Many people who are car enthusiasts have always dreamed of owning cars from the likes of Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche however the cost of buying, insuring and maintaining one is what keeps them a dream for most people. However we at Acceleration Media believe there's some great alternatives ranging from Kitcars/Replica's to rare affordable sportscars such as the lotus esprit turbo. What we mean by exotic cars is those that grab your attention, this does not mean a Corvette Z06. Sure it's a good performer but it's not an exotic car by any means because its a Corvette. Your likely to see one tomorrow on the way to work. We want cars that you won't see on a daily basis. I could easily list the 2003 Cobra on this list but it will not make the final cut just because its a Mustang. The boxster is more exotic than both because it's made by a company that build's exotics and Porsche built the boxster for that sole reason.
While looking into an exotic sportscar just keep in mind there's going to be many factors to consider such as the high cost of insurance, Maintaince will also be expensive and rather complicated since you can't walk into Autozone and ask for a wheel barring for your Dodge Viper as you would with a V6 Mustang.
However owning a sportcar has its advatanges, every drive you go out on will be a blast. In some cases such as a Viper RT-10 has optional Targa top for open air driving. You can take it to the track for road racing or drag something you can't do in a 4 door camary. There's other advantages to owning a car with better performance than the normal passenger vehicle.
Please consider this as a disclaimer if you do not like attention do not consider an exotic sportscar because when you pull into a gas station to load up you will have people surrounding you bombarding you with questions and while your driving down the road your going to have many Riceburner's trying to race you. But if you embrace these issues than it's not a problem but I would also like to add on my following advice on buying an exotic car.
-Buy a Daily driver. Make sure it gets the job done very well and you have a car that you can commute because even though you can commute in a Lotus Elise it's a very cramped ride and god forbid you get into an accident it can be ugly. Insurance and gas, maintaince will sky rocket. They aren't designed for reliability so it's better to buy a dependable vehicle to go to work, buy the gocercies and pay the bills.
-Get a place of your own. I'm talking a place with a garage, if you live in an apartment complex don't bother. People will try and steal your car and with all the attention it gets as is it will only be a matter of time before someone does. Get a garage and store there while not in use over a cover. Also invest in a security system for your property because even then car thieves are stupid and will still try to steal your beloved exotic. Also get a low jack, Alarm and GPS tracking device. It may not guarantee it won't be stolen but it will discourage them from attempting to.
-Set a budget. If your in a relationship with a girlfriend or a wife I would suggest sitting down with them before you even think about it unless you plan on getting divorced soon. Affordable Exotic cars and even kits are still very expensive and can eat away most people's budget's if they don't know what they are doing. My advice is network with people, see what you can do yourself and how much others will charge to do the work for you. This a car you can't take to jiffy lube and get serviced unless you don't care about your car. It's going to need special car and special mechanics to work on it to get the job done right.
-Buy tools. Lots of them! Tools can make life easy and simple, even if you set aside a $1,000 and go to harbor freight and start out with a nice tool box then load up with various tools and power tools it can make all the difference in the world not to mention save you a lot of money on labor.
When you've done this then your ready to start searching. Be sure to do your homework on whatever it is you want to buy. I've set a budget for those who are skeptical that you can't buy anything for no less than six figures. If your an elitist I highly suggest you stop reading now because you won't find a numbers matching classic or a modern day exotic here. This is for the guys who aren't looking for a new 2010 Camaro SS or an older boring Ferrari 308. These are for those who want a nice "Simplified" Exotic sportscar without spending huge amounts of money. Here's some small reviews to give you an example of what I'm talking about.
-Kitcar's/Replica's
The world of kitcars has come along way since the days of the VW based Sterling's and Fiero based Testarossa's. Today we have kitcars such as the Factory Five GTM were all you need to provide is a Corvette donor car of your choice to the "Simple" DNA Ferrari F-430 Replica's based on the Mercury Cougar. They do require a bit of skill, time and money but if someone perseveres they can have a six figure supercar for less than the price of a new Ford Mustang 5.0
The Downside the owning a Replica is it's not real. There's lot of cool things out there in life that's replicated. NFL jersey's, Star War's light saber's and yes those things hanging off Pam Anderson's chest.....
-Second generation Toyota MR2 Turbo
These cars were manufactured from 91-96 in large numbers and sold through out the united states and the world. They have amazing support from the Aftermarket industry which ranges from Turbo kits to even V6 swaps. Now with support coming from the kitcar industry you can turn your MR2 into a Ferrari Replica and perhaps build it be much faster than an original 355.
The downside to the MR2 is finding parts and they are quite complicated to work on which can become expensive.
Finding one in good condition can start as little as $2500 however prices can reach above $5000 for a low miles car.
-Pontiac Fiero GT
GM offered the pontiac fiero as a practial economical sportscar for users to drive daily however it had many issues from catching fire to reliability issues to headlight's popping up for no reason while out on the highway. After 4 years of production GM had plans of building another generation of Fiero to use a qad 4 engine from the olds front wheel drive car as well as the 3.4 engine found in the grand prix GT of 1989. When the prototype was made it was lighter, cheaper and faster than the 1989 Corvette. GM feared this car would top the corvette a period of time. Keep in mind GM also planned a Buick Grand National powered Fiero using the same 3.8 Turbo V6 found in the 1989 Turbo TransAm. Sadly GM killed such a great sportscar but the legend has lived on throughout the years.
