Need M3 replacement advice

[1fastdoc]

And no, it won't be an M4. I figure this forum will have the best group of people with experience in other high performance cars.

Short version: I went truck shopping in December and bought a Raptor. My M3 warranty was close to expiring and I was dealing with body shop issues that were taking up too much time. BMW made me a ridiculous low ball offer for the trade in. Ford offered me a reasonable value so I traded it. Now it's been a month. I need another fast car. Keeping the truck, I need that too.

It will be a DD in Nashville pothole city driving with occasional highway trips and the very occasional track (Bowling Green) or mountain road event. The M4 would be the most ideal car but I am taking a BMW vacation. I also prefer to buy a car 1-2 years old. So it has to be something I can get a good deal on. In 2 years, whatever I buy will be gone in favor of the NSX.

Budget: $50-90k. Preferably 4 seats so my boy can tag along.

Contenders:
1. Maserati GT MC. Pro: Beautiful car. Powerful. Wow factor. I can get a good deal on one I'm sure. Con: they are heavy and not really designed to keep up with the M3. Another Pro: Italian sound.

2. Jaguar (XKR?). I don't know much about Jags. I'd want the race version I guess. Not too many close by I can look at. I suspect, like the Maserati, they are not that great for flinging around a road course. But, I'm sure I can get a great deal on one.

3. Porsche. Pro: there are tons of them around. Con: there are tons of them around. And, truthfully, I've never pictured myself in one. Too many 65 year old ladies drive them around here. And I don't think the GT3 is in my budget.

4. Lexus RC-F. Pro: it's Lexus luxury and supposedly as good as the M3. Con: Not much exterior wow factor and I can't get a used one so big financial hit.

5. Nissan GT-R. Pro: fast. Con: I have yet to meet someone who would recommend it as a DD on city streets.

Can anyone suggest cars that I haven't considered? Corvette is out -- wife hates them and it's only 2 seats. Viper is out for the same reason.

I really want the Maserati so I can have the experience of owning one. Perhaps I should have titled this: Are Maseratis any good on the track?

Thanks guys

[Inspired]

If you can afford a GTR I would choose that. Maintenance is expensive.

[Sgop335]

The base price on the nsx from motortrend is 150k! Seriously?

Get the lexus.

Oh the cla45...or some other amg

The new audi s3 seems great as well, faster than the s4

[P1]

Get yourself an Audi RS7 mate.

[M3 Pilot]

MC Stradale is all looks no go but the sound turns my head all the time every single time. Its a looker except for the wheels which are small and very tucked in. The harness and "sport seats" is not fooling anyone. For a GT, it is a great car but I would prefer something that is lighter with quick turn-in response.

If you are going to go all in for the NSX, get an early model GTR so that you don't take a hit on depreciation.

If its for city use, I wouldn't be too concern about maintenance. As it is out of warranty, you can get aftermarket oils which aren't too expensive. In comfort mode the ride is comparable to M3's Sports EDC.

The only high cost I can think of is fuel, but that would temporarily not be a problem given the prices now.

For porsche it has to be a 991 Carrera S at least for me to even consider one. 997 GT3 is out of the question as its a 2 seater.

I would also consider an early model C63 just for kicks.

[rdub315]

Originally Posted by P1et

Get yourself an Audi RS7 mate.

+1, if you can find one within your budget.

[bing240sx]

whichever you choose... take advantage of the US / CDN exchange rate and buy the car in Canada... you'll save 27% right now.

example: http://www.penlease.com/used/Cadilla...fe8ae235e6.htm

that converts to like $39k right now which is easily $6k - $8k under current market price in the states...

i would imagine you could save $15k on a GTR right now buying CDN.

[1fastdoc]

Originally Posted by bing240sx

whichever you choose... take advantage of the US / CDN exchange rate and buy the car in Canada... you'll save 27% right now.

example: http://www.penlease.com/used/Cadilla...fe8ae235e6.htm

that converts to like $39k right now which is easily $6k - $8k under current market price in the states...

i would imagine you could save $15k on a GTR right now buying CDN.

Far from that simple unless the car was originally bought in the US. There are a few hoops to jump through and I'm definitely not flying to Canada from TN to look at a car.

I usually hunt for higher end cars in FL, where there is a lot of money and it's more common for people to buy a car and sell it after 1-2 years for a something newer.

As I was coming home today I saw a nice clean M4. After my experience with BMW I planned on a vacation from the brand but damn, it looked good.

Crap.

[M3Fanatics]

I would suggest looking at the upcoming C63 or a 991 Carrera S, I was looking at the Maserati and Jaguar F-Type prior to purchasing my car and decided against them as the F-Type is only a two seater, and the Maserati's interior is too outdated IMO.

[JasonCSU]

Here's a thought. Since you will only be keeping the car for a couple of years, why not save some cash and go with a new Mustang GT with the track package. I'd suggest a GT350, but it won't be out until later this year.

[1fastdoc]

Originally Posted by M3Fanatics

I would suggest looking at the upcoming C63 or a 991 Carrera S, I was looking at the Maserati and Jaguar F-Type prior to purchasing my car and decided against them as the F-Type is only a two seater, and the Maserati's interior is too outdated IMO.

