The words “bargain” and exotic car usually don’t go together. And in fact, a cheap exotic usually winds up being incredibly expensive if all you’re doing is trolling classifieds for the absolute cheapest Ferrari on the planet. Do this and you’re guaranteed a “Top Gear” experience in which the car expires in a cloud of smoke a half mile from the seller’s house. Do your homework, insist on seeing reams of service records and buy a car from a true enthusiast who understood the car, and you stand a chance of having an experience that doesn’t border on apocalyptic.
1980–1993 Ferrari Mondial: The Mondial was Ferrari’s first (and only to date) mid-engine 2+2 GT car. It was in production for what seemed like an eternity and each series has its plusses and minuses. In general, the early cars are the least powerful, but the simplest to maintain, the later Mondial T is better in every way, but serviceability took a hit, the entire engine needs to be removed to do a timing belt service. The 3.2 liter cars are probably the sweet spot, they’re probably among the last Ferraris that can be maintained by a DIY owner. The increased popularity of the 308/328 series — with which the Mondial shares a lot of pieces — means that parts prices and availability have been getting better every year. The Mondial might not be terribly fast or powerful by today’s standards, but the sound of its flat-plane crank V8 with the top down on a Spyder or the windows down on a coupe will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. $25,000 to $45,000 is the general range of Mondial asking prices.
2001–2005 Porsche 996 Twin Turbo: Back before every 911 sported a turbocharger, the word “Turbo” on the back of a fat-fendered 911 was something truly special. The 996 is the secret bargain in the turbo 911 world. Still confused by many with the naturally aspirated 996 Carrera 4 (which sports the largely misunderstood, but sometimes legitimately troublesome M96 engine), the 996 Twin Turbo is in actuality, fairly bulletproof. Sure, it’s still a Porsche and a lot of normal replacement items like coils are buried underneath the turbo plumbing, so it can still cost a bundle to maintain, but you knew that. 0–60 in about 3.6 seconds means that there’s not a lot on the road that you won’t be able to show a clean pair of tail lights to. $35,000 buys one with some miles, $50,000 should snag one with under 40,000 miles. Cabriolets and Tiptronic automatic cars bring less money.
1990–1995 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1: Corvette owners like their top dogs to rely on displacement and tons of low-end grunt. It’s why the 427/435 mid-year Corvettes are so revered. The ZR1 took a different path to achieving shattering performance. Shelving the tried and true pushrod, two-valve per cylinder engines that are still Corvette staples in favor of a four-cam, 32-valve, Lotus-engineered, Mercury Marine built 375 hp jewel of a V8, the ZR-1 required a generous application of revs to really shine. When driven properly, it was simply amazing. Sadly, the C4 Corvette in general still lies at the bottom of the Corvette ladder, and not enough Corvette fans appreciate just how special the ZR-1 really was. About $30,000 buys a really nice car.
1997–2004 Aston Martin DB7: The DB7 is the car that saved Aston Martin. Although it was based on the 20 year-old platform that underpinned the Jaguar XJS, designer Ian Callum did a masterful job in crafting a shape that looked like a classic Aston Martin, but was beautiful in a thoroughly contemporary way. Early cars were powered by a smooth, supercharged straight six, in classic Aston Martin fashion, the Vantage got a more powerful V12. Most experts find the V12 to be a better developed and more reliable car in addition to being more powerful. Enough of the small bits like switches and the like are Ford-sourced and reasonably priced. Front suspensions and body rust on early cars are among the things to look for as well as failing convertible top mechanism. Manual transmission coupes are what you want to look for. Around $25,000 to $40,000 is a pittance to indulge your 007 fantasies in a car that looks like it cost as much as a suburban four bedroom house.
2010–2011 Lotus Evora: The Evora is a good-looking, mid-engine 2+2 that achieves supercar performance with modest power. It followed the successful Elise formula in building the lightest possible package around a reliable and proven Toyota drivetrain. Japanese power and ancillaries mean that dodgy British electricals are largely a thing of the past, as is Lotus’s somewhat casual build quality. This legacy still dogs the company however, and depreciation has been fierce. High thirties buys a 2010–2011 Evora.
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