Hey guys. I'm looking for the next car I want to buy. Currently I have an 07 STi and want to take the next step up as far as a car goes. My past cars (worth mentioning) were a 96 Z28, 04 STi w/mods, and now my 07 STi. I love the interior build and quality of my car and assume the porsche's would be just as nice. So, now I'm debating these three cars to pick from. If I got one of the porsche's they'd have to be used since my $$ isn't a whole lot. SO... my range is any where from 50k up to 75k. Where and what should I look for? I love the power numbers on the vette, but want something unique like the GT2 or GT3. What do you guys think?

 

You still cannot afford one. Buy a Z06 for this round, Next time look at Porsche 911's.

Lee

 

harsh, but true. A used gt2 or gt3 won't go for under $100k or more. And honestly, from an sti you'll be disappointed in the performance of a na porsche 911. And sti is one of the best cars you can buy for performance, bang for the buck that is. And the maintenance is very low and inexpensive for an sti. Personally, I wouldn't buy a z06 or any corvette, but I haven't driven a vette for a few years - maybe they have improved, but I never liked them. You should go drive it and see if it is something you would want - it's in your budget range. It's another one of those cars that is great bang for the buck...

Another option, you can find a turbo 996 porsche used for 75k - there's one listed here for $82k which seems like a great deal with only 6800 miles. I've driven the sti quite a bit and I own a 996 turbo, so at least I have some knowledge of both cars. The turbo won't disappoint you. Good luck.

 

Really. I swear I saw a few for sale for like 80K with about 30-40k miles on it. There have been a few I know for sale for around that price talking to a few BMW club members.

I dunno. I really like the STi and it preforms VERY well. If I can't find a GT2/3 for that price I'll either get the z06 or another STi and make it faster than either car. I was leaning towards the GT2 since it was turbo and faster in a strait line. My STi corners well, so I don't need two similar cars.

So basiaclly I want a street car that's fast. So GT2 vs. Z06 vs. a well modded STI/Evo. I just like to step up and look more professional than the boy racer look of the STi/Evo.

 

I have never been a Corvette fan. The Z06 and the base 2008 vette are a different story. The base 2008 vette has much improved handling and the manual gear box is just a tick under the 997 911 variant manual which is the best in the world in my view. To be honest I was looking to trade my my 1999 911 cab fpr a newer car and i was blown away by how the corvette performs.I did not expect to like it. The car is arguably better than the Porsche 911. I still bought the Porsche instead but it was a very close call.The corvette felt like a manufactured car where the Porsche felt it was born that way. I was so impressed Iput my name in for the ZR1 625+ hp supervette instead of the lambo Murc. I was thinking of.

I still like Porsche but the Corvette in my view is becoming an alternative. Also with the Dollar so weak compared to the Euro it worries me how the cost of parts will be in the future. Also with the Corvette you are buying a new car , with a 10 years, 100,000 mile warranty for much less money.

Lee

 

I agree the 'vette is becoming a real alternative.I looked at an '08 with the LT4 (all leather) interior option and it was beautiful, put together much better than my '02was, and pretty close to Porsche quality now.

That said, back to the basic question. I would go with a 'vette for the reason Ladams1 cited. There is no feeling in the world as bad as having not quite enough money to do justice to the car you have - having to go on the cheap, worrying you may not be able to fix it right, etc.Maybe you can find a GT2/3 for $80k or even $60K, but they are rather expensive to maintain and take care of even under good circumstances, and I really think one in that price range will need a lot of work now or soon.

So, I'd recommend either a 'vette, or a standard Carrera if you want the Porsche quality. You can afford a good one or either and never have to worry about affrording to care for it right. If you really arei nto the extreme speed thing something to think about is getting a standard '08 (already pretty fast) and adding a Magnusen supercharger kit which would cost about half the added marginal cost of the ZO6 and boost HP well over what that car has. I had a Maggie on the stock engine of my '02 for the first two years of ownership (around 500 RWHP) and it was bulletproof and daily drivable and did mid 11 second quarter miles of street tires. The '08 would be even faster.

 

Thanks for the info guys.

I was thinking along the same lines of buying the Z51 package and slapping on a supercharger. Not sure which one yet. I do like the procharger line over the maggie...and if not that I'd look into APS for a turbo set up soon after.

 

I had a Maggie on the original stock engine for two years, then ran the custom 427 normally aspirated for a year and them put a Procharger on that. The Maggie is an altogether more satis factory set up. It produces much more low end torque, needed far less in the way of fitting and fusing to get it worked well, and gave far fewer problems. Prochargers produce a bit higher HP at the top but the low end torque, smooth running, no hassles, and that scream from the maggie are all worth a lot more in my opinion. With a maggie you do have to get a custom high rise hood, however (the procharger or a vortec fits under the stock hood, but I liked mine a lot.

 

I like the over all possibilities on the vette as well. I obviously like Porsche, but really want a GT2. So far it's looking doubtful with everyone saying they are still more $$ than the orignal 60-80k I was looking to spend. What kind of income should I be pulling to not have to worry??

On a side note, here's the project me and a few buddies are working on:

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=841827

 

I don't know what to tell you about the income or money you should have before you own a Gt2. A couple of times in my life I bought more car than I really could afford and I regretted it. I guess I could summarize an overall interpretation of my experience and current rule: I never buy a used car than I could not have afforded new.

for example, I've been very tempted lately to buy a used Bentley Continental GT for around $130. (I love them, but I can't really swing $190+ drive out for a new one). But it would violate my rule. Basically, I think that while you get an initial "bargain" buying used, the lack of warranty, the possible wear and tear, means you need to have a full margin of "I can afford that" to be comfortable with the car and have no keep-you-up-at-night-worries about "what if it is a bad crankshaft?", etc.. Spending everything you can afford on a used car can really lead to worries.