TheDonEffect

There's not a whole lot you can do if a sophisticated thief wants your car, all you can do is put obstacles in the way like what was already mentioned like kill switches, clubs, etc. Lojack and other tracking stuff is helpful provided your law enforcement is helpful which they usually are if you got that sort of tracking. Newer cars have that remote feature where you can call the OEM and have the car turned off/tracked.

As far as next car goes, that's a tough one, very hard to find stuff these days that threads that needle. BMWs have gotten so big, RS3 is great but I haven't been keeping up with them, same with the Cadillacs as well. A prosecutor I sorta know drives around in an essentially bone stock looking EVO X with the wing removed, not even tint, he was one of my inspirations to ride around in a ho hum Corolla hatch...

My other buddy is in a very similar boat as you as he has to make client visits and appearances need to be considered. Only real estate agent types really want to exude success, but even gajillionaires don't really care and oftentimes it becomes a detraction, but you do want to exhibit responsibility and all that other good stuff. Anyway, as much as we try to find that one size fits all car, in the end having a sensible, semi-luxury car that makes the work hours easier, and then having something fun on the side seems to be the best compromise. Putting miles on a higher performance machine tends to cost you somewhere, whereas a car like a Lexus ES just soaks up miles in total comfort. Yeah, I know, FWD ES probably won't cut it, but there are a ton of other more interesting cars to work with. The ATS-V has a uniquely well sorted chassis and an inspiring drivetrain, with a manual to boot, I looked deeply at that car for a while since it was the closest thing to everything I would want in a car. Glad yours held up without drama, doesn't always seem to be the case though.

Cars I'd consider for you (and for me) in this use case would be:

IS500/ISF- Probably my most "sensible" pick if I were ok with no manual.
Charger- Don't discount the Charger, they're surprisingly endearing, and choose how stupid of an engine you want, and comes in stick to boot, but MPGs would be horrendous and it does project an image that may not be what you're looking for.
Integra Type S- This would probably be at the top of my list. Spacious, luxurious (at least for me), super practical, has a refined look that to most people it just looks like an Acura TL, but it actually has the bones of a fun/endearing drive, relatively good MPG, should have good resale, it's readily available and with discounts to boot etc etc, it actually makes too much sense if you could get over the FWD aspect which for a car in this use case I could. Seeing them in the wild, they actually blend in rather well, yet unique enough to make me happy.
Tesla whatever- This is the go to pick for pretty much anyone in your position. Not my pick though.

ZSAK

Sorry about the loss, I had an atsv briefly back in 2018. It was a really good car, fast, handled well and decent fuel mileage. With that being said maybe look at a Alfa Guilia QV. I currently have one and it’s everything the ats was but more. I think you would enjoy it.
To add to it, the car feels a bit more upscale than the ats but probably has the same features. It has better steering feel and sharpness. Now one downfall is its only an auto but its a damn good one and maintenance cost is high.

QUIKAG

Charger doesn't have a stick, Don, only the Challenger.

Some great comments here. Guilia QV, Type S Integra (I had one and loved it), used 4BW, Charger Hellcat, IS500, RS3 are all awesome options. If you want to try EV, get the Model 3 Performance for under $50k new (with tax credit) and have a sub 3 second rocket ship with adaptive suspension and nice sport seats. It looks good too.

TommyDeVito

I run a Compustar on my truck and I need to get around to putting one on my other vehicles. But I don’t care enough about my DD to bother, kind of my point with a designated DD, run something inexpensive, blends in, etc. And my performance car stays in a locked garage and I only use it for performance driving so it’s never parked anywhere unattended. On my twisty runs, if I need food, I go to someplace with windows where I can keep my eyes on it 100% of the time, and I’m always armed to the hilt, backup mag, etc. Had you had the Compustar on the vehicle you would have been notified immediately. If in a conceal carry state well you would have some shots on goal so to speak. The fob works to a mile but concrete/structures hamper the signal some. But the range is night and day compared to say the 00’s or 90’s or something. It’s literally incredible how strong the signal is now. In addition to the alarm itself, if you have Drone mobile also, you get push notifications on your phone/watch. So that’s instant. Once the alarm is triggered, you instantly get a notification on your phone. As long as you, and the vehicle, are both in cell coverage, your car could be parked at home and you could be 1/2 way around the world and you’d get an instant notification so you could call LE, wife, neighbor, whatever. It even monitors voltage. I’ve been in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on an island, got notification that my battery got weak, because I was gone for weeks, so I remote started it to charge it 4000 miles from home. Watched it and heard it start up on a surveillance camera and left it up until the Compustar timer went off and shut it back down. It’s solid tech and your insurance company should give you a discount. When I swap DD’s next year, my first appointment will be the Best Buy to get another Compustar/Drone put in it.

