Quot

some time in the next year im planning on getting a new sports car. Im 18, so its kinda crucial to me. the problem is that they are about the same price, its just the porsche is more of a "class" car and the lotus is a pure sporty car just for plain speed and performance. they also have the dilemmas of the warranty, insurance, convenience, resale value, and so on. also im concerned if the elise will change its body(im not a giant fan of the hood). can someone please give me some pointers?(from what i hear people say, they’d rather have me get the cayman, but its just common here in california)

The elise has a Toyota engine, and the Cayman is a better car…but if you want to stand out, then get something at a price point similar to the Cayman — a Corvette Z06. You can get a 2006 with a couple of thousand miles for $50k – $60k and it will handle nearly as well, but rip the doors off of both. You could also get a 2003 Porsche 911 Cabriolet for around $50k with under 30k miles. This will definitely set you apart from the others, and is in an entire different league than either the Elise, Cayman, or Z06. A third choice might be an Audi RS4. It is "stealth" on the stand out scene, but screams performance on the street.

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in terms of fun to drive, maintenance cost and availability of parts, performance, features, offers better value overall.
I have to add that I’m 6′ tall.
I want to buy a 8-15 year old car. I know the Esprit is not manufactured anymore so the comparison should be between comparable models.

I stick with the Porsche 911. In that date range, you’d be looking at a 911 that is described as a 993 or a 964. The 993 was made between 1995 and 1998. I happen to own a ‘97 Carrera. It’s the last of the air cooled narrow body cars. If you are interested in buying something that is a collectable, consider either a 1997 Carrera or a 1998 Carrera S. The S model has the fatter rear end and wider tires. It’s often described as the Turbo body on the non-turbo chassis.

Another interesting point on the 993 Carrera’s is that the seats have two mounting positions. Typically the seats are mounted in the forward position. However, you can easily move the seat back about an inch by simply removing 4 bolts, shifting the seat back, and then re-installing.

Regarding your height, don’t worry about it. I’m 6′6" and about 300 lbs. I fit just fine, with the exception of typically pulling my shoes off when I drive.

I’ve been a driving instructor for Porsche and other clubs for about 10 years. It’s simply a fantastic piece of equipment on the track and very rewarding to drive. On the track, it’s a little tight with the helmet on. It would be better if my car didn’t have a sunroof. You lose an inch or so of headroom with a sunroof. Performance is stellar; it drives like a go-cart. Parts are readily available; however, maintenance costs can be high.

Price wise, you’d be looking at about 30K plus or minus 5K for a nice car. Further, you are at the flat part of the depreciation curve. I wouldn’t expect the Carerra to depreciate more than $1K per year for the next 5 years.

The lotus esprit turbo had some serious maintenance issues. Although it looks simply fantastic, maintenance is a pain and expense. Further, I assure you that a stock Carrera would lay waste to a Lotus Esprit Turbo on a racetrack.

Here are a few pics of my cars: http://www.maxgsracing.com/Cars.html

You might enjoy perusing this website for more information on the porsches: www.rennlist.com. Look at the forums. Great information and you can get any question answered.

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