Pontiac was so awesome it went away.Originally Posted by misanthropist
My pops had a 65 or 66 GTO with a six pack and as a family we owned a few Pontiacs in the 90's.
How about these G8 GXP Manuals?
https://m.autotrader.com/cars-for-sa...5D%5D%5B%5D%5D
Sounds like you need an older M5, maybe the Chevy SS, or forego the 4-doors and get a 2004 Z06. Still the performance bargain of all time. I had one and it was a beast.
Last edited by rayrevolver; 01-20-2018 at 07:48 PM.
An '04 Z16 (Special Lemans edition Z06) is on my short list for toy cars should the day come. My first (modern) sports car love was the 2003 GTS C5.Rs that Pratt and Miller ran in the blue livery and that's one I've never let go of.
I think you probably would be forced to choose between RWD and sedan. Sprinkle in manual transmission and I think you might have a short list of none.
About four years ago I was loving my 8' extended cab F-150. I was working with my wife at her graphics business and it was the vehicular mullet, great for work and fun. Then I changed jobs and a 163" wheelbase truck that is incredibly useful becomes an incredible PITA when you are making a short commute to an office. So I started looking, wanting something fun with a manual. I plan to keep the truck, because I want/need a truck for utility/recreation, and it was still fairly new but had a bunch of miles on it from my light commercial use as well as being our road trip vehicle so I woulda got tanked trying to trade or sell it.
Like everybody else my age I wanted a Mustang or equivalent. Then I rented one and realized those big doors might be as big of a PITA as my big truck, and RWD would probably mean I would be looking for a place to stash it in the winter and be back to the truck. Also since I was keeping the nearly new truck I had to keep a lid on the cost, so I could get a fun Mustang, but not the one I would really want anyway. I thought the WRX would be cool, but one of my closest friends has a Ford/Dodge store so I have a bias to buy from my buddy.
I ended up with the Focus ST, and have been very happy. It is not the best car in the whole wide world, but I have been having a hell of a lot of fun while keeping miles off of my truck. The fuel savings are probably a wash, it doesn't get super mileage and the extra insurance probably consumes what it saves, but it already has 40k on it, and that would mean my truck would have 90k, and I would rather wear out the car that cost $25k. Here is the day I brought it home, my friend's store is a couple hours away but close to a small airport, another friend flew me down to pick it up (I guess it is good to have friends...):
And I think cars like this, IMO, are the best value proposition when they are not optioned up to be too expensive. At $25k it has Bluetooth and a backup camera, but not a lot else. Yeah, when you are cold you have to turn on the heater, and when you get hot you have to turn it down, but it is a tarted up economy car that is supposed to go 154mph and is a blast to drive. Perhaps a Mustang could turn a faster lap, but I am not likely to do any track days with either, and it is great street car. It is almost as big as a three series, I can get a buttload of stuff in it and have made several personal and work related road trips. Including this one, from OH to MN, across the UP and down to Gaylord, MI for a snowmobile trip. First test for the Blitzaks, pretty sure I would not have done this with a Mustang:
Anyway, all of the magazines always like the GTI better, but every guy my age that didn't buy a Corvette bought a GTI, but if one of my best friends had a VW store I would probably have one of them instead. But have been having a great time with my Focus, and just took a load of remodeling debris to the dump with the truck yesterday, I have my bases covered.
My two girls both ended up with Mazda 3 5-door hatchbacks (wife a 2017 and daughter a 2014). 2.5 liter, auto.
I drive a 2007 Honda Odyssey with 186K miles, and lifetime XM satellite radio.
Not in any hurry to get rid of it.
Nice thing about a minivan is, picking up couches for example. Just throw it in the back.
Or new storm doors at the Home Depot.
Most things fit.
Perhaps a used Chevy Caprice PPV - RWD, simple fleet/police interior, LS power under the hood. It'll be harder to find than an SS though, and it died with the Chevy SS for the '18 model year.
Alternatively, you can special order a nicely stripped-out WRX STI and stay under $35k. Opt for a neutral color choice and remove the spoiler, done. That gets you 300hp and AWD with a 6-spd manual.
Do you have to go to a dealer to order that or is there a Subaru special pricing program? Because my Build and Price cheapest comes out at ~37k.
I have a 2006 WRX (non-STI) that I bought new. I hope it lasts forever. Love me some Subaru.
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P-F's very own JDM ordered a 2018 STi from a Colorado dealership and he told me that with minimal options (an auto dimming mirror was the only option he chose, IIRC) he got out the door under $34k.
Another mil guy I know recently custom ordered a 2018 STi with a similar mindset from a local dealer here in NM, with the benefit of a true enthusiast and friend as a sales rep, wasn't so bare bones but was around 35,5.
So perhaps not as simple as asking for it, but it is apparently possible.
I'm not a Chevy fan, but that SS at around $40k is an absolute steal for what it is. If I ever trade up to an "adult" car it would have been on the list.
The problem is what most of us here want in a car, isn't what most of the populace wants in a car, so they won't make it. Or if they do is fails spectacularly in the sales department (see the aforementioned SS.)
Sat in a new BMW X2 yesterday. Definitely over the price cap, and not a sedan, but was very nice and the rear seats have room for adults with adults in the front.
The new Volvo V60 is looking very promising as well. Saw a V90 in a parking lot on Friday night and it looked sharp!
https://www.motorauthority.com/news/...mage=100643761
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