The other thing you could do is get a dash cam. So Compustar/Drone Mobile, and a dash cam. I don’t run dash cams (because I do felony riding/driving at times and don’t want my own footage used against me) but some of them work via hosted (cloud) so you’d have access to the footage, even if they got the vehicle. The Compustar also has a LoJack type feature. Vehicle would come up in the app and it’s very much like Google maps/Apple Maps and LE can use it to track the dirtbags down. I put this shit on my truck because it’s parked outside in my driveway under a massive carport. That alarm goes off, well good luck to the thieves. We have castle doctrine here. I’m well trained and I’ve read a lot of case law in regards to defense of property (home) and vehicles. The trick is intimidate using all methods you have at your disposal and get them to stop and run. Last thing I would ever want to do is fire a shot. Zero F’s given about criminal proceedings as any judge here would toss it but there is always civil litigation to be concerned with.

Replacement vehicle, well it might be time to think about that a little longer, before you make a purchase. If it’s a daily, and it’s going to be parked outside of view on the reg, well I’m of the opinion to run an economy type car for a daily and have another vehicle for fun “if” you have the parking room at home. You could buy a GR86/BRZ and a brand new daily for what a RS3 costs. Thieves are typically going to go after the nicer shit. If you are of the opinion that you want to daily something nice like a RS3 then refer to what I wrote above. If you have a Best Buy in your area, check to see if it’s one that still does vehicles. You’ll get a much better price vs. the independently owned audio/alarm shops as they always charge a lot more. Sad to read of you losing a firearm as well. That really sucks. Like you many days I’ve got a long gun with me for going to the range + I have a “truck gun” that’s a tricked out Zastava M92 with all the trimmings, backup mags, etc because my truck has an in-bed lockable trunk. I’ve got a lock on the tailgate, and a tonneau with dual deadbolts so there are 4 locks to get through + that alarm. In both my hatchbacks, no way in hell, Compustar or not, would I leave a firearm in the vehicle. AirTags are neat, and I use them on my key fobs, more for me misplacing them in the house or leaving one in a pocket but for security they are flawed as they are dependent on WiFi or another Apple device. Security, you want something that is cellular. Best of luck. Hope you get your rifle back.

Mr.E.G.

Thanks for the suggestions, folks.

I don't think the Integra or the Lexus IS would satisfy my speed requirements. I'm afraid I don't really like Teslas. They're just not my cup of tea. I may consider a CT4 Blackwing.

Mr.E.G.

I remembered why I wasn't terribly excited about the CT4 Blackwing. It actually marginally slower than my ATS-V. Not that it would necessarily be noticeable, but that kind of bothers me. :-)

ThreeD

Great suggestions here. The sports sedan market can be a tough space to be in. 4VBW or QV seem to fit the bill well. Have you considered G8X M3 or F90 CS?

windhund116

At UCLA, a theft ring worked with some corrupt campus cops. They'd drive tow trucks around and just tow the desired car away.

With cops there, no one suspected the theft, even with the alarms going off.

New BMWs, Mercedes, and high-end SUVs were the prime targets. The LAPD took a few months to arrest the guys in the act.

QUIKAG

If you can’t find an RS4 for reasonable money, I’d seriously consider a low mileage, CPO 4BW. For $60kish, it’s going to be hard to beat.

Bullwings

CT4 blackwing.

If you get any of the audi options and decide to keep it longer term, you'll probably end of missing the reliability of your ATS-V.

Although, i'm partial to the IS500 F-sport, but you've already ruled that out.

What about a used Panamera GTS?