Best Keeper NA Manual Car

[Alfisti]

Read your DM OP, I have a car for you

[KevinC]

5x $50k E86 M Coupes.

[dgoldenz]

Originally Posted by Lucky1

Best part is the low depreciation on these special Porsches.

GT3T only going to keep going up in the future.

[Lucky1]

Originally Posted by dgoldenz

GT3T only going to keep going up in the future.

Choice is clear?

[baege]

Originally Posted by KevinC

5x $50k E86 M Coupes.

I will say in terms of intangible attachment, the E86 is at the top of the list on that factor, longest I ever kept a car was my E86 and it was only an SI!

[ShocknAwe]

Originally Posted by baege

So if you were looking to buy a keeper NA manual car as a second car, (budget 250K max) which of the following would you pick?


GT4 (718 or 981)
991.2 GT3T
R8 V10 gated
E86 M coupe


or something else come to mind?

Here's a sample of what I consider peak balance of driver engagement and expense. Since you said "keeper manual"

R8 gated manual! And knowing you, I'll say it again R8!!!
Air cooled 911
997 era water cooled 911
Cayman R
E86 z4mc, maybe consider the earlier Z3, clown shoe etc all lovely
E39 or E36M if you want 4 doors and versatility (I'd get the E39 M5 V8 manual personally)
Z8!
Ferrari 355/360
Honda NSX
Honda S2000
R34 Skyline (not NA)
Emory Outlaw 356 - this is on honorable mention because of cost and that it's a restomod company

Originally Posted by c1pher

Mustang GTD.

That's not a manual...

[BenFenner]

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Honda NSX
Honda S2000

I like these as well. Add the Honda Beat for the trifecta.

If the clownshoe didn't exist I'd be in an AP1 S2K for sure.

[BlkGS]

A 993 C4S or Turbo would be the smart money choice now that you mention it. The Turbo is obviously not NA, but if you just want max investment grade, that's the way to go.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by baege

So if you were looking to buy a keeper NA manual car as a second car, (budget 250K max) which of the following would you pick?


GT4 (718 or 981)
991.2 GT3T
R8 V10 gated
E86 M coupe


or something else come to mind?

Given my limited even 2nd hand knowledge of cars at the upper end of that $250K budget to stay with what I am somewhat more knowledgeable about I'd lean towards a GT4. I have owned 2 mid engine Porsche cars: 2002 Boxster, 2008 Cayman S (both manuals) (and a 2003 996 Turbo) and were there a good Porsche dealer closer to me than 90 miles I'd have a Cayman S now or possibly even 991.

Currently I am enjoying my M8 but the concern about the transfer case has me considering getting rid of it and given I like the local BMW dealer my choice of a replacement would be a M2 with a 6-speed manual. No AWD. No transfer case. No automatic rather a manual gear box that based on my experience with over 1M miles of driving various manual equipped cars are reliable as all heck.

It was a 2023 M2 that I traded in when I bought the M8 so I would be returning to a car I am quite familiar with and thoroughly enjoyed.

[baege]

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Here's a sample of what I consider peak balance of driver engagement and expense. Since you said "keeper manual"

R8 gated manual! And knowing you, I'll say it again R8!!!
Air cooled 911
997 era water cooled 911
Cayman R
E86 z4mc, maybe consider the earlier Z3, clown shoe etc all lovely
E39 or E36M if you want 4 doors and versatility (I'd get the E39 M5 V8 manual personally)
Z8!
Ferrari 355/360
Honda NSX
Honda S2000
R34 Skyline (not NA)
Emory Outlaw 356 - this is on honorable mention because of cost and that it's a restomod company



That's not a manual...

great list!

[MJBO]

I'm taking a look at a 2012 V12 Vantage six speed manual next weekend, very much the end of an era never to be repeated...

[spazzyfry123]

Keeper for overall enjoyment and full experience, I'd say a 993 C2S or C4S. For max attack, 997.2 GT3. With enough "frugality", I wonder if you could get close to having both for $250k? Maybe I'm still living in 5 years ago values...

I want to say R8 V10 with the gate, but I think the "super car" vibe would have me losing interest over time. As epic as it must be, there's just too much "look at me" with that.

[ZTK_M240i]

Originally Posted by c1pher

Mustang GTD.

Awesome car.

