nderwater wrote: I've driven a Corvette and a number of late model Porsches and //M Cars on the race track, but I have never tried to commute in one. On the other hand, I have daily-driven a number of Miatas and E30s over the years. What I'd really like next is not a 'slow car fast' but a true high-performance car that still fun and engaging when driven at street speeds. What cars best fit that bill?
You really should go drive one.
The higher performance car, the less it works in even very extended normal driving. A car that can do above 150mph is still loafing at 100. Outside of the legalities of driving 100 on normal roads- the rest of the driving public just became random moving cones that can really hurt.
I, too, have had the chance to drive very high performance cars on the street. Other than being able to brag to your friends about it, they are incredibly boring. I really don't know how one can have a truly engaging car at street speeds and it being a very high performing car.
So you don't want a Miata- which is fine. What think you need is something along the lines of an 80's V6 GT car, like an Alfa GTV6 or a 300Z of that era. Really good performance, much more feel than today's cars, etc. If you can replicate that with a more modern car, you are all set.
Anymore, the only way I would get a super high performance car for nominal driving is if it was the only car I could have, and I did a lot of track work.
And even then, my time in a basic Alfa GTV on the track has spoiled me. Learned that fun is fun, and the time it takes to do a lap on a track is just a number. I always enjoyed autocrossing my Alfa over my Miata, since it was more difficult to do.
Anyway- for most of the cars you like, the prices are pretty stable, so other than taxes and registration fees, you wont lose much money getting one.
One more thing- get the car you like. It's your car. You are beyond logic, numbers, and reason- it's about emotion. Why get a 911 if you've always dreamed of a Vette? Or something like that.