GotRPMs

I would get a used 911 turbo or hey you could get a skyline gtr if your into that style.

steve c

I second the boxster S.

The 996 has more room and more power, but the convertible version, in particular the AWD convertible version negates both of these advantages.

The Boxster S by way of its engine placement and lower weight is a much more tossable and in my view more fun car.

On the other hand, a used 996 Turbo as gotrpms mentions is a different barrel of monkeys all together. More than enough horsepower to overcome the AWD and added weight negatives -- enough to get you into serious trouble very quickly if you don't have a lot of self control.

steve c

I saw your thread over on 6speedonline. I agree that the Viper is a great car, but for you it might not be much fun for very long given that your commute is in an urban area. The heavy steering, brakes and clutch could get old very fast.

You might want to ask Cardude as he recently got rid of his ... and joined the army (WTF? ).

cbehney

Very helpful. The cowl shake etc. were also noticed by some magazine review, but it's always better to hear it from a real life driver. I searched for "Maserati" before I posted, trying to be sensitive to dups, and interestingly that thread didn't come up (or I missed it, but given the subject line....). Thanks again.

cbehney

This is all good info, very helpful. Hadn't thought about the Boxster special edition, because except for the rear view, I'm not sure I like its styling. But might be worth checking out. As for the new SLK, worth looking into but there's something about the SLK that bugs me. Maybe that's because in the past I've always thought of it (and the TT roadster) as the polar opposite of the S2000. Used turbo 911? A used Porsche?? I've only owned one, but everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Maybe if still under warranty. Thought about the Viper, but I'm pretty sure it would be not be the best choice for a daily driver. (Maybe if they finished repairing Spout Run -- sorry, that was inside comment for DC area drivers!). I'm still going to drive all three, and I'll throw in the Boxster S, because one thing the S has taught me or reinforced for me is that stats and specs are one thing but the feel of a car is the ultimate criterion. And I love the post about how the S has spoiled people and changed their views of a lot of cars that otherwise would seem sportier!

bjohnston

Have you thought about waiting a little bit and getting a Z51 C6 or 997 Carrera S? IMO, those 2 are the pick of the sub $100K litter. As for the cars you suggested, the NSX is ancient, the Maser is $$$, heavy, potentially unreliable, and bland to my eye, and I just don't understand the purpose behind an AWD Porsche convertible (the 4S cab has the worst perf. of all 911s and is the most expensive non-GT3 N/A 911 . . . not a good combo) and the 996 is going to be replaced this fall with the 997. If it were my hard-earned $, I'd wait.

cbehney

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bjohnston
Have you thought about waiting a little bit and getting a Z51 C6 or 997 Carrera S?

rai

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bjohnston
Have you thought about waiting a little bit and getting a Z51 C6

Ice

The Maserati Spyder just got a facelift (interior only) and the Cambiocorsa has new software with 4 programs.

Ewan

I traded in my (4yr old S2000) in January and bought a dealer-demo <2yr old Maserati Spyder GT. It's a totally different type of car though - big fat torque curve, lots of shove (0-60 in <5 secs) and makes a great noise, but not as flicky or as direct as the S.

Gearchange in the GT (manual) is nothing like as good as the S, with a long throw, and the Cambiocorsa (F1 syle) has had very mixed reviews although they keep updating the software for it, and the updates get applied to older model cars by the dealers.

If you're going for a 911 C4 cabrio, you're probably in the same market as the Maser although you see a lot more of the Porkers around. Similarly, a Jaguar XKR convertible might be in the bracket but IMHO not in the same league.

I don't think I'd buy the Maser from new, if I had the money. I got a good deal as a used buy, and although I've had a few niggles with it, the dealer has been good to get them fixed. It does gets used every day (like the S did) and brings a big smile to my face every time I get in it... but for different reasons.

I loved my S2000, and think the S was a more enjoyable driving experience when you were in the zone, but the Maser is fun more of the time and its rarity means you get that bit more attention. The interior is a lot better in the Maser too- I did 400+ mile drives in the car over one weekend and never felt stiff or sore getting out. I'd done less than that with the S before and felt a lot more tired when I'd gotten out.

HTH - as I said, very different driving experiences!

Ewan