That will depend on the exact model and year. I have a couple BMWs (a 325iX and an M535i) that are generally pretty easy to work on, but they are 30+ years old...I agree that the newer they get, the more stuff is going to be in the way.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...11-carrera-85/

The link I posted earlier. I came in low. Sold for under what I thought even when you factor in BAT costs.

FWIW, I've had a Porshe 911 turbo, lot of fun, handling is off the charts, stiff ride, sold it and bought a M3 Convertible (02) and still have it today. The handling, performance and acceleration is still very impressive almost 20 years later. Loaded with luxury, repairs minimal and a well built solid car. To date I have only 40K on it. If you can find a low mileage one you won't be disappointed, plus it's programmed for 150+from the factory, not to shabby.

Ever consider a 06 GTO?

I'm confused- OP posts this, saying Exotic is first priority, that he wants something that's going to get noticed... and then everyone goes on about the most mundane cars? M3s, CTS-Vs, late model GTOs and such are fantastic cars, but they aren't gonna get a second glance driving down the street. Camaros, and Challengers, really??? Even the 911 in the link is the most boring 911 in the most boring color ever... not to mention that 911s, while fine cars, aren't the slightest bit "exotic". I dunno, maybe they are in Indiana, but certainly not around here.

If you want to make people stop and look, you need to step away from the norm. The only cars that OP and others have mentioned- Maserati, Aston, maybe the Jag. Something with sexy lines. No sedan is gonna cut it... well, maybe a Bentley. Some will meet OP's criteria and fit his budget. The downside is that pretty much anything that I would consider "exotic" is going to be more expensive to maintain than a regular car.

Yeah. We are mostly on the same page. Though to be fair, exotic here in rural southern Indiana is probably a wider target than the many other areas. I mean having a rust free truck around here is kinda exotic. A Merc SL550 back when I was in So Cal wouldnt even be noticeable. It would VERY much stick out in my work parking lot here. So that helps me out some.

But yeah, this sentiment is probably why I dont ultimately get the CTSV or a Corvette. Plus I already had one. This is as much about something new for me as anything.

If Im being honest a 2nd gen V car is probably easily the best bang for buck on the list. But it would have to be perfect for me to consider it. Right color, right options etc. Maybe lowered a little bit.

The Porsche in my research seems to be the happy middle. New to me, should be rare around here. Enough of an aftermarket following to keep costs reasonable. Plus they kept the same general architecture for a while so that helps to with parts availability. But yeah I agree. No artic silver. There is a metallic steel color that I like.

This is the first one I think Im actually going to inquire about. More miles than I want, but it says its a rebuilt engine. Its also at an exotic car shop with good reviews on autotrader. So maybe they will have someone there capable of actually doing a professional Porsche inspection. And best of all, that standout color.

https://www.responsemotors.com/used-...carrera-c-731/

The issue with most of the European cars is the cost of repairs.....and there will be repairs.! Given your budget I'd get a nice C6 Corvette. I regret selling mine last year....great bang for the buck.

Maybe a Pantera, Esprit, Daytona (Superformance)??

These two are my choice:

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/e...-9f89aa854078/

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/5...-11dc3c721748/

Other real world examples

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/9...-6a389c8754ca/

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/3...-e5de164a57de/

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...-77d4f6d8f712/

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/1...-e628630478e5/

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/b...-972552762109/

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...-734d310d1351/

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/1...-f90e19fb20bf/

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/9...-ddbe9b451efb/


It certainly looks like you get much more exotic the higher in the 40k range you go

The CTS-V cars were very good cars in their day.
Excellent Brakes. Cadillac Engineering, nice styling, decent engine.

Tom V.

There is no doubt that the newer Corvettes have great performance for the price, but... the only guys that think a Corvette is exotic are Corvette owners. Seems like there are 20+ old guys with new 'Vettes at every single car meet.

Of those 3, only the Esprit is gonna be close to OP's budget.
There is no other car anywhere near that price that has the presence and exotic feel of an Esprit. This one sold on BAT earlier this year for $37,600.

https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content...it=2048%2C1365

I considered those Maseratis hard. The $2000 per year basic service charge and the fact that they aren’t available in a manual scares me off of them.

Would a Taurus SHO be off the table , especially considering the price ?

I just had a 4 door jag pass me in a mirror/teal wrap abd my kid flipped out. That would be an option for me and make an understated car pop.

Well besides the Judge in my sig I have a SLK320, SLK230 (manual trans), a pair of 89 Allantes, and a '88 Reatta coupe. By starting with nice cars and being garaged they do not need much maintenance.

My business partner has a Superformance Daytona coupe. He bought it about 10 years ago. It handles well.. has A/C and is reasonable to maintain. It has a 550 hp windsor and a 6 speed. He'll probably keep it till the day he dies.

Panteras were affordable not that many years ago, but they've really jumped in price. A friend had one and it was a very cool car; he sold it as it turned out just before they started to appreciate. :o

One thing I thought was interesting about Panteras is modifying them doesn't necessarily affect their value over original - they had so many flaws when they were new, that over time the owners have compiled a large manual that outlines all the modifications that have been done over the years to improve them.

Opinions on affordable
 

My 2009 G8 GT is a lot of car for the money, but my 2016 search for it yielded many modified versions. Maybe that’s not an issue for you. I considered a G8 GXP, but that was too much car for me and too much money at the time. Neither of these may fit your exotic requirement, but pretty good performance for the money.

In 2009 I had the same dilemma. I narrowed my list down to two then-new cars: CTS-V and E63 AMG. Both have excellent seats, which is very important to me. The AMG ended up winning out as I got it for $30k off sticker, which put it in the same neighborhood as the Caddy. That 6.2L, 7200 rpm engine has this high-rpm rip that's just intoxicating... still... 12 years after I bought it.

The M156's have some weak points which you can google, but working on these is pretty trivial. I replaced all the known weak points on mine with improved parts over a couple weeks worth of afternoons, for about $1000 in parts. Other than working on the engine in the last year, the car's been quite reliable.

The 65 AMG V12's are much more expensive to work on: coil packs fail on a regular basis, the ABC hydraulic suspension is known to be troublesome and complex, and on an SL65, the engine is so tightly packaged that you have to remove the engine for many repair tasks.