But - not NA or a manual.

[SunnyD]

991 Touring is it for me followed by a gated R8 V10

[BenFenner]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

if you just want max investment grade

Originally Posted by baege

So if you were looking to buy a keeper

[BlkGS]

I guess it depends what he considers a keeper to be. Keep it and drive it into the ground? Or keep it a long time but one day sell it and make some money off it maybe.

Keep it and drive it every damn day and into the ground? Probably for me a Viper, or something like a GT350. Everyone I know who has had a GT350 absolutely loves them, says they're amazing to drive, and never gets bored of them. The guys who got rid of theirs miss them and always talk about buying another one. It's a lot of people's forever car, because it's comfortable, fast, engaging, and unique. I wasn't a huge fan of it, I prefer the driving experience of the previous Boss 302, but I can totally see why someone would love the GT350. The people who I know who have had Vipers don't fall in love with them the same way the GT350 owners do.

[baege]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

I guess it depends what he considers a keeper to be. Keep it and drive it into the ground? Or keep it a long time but one day sell it and make some money off it maybe.

Keep it and drive it every damn day and into the ground? Probably for me a Viper, or something like a GT350. Everyone I know who has had a GT350 absolutely loves them, says they're amazing to drive, and never gets bored of them. The guys who got rid of theirs miss them and always talk about buying another one. It's a lot of people's forever car, because it's comfortable, fast, engaging, and unique. I wasn't a huge fan of it, I prefer the driving experience of the previous Boss 302, but I can totally see why someone would love the GT350. The people who I know who have had Vipers don't fall in love with them the same way the GT350 owners do.

the GT350 has always interested me as I grew up owning foxbody 5.0s
I was also considering a bullitt when I had my m240i and was cross shopping it with the m2 comp when I wanted to get back into a manual
but I felt the bullitt was way too big for me with a huge hood, I havent driven a GT350 but imagine I would feel the same

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by baege

the GT350 has always interested me as I grew up owning foxbody 5.0s
I was also considering a bullitt when I had my m240i and was cross shopping it with the m2 comp when I wanted to get back into a manual
but I felt the bullitt was way too big for me with a huge hood, I havent driven a GT350 but imagine I would feel the same

Yeah that's probably gonna be the case. It (and most of the other cars) have those classic muscle car proportions with a long hood to give the impression of a big motor. Not to say the Ford motors aren't big, they're gigantic in footprint, but not that big in displacement.

Anyways, if you don't like it, you don't like it, and that's just you. A lot of people do, and that's fine for them. You probably won't like the Viper if you don't like the hood on the Mustang, lol. I don't really know what cars would have a not long hood, be iconic, and not have the engine behind the driver. A V8 hood is no longer than an I6 hood, so that sort of rules those out too. You'd be looking at V6 motors and smaller really.

[XutvJet]

I've already got one, my 987.2 Cayman base 6MT.

The others would be

1) A cherry 997 911 or 987.1 Cayman with a blown motor and I swap in a built 3.8-4.1 and do up the suspension, wheels, and some other exterior enhancements. Easy job. $60-75K all in and you'd have a beast of a sports car.

2) A 1st gen NSX

[Bumpinjeep]

Originally Posted by c1pher

Mustang GTD.

I absolutely love this reply as it is wrong on every single level.
1. Not a manual transmission.
2. Not NA
3. About $100K more than the budget.
Love it

Originally Posted by baege

So if you were looking to buy a keeper NA manual car as a second car, (budget 250K max) which of the following would you pick?


GT4 (718 or 981)
991.2 GT3T
R8 V10 gated
E86 M coupe


or something else come to mind?

If it were my money, I would look for an ACR/GTS/GTC Viper. I just love the way they look. Something like this: https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/3...-16a182bfeca2/

[vt100]

Cobra or Daytona Coupe

[brianeck]

Originally Posted by BenFenner

I see you are also a man of taste.

Unrelated, but I would also be considering a Palatov Motorsports D2 with Hartley V8 (instead of Chevy LS).
Or something along those lines (track-oriented, tiny production run, OCD engineering).



Maybe a Donkervoort D8 GT (with Honda F20C or Hartley V8 swap).



Maybe Kirkham with LeMans top (with Ford Voodoo V8).

Wow you went 3/3 for cars I never even heard of. Impressive!