I’ve been known to put lots of stickers on the windows of my cars, but harmless stuff like cylinder counts, Gambler 500 event stickers, Autopian stickers, and whatnot.

Yep, my 200 hp Honda I-4 does 0-60 in under 7 seconds, handles great, and is super fun to drive. My previous car had like 150 more hp , but sucked in practically every other way.

Asking “how much horsepower do you really need?” without also mentioning the weight of a given vehicle is completely pointless, as is not including torque figures. As someone who has drove a myriad of high triple digit horsepower cars and built a few lightweight track cars I take the weight and suspension geometry of…

Fun onroad? Fun off-road? Looking for something way more reliable than your quarter-century old BMW? Have I got the perfect car for you:

Instead of just fixing the 318ti...while you’re in there, spend the money to drop in a refreshed 6-cylinder (M52 perhaps) and a lower mileage 5-speed and renew your love for the E36/5.

Bradley is right: take your budget and use it over the next few years to repair the mechanical parts on your already-fantastic car. Better the devil you know.

The Laforza. Imagine a coach-built Range Rover knock-off without the good looks and worse built quality. At least it had the 5.0 from the Mustang.

My vote goes to the Cadillac XLR:

The Mercury/Ford Capri. Smaller Mustang copy/inspired design. Great handling, looking car that stopped production for US in 76/77 and was replaced with a rebadged Mustang. It went on in Europe into the 80's.

They could probably do this somewhat easily by scaling down the C8 platform a little and throwing in whatever 2.0L turbo 4 cylinder they have in other GM models. I suspect the only reason they haven’t is that the 2.0L Supra didn’t sell at all and they think this might not either, especially with used C8s starting to…

I have the courage to speak the truth. A Fiero that wasn’t kneecapped by the Corvette would be (and would have been) awesome.

The Volt. Not because I loved the cars, but Toyota can’t make their Prime trims fast enough to meet demand. Why is there not a Volt drivetrain in the Blazer? Do that to everything in the lineup.

This was my choice. I have the previous gen 86. It’s a fun sports car, yet still a practical daily driver. I can haul everything from a Costco run and fold the seat down and fit my bike in the trunk. 

A used BMW 1 series could also be a great budget sports car. Huge community of support and lots of upgrades available.

I love that Honda continues to keep the LSD and 6-speed manual standard on the Si. Also, for a point of reference the curb weight for the 2024 model is 50lbs less than the 2014 model, keeping it under the 3,000lbs mark.

The GR86 is the answer. It is the car to have in DS, holds its own on track, and is a blast on back roads. It responds well to mods, can haul a decent amount of stuff for its size, and has proven to be pretty reliable...silica goop issues aside. It starts at $30K and has a strong community behind it.

If you want less…

I’ll throw the Civic Si out there. New is $30k ish and you can get a certifed used one for mid $20k range. Fun, great shifting, 4dr or 2dr options (2dr used only) and cheap to own. I think it’s a great option for a super fun sporty daily driver that won’t break the bank.

Respectfully, all of these suggestions are still massive vehicles.

I’ll flash my lights at people thinking for sure their high beams are on. Nope.

The Toyota Prius, any generation.