Best all-around sports car for $50k-$100k

[shabby]

40k Toyota Supra TT with 50k worth of mods from http://www.powerhouseracing.com plus a 10k body kit from abflug

 

[Triumph]

Mercedes CLK60 Renntech modified. No doubt.

 

[bigjon]

I live about 15 miles from the US BMW plant (Spartanburg, SC) where they make the Z3s and the SUV. They offer employee discounts on their cars, and if I worked there I would probably want to get a 5-series, but if I was really going to spend over 50 grand on a car it'd have to be the Vette. If it wasn't my money, then definitely the Carrera!

 

[I'm Typing]

Pontiac Trans-Am. AFTER Lingenfelter gets ahold of it!

 

[SuperGroove]

Triumph,

Within $100,000...not $132,000

NFS4,

You're absolutely right, the M3 would out handle and M5 to the point, where it'd look like a '96 Chevy Impala. Bloated supercar power, but in a bloated boat body. However, recent tests show the M3 can get to 0-60 in the High 5s, not low 5s. Oh wells.

Paul

 

[convex]

a nice saleen...

 

[NFS4]

<< However, recent tests show the M3 can get to 0-60 in the High 5s, not low 5s. Oh wells. >>


Car and Driver has the '98 M3 doing 0-60 in 5.5 seconds. I remember the 5.3 from an old R&amp;T.

 

[geno]

I'd take a Supra with some nice Twin-turbo action Some configs have been known to put down over 700 HP

A used Supra can be had for between 20k and 30k. I'm not sure about how much a twin turbo kit would go for, but I'm sure you'd have plenty of cash left over afterwards for some nice rims

also, I wouldn't mind one of these, probably one of the most practical sportscar of them all:
http://www.skylinegtr.com/frameset.htm

 

[Triumph]

Can we please raise the bar to $133,000 so we can include the Mercedes CLK60? pleeeeaaaaasssse? I've been drooling over this car so much lately. 0-60 in 4.0 seconds, and it'll hit 150 2.4 seconds quicker than a Viper GTS. Plus, it's a freakin' Mercedes! You know it'll be a greatt all-around car.

 

[geno]

I never said 'tricked out' - I did say 'twin turbo' though, which again, is capable of putting out some insane HP

Red - If I had that cash and did decide to get a Supra, the only cosmetic thing I'd spend money on is new rims. No body kits, no custom spoilers. I'd just be happy to have my intercooled twin turbos

 

[Triumph]

i mean, if you're already going to spend 100,000 bucks, what's another 33,000?

 

[NFS4]

<< Can we please raise the bar to $133,000 so we can include the Mercedes CLK60? pleeeeaaaaasssse? I've been drooling over this car so much lately. 0-60 in 4.0 seconds, and it'll hit 150 2.4 seconds quicker than a Viper GTS. Plus, it's a freakin' Mercedes! You know it'll be a greatt all-around car. >>


You might hate me for this, BUT NO MERCEDES IS A SPORTS CAR. Merecedes is luxury first, performance last. Look at the SLK and the SL series, all poser cars. Even that CLK is a boulevard cruiser in drag. With a mixture of C-Class and E-Class components, I'll pass.

Even when you stick in the big 'ol engines from AMG and RennTech, etc., it still a Merecedes. They were never meant (or built) to handle like a Bimmer or Porsche.

Calling a BMW a sports car is fine, but calling any Merc a sports car is a bit of a stretch.

 

[SuperGroove]

NFS4 is again, dead-on. Without a manual transmission, calling a Mercedes a sports car, isn't justifiable. RennTech modifies SL500s as well, but those were still considered Luxo-cruisers.

RedDawn,

What's wrong with the Toyota Supra TT? It's got 320HP on tap, toyota reliability, and Corvette-like grip. It's in the same price as the BMW M3 in the last year of its production(1998), and when not a sports car, is a damned nice GT car.

