@@nitro805you too bro it’s not these successful guys fault you’re a piece of 💩 I know it hurts to see them drive and own cars you never will it’s ok tho there’s always gonna be scum bag haters in the world and you just happen to be one of them
Sadly Rumor has it that Emily left Kennan last week because of their extreme Difference in Taste regarding Super Cars. Emily is more of a Wiesmann MF4/MF5 kinda Girl while Kennan is more into Ferrari But i hope Kennan keeps going and now has more in Common with his new Girlfriend (enter one of the other Names Doug mentioned in that Video) Prost & Cheers from Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps
Facts, C6 grandsport M6 Coupe, handbuilt LS3 with Dry sump system and forged crank without the valve drop concerns of z06 and can still take off top. So underrated
Stunning, too. Especially in a blue, red or green. I owned a non-M with baseball glove color leather and wish I would’ve ordered an M in that spec with a blue exterior. Sadly, that was above budget.
When I was a young dude I used to say I'd only drive a manual until the day I died. I didn't make it to 40. Modern autos are pretty great, and I hurt often these days lol.
I recently got a B8 RS5, 70k miles for just over 30k and I think it was an absolute steal. Looked into the vantage but ultimately the RS5 made a little more sense. Barely see any of these out. Absolutely in love with it
Get a 2017-2020 Audi TTRS. 0-100 in 3.7 seconds Quattro all wheel drive Good technology and smartly designed cabin. Very comfortable with great trunk space. Very reliable and has an excellent factory motorplan. Has Audi's legendary 2.5L 5 cylinder engine One of the best exhaust notes Basically a baby R8
No stick but the 2013 version has one and good condition one can be had for under 45k. A 5k model sold for 62ish on BaT a while back. He may have considered it and ruled it out for some reason. Their buddy with the Merci had one so maybe he brought it up.
Your biggest problem with the Viper would be the heat from the side pipes. Burned legs were very common. Car & Driver was frying eggs on the door sills lol. Definitely one of the most addressed aggravations. Today there's aerospace grade thermoshielding for owners wrap the exhaust with and protect themselves. Your lady friends will appreciate that even more.
As a German its super interesting but also funny how much the Prices differ between Sports and Super Cars between Europe and the USA. Like, take the Dodge Viper, those are so rare over here in Europe, even a heavily used 1st Gen with Issues costs like 50k + Meanwhile the BMW M "Clow Shoe" as its called in the US is way cheaper than in the US. Could go on forever but its super interesting Prost & Cheers from Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps
Aber grundsätzlich ist es krass wie viel günstiger Autos bei denen sind. Ich meine bei uns fängt alles fahrbares bei 2-3000€ an, dort gibt es 1. Gen Cayennes/X5 für 3 stellige Summen, sowas finde ich krass
Hello Kennan! Love your suggestions and detailed input. Suggestion: As the perfect intro for forthcoming "Kennan Picks" you could flail your arms in the general direction of the subject vehicle and vehemently announce "THAT" is a (subject vehicle) and today we're going to...and wait, there's more. This could lead to a future Cars & Bids segment called "THIS & THAT" where Doug & Kennan discuss (X).
987.2 and 981 cayman boxster. Both relatively modern with great auto and manual choices. Plenty of aftermarket and independent support. Good reliability. Amazing to both daily and track drive. Its a shame. As i wanted a 997. But theres just no competition.
I love my Gen 1 Viper and can attest it is a fantastic car. It's one of the few cars you can bring to any car event and get respect; that could be a tuner, classic American or Euro exotic.
2013 Boxster S with less than 30K miles is an interesting alternative.Big advantage of the availability of Indie Service, easy/cheaper parts availability,lots of upgrade parts and huge Forum community support. Aston -not so much.
Literally all of those cars are on my dream list of car I want to own before I die. I have to say, I never considered a AM V8 Vantage, but now that you've mentioned it, what a brilliant car that thing is!
@@ethank7497the v6 does not handle better lol that’s just what people say to justify not getting the v8. The engine block is literally the same, minus 2 cylinders.
