No just any ND Miata, but one that will keep up with the 997 in the twisties and the straights, yet is a sleeper. But I understand your point.

 

Yea, I understand it isn't any ND Miata. Definitely would be a fun toy, but when you think of having $75K to spend on a toy, I don't think Miata comes to many minds haha.

 

Ditch the E55 from the list. Most guys I know who bought one ended up with a powerful beast of a machine, that chews through rear tyres in no time and hates going around corners. Burnouts in nearly every gear are fun, for a weekend. It gets boring fast it seems.

The 996 Turbo is a great car to play with. I'd go for one of those and maybe an M135i or 130i BMW.

 

It's been a year since I commented on this thread and I still haven't made a decision. The 997.1 Turbo is my dream car, but it's priced just out of my reach. Hence the time I've spent saving. But the Viper I can get right now. After spending the last few years with Chevy's LS3, I just think the Viper would be too similar. And I'm desperate to see what the 911 is all about. Not to mention the Turbo really is my dream car. I don't care how common it is to you guys. There are NO 911's where I live and I'm in love with the curves and the classic design. But alas, the Viper is affordable, SO much easier (and cheaper) to repair. Going with girl analogies, the Viper is the girl I'm supposed to marry but the Turbo is the girl I want who doesn't know my name, ha! So for now, I'm just going to keep saving.

 

Approximately 10 years ago, I was poised to purchase a 996 911 (not turbo) but got scared off by the RMS IMS issues with those cars. I instead purchased two corvette C6s during that time. The Corvette is a fun car - lots of torque, rear-wheel drive wildness that provides a lot of performance for the dollar. However, I knew that some day I would get a 911 of some type. Earlier this year, I was thinking of getting a C7 Z07. I decided I was tired of the Corvette body style and found a 2008 911 TT that was a good price. I will never regret making that decision! There are times I miss the "rawness" of the Corvette, but the refinement and performance of the TT is incredible. I think your attraction to the Viper may be like mine to the C6 - affordable performance. I strongly suggest you wait for the 911 unless you think you can purchase and drive the Viper with little loss of money for a future trade or purchase of the TT. Good luck with your decision!