Mercs bore me. Drove an '11 Maserati today and it was nice but nowhere near as nice or nimble as my '11 M3. And the DCT is much better. It's a contender though.

Was planning to look at the Jags. The 2 seat issue is a problem though.

Looked at the GTR. With my relatively forward seating position, there is about 2" of legroom in the back. They make the Porsche look roomy. Out.

I am going to have to go check out some Porsches. I guess there is a reason that every person I know who has owned a Porsche, still owns one. I'd love to look at the Lexus RC-F but there are no new ones around, let alone a used one.

Regarding the mustang suggestion: I've owned a mustang for over 20 years. I've always like them. I recently had a loaner Roush modded stang while the Raptor was getting a CPO inspection. Meh. I miss driving a stick. I miss driving the DCT much, much more. I'm done with manuals. Besides, my 8 year old son barely fits in the back seat. I'm 5'9" and I didn't fit at all in the back.

I forgot about the RS5. But I can't fine one to even look at anywhere near me.

Life was definitely easier when I lived on 10k/year.

[P1]

You cannot choose anything with only two doors; it has to have four. I say the RS7.

[acdHQK713K]

Best used car in that price range has to be a 997 Turbo.

[NemesisX]

Adding on to P1et's recommendation, how about a 2013 or 2014 Audi S8? It's classy, but it has balls at the same time. 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds. 1/4 mile in 11.8 seconds. I've never driven one so I can't speak to how nimble it is on the road.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...s8_first_test/

I'm seeing used 2013 and 2014 Audi S8's for $74k, $89k, $74k, $89k, $86k, and $89k. Some of those numbers are right smack in the middle of your budget.

It has the straight line acceleration of a GTR, but you can daily drive it as well. What's not to like?

[NemesisX]

Oh here are the used S8's: http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-Audi-S8-d688

Obviously you'll need to look at the 2013 and 2014 models to get 0 to 60 in 3.5.

The fact that you're going to get rid of this car in 2 years is also perfect. You won't have to worry too much about Audi's poor long term reliability.

[NemesisX]

The Cadillac CTS-V may also be an option, but it's slower in a straight line than the 2013+ Audi S8. However, it's also much cheaper. You could snag a new one in the high 70s (though I wouldn't recommend that if you're just keeping the car for 2 years).

[P1]

Originally Posted by NemesisX

Oh here are the used S8's: http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-Audi-S8-d688

Obviously you'll need to look at the 2013 and 2014 models to get 0 to 60 in 3.5.

The fact that you're going to get rid of this car in 2 years is also perfect. You won't have to worry too much about Audi's poor long term reliability.

Great suggestion. I had no idea the S8 was that blindingly fast!

[1fastdoc]

Originally Posted by P1et

You cannot choose anything with only two doors; it has to have four. I say the RS7.

No.

I have an Acura MDX, a Ford Raptor SuperCrew and an Acura RSX that is going to be replaced with a Lexus IS 350 AWD.

The M3 replacement needs to be a sports car.

The S8 would be good if I was a Saudi Prince driving on long, open desert roads but definitely not good for a fun little commuter.

[V1.47fan]

Can't you figure this shit out yourself?

Go test drive a bunch of vehicles and then buy the one you liked the most.
You really want the M4 but you think you're going to punish BMW by buying a different brand.

BMW will do just fine without your business.

[TwinTurboXI]

RS5?

[NickyC]

Get MKIV Supra that's already had the single upgrade + everything else. You can have a great Supra for under $60k.

I owned one back in the late 90s before the price insanity of The Fast and Furious hit. Bought my 1994 Twin Turbo, six speed with a targa roof and 42k miles for $21k. That movie came out, I sold it for over $40k about a year later. Supras just don't devalue, you'll sell it for as much as you paid for it (which the wifey should love).

[1fastdoc]

Originally Posted by V1.47fan

Can't you figure this shit out yourself?

Go test drive a bunch of vehicles and then buy the one you liked the most.
You really want the M4 but you think you're going to punish BMW by buying a different brand.

BMW will do just fine without your business.

In case you're new to how this works, the whole point to a forum is to benefit from the experiences and mistakes of others.

I was looking for things I haven't considered and insight into the cars I had.

Regarding BMW, who said anything about punishing them? If you missed it, they sent my car to Crest Cadillac to have it repaired. Then, when I had a steering issue that BMW was very capable of evaluating and correcting, they told me to go back to the body shop that they sent it to that replaced the rack. The body shop wanted money to look at it. Fucked up situation to put someone in after they buy a premium car that typically comes with a premium experience.

That whole issue comes from the fact that Sonic Automotive owns BMW and they have to send it to Cadillac. For those that don't know, in Nashville, Porsche became a part of the Sonic family also. So, any wrecked Porsche will also go back to the Cadillac dealership. Crest Cadillac is very, very bad at returning phone calls too. And the body/paint workmanship is nowhere near as good as other work I've had done.