The kitcar industry came through with many body kits of Lamborghini's, Ferrari's and now we are starting to see some designs like the Vendetta roadster all based on the Fiero chassis. Further more the aftermarket support comes from V8 swap's like a small block LS motor from the late model camaro to a northstar V8 even the 3800 Supercharged engine from the Grand Prix GTP.
Many people have taken on swaps of their own making the Fiero a good ideal project car for someone looking into an affordable exotics. You will have options going either the cheap route or the more expensive route. However they aren't so much a "Starter" if someone is looking to do an all out Lamborghini Replica doing an 11 inch stretch with an LS1 with a G6 transaxle. But if someone is looking to do a simple 3.4 swap and maybe a PISA body kit the Fiero is a decent option to take into consideration.
You can start your dream car build for as little as $500 dollars.
- 3000GT/Dodge Stealth
These cars might as well should be considered exotic sportscars themselves due to the fact they have reliablity issues to difficulies servicing them. They are complete headaches however if someone perseveres through the hard times repairing the car time and time again and understands how they are engineered they can do engine swaps to turbo kits for simple terms. There's a non-turbo front wheel model to the all wheel drive twin turbo 300hp verisons of these cars. Body kits are widely avaliable to make them look "Exotic" as you wish. The biggest challenge with these cars is finding one in decent shape that isn't beat to badly then finding a good source for parts. Most people who buy them normally abuse them until they can't run or they typically have high mileage.
I once looked at one and it had over 320 thousand miles on it! So finding one in good shape your looking at roughly 7-10 grand depending on how good the condition it is. But if your a DYI'er you can find them all over the place on Craigslist cheap as in $1000 OBO.
- ACURA NSX
Back in 1990 Honda launched it's challenge to the Ferrari 348 and bested it without a sweat. Today the NSX's performance has held the test of Time even today its still a fair performer even against some modern day cars like the 2010 Camaro SS. The best part is most of the early model NSX's can be found on the used car market for as little as 10 grand. They are very practical, you can even do your very own oil change if you wish, you can drive this car daily if the weather is good enough. There's lots of support from the Aftermarket industry from the famous Widebody kits to the Superchargers to even Turbo chargers. If someone wanted to they can even build an NSXR model out of a base model 1991 NSX. You can fit the later model front end on an early one just like a 4th generation Camaro going from LT1 to LS1 front end.
The only major downside I see to owning the NSX is you won't be able to make big horsepower like a Supra or Viper. I've never heard of a 1000hp NSX. As with any car it's going to be complicated and expensive but compared with something like a Ferrari 355 it's not a bad choice if you have $30,000 dollars to spend and your looking for something a bit more exotic than the typical Honda S2000 not to mention out perform it at the next track meet.
-Dodge Viper 93-02
Dodge released it's Dodge Viper back in 1992 a year after the NSX and Lamborghini Diablo hit the market as an affordable modern day Cobra. It came with a 400horsepower V-10 engine making it far ahead of the 240hp L98 Corvette at that time or the 215horsepower Mustang GT. At the time they were released at a price tag of $40,000 pretty much like that of a current Corvette GS. However as Viper became more refined from the cloth top to an offical hard top model with roll up windows and a high performance GTS and ACR models rose the price to over $85,000-96,000 dollars back in 1998.
The Viper has great performance even from today's standard's from 400-485hp it hangs with europe's finest Ferrari's, Porsche's and even stood up to the Lamborghini Diablo. It's chopper head V-10 engine is highly tunable one could easily get over 1000hp. Some guys have managed that on pump gas and put up great numbers. With exotic looks and styling this car is truly a great value starting as little as $20,000 in the used car market. Not to mention most owner's babied these cars so repairs will be virtually not an issue. You can pretty much buy it new.
- MKIV Toyota Supra
In the late 1980's Toyota was looking for it's replacement for the MKIII Supra and they answered with a radical GT 2+2 coupe. Its design was outstanding from anything else at that time with it's giant F-40 style wing to it's Su-27 style nose to the jet fighter cockpit. It's 2JZ Turbo model delivered over 320hp however it's performance could rival The Ferrari Testarossa at any track day. With Traction control option it made it faster than the base LT1 Corvette. At a starting price of $45,000 the Supra was an amazing buy for it's day but with Supercars hitting beyond 200mph at the time the Supra really wasn't an option for most performance enthusiasts throughout the 1990's. It wasn't until the Supra's 2JZ engine found it's way into the hands of tuners in 1997 being offered a 450hp Basic Performance upgrade package from HKS performance costing only $1600 that people began to see the potential of what it can do.
