New car next year (stupid 20 characters)?
I have a budget of AU$7500. These are my current choices:
Lexus SC400/Toyota Soarer GT Limited
4.0L V8 (1UZ-FE)
Nissan Skyline R33 GTS-T
2.5L non-turbo inline-6 (RB25DE)
Nissan Pulsar SSS
2.0L non-turbo inline-4 (SR20DE)
Subaru Impreza WRX
2.0L turbocharged flat-4 (EJ20)
Subaru Liberty/Legacy 2nd Gen GX AWD
2.2L non-turbo flat-4
Nissan 300ZX (Z32)
3.0L non-turbo V6 (VQ30DE)
Toyota MR2 (SW20)
2.0L non-turbo inline-4
Toyota Celica ST204R SX
2.2L non-turbo inline-4
Ford Falcon AU XR6
4.0L non-turbo V6
Honda Integra DC2 GSI
1.8L non-turbo inline-4
My current car is a 1988 Nissan Skyline GXE with a 3.0L inline-6 (RB30E), and I don't plan on modifying the new car except for taking the sound system out of the 'Line and putting it in this, so initial performance is the order of the day. And yes, I know how to handle a sports car. I've driven my mum's chipped and turbocharged 2005 Subaru WRX and a Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG before. I'm not a lead-foot either. I'm swinging towards either the WRX or the XR6, but I would prefer the WRX cause Fords here have absolutely horrible resale value and they're major cop-magnets. Unfortunately that last part is also true for the WRX so the other one I was really interested in was the Liberty GX.
The reason why I picked the WRX is because people in my family have owned three of them and they've all been brilliant cars. My mum owned a 2005 which was chipped, had an MRT Rally exhaust system and 19" Konig Unknown mags, turned heads everywhere it went both with the awesome sound and awesome performance. My auntie owned a 1999, currently owns a 2005 and is planning on getting a 2009. The reason why it would be a problem though, and this goes for any turbocharged vehicle really, is that while it's not illegal where I live (I live in South Australia, whereas most other states have a ban for turbocharged/supercharged or V8 engines for L and P-platers), my insurance would be through the roof. So any non-turbo performance car that I can buy, I'm considering. Thanks for the detailed answer though.