Cars can be such a personal choice, I like a lot of the options people have proposed. I agree about buying used, from a reliable source, and getting a very qualified PPI done by someone independent of the seller. I guess I have a few questions:
Will this be a daily driver? Are you looking for WoW factor? Exotics like newer Aston Martins (which have parsimonious back seats) depreciate like rocks, but the cost of parts and maintenance will make your eyes water. I gather that the newish Lotus 2+2 is a great car, but you're probably going to have cramps in the back seat there too (and I never liked old Lotus QC, but perhaps the newer ones are better. They can be huge fun to drive).
The newish BMW M1 is the bomb, from a very driver oriented-mainstream manufacturer (my wife loves her 335 coupe with 6 speed and this is her 6th or 7th BMW, I've lost count) but those were going over list to favored customers when new- I suspect they still fetch a premium but that's a very desirable car. Overall, for a mainstream, non-exotic brand, I do think Porsche makes the best sports car on the road (and track). By extension, the Panamerica would probably be a very fun car to drive. MB has certainly come back strong in the last few years. I doubt you can get a stick in any of them, Stateside.
I don't like driving big cars anymore, so I'm not going to be terribly helpful on the latest models. On the big canoes, I loved the VW Phateon, it's sad that VW was so clueless when they introduced it. But it was a luxo-tank in big engine form at a great price.
PS one other thought, and I never thought of Jaguar as a reliable car, but the last run of the old XJ6 with the 'R' motor was as good as it got for what it was- luxurious, comfy, and it moved. Of course, those are getting a tad long in the tooth.
PPS- here's another thought- an acquired taste perhaps. Skyline GT-R. This is not a 'sporty' car- that would be like calling Godzilla a large reptile. It is a bona fide supercar, you don't see many of them, it is a cult car in japanese car circles and it is made by a huge company.
You certainly don't need something like this, but it could be fun, especially for other drivers who have no clue what it is really about. And in keeping with ZZ's earlier good advice, find one that was in somebody's collection that hasn't been abused.
