Well, I got your attention at least...

First off, I am in no position to be buying a car right now, as I am not in a stable position in my life - I hop from island to island as a dive instructor / boat captain...

I do love cars, however, and I've been contemplating a little on what I want when I come back...

Criteria
1) lightweight
2) handles well from factory
3) at least 3 liter displacement
4) tunable to 400 whp for 10k'ish
5) should look awesome
6) initial car price is a factor, but a variable as well (sorry, no Ferrari's, etc)

Right now, there are only two cars that come to mind - an Acura NSX and a Corvette Z06...

Due to pricing (realistically like to stay around 20-25k), I'd be limited to a 91-94ish NSX or an 01-04 Z06... Both of these cars are around 3000 lbs (NSX a little under, Z a little over), both of these cars can make 400whp for 10ish (NSX would be turbo'd with engine management, Z would be heads/cam, intake, exhaust, tuned), both handle very well from the factory...

Am I missing a car out there? I have put some thought into the S2000 and Miata platforms, but neither of those cars have quite the cool factor, and would be more difficult to extract 400whp given their smallish engines... Have also thought about (and not completely eliminated from my mind) a FD with a 2jz in it

Lemme hear your ideas!

This should also be a note to the auto makers out there - there needs to be more options in this field... I'm tired of looking at grossly overweight cars such as the Camaro, Mustang, Challenger, etc...

or...FD with LSx

thought about that one, but AFAIK, no one has been able to keep the A/C with that swap...

why z06? pick up a used c5 vette, the aftermarket is limitless

You should be able to get 400whp from an S2K if your putting 10k into the motor .
And you can definitely get one for under $25k, under $20k even.

Yah, but why would I start with an inferior car? Almost everything performance wise is better about the Z06 across the board... thus why I want a very good handling car to start... I've driven stock C5's and stock Z's and the Z's are noticeably better.... Not to mention the ~150 lb difference in weight to start...

Grand National. Turbo and a total sleeper

and an extra 55 HP!

hahahhaa

yah, but we're still back to s2k's just not being that cool of a car... and with the little motors, they just require so much more boost to make the power... with that, IMO, you are probably running very close to what the motor will handle without a build...

I've done the high hp, 4 cylinder and just tired of that small of a motor...

Camry SE V6.

I'm not sure if GN's are really sleepers... I see one and immediately know what they are... maybe to the tool in the M3 that doesn't know what engine is in his own car, but, not to the enthusiast... They are no more a sleeper than my old 1G DSM was...

I thought FD but its not a 3.0...i thought Lotus, not a 3.0....

A used 911 996 comes to mind as well, they are in the 20k range now

Chipped B5 Audi S4? I think its a 2.8 though..

BMW Z3 M or Z4 M?

Supra MVIII? Doesn't look awesome though...

All the Lotus' are pretty small, but, something I hadn't put much thought in to... not going to get 400whp out of them for 10k, for sure...

Audi S4 - 3600 lb car... not what I would consider lightweight...

BMW... good option, think it meets the criteria, almost across the board, but I am not a huge BMW fan...

Supra's are heavy too...


once upon a time, I thought about a 911... don't know much about them, perhaps some research...

Is-f..... Ftw

Cept you can't find one for close to $25k