Today the Supra is an icon. Many people have bought them with all intentions of building a race car. With great support from the aftermarket industry ranging from suspension packages to Turbo systems these cars have been built with a new life to take on new blood. Today someone can spend $65,000 Dollars and compete with some exotic's costing beyond $125,000 dollars! some owners have gone great lengths of tuning these cars to set records and beat bikes. It's a great iconic car! but there's some downsides to buying a fast and furious supercar and that is they will be extremely difficult to find. Parts will be even more impossible to find. When you do find them chances are it won't come cheap.
I have found Supra's these days maintaining their value better than most cars from the 1990's but that means you will be paying $30,000 for a used car with problems. Even a Naturally aspirated model can cost $20,000 in good condition. If you want to tune it that will also not come cheap either. I've seen many of these fully built 1,000+hp road Warriors going for more than six figures well beyond the term "Affordable Exotic" but if you don't mind spending a little extra money than the typical C5 Corvette you to can afford an iconic sportscar thats on it's way to becoming a classic.
-Plymouth Prowler
The plymouth Prowler is an open top modern day hot rod that's more practical than you think with it's Dodge Intrepid 3.5 V6 engine not only will it be easy to drive but it will be extremely reliable and easy to work on and cheap to service. If your looking for performance the prowler doesn't offer that instead that is why the Viper was built. It's unknown what the major problems are other than maybe the common transmission problems and the fact it's a converitble making it prone to a detearating top. But who's going to drive it in the rain? The snow? This is a car you drive on a friday night after a hard week's worth of work.
The best part about these cars is that they are kind of cheap ranging from as little as $15,000 all the way up to $45,000 in showroom condition low mileage or special edition models.
-Porsche Boxster
Yes it's a Porsche! the boxster was released in 1997 with the full intentions retailing an affordable package to rival the Corvette C5 and get those who couldn't afford a true 911 into a performance, practial model that they could drive daily and take to the track on the weekends. The styling is fair with body kits avaliable to convert them into Carrera GT Replica's it's not a bad option for one who's really interested in owning a Porsche. However be warned there's not much support from the Aftermarket industry. Sure you could fabrcate a Turbo or Supercharger for 3.4 Flat 6 engine or even swap in a 997 engine but not everybody has the knowledge to do it.
The good thing about these cars is you can find them used for as little as $8,000. Be prepared to spend big money on repairs.
-Detomaso Pantera
In 1971 ford had partnered up with italian automotive builder "Detomaso" and released an italian Supercar with the heart of American Muscle. The engine was delivered from the Mustang Boss, 351 Cleveland engine producing 320hp on average it was much faster than the Corvette of those years making it a direct competitor to the Ferrari F512 Boxer and Lamborghini Countach LP400. It was affordable for its generation costing $20,000 in 1970's money would now aday's they can run as much as $85,000 for a GT5 model. The downside is that it's like a classic muscle car when resorting making it expensive. The bodies are prone to rusting out most parts like the 351 engine can't be found at the local junk yard so be prepared to spend lots of money.
The best part is they are fair performers. Many people who've owned them babied these cars making some of them in good condition if you want one. They can run as little as $20,000 all the way up to $45,000 in better shape making just under our budget leaving enough money for taxes, tags and insurance.
-Delorean DMC 12
There's not much to say about the Delorean. It was never meant to be on the level of a Porsche a Corvette or even a Ferrari at that time. However You can't over look the fact that it's a rare sportscar with a unique design. The good thing about a delorean is you can find them cheap for around $10,000 in fair shape or you can spend as much as $45,000 for a brand new remannifactured delorean from Houston headquaters. They even offer a high performance exhaust system and an upgraded fuel injection system. If performance is not on the top of your list and you don't mind the lack of curves on your car the delorean is an option people should consider. Just keep in mind the car had a lot of lose ends and many issues being a renault/volvo engine and transaxle you can't expect it to be a reliable car for the morning commute.
-Lotus
Whether your looking for a newer model Lotus Elise or an early model Esprit Lotus has always offered a great performance package on a budget. the Lotus Elise is a great example of that given with it's Toyota 1.9 Engine producing only 190hp it's not bad considering the power to weight ratio it will best any Miata on the road course. The only problem is it will not hold full figured body frames so if your a curvy girl with wide hips or a big fat guy like me with an NFL linemen build you probably won't fit into an Elise properly in fact you might just hate it. The Esprit on the other hand is another affordable exotic starting for as little as $15,000 for an early turbo model. There's not much support from the aftermarket industry but for someone who's looking for a "Real" non replica exotic brand supercar the esprit is one to consider. You'll get more attention than a Corvette or Mustang not to mention it's still a damn good performer to today's standard's. You won't get bullied by a challenger SRT-8 or Scion TC at the next track meet with your 1990 Lotus Esprit but if someone show's up in a newer Corvette GS you might have a problem.
I'm sure there's many Affordable exotics out there that I didn't get to. The sole purpose of this aritcial is to show that you don't need a mulitmillion dollar budget to buy the car of your dreams. If you can live past the fact that it might be a "Tribute car" or an older exotic car such as the Lotus Esprit or Acura NSX You can very well find a nice thrill ride for the price of a brand new Toyota or Chevy. I hope you find my advice helpful on your search for your dreamride.
This is VF1Skullangel with Acceleration Media.
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