whats the value convertible to buy?

Assuming you already HAVE a Ferrari...

Jaguar XK8 is the way to go! Reliable, very sexy looking, rare enough to be remarkable and relatively inexpensive.

You can get a nice low mileage 98 or 99 for between 25-30K. Go for White or Ice Blue, the two best colors IMHO.

Ciao- Nick

PS- That bad boy is pumping 270+ HP stock out of that Jag 4L V8.

 

a BMW Roadster either Z3 or Z4 is a perfect daily driver
I got a 2001 Z3 (6cyl.)with lots of extras for the price of an early 4cyl. car

 

M3.

 

BMW 3 series.....not the Z3/M3......but the 325/328/330 variants.

 

If you just want to have some fun and want brand new could get a Honda S2000. Had one of the first ones and it was a fun car to drive if your not looking for much in the way of bells and whistles. Have been told the newer ones have more low end torque and do not need to be revved as much. Also pretty cheap to maintain and insure

 

I was making a similar decision a few weeks ago and went with a Corvette. New convertibles are ~50k and it's not really difficult to find a nice used one in the low 30s. Lots of torque, very fast and easy to drive. My biggest complaints would be that the exhaust is very subdued when compared to a Ferrari and on the rare occasion I drive with the top up there are some major blind spots.

I also checked out the S2000, Boxster S and Cobra convertible. The S2000 is a really sweet little car but it was just too small. I was looking for a toy but I wanted a slightly practical toy that I could carry some stuff around in. The Boxster is a really nice car to drive and had plenty of space but lacked the acceleration I wanted. The Cobra has 390hp but I just couldn't see spending that much on a trumped up Mustang.

 

Although some may not like the more subtle looks, I like the past-gen CLK cabriolets. I think that they hold value fairly well too, on the tops of some residual value lists back 2-3 years. You could get a nice one used and not lose much driving it over a few years. I recommend the azure over cream.

 

Mercedes Benz 230 SL - Evaluation of The Pagoda

 

Here are a couple I'd look at

 

M3, no contest. I am on my secod convertible. They hold their value better than almost any car out there. They run like a scalded dog(runs even with my 355). They handle incredibly well, and they have some of the best brakes ever. They're reliable, good looking and they have 4 seets for guests when you want them. The car does nothing wrong and almost everything better than the competition. Good luck.

 

XK8 is a head turner for sure. Avoid 98-99 models though. 00+ got major improvements.

If I had to do it again, it would be a Z3 M, though.