So my girlfriend wants to buy a new car, and me being a car enthusiast, I'm onboard with whatever high-performance car she wants to get.

So we've discussed it quite a bit, but I love seeing some of the ideas you guys present in Car Talk, so let's hear it!

So far we've test-driven an '09 IS-F (if buying, we'd get a 10+ for the rear LSD.)

IS-F Pros: Lexus fit and finish, superb reliability, good MPG, a car you don't have to be afraid of owning after warranty, can be had Lexus CPO, sounds great, fun to drive, great engine, looks good, comfortable, fast enough.

IS-F Cons: Not available in 6-speed. My GF is sad that it only comes in automatic and hates the paddle-shifters.

Other cars we are going to test drive (you can guess which ones I suggested hahahaha ) :

C6 Z06
09+ CTS-V
Mustang GT 5.0
Subaru BRZ
BMW 135i/335i CPO
BMW 1M (if we can find one to test drive)

Amy ideas, input? GF is a 25 year old Asian female, so keep that in mind. She won't consider an Evo or STI, either. She likes nice interiors.

 

CTS-V would be a great choice.

 

If you have the money, 60K+ wait be patient and get the chance to test drive a 1M.... You definitely will not be disappointed.

 

try bimmerpost to c if any member will give you a test drive. Ive driven all those cars listed and i love the 1M the best for a DD

 

My girlfriends favorite car is a BMW 1M. I've showed her supercars at car shows(Audi R8 v10, 458 Italia, GTR) and she likes the 1M even more. She first seen it on Top Gear and she's not a car enthusiast. So I personally think the 1M will be an awesome car considering it's got almost no drawbacks, it has a nice interior, from what I've read it's comfortable and it's pretty damn fast compared to other cars in it's price range. It's also a lot rarer than any of the others you've posted. The Corvette would look silly with a 25y/o Asian woman getting out, aha. Especially having a shitty interior and fit and finish.

In the end it would be 1M followed by 135I and 335I then a toss up between the Mustang(I see tons of women driving these) and the CTS-V.

 

BMW M3 - can be had in 6MT, plenty of power, reliable and looks great. It answers all your problems with the IS-F without really giving anything away (as I said, reliability seems to be excellent).

 

also even though the 1M is expensive it'll hold its' value better than most of the car you mentioned.

 

I've driven IS-F's and CTS-Vs there is no comparison
CTS-V > is-f
That said I think most of the cars you listed sound really nice. I guess you probably need her to figure out what she really likes. This may mean test driving each of them.
For me your list rates up as follows
1. C6 ZO6 ≥ CTS-V (CTS-V is probably more live-able on a daily basis though)
2. 1M
3. 5.0; Although I might take a Gt500 over the 1M they're not too far off in price I think


Also most people cross shop the M5 with the CTS-V and the E63 AMG
If she likes nice interiors though I think the C7 should be considered as well, are those in dealerships yet?

Update this thread with pics when you get her new ride!

Evan

 

If anything it'll go up in value as they're already selling for more than MSRP USED.

The 1M and CTS-V have awesome road presence. Seeing a 1M coming the other way in their orange colour is just awesome. It's very aggressive and eye-catching. The CTS-V from behind is terrifying, I drove behind one yesterday with my girlfriend and it's a WIDE car, holy shit. It was the coupe, not the sedan.

 

+1, ex. for fuel economy. (but I'm going to make a wild guess that Daddy's paying for everything, since not many 25 yo's can afford these kinds of cars) But on the pros, it has a lot more rear seat room and better driving feel (IMO).

The 1M is a great car, but I'd have problems paying over MSRP for a used one. What happens to those values when the next gen model is released?