I still want a Corvette Convertible LIGHTLY by Lingenfelter. Like I said, modifying cars in the $50,000-$100,000 is just plain wrong. It's like putting some additions to a work of art. Just wrong. The Corvette though, is just under $50,000 It needs a few horsies to make me happy. Although, 340HP is fine by me

Paul

 

[SuperGroove]

If I had tons of money though, this would be my baby:

http://sportcars.itgo.com/cgi-bin/i/images/ferrari/550_1.jpg
http://sportcars.itgo.com/cgi-bin/i/images/ferrari/550_4.jpg

 

[Triumph]

alright alright, fine, mercedes is luxury first sport second. but i'll still stick with my choice.

 

[eflat]

The new M3 will be on the new 3-series platform, however. So that adds about 200lbs. And it will never beat the luxury factor the M5 has.

 

[DLC]

Man, you Americans need to get some Skyline GTR's ripping the streets, Im on holiday in the US, and I am so dissapointed at the lack of real cars... man, come down under to Melbourne, M3's everywhere, Skyline GTRs, Mitsubishi GTO's, Supras, porshes youd all freak out... man u have no imports here!!! Dont give me that Viper rubbish, what an overdone yank tank, man Jap cars are true race cars. theres a skyline in Aus thats 980hp... go suck on that! Porsche... its a common mans car!! To the guy that said BMWs are sh#t? U have no idea at all!

 

[NotEnufMHz]

Boys, please get the terminology right.

BMWs (maybe Mercedes) are sports sedans, F355 and 911s are sports cars. I would even say most hardcore enthusists would not consider a Viper a sports car, more of a GT. That said, a $100k limit means that the man is on a budget, therefore I would not suggest anything that requires a pit crew (ie tuner cars).

Sports sedan...M5
sports car...911 GT3
0-60 burner...Viper or Mustang Cobra R (neither very comfortable for everyday use)

bargins...Boxster S or the soon to be release M3

 

[geno]

God Bless the Skylines

I love those cars, I'd like to see a few on the streets, too bad they're not importing them just yet (they're on the way though!!).

-EDIT-
Just read this up on IGN while looking through various Skyline pages:


<< the Frankensteins at Trust and VeilSide have both produced GTRs that chunk out somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000 horsepower on the dyno, with redlines in the 10,000 RPM range. >>



Beat that.

 

[atom]

Uh, they are importing them. I've seena couple in SoCal. I don't see why the skyline isn't here yet, it is one of the most versatile platforms, ranging from the 4 door GTR &quot;family&quot; models to the fully tricked out R35's you see barreling down roads in Japan.

But I would actually love to have a custom S15 Nissan Silvia Varietta (hardtop convertible) with the 250HP engine. Oh man that would be heaven, comfy too.

 

[DLC]

Skyline..... thats all that must be said.

i have a photo of one with fire coming out of the exhaust pipe... how MEAN is that!!!

 

[NFS4]

I've always thought of the Skylines as being boring to look at and overweight...just like the dead Stealth/3000GT

 

[SuperGroove]

Nissan Skyline...BAH!

Tis a good car...but all around sports car, includes how good it looks. Looks like a ultra expensive 240SX. Yes I know they're based on the Silvia...which is why it's that much uglier. The only good looking car Japan brought over to the U.S., that makes me think think, &quot;oh that's an exotic&quot;, is the ultra refined, Acura NSX. As for you Aussie's, you may have some wickedly fast cars, but we got the cars that can handle the twisties Ode to the Porsche 911 Turbo, that'll waste any cars mentioned in this thread It's ugly...but it gets the job done

Still...I want a Corvette! The more and more I see it though, the more and more plebian, until I see a Canary yellow, drop-top, with Chrome 17&quot; wheels. Drooooooool


Paul

 

[geno]

Overweight? What are you talking about? Porsches ring in at aroung the same weights.

Skyline R34 GTR - 3395 lbs
1999 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 - 3263 lbs

132lb difference, not too bad considering how much larger the R34 is.

 

[NFS4]

For some reason, I thought it weighed more...

No matter, the Porsche is still the better car. I'd pick a Boxster S over a ugly, sedan looking Skyline. The Silvia is much better looking. I'd even pick that over a Skyline.