C7 corvette z51 is clearly the answer here, not even close. Has the same transaxle and mid front engine setup as the vantage, except lighter and more power and modern tech and magRide and CarPlay. And readily available in manual convertible - or the top comes off in the coupe. No brainer
I’ve had C4-C7 vettes. I think the C6 grand sport is the good buy. The LS3 engine is more reliable than the LT1 engines in the C7 to me. Both phenomenal cars for the $ however 👍🏻
@@bretthansen8166 love the c6 GS can’t go wrong with that, personally I think the c7 has better inputs and a more rewarding overall experience but that’s just me. LT1 is plenty reliable as long as you have the manual and don’t use Eco mode. If you get the auto … not so much haha, cylinder deactivation will kill it
I concur. One thing I need to add is that the coupe actually holds so MUCH luggage, so it's incredibly practical. Roadtriping in a C7 coupe with multiple large luggage bags is an unbeatable experience. In fact, I once helped my friend move to a different apartment using only the C7. I even pushed a twin size mattress in the back. Some part of it was still hanging out in the back, but it was a short city drive so completely safe. Just shows how deep and wide the trunk space is. Incredible car.
@@husiyuan930517 agreed. Personally I went for the vert because like Kennan I live somewhere where the weather is nice so wanted to take full advantage. But the fact that the coupe has a removable roof and so much cargo room is also a win. I know Kennan wanted “exotic” and I don’t think the c7 is that, but considering he also wants a manual vert it’s unlikely he’ll get that in the Aston, so gotta compromise something. For me, it was down to these exact cars (c7 and older v8 vantage), and once drive in the c7 and I was sold. Aston looks better and is more exotic, but give me the performance, driving experience, modern tech, open roof, and reliability of the c7 any day
Dude you did NOT even try to watch the video! He mentioned he was going for exotic/rare vehicles for this price range. So you won't see cars like mustangs, corvettes, m3's, etc. The Corvette z51 is not even REMOTELY exotic. It's the exact opposite it's generic, that's why it's not on this list.
One of my favorite and I for one am glad it's not incredibly fast. That allows you to enjoy it more on the street without being a total felon all the time.
V8 Vantage is a top choice. Service it regularly, stick some Bilstein dampers on it and drive it… really not much to go wrong but the consumables can be expensive. In the UK they start at £20k!
Ugh, if the 4C had offered a manual the model would be legendary. I sooo wanted to love it but my drive in one left me a bit underwhelmed and it pretty much all came down to the transmission and the resulting farting sound from the exhaust on less than aggressive upshifts.
Why not consider an early 4.7 V8V vs the 4.3? I thought the 4.7 was the superior engine in just about every way. I think early 4.7 manual coupes can be found in the $45k range, so what makes you gravitate towards the 4.3?
I would definitely choose the 4.7 over the 4.3. I think the biggest reason one might choose the 4.3 is if they preferred the slightly different cosmetic differences between the early Vantage vs the later 4.7 version.
I just got one of the cars I’ve been looking at for along time. Not 35-45k but 20k ish. An sl55 amg is an insane value and I’ve had it for half a month ish now and I’ve almost made it to the next oil change already 😂 love it
Bang for the buck? C6 Grand Sport manual! $12k less entry fee that you can use to see the USA in your Chevrolet, plus there's a dealership in any town of any size. I know I love mine!
Nice video, nice list! European✔️Manual✔️“Reliable”✔️ are my criteria too. A V8 Vantage Roadster seems worth the wait. I’ve called the S54 M Coupe an M3 sampler: • E30 rear suspension • E36 chassis • E46 engine Good luck with your search Kennan.
I currently have a 2005 BMW 645ci Cabriolet 6 Speed Manual with only 57k miles and I agree, the Aston Martins of this era were exceptional. I would probably end up getting a DB however instead of the Vantage.
Best -Sports- PERFORMANCE Cars Under $45,000 The 5 in this video plus... Corvette C6 Z06 Corvette C7 Z51 03-04 Mustang SVT Cobra 12-13 Mustang Boss 302 11-12 Mustang Shelby GT500 2013 Camaro ZL1 Camaro SS 1LE F80 BMW M4 Audi RS5 Nissan 370Z Nismo Porsche Boxster/Cayman S
Oh Kennan! There is a super nice convertible v8 vantage for sale like right down the road from my house. After watching your video I FLEW to the internet to check it out! But alas, tis automatic. We'll get em next time 😂
Another car i would really consider for this list that goes under a lot of people's radar is the Audi B8/B8.5 RS5. NA V8 revving to 8250 RPM. a better s65 without the BMW tax that is going on right now. Better build quality as well interior and exterior. if you want one with a third pedal settle for the B7 RS4
How hard is the conversion from Sportshift to manual? From my understanding, it's just an automated manual, so most of the parts are there, much like an E46 SMG
I used to be indifferent until I saw a pearlescent orange Lotus Elise in person. Such a gorgeous and quick little car. And I was a bit surprised at how “cheap” they were. I think for around this price range, I’d still probably buy the Porsche 997.1, or an S2000 (and use the extra money to put into the car). The Z06 is also pretty cool, even though I wouldn’t consider myself a huge American car guy.
