Rupunzil: All pretty much true, but I'm not sure most people think of hard-edged track cars, with the level of driver commitment required, as what they want or need for street driving. You recognize, as I do, that many of the cars that are lumped under the 'sports' category are bloated conveyances, with little real driver involvement. At the opposite extreme are alot of the purposeful vehicles you are focusing on- I'm somewhere in the middle, at least in terms of recommendations on this thread, for a real world sports car. Believe me, I dig driving some of those hardcore cars, like Formula Jr types (although i'm not gonna pretend I'm a great driver, but that's part of the point too- I'm good enough to know I'm no good at that level, which is real racing car stuff, not what most people are even capable of handling, at least without training- and even then, good coordination, and instincts, are going to play a part).
I've been humiliated more than once on the track.
Hurley Haywood took me for some hot laps around the Barber track in the Carrera GT in Birmingham, Ala. He then turned the wheel over to me. The contrast was a study in why I'm never gonna have a career in motor racing.
So, I think for most people, just having a lithe, nimble car that isn't auto bling but gives the driver real feedback is gonna be closer to a real world car than a Lotus 7, or its progeny. Me, I'll drive anything and everything- I really like pre-war cars and that requires a different skill set. I also wouldn't mind a Ferrari Daytona, i never owned one of those, and even though it wouldn't fit your criteria they are a ball to drive.
Orb- I had a 355F1 that I bought new, and got rid of it within 6 months- it was beautiful, the transmission was horrible and the car was way less fun than the 348 to drive, even though in every respect, it was the better car. Shortly after that, I bought a Berlinetta Boxer, which was a far more demanding car to drive, and even though it was ostensibly a 'mid-engine' car, the motor's center of gravity was too high, and the motor was positioned more like a 'rear-engined' car, rather than a 'mid-engined' car. Lose that one, and you are gone. You could never recover that car. Those are gettable in the slightly over 100k dollar price bucket. It ain't the purchase price, though, it's what it will cost to get the car right and keep it right that will take it way out of budget. (I've seen the one I used to own at car shows and driving events because the new owner isn't all that far from me in the Northeast) BB was still one of my favorites, although it is still far too big to fit Rupunzil's demanding criteria. Short of older Ferraris, which can be costly to maintain, even if they are not the pricey ones to get in the gate, I still think older Porsches are great, real world sports cars, have a great deal that can be done by someone with competent mechanical skills (not me) and give back alot to the driver. There is also a very strong owner/driver community with driver instruction/education, track days and general goodwill. They can also hold value and get serviced without alot of drama.
PS Rupunzil might condone a 246 Dino, but a good one is budget and 3/4s or more depending on the variation. I wouldn't be ashamed to drive that- slow car fast theory.
