The M3 is a great car, but honestly BMW electronics are not better than Porsche (their new systems are VASTLY better then 2009 or older though). The Nissan will be a lot of fun, but talk them into a test drive, sit in the car, feel it out for a long time before you go that route. Nissan has taken a LOT of short cuts on build quality overall throughout the car IMO. It's not just this car, I'd say that about all Nissan's. Corners are cut where they can get away with it as long as the car sees light use, etc etc.

I haven't double checked prices on the turbo 997 yet, but there are other interesting cars out there with that budget and set of requirements in mind. You might like a maserati, who knows a jag, or an aston martin, you could probably even find an older v12 ... I know you can't reach to a relatively recent ferrari with that budget, but you can really explore the limits in this price range. A LOT of cool stuff is on the market now.

Just something to think about.

 

Great input! Would like to consider others, but a enough of a back seat for my daughter us a must. Considered the quattroporte, but I think the 09 styling fixed a previous peculiar design, so I'd rather wait for the 09 to depreciate.

Sc a 997S would be awesome, but not something I want to do at this point.

 

[quote=Fantasma;2666612]There have been documented incidents of transmission issies even on stock Gtr's .Some even from this forum .

Placing taht aside for a moment --when the Gtr was launched the biggest selling point was article after article of track times . So not Nissan won't even cover the car if it's driven on the track? Plus the language in their disclosure form gives them so many exits to deny coverage . If they only cover "public roads" usuage any speed limit posted pver those posted pn standard public roads wouild be all they need to deny coverage .

I like the Gtr . I don't like when a company doesn't stand behind its product .

 

Anywhere from the low 80's to the low 90's depending on miles and options. Tiptronics cost less but my vote goes to a manual if you opt for the car. The key is to drive one before ruling it out .

If a new M3 is 72 and a used 997tt is 85 it's pretty close.

 

This is where my two car theory comes into play . One car is the practical family car and the other is your own personal toy . Trying to get all in one ends up with neither car being ideal. If you opt for a family car it will never have the thrill of a performance car . If you opt for asports car it's impractical .

The next step is to evaluate how much time is needed for the family car . . If it exceeds the sports car then a better family car is the key (ie BMW 4 door) and the compromise is made on the sports car . If it's just an occasional drive then a cheaper family car would work.

The two door M3 is nicer than the four but it can not compete with these other cars . The 997tt or 997S will cramp your daughter and is too small.

I guess I am thinking along the lines of 997tt and honda civic . OR 997S and 328i depending on how you might tilt the scale of needed use.

 

ok no on the maserati .. how about a TVR Cerberas?

 

Agree that the current M3 has a pretty fugly interior - a definitely uninspired effort especially compared to Audi's RS4 / S4, or even Lexus's IS-F. I much prefer the E36 and E46 M3 interiors - and although the interior doesn't contribute to the driving characteristics of the car, it's hard to drop 60K on a car you just don't like sitting in. The E39 M5 with full leather was another great M-series interior.

Another nice drive is the 2004-5 E46 330i with sport pack- looks good, nice interior, plenty of power, and a lovely ride. I was thinking about this as a cost effective replacement for my GS300-

 

Probably not street legal in the US.

 

I might be talked into selling my fully loaded lightly modded CPO C2S for a lot less than $80K and I'm local.

I made the big mistake of taking a quick drive of my friend's GT3 RS and *that* is what a 911 should be IMO.

My car wouldn't be cheap but it's nice

 

I'd try to get a lightly-used 2009 997.2 'S' in your budget when the time is right. A Carrera is obviously a compromise if you regularly need back seat space, so I like some of the opinions here about a used BMW (like the E46 3-Series) plus a 997.1 C2S. I'm excited about my future F10 535i this summer, which will be fun with a manual tranny, but not likely to make you happy as your sole vehicle. I looked into the Quattroporte before I got my X5, and a Maserati contact I know reluctantly calls any pre-2009 Q-Porte a "total nightmare" and I really trust this guy.

With a $70K budget, maybe...

1) Used 2009 997.2 C2S
2) E39 M5 + 997.1 C2S or C2
3) E46 330i Sedan + 997.1 C2S

 

That is rediculous! I am the sales manager at Woodhouse Nissan in Omaha, Nebraska (largest in Kansas City region...had to toss that in and I have sold 8 GTRs, and I am MORE than willing to let a serious buyer drive...how else can you be truly sold? Let me know if you ever find yourself in the area and I would be happy to have you drive!

Trevor

 

Thanks, Trevor, that's very kind of you! I am not near Omaha, but as a Nissan Sales Manager, would you be willing to make a phone call to the Nissan dealership near me (Alpharetta, GA) so I can drive one, too? I am a legitimate buyer for a GTR, yet even pulling up in my 997S cannot get a test drive, LOL! If you can make that happen, I'd be grateful.
CATTMAN

 

If a dealership rejects you as a buyer why would you even want to give them the time of day ? The notion that one would have to go about driving the car in a roundabout fashion ought to be enough on an indicator for the customer service you might expect to receive .

 

you could work through the morass of paper work and get it registered I think. There's only one modern TVR in the US right now as far as I know, but it would be an interesting car to move over. You could certainly import it for a year without any real problem, just the trick of registering it after that. It's been proven possible already (2x by the same guy).

alright, I'm stretching now. You gotta drop those back seats!!!! We could add all kinds of fun cars to the mix if we did that, maybe even check out a Z8, or maybe something cheap like a Qvale.

Next idea then .. Tesla S? It's not as fast, but you can seat 7 people.

 

yeah, nuts on the GTR test drive. they wouldn't let me test drive it when i tried trading in my 997S....but they were asking 100k, so....guess it was all just ridiculous.

agree with the 2 car theory. it's bascially what i'm doing right now with the 535i and s2k, but just itching to mix it up. plus the 535i lease is up in june and i love/hat e the s2k (it's just so small - i barely fit) ideally, i'd like to get a 997 quattroporte and GT3, but that's a different discussion.

one other factor is that my wife would prefer the DD to be an auto. in a pinch, she can drive it which has been helpful. that's why i figured the gtr would be a good fit...but funny to think of it as your DD and the s2k as the weekend car! if i did go GTR, i'd probably just sell the s2k.

yrralis - point taken, i'll drive the turbo before doing anything.