Everyone should be an American car guy. The z06 is brilliant stuff- best performance car for the money I also love the Elise. Go ahead and look up the "Opel speedster" it's based on the Elise but is an even better car. I think you'll find it very interesting
@@roboticvenom1935 I will say I’m extremely biased. I just don’t like how a lot of them look, unless you go back towards the 50s-70s. I’m not saying every car is ugly, but it’s just my particular tastes. For instance I really loved the Dodge Viper, virtually every version starting with the GTS (don’t like the original at all). And the new mid engine Corvette is amazing. I won’t talk bad about performances or the V8 obviously, I just don’t like the looks of a lot of American cars. I feel like I’m one of the few that’s really into cars but would sacrifice some performance for design; especially if I’m not planning on racing at all. Edit: The Opel Speedster is another car I really don’t like. I’ve opened up to it a bit more over the years, but even as a kid I was appalled by it on Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2. Opel has made some cool cars like the Manta 2.0.
I always assumed parts prices for the viper would be low but I saw a recent carwizard video where he said struts were something crazy like 800 a corner for rebuilt ones. Just an FYI
@@roboticvenom1935may not be exotic in the traditional sense, but a c6z is still a big looker today. They’re so short and so wide and with a vibrant colour they’re almost exotics. Despite being a pushrod v8 they rev relatively high too
I'm considering selling my 2006 V8V on Cars and Bids and then I see the car from a different angle and rethink it. I'd argue it's the best looking car under $50k
You should really step up to V12 Vantage S. The “sportshift” transmission is basically a manual that you have to learn how to shift with 2 hands and becomes very rewarding when you’re good at it. The exhaust is straight from the One77 and probably one of the best sounding ever. The market hasn’t realized yet how special these cars are. Roadsters were $220k+ new and now in the low $100s. These should be up there with the Murci soon. Thank me later.
@@Paronak American pretty much only makes affordable sports cars. The entire philosophy of cars like the Corvette or Camaro or Viper or Charger/Challenger or Cadillac's V cars is cheap performance or price to performance.
The early cars had budget Multimatic dampers - they were not good quality and give the ‘crashy’ ride. A damper upgrade will massively improve the ride without compromising the handling
I would add: Honda S2000 E9X M3 987.2 Cayman/Boxster S F87 M2 pre-LCI R32 GT-R (possibly R33 with miles) C7 Grand Sport (with miles) 2015+ Mustang GT PP2 F10 M5 Manual Camaro SS 1LE
High mileage 996 turbo should be on the list, but might be too much money. A pristine second generation MR2 turbo with low miles and a catalog of parts thrown at it would be in this category as well, everyone loves these cars and the market shows it. Immaculate E39M5 is around here too. Or three questionable e60 M5’s Too many choices= happy car people
@@roboticvenom1935the first gen 93 vipers are incredibly rough rides there's not a lot of room for storage the roof barely fits on they don't have Windows I love the cars but as a daily driver know they're incredibly impractical that's why
@@bradenmchenry995the V8 vantage is a GT car buddy. I've had the pleasure of driving a 2010 model(which is even faster) and it's not really a sports car. It's a bit in-between but it's not even on the same plane as a viper, m coupe, Elise, etc. Lc500 is a brilliant option but you also can't find one for $45K. It's not European so the resale value is quite high. It might never drop to 45k for a good condition model
It is, but he wants a manual. As much as I LOVE Lexus, the entirety of the brand just does not care for making a "sports car." Even the IS500 that they hyped so much was a let down. Sure the NA V8 is probably one of the best, but the rest of the car is ...meh. This is coming from someone whose favorite daily is an IS.
When the top goes down the price goes up! Now is it really worth it to have a convertible, even in San Diego? In case you didn’t already know, in addition to the horrible weather we’ve been having this past winter, and now this spring, we still have “May-grey and June-gloom” to look forward to! