go to the nearest bridge- lol

 

it is interesting that no one said they would get a used vette.

I would look at a used STI and put a bunch of mods on it.

 

"Downgrade" = lower cost to me in every capacity .
I love my Civic Si . It would leave me 10K to pay bills out of your 35K budget plan, would have warranty, plus its easy on gas and repairs . Plus it retains resale. IMO it's the best bang for the buck under 25K .

 

4) Used Z06??? Not sure about a Vette- but would be definitley fast-

3) 996 4S Cab- Not sure if you could get at this price- but would be about 80% of my 997s Cab

2) 2007 Shelby Mustang Cobra- Ok...not really- but I would like to drive it fast and see what it has....

1) 1970 GTO Convertible- for $35K you can get a real nice one...

Actually for the shear fun of it- I will take the GTO!

Here's an example.... http://www.cars-on-line.com/37795.html

 

Interesting question. Quite a few real and perceived variables here - sports versus GT, age, reliability, et al...
If it's a sports car that you seek, and you could swing it, the Cayman would be the top of my list. Truth is (let the flaming begin), it's a superior sports car to the 911. Second would be the Corvette. It does with power what the Cayman does with handling and road feel. But it's (the C6's) are so underrated and still suffering from the gold pinkie ring association.The S2000 would be next on my list. A bit buzzy as a DD but the engine/transmission is the perfect pairing. Last, but absolutely not least would be the Miata. A true gift from the heavens. I defy any sports car lover to not smile at some point along every every trip made in that thing. It's the sports car (similar to the S2000 but more 'fun') that you virtually wear.
The BMW 2-seater just can't displace anything on the above list (well, the original M-version) and the bigger beemers aren't sports cars (again, flaming will follow - but you asked for opinions). Though some are killer GT's.
Oh and if you'd consider less than 4 wheels, then the VFR is the GT to own, and a Duck 900 series (or successor) is the ultimate sports car. But then you have that 'donorcycle' problem...
All in all, this is NOT a bad problem to have.

 

e92 M3 would be a decent downgrade from the 997, and they are available at a very handsome discoutn if purchased used.

 

A C5 ZO6 would be a great option....cheap these days

Jason

 

Appreciate all this great input fellas! My goal is to somehow sell my 997S in this hellish market and get something to hold me over until I save enough for a 997GT3.

I'm ruling out the Cayman because I don't want to spend $35k+ on a higher mileage Porsche to carry me over to the GT3. I'm getting out of the 997S because I don't want to put anymore miles on the thing (currently at mid 30k miles)...and I think the Cayman would have to be at this mileage to go for $35k.

I think a 996 would just make me yearn too much for another 997, and I really want to try something different before the GT3.

I'm more into the other aspects of the driving experience than just pure speed, so not keen on a vette or mustang (just my opinion, sure they are great cars). Of course I'll take the speed, but I had loads more fun in a S2K than a e46 M3 (modded, different story...which is why i'm considering).

Looks like you can find an 04+ S2Ks for under $20k and I found an 06 M3 comp package for $29.9K! Man those cars have dropped....

Sorry for the ramble and turning this into a non 997 thread. Ultimately looking for an ideal carry-over car from the S to the GT3 and I think it'll be a S2k or e46 M3.

Thanks again guys!

 

you could get a 335 at the same price,mod it for a few k and have lots of fun

don`t want to say that the E46M3 or S2000 won`t be fun,but you can really get a sick DD with the 335i if you throw some cheap mods on it.

 

Don't sell the car . Every transaction you make adds to the loss . Save the money (for the gt3) and drive this car into the ground.

 

+1, I really think that you will regret it once you have sold your car. I went a few months without my car, couldn't stand it, so I bought another one and sold the first one when it was done.

 

Exige S , Thats what I switched from my 997S to. Ill never look back

 

I sold my Carrera S and did this, Got an E55... I got extremely bored after 6 months and traded it in for the Exige. Yes the E55 was faster, But it is NOT a sports car. Its an old mans car with a young mans engine.
If you want a real sports car for under 35K nothing will out preform a Lotus Exige or Elise, or get the attention from just about everyone if you are into that.

 

The Lotus cars are really quite amazing, I drove one before I bought my first Pcar (a Boxster), and chose the Boxster because it was just about practical enough, the Lotus would be a great track car, but it is a bit limited as a toy (even a weekend away car!) due to it’s small size and lack of space to put stuff. So I like to say that a Porsche is a road car that you can take on the track, a Lotus is a track car that you can take on the road and either car will out perform many higher HP cars on the road or the track.

Re the Benz discussion, I owned many of them, some of them are fast, all are comfortable and make good DD, but none of them are sports cars.

 

I fully understand the "want a different car" routine, however this would be the best decision.

If you just cant resist, my pick would be the S2K. I put about 40K on one and loved every mile. Kind of sorry I did not just find a place to keep it.