Perhaps this is what he needs:
Miata

I'm with Adrian on this, but of course this is coming from a guy who's idea of a sports car is 6k pounds of four wheel drive and a big diesel engine or maybe a '70 Chevelle SS 454.

And I certainly agree with Mary, nothing worse than beating yourself down the road just because you 'settled'.

I'm glad this thread started after I bought my car. I'd be flat broke and spending all my time in traffic court.

That V8 Miata is pretty cool Lorenzo.

Tom, I bet you could pick up a good used Miata and convert it to a V8. Why compromise.

OR!! he could pick up a 5.0L Mustang and drop a Miata engine in it! how many people have done that?

After driving a minivan for 15 years, I'd be happy with the regular Miata....

You should definitely test drive a Volvo S60R. It didn't do it for me, but after reading all your comments, I think you are going to like it, a lot. And seeing how you actually considered buying a Miata, I can't help you further. I've said this before, but I find the seats in the newer Volvo's to be the extremely comfortable, but not in a squishy girly boy kind of way. They are supportive for rallying and holding you in position, but you can sit in them for long road trips, get out and not have a numb ass or tweaked back. The only car I've found to have better seats was a Bentley with a sticker price of 180K pounds sterling. The S60 doesn't have much head room though, but you can compensate so some degree by lowering it.

So the gal decided to keep the Z06 that I was trying to buy. I'm back to plan A; buy one this spring.

Happy Birthday Tommy. I hope mama's good to you today.

I hope you put on your best suit for that test drive.

So, how do you guys think JohnK is going to feel about you trying to shame me out of a Miata?

Lorenzo, that Monster Miata site is really something! I had no idea. Probably not for me at this time, but I love to learn and to have new things to hope for.

I actually considered the Mazdaspeed6 - but there were only two years made (2006-07, I think). I'm not sure that Mazda has enough AWD drive experience for me to overcome the inherent disadvantages of decreased mileage and more stuff to break. I trust the AWD systems from Subaru, Volvo, Audi, etc. a bit more. Also, I just don't think it's a very attractive car. I guess I continue to value a bit of whatever I consider to be "style"; that whole wolf-in-sheep's clothing thing that the Sentra SE-R, WRX and others have going doesn't really entice me.

I'm going to revisit Z cars and try to find an S60 (hopefully R) soon.

Thank you again for feeding my obsession.

Mike, thanks for your ongoing friendship in spite of my recent near lapse in judgment.

He will rationally explain that HP is HP and only a certain amount is needed to reach optimum performance.

Naw, it was at the London Heathrow airport, so no test drive other than me making vroom-vroom sounds and air shifts. But I do travel with a sports jacket and rolex so my flip flops, tee shirt, boarder jeans, ball cap and two liters of Scotch I picked up at the duty free shop didn't seam too out of place. The stiff showing the car wasn't terribly excited over my request to sit in it (it was surrounded by those red velvet ropes meant to keep people away from something). But, being a Brit, he must have felt compelled to be "proper" and indulged me with a strong sense of barbaric "American Yank" tolerance.