? Sorry to be a wet noodle, but I can't imagine spending $35,000 on a car.
We play the $100,000 to spend on cars at work game. We all state debt or college savings.......but thats not the game.
So the scenario is you just got a NEW executive job and a company car is part of the package. You can go out and spend this $35,000 on one car and they pop you a $5,000 bonus that you spend on a toy car since you deserve it! So what do you get? Spend the $35k on a car or lose it!
mtn wrote: I was thinking about this today, what would you do if you had $40,000 for your car situation? Lets say that you are allowed to do with it whatever you want under the following (pretty restrictive) restrictions: 1. You are allowed at most 2 cars 2. The most you are allowed to spend on the 2nd car is $5,000 Figure that the $5,000 gets you a winter beater for those of us in the north, and a beater Miata or Pick em up in the south. So what would you do? New BMW 135? Miata with an LSx swap? Used Ferrari? Z06 with $10,000 worth of go fast goodies? Just an exercise of boredom here.
Assuming i could keep what i already had... I'd buy an MR2 Turbo and an MR-S. I'd then sell the MSM.
And then i'd sink all the rest of the cash into finishing the Escort, Celica, and doing some things to the Jeep, cleaning up the MX6, then sink the rest into suspension mods for the MR-S, and whatever is left to making ALL the power on the MR2 Turbo.
DONE.
Lowest mileage, last-gen SRT8 Grand Cherokee or Audi Allroad V8 or Ford Flex with EcoBoost (you see a theme here...)
That takes car of of DD needs and some highway speed. The $5,000 would go towards an ex-fleet Suburban 2500 Diesel to tow/haul stuff or Miata for top-down enjoyment or a dual-sport motorcycle.
(If I had $40,000 to spend, I would actually cap one purchase at $25,000, one at $10,000 and one at $5,000)
A beater DD and I'd turn a Locost into a Highcost.
The nicest Bentley Turbo-R I could find for $35K, and an as nice as possible GC Impreza (preferably 2.5RS, but I'd take an Outback Sport) for 5K.
What I would really want is a couple of acres and a hell of a shop, if we're sticking to cars... I'll take an elise - anything left over can go to a steel supplier and a donor shell.
I'd probably pick up a Miata or some kind of DD beater then put the rest into building a Factory Five Roadster or Coupe.
I'd split it more or less in half. Neither would be a beater. I've never owned a car over $10K so this is LOTS of money to me :)
1) I need a presentable car for occasionally hauling clients, and a back seat to fit the family. I'd spend ~$15K on the cleanest first gen CTS-V I could find in the price range and use it as my DD.
2) I would splurge a bit on a summer only toy / weekend / trackday car. I'd want to keep it streetable so no need to truck/trailer/etc. ~$25K buys a lot of fun. Hard to pick just one. E46 M3 / LS swapped RX7 / LS swapped E36 / LS Miata are all dreams, but... the sheer difference of a Lotus Elise vs. just about anything else on the road has always stood out to me, plus they're a more pure "fun only" car vs. the weight/refinement of something like an M3. They're popping up in the $25Kish range. It would take a good bit of shopping... but with the right deals... I think it would quite reasonably be possible to pull off the CTS-V AND one of these:
Fun highway bombing V8 6-speed family hauler / around town bruiser in sheep's clothing. Corner carver Lotus for the weekends and runs to the beach.
$5K on an SV650
$35k...either a used Viper/C6, or a nice dd. TSX/Legacy GT/$35k worth of work on my neon.
Any thread that has a motorcycle, CTS-V, and/or stupid fast car in it . . . is winning.
Lotus Elise/Exige or a used e92 M3.
I had a thought for my 35k. I like this thought better than my original one.
Take a E36 M3ty late 70s early 80s luxo boat, add enough engine and suspension to turn it into a monster. 35 grand would get me one hell of an 83 Imperial.
LS7, 200R4, Gear vender over drive, 355 geared IRS stuffed into the Spirit.
Toyota FR-S, $5k E36 M3 4 door, + whatevers left over goes for gas + tires
Cheapest ecoboost f150 available and mod the snot out of it!
2007 Lotus Exige S, update it to S 240 specs.
so many of you guys said what i would have said... 80's 911 turbo look backdated, or new subaru wrx sti and miata or 240 on the side...
so i'll say, $35K = cobra daytona coupe for most of the year, and $5k = mid to late 90's ford f-250 7.3 powerstroke with mechanical pump, 5 speed, single cab regular bed, converted to veg
i am pretty sure both of these could be accomplished for $40k, now let's convince the bank to loan me the money!
I have no berkeleying clue. Sorry. There's really nothing I'm lusting after so badly I'd go out and plunk $30k on it tomorrow. Elise, NSX, and 996 (can you really get a used 996 for $30k?) are all appealing though. And then, I guess, a $5k truck...or my old Civic...or some barn-find 1g crx.
Pete240Z wrote: So the scenario is you just got a NEW executive job and a company car is part of the package. You can go out and spend this $35,000 on one car and they pop you a $5,000 bonus that you spend on a toy car since you deserve it! So what do you get? Spend the $35k on a car or lose it!
Well, I have always wanted a Dakar support truck, but I doubt I could find one for only $35,000. 
Guess I better hold out for a bigger bonus.
Citroen SM ($7500-$25k) and spend $5k on a nicer w126 300SD for a dd, or a beater quattroporte III if my current 300sd wasnt dead yet.
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