So lately I've been thinking a lot about what my first car will be, and I think I've narrowed it down to a few options. It will be a while before I have the money, but what do you guys think?

'87 Porsche 944 S2 or Turbo
'91-'95 Nissan 300ZX, maybe twin turbo model
Second gen MR2, turbo version if I can afford it
Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4

The Porsche is my number one choice, but the Turbos are expensive and hard to maintain, and the NA versions are pretty underpowered. Btw, my price range is around $2k-$6k. I've also found a few M3's, but at that price they're probably beat to hell. The MR2 is nice because it's mid-engine and has quite a bit of tuning potential, but I dont know if ill have time for that.
So, opinions?

90 was the first year of the Z32 300zx n/a and twin turbo. All the cars you listed are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much car for you to handle as a first car. I have a z32 300zx im doing a TT swap on right now. Ive had a 90 300zx n/a and even that was a beast. Youve gotta try out an easy car first man, you will KILL yourself in those cars. Dont give me none of that "im a good driver" rhetoric either

PS, even if you save enough to buy one of them, have fun paying for insurance. Oh, dont even bother with maintenance of the 300zx. If it breaks, just throw it out and get another. Ive torn those engines down several times and they are the absolutely worst engine to work on, ever, in the whole universe....ever. Stay away from the Z32 300zx.

how about a Ford Escort, Chevy Cavalier, Honda Civic or Kia Rio?.. must learn to walk before learn to run.

My father was going to turn the keys over to a 1984 Ford Mustang GT to me when I graduated high school. I thought about it and realized that the car was just too much for a beginning driver. I ended up with a Ford Pinto, which was great. You honestly don't learn how to control a car unless you've been driving for a few year. The state hands you your license, but that doesn't mean you can drive.

Dave, a guy over in the finishing room has a 300ZX and he cannot get the goddamn engine right. He's almost ready to just sell the goddamn car.

get a VR6 or something,its fun and sounds nice, and youl enjoy it as a first car

Get BMW E30 3 series in good condition for like 4k. Easy easy to work on, handle better than almost any other car, and have a decent after market. Learn to love it and do some AutoX days or something to learn how to drive it. That's what I did with my Volvo 242GT. These cars can take quite the beating too. Then worry about a high performance car later. Ladies like the E30 if it's in good condition, sure, its not fast, and its not luxurious, but the M10 and the M20 motors have huge potential for N/A and FI... Plus they think the headlights are cute.

Don't start off with an M3 or any of the cars you listed. I have an M3 now and it's still a bit much for me. My next car:

http://www.youtube...atch?v=8nBpDNYPeTQ

I don't see how a 944 with around 130 hp (NA) is so dangerous...

And sinister I agree, I've been seriously considering a 3 series, they're great cars. But the Porsche-phile in me keeps whispering "would you really rather have that over a 944?"

And thanks, I had no idea the 300's were such a bitch to maintain. I'll be staying away from those.

Why do guys driving Boxsters, 924's, 928's and Cayennes think they're driving real Porsches?
I laugh laugh laugh...

Cayenne and 924 are not real Porsches. 924 has more Audi components than Porsche, and the Cayenne is an SUV for fucks sake.

The Boxster is most definitely a real Porsche. It's a pure, mid engine sports car with a flat-six and rear-wheel drive. It has the distinctive communicative steering and pedal feel that characterizes all real Porsches. Just make sure it has a manual.

Just because it's not expensive doesn't mean it's not a Porsche. Porsches are not about price, they're about being pure, DRIVER'S CARS. The Boxster and Cayman both have the characteristic, I dare say maybe even more than the 911. The mid-engine layout is simply superior. Imagine for a second a Cayman with a twin-turbo 3.8 liter. Yeah. Porsche just won't do it because they want the 911 to remain their flagship, which is totally understandable. I LOVE the 911, more than any other car in the world, and I wouldn't want to see it die. Besides, there's always aftermarket...

As for the 928, well I don't really know about that one. I guess you really couldn't consider it a REAL Porsche, but it's a pretty cool car, nonetheless. The GTS version was a rocket.

If the Cayenne made you laugh, wait until you see the new four door sedan. But then again, Porsche is no one trick pony. A little known fact is that they also do engineering work for other car companies too.

Posted by Strelok Cayenne and 924 are not real Porsches. 924 has more Audi components than Porsche, and the Cayenne is an SUV for fucks sake. The Boxster is most definitely a real Porsche. It's a pure, mid engine sports car with a flat-six and rear-wheel drive. It has the distinctive communicative steering and pedal feel that characterizes all real Porsches. Just make sure it has a manual. Just because it's not expensive doesn't mean it's not a Porsche. Porsches are not about price, they're about being pure, DRIVER'S CARS. The Boxster and Cayman both have the characteristic, I dare say maybe even more than the 911. The mid-engine layout is simply superior. Imagine for a second a Cayman with a twin-turbo 3.8 liter. Yeah. Porsche just won't do it because they want the 911 to remain their flagship, which is totally understandable. I LOVE the 911, more than any other car in the world, and I wouldn't want to see it die. Besides, there's always aftermarket... As for the 928, well I don't really know about that one. I guess you really couldn't consider it a REAL Porsche, but it's a pretty cool car, nonetheless. The GTS version was a rocket.

The Boxster I was playing with yesterday did not impress me... I looked at the guy as we ran the twisties and was thinking, "you paid how much for that little emblem and you can't outrun a $23k Chevy? Tsk tsk tsk."

