[clyde]

When I first test drove the RX-8, I knew during the test drive I was buying the car. When I first drove a FoST, I wasn't thinking I would like it, but I got out knowing there was a very good chance it would be my next car. When I first test drove a 325xiT, I knew that was what I was buying...and I'd woken up that morning certain I was buying a C5non-Z that day. When I drove the Armada, I knew I was buying it.

I drove this Camaro last year on a boring sort-of-around-the-block trip with a police car following me the whole way. The car was more stock then and I was more impressed with it than I expected.

After driving it all day Sunday, I'm less than certain.

Given all my requirements of utility, cost, autocross competitiveness, etc, there is a pretty finite list of cars I can consider. These are them (ranked by the number of strikes against them):

0 6g Camaro SS or V8 1LE
0 6g Camaro t4
-1 ND Miata
-1 E90/92 M
-2 5g Camaro 1LE
-2 2018 Mustang GT
-2 Focus RS
-2 C6 GS or Z06 Corvette
-2 C5 Z06 Corvette
-2 E46 M3
-3 986S
-3 Twins

The two seaters start off with two strikes against them. The Boxster gets one back by being cheap and the ND gets one back because Mazda and Miata automatically get bonus points. The Boxster then loses one because I did not enjoy competing in JV's. The Boxster gets another becuase it's almost certainly going to be more maintenance intensive than I'm willing to deal with for a "stock"ish car. It gains another becuase it's at the bottom of its depreciation curve, but loses it because of anticipated time waste factor in finding the right one to start with.

The Twins get three strikes because Toyota, low power, and I've done that before in the RX-8, but it was better in the RX-8 because R comps.

The Focus RS gets two strikes because I've spent the past five years in the FoST and I'm done.

The BMWs all get two strikes becuase I'm just not really interested. The E90 4 door gets one back becuase it's a four door. The E46 gets one back because it's cheapish, but loses it becuase it's almost certainly going to be more maintenance intensive than I'm willing to deal with for a "stock"ish car. It gains another becuase it's at the bottom of its depreciation curve, but loses it because of anticipated time waste factor in finding the right one to start with. I'm borderline on giving the E46 one more strike becuase it sounds so amazingly horrible, but its countered by being a very nice street car, so I want to just call it a wash.

The 6g Camaros get a strike becuase it's not a terribly liveable car and transporting tires makes it worse. The t4 gets one back because it's so cheap. The V8 versions get one back because they make such nice V8 noises.

The 5g Camaro gets a strike becuase it's less liveable than the 6g. It gets another strike because it's bigger and heavier than the 6g.

The 2018 Mustang gets a strike becuase I've had Mustangs. It gets another at the moment because of lack of info.