Trey go pick yourself up a nice 2005-2006 Corvette . My wife has a 2005 the car is a blast to drive. You can find them out there with decent mileage for under 20.

I appreciate the response, Mario. I've been involved with Corvettes before. They're great cars and very capable, but they aren't what I want.

Thanks

I recently purchased a very nice 1995 540i/6. Wonderful car, though they might actually be a bit small for what you're looking for. There is a lot of forum support for them, and you should be able to get a nice one and make it great for less than your budget.

How's the power? Does it feel like it needs a little more to feel proper and not like it's struggling to get up the hills? I actually prefer the looks of the E34 but the E39 has all the acclaim.

Thanks!

I bought an 09 G8 new in November of 08. It was my daily driver mostly from that point on aside for one winter. The ride and handling of that car was spot on for my tastes although I did swap struts to the police version.

I had gotten a few gift certificates for Speed Inc that following Christmas and really had no intentions doing any mods. I had added and air box and exhaust but no other plans. On a whim for one of their dyno specials, I decided to get it tuned. I didn't expect much, but the ride home blew me away. It was so much more responsive with better shifts. Glad I did it.

Even though there was nothing wrong with the car and it still had just under 50k on it, I knew the end was near for Holden here in the US and thought it would be the right thing to do to look into the SS. I was thinking of down the road replacement. I preferred the slightly more aggressive looks of the G8 over the SS. All the stars aligned and I brought the SS home last March. I feel it is an outstanding car that feels as though it was almost made specifically for my tastes/driving style. It is definitely the G8, but several notches above in every possible way. That being said, I don't think you can go wrong with one.

Good luck!

It feels good. It's no muscle car, but it scoots pretty well. Runs 85mph all day with the cruise set, handles like a dream.

On my list of things to do are:

-BillyBoat exhaust (already purchased)
-Chip (already purchased)
-3.15 LSD (already purchased)

I'm also thinking of a set of headers. All the above should wake it up quite nicely, I would think. Or, who knows... maybe an LS swap is in the future? :superhack: I think I could pull it off and still be in the $20K-$25K range when all is said and done.

The 540i/6 comes with the sport seats and the "slightly lower and stiffer" suspension (M5 without "SLS" hydraulic load level in the rear). I purposefully avoided a traction control car as well--too much to worry about breaking, I figured.

So far, I have a total of maybe $15K in the car, including the original purchase, flying to Texas, and driving it back to Tennessee.

The car was $7K, and the rest has been stuff to upgrade and/or make it "all I want it to be." M-Tech front bumper, 3.15 LSD, Chip, front brake upgrade, rear rotors, pads, and calipers, braided brake lines, wheels, tires, exhaust, leather M-tech steering wheel, stereo upgrade, front suspension upgrades, new front door weather stripping, and a few more bits and pieces.

The only repair I've had to make was a new MAF and O2 sensors. Next winter I'll probably do the timing chains and guides. I'll do them myself, over a weekend.

If you have any more questions, feel free to hit me up, or PM me and I'll give you my phone number.

Thanks! I really wish the G8 came in a manual without having to find the GXP. Love the SS but it's out of my price range.

Thanks!

Thanks! I've considered the 03 540i M-Tech since it's essentially a 300hp M5 with a slightly less luxurious interior. I'm concerned about being down 100hp though considering the weight of these cars. But, I'm not sure the extra 100hp is worth the many thousands more the M5 costs. Decisions decisions.

They (GM) really didn't make enough of those. Like the TBSS.

If you are interested in BMWs a 335i or 228i would be an awesome choice as well. The 335i comes with the turbo (or twin turbo) i6 whereas the 228i comes with the turbo 4. Both make quite a bit of power for their size and the 228 has the benefit of the phenomenal 8 speed auto. Both respond very well to mods as well if you wanted to spice things up a bit later on down the road. A 228 might be a bit outside of your range but if you look you can find them under 20 across the country and the 335 for sure can be found for way less.