I have had the misfortune of coming up against a Cayman S before I knew what a Cayman S had in its ass.

The Boxster....dont make me laugh. I had a rental Deville coming home from Denver. Between Vegas and LA, i was getting into some high speed battles with a guy in a Boxster. I had my fiancee, fiancee's cousin, my kid, trunk FULL of luggage, rear middle seat packed with luggage, and we still out accelerated the guy all the way up to 110. At 110, the info center in the gauges said "FUEL CUT OFF". It was gay.

At 100mph, those luxury cars make it feel like you are doing 20mph on a glass road.

Posted by big dave The Boxster....dont make me laugh. I had a rental Deville coming home from Denver. Between Vegas and LA, i was getting into some high speed battles with a guy in a Boxster. I had my fiancee, fiancee's cousin, my kid, trunk FULL of luggage, rear middle seat packed with luggage, and we still out accelerated the guy all the way up to 110. At 110, the info center in the gauges said "FUEL CUT OFF". It was gay. At 100mph, those luxury cars make it feel like you are doing 20mph on a glass road.

we came off Tracy Road and hit the Interstate... I was really not impressed by the Boxster. It's like the Ford Escort of Porsches? Something cheap that people can buy to make them feel like they can own a Porsche or something?

I just sat in a 1000whp GT2.....

nuff said.

Yeah I was in a prepped GT2 at Calbogie raceway last fall. WHOA.

I've got nothing against the Boxster, it's not the quickest Porsche but they're a blast to drive, and have beautiful handling. Same for the Cayman... and the Cayman S is a really impressive little car. Love the looks of it, too.

^ Exactly. Porsches are not dragsters. They're about the driving experience. Maybe a Cobalt SS is faster, but a Boxster would be more fun in the twisties. A four cylinder weed wacker up front driving the front wheels, or a screaming flat-six in the middle driving the rear wheels? Hmm...

Nothing against the Cobalt SS though. It's been quite a while since a GM car other than the Corvette impressed me so much. I would love to have one, but I just can't get over the FWD...

Posted by Strelok ^ Exactly. Porsches are not dragsters. They're about the driving experience. Maybe a Cobalt SS is faster, but a Boxster would be more fun in the twisties. A four cylinder weed wacker up front driving the front wheels, or a screaming flat-six in the middle driving the rear wheels? Hmm... Nothing against the Cobalt SS though. It's been quite a while since a GM car other than the Corvette impressed me so much. I would love to have one, but I just can't get over the FWD...

I'll say this, it's no screaming weed-wacker in the front of my Cobalt thank you very much.

you guys keep saying that the SS is no fun in the twisties, but none of you have ever driven one... my recommendation is for one of you to waddle down to a Chevrolet dealer and take either a used SS/SC or a new SS/TC out for a hellbeat on a nice, long, twisty piece of real estate. The car was tuned in Germany on the Nurburgring and the beast is born to move. The same goes for the clumsy Saturn Ion Redline and now the Saturn Astra. (PLEASE OH PLEASE GIVE US THE SRi MODEL!!! PLEASE!!!!)


I'll tell you, the suspension and the sheer torque coming out of a corner make you forget it's front wheel drive. I have yet to have mine give up on me. But, also, you have to know how to drive a FWD GM... Ever since the Citation X-11, you have to enter the corner and stay in the throttle... that's the best approach. With the SS, you can hamfist this thing in and out of corners all day long. The factory Pirellis were just evil sticky... but lasted 10-13,000 miles! The Fuzion ZRi's I bought, aren't as sticky, aren't the right tire, but still manage to keep the suspension working a-ok.

There are two roads here that are pretty much our proving grounds. One is the Ensign Pond Road between Moriah and North Hudson NY and the other one is Tracy Road between Mineville and North Hudson NY. Ensign Pond is 10 miles of twisties WITH weird elevation changes, off cambers corners, sweet sweepers... fun fun fun. Tracy Road is 8 miles of technical driving. There isn't a straightaway on either road and they are deserted 90% of the time, 100% of the time after 11pm.

Yeah Samurai I know what you mean. My dad used to do a lot of autocrossing, and he said there was one guy with I think a Dodge Omni Turbo. Apparently he was one of the fastest guys in his class simply because he really knew how to use the front wheel drive to his advantage.

And well, I tend to refer to all 4 cylinders as weed-wackers haha. I just don't like the sound.

Posted by Strelok Yeah Samurai I know what you mean. My dad used to do a lot of autocrossing, and he said there was one guy with I think a Dodge Omni Turbo. Apparently he was one of the fastest guys in his class simply because he really knew how to use the front wheel drive to his advantage. And well, I tend to refer to all 4 cylinders as weed-wackers haha. I just don't like the sound.

unfortunately, too many of the Honda idiots gave the 4-cylinder a bad rap. I had a 2.3L Lima 4 in a Ford Pinto that sounded like a V8. It's all about pipe diameter and the muffler you stick on it. Personally, I always liked the Flowtech sound. I had a Raptor on my 91 Cavalier 2.2L OHV and that sounded awesome between 5500 and 7200 RPM (yes, it would spin that hard)

the exhaust system on the Cobalt, for stock pipes, isn't bad, but it is so restrictive. I cannot wait to by the GM Performance catback for it. It will sound violent with the Stage II kit.

I always liked the Nissan I4 engines as to me, they had great acceleration. There the only 4C I will buy.

Posted by Agent Skelly I always liked the Nissan I4 engines as to me, they had great acceleration. There the only 4C I will buy.

it's the only four cylinder you've ever had, you knucklehead!