Fun-to-drive fast cars that you can keep forever

[newoldbeemer]

Why are most of the *good* (to drive) cars different from the good (as in peace of mind) cars?

The problem is, I am not keeping any BMW, Merc, Audi or Porsche for more than five or six years without a warranty. Which means, huge depreciation. On the other hand, the "reliable" brands like Acura, Lexus and Infiniti are really boring.

So what are some cars that satisfy both needs, that you can get and can just keep driving forever without having to dedicate a lot of time to them?

I can think of a few:
- STI
- 370Z (and I guess GTR, but I am only talking about budget cars here)
- Lexus ISF maybe?
- I guess Mustangs, Corvettes and Camaors?

I won't say G37, Miata, BRZ etc coz those are fun, but not necessarily very fast.

It would be great if BMW and Audi had affordable maintenance & repairs in the long run, or Honda/Acura came out with some nice tight-feeling rear-wheel drive cars. Personally, all the BMWs I get are either new or CPO with three years warranty, and I wouldn't own one without those. For that reason, with brands like BMW and Audi I have to buy from the dealer, and get out of the car rather quick.

Just a rant..

[Never_Enough]

I do not consider the STi, 370z or IS-F to be fast cars. I consider my modded C6Z fast. My Speed6 is also modded & should be good for 12s, but I don't consider that fast either.
Miata is fast around a track, but not on a drag strip.

[Mike00]

Originally Posted by newoldbeemer

I can think of a few:
- STI
- 370Z (and I guess GTR, but I am only talking about budget cars here)
- Lexus ISF maybe?
- I guess Mustangs, Corvettes and Camaors?

Honestly you have to switch to American and look at the Vette, Camaro, Mustang. Cheap to fix when thye do break and they honestly hold up a bit better in many ways than the german cars.

[TomD335xicoupe]

I can only afford one car for me and one for my wife , she gets the new suv lease every three years I get a sports car. No matter what the car I get new or old after about five years I just want a change. I have had a lot of different sports cars over the years I have loved them all but still need a fresh ride to keep the thrill. After a few years there is gennerly nothing left to learn , buy or upgrade about the car that makes sence so time to move on to the next one. If I could afford to keep one just as a third I would have kept my RS America a classic timeless piece of automotive genius.

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by TomD335xicoupe

If I could afford to keep one just as a third I would have kept my RS America a classic timeless piece of automotive genius.

My dream 911 of that vintage. Bet you kick yourself for letting that one go.

[TylerJohnson97]

Unfortunately German cars are 99% nightmares out of warranty, so that leaves American and Japanese. A couple that come to my mind are:
American: C5 & C6 Z06, Shelby's, Vipers, maybe ZL1's?
Japanese: STI, EVO, MKIV Supra, and I would also put IS-F in that category.
I will be really curious how the R35's hold up as well

[wdb]

Honda S2000 but try to find one that hasnt' been riced or otherwise modded.

I was thinking of keeping my zed for a long time, are you saying I should get out while the getting is good?

[TomD335xicoupe]

Unfortunate yes , but bad decision on down hill into front straight at Lime Rock put me into the wall, totaled by insurance , but rebuildable , sold to a person much more mechanically inclined then I. Certainly miss that car and I guess you know the present value, the RSA is commanding huge dollars now, far out of my present financial arena.

[FriskyDingo]

I don't see the STI being as reliable as some would make it out to be. LS Camaros/Corvettes, Vipers, Z cars, etc, yes.

I really want to pick up a 5th Gen Z/28 in the next year or so. Used ones are already coming down into the 40's. I figure in a year, they'll be easy to pick up for 43-45 grand. They are stupid fun to drive, and they'll be reliable cars to own over time.

[pikkagtr]

All motor itb 98 spec NSX
Pretty much same maintenance as an accord and would probably last well into 300k miles

[PopsnBurbles]

NSX?
Exige (well, IDK much about this one but I presume it's reliable because of Toyota motor)

[newoldbeemer]

Well yeah the problem is even American cars don't have small four-doors like the Germans do.

Yeah Charger.. But something like m3 would be great.

[wdb]

Originally Posted by FriskyDingo

I don't see the STI being as reliable as some would make it out to be.

I had a 2005 STi that was bulletproof. I think you may be right about the newer Subies though. My neighbor's 2-year old Forester just had an engine replaced under warranty.

[AIRPOWER]

Originally Posted by Mike00

Honestly you have to switch to American and look at the Vette, Camaro, Mustang. Cheap to fix when thye do break and they honestly hold up a bit better in many ways than the german cars.

Corvette....cheap to fix????? You obviously have never owned one.

My vert is is anything but cheap to fix.

[mremg]

Honestly, there is no such car. Any car will eventually wear out and you're going to start having issues at some point (that point varies across cars). It's just that german cars are so expensive to repair when it reaches to that point, people tend to ditch them once the warranty runs out. If you track you car or do any performance driving, it wears out even faster.

[PLCZ4MC]

The Z4M coupe or roadster is not consider?

[R3dliner]

Originally Posted by wdb

I had a 2005 STi that was bulletproof. I think you may be right about the newer Subies though. My neighbor's 2-year old Forester just had an engine replaced under warranty.

Ringland and rod bearing problems especially on the gr models. People also don't mod them correctly and abuse the Sh*t out of them.

On another note 370Z with full bolt ons with a Uprev/ecutek tune will keep up with our cars. That VQ37VHR is very reliable. Had mine for 8 years 135k on the clock with zero issues

[86Zed]

Originally Posted by newoldbeemer

Personally, all the BMWs I get are either new or CPO with three years warranty, and I wouldn't own one without those. For that reason, with brands like BMW and Audi I have to buy from the dealer, and get out of the car rather quick.

Just a rant..

Seems like somebody is putting too much weight on rumors and bad apple experiences. Owning any car 10+ years is a gamble and items will need to be replaced. Yes a JDM car might be over-engineered (and have cheaper parts due to a LOWER msrp), but they can still have issues nonetheless.

I'm daily driving a 2007 Z4M and it has been perfectly affordable, guess I should just quit now.

Originally Posted by PLCZ4M

The Z4M coupe or roadster is not consider?

See above

[Never_Enough]

Originally Posted by PopsnBurbles

NSX?
Exige (well, IDK much about this one but I presume it's reliable because of Toyota motor)

Yes, reliable & A LOT of fun to drive. It would be on my short list to replace my Z06, but the prices on them have gone way up lately.

[Nkc]

Z3 M coupe + 1M

[Malibu1]

I have had my 1965 Backdraft Cobra replica for over 10 years now. I really feel like this is the car I will keep forever. You can build these with 500 hp so easy. They weigh 2400 pounds and you could probably never master the power. And best of all they use BMW E36 suspension so they are so fun to drive.

[Longboarder]

What kind of car would you want to keep "forever"?

There aren't many models that have stood the test of time where you can say that you would still want to drive them today.