Reading the original post in this thread I thought back on my upbringing and how I am biased for and against certain cars. Unlike PC vs MAC there is no clear cut better car between Ford and Chevy, but some people love to make that fight.

Anyway the OP mentions a BMW M3 and the 911. Personally I understand they are both nice cars but I would never own either one. When I was growing up in the 70s, it seemed like everyone's mother had a BMW 3-series and dads all had Cadillacs or Mercedes. For this reason, I have always considers BMWs to be women's cars. No problem having a wife or girlfriend with one but I would never drive a BMW.

Another memory from my teenage years was my brother and some friends owning VW bugs or Karmann Ghias. With a little tweaking of the carbs and exhaust, they were fast and sporty. I remember driving a stock mid 70s 911 and felt very similar, not to mention also a similar rear engine German heritage. I have always associated the 911 closely with those crappy cars and it comes as no surprise there has never been a moment in my life that I would not put the 911 at the absolute bottom of my list in its price category.

To me I would buy a Nissan 370z, Corvette, Jaguar F-type, or even a Scion FR-S.