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Administrator
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: NJ
Posts: 9,930
Drives: 09 370Z MB Sports M6
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Good find, xavier! 
Saving money does not mean you have to sacrifice performance. Here are some rides that are both sporty and relatively cost-effective
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Forget casinos, glitz and go-go development. For Las Vegas, ghostly construction cranes perched above stalled, half-finished condos and hotels are suddenly the city's most breathtaking sight. In tune with the nation, money, buyers and credit have dried up like an ice-cold roulette table.
That made Sin City a fitting backdrop to Nissan's launch of the 370Z. Ever since the Datsun 240Z arrived here in 1969, bearing stylish fun on a $3,500 platter, the Z has been a sports car for people with real jobs, bills and budgets.
Starting at $30,665, the 370Z's price may have grown nearly tenfold over the car's six generations. But its reputation as a poor man's Porsche is safe, thanks to an enlarged 3.7-liter V6 with 332 horsepower to nearly match the 345 horses of the latest 911 — for $45,000 less than the entry-level Porsche.
It all makes the Z one of the fastest routes to affordable fun. It's a car that can zip away from recession headlines and workplace anxieties without running smack into a $1,200 monthly payment. If that formula appeals to you, then here are a bunch of fast, frugal machines to keep top of mind when considering a budget blaster.
Chevrolet Cobalt SS
It's easy to look past the Cobalt's vanilla styling — and harder to overlook its dime-store interior. But peel back the plain wrapper for the treat inside: a hard-charging, slick-steering sedan with 260 turbocharged horsepower, at a base price of just $24,095.
Volkswagen GTI
There are faster cars than the V-Dubya for less than $30,000, but none that deliver this much German refinement, road feel and pure driving thrills. Sharing its brilliant 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with VWs and Audis that cost $40,000 and more, this original hot hatch also offers a practical choice of 2-door and 4-door body styles.
MAZDASPEED3
Mash the gas and hold on tight: Mazda's turbo terror explodes to 60 mph in just 5.5 seconds, quicker than many sports cars, and tops out at an improbable 155 mph. Compared to the basic Mazda3 hatch, this 263-horsepower version is a noisy, high-strung beast. It's also a ridiculous bargain at barely 23 grand to start.
MINI Cooper
Compared to other pint-sized players, the BMW-designed MINI is no bargain, with prices that zoom past $30,000 for convertibles or well-stuffed turbocharged versions. But go easy on the pricey options and the MINI's smiles-per-dollar quotient shoots through the roof. This little charmer is still one of the best machines around for slicing urban traffic or carving up the nearest canyon.
Subaru WRX
"So sue us." That's about all Subaru could say to buyers of last year's 2008 WRX. Just one year after redesigning its 4-door rally monkey, Subaru has lavishly upgraded it with 41 more horsepower (for a total of 265) and a dramatically sportier suspension — while adding virtually nothing to the base price, a mere $25,660. The Subie now blasts from zero to 60 mph in about 4.7 seconds, quicker than the STI version that costs about $9,000 more. Call it an all-wheel-drive steal.
Speaking of true steals, we inevitably return to the new 370Z. As one might expect at this depressing moment in auto history, sports car sales have fallen faster than the industry at large. Yet Nissan product planner Peter Bedrosian still expects the Nissan to grab a hefty share of the smaller market.
"Everybody is motivated by the latest and greatest in sports cars," he says.
From our point of view, the Nissan clearly qualifies as latest and greatest, despite the chilly sales climate. Compared to the Mazda RX-8, its traditional rival, the Nissan's lusty V6 makes the Mazda's torque-deprived rotary engine seem even more out of its league. A Mitsubishi Evolution might be a touch faster and offers a back seat, yet it's still an econobox at heart, an adolescent boy racer aimed at guys who think a sideways baseball cap is a fashion statement. In contrast, the Nissan Z is a genuine sports car, more grown-up and — it must be said — appealing to the opposite sex.
Ultimately, the Nissan 370Z offers as much performance and sex appeal as you're going to find for less than 40 grand. For people who can still splurge on a sports car, the new Z is the perfect two-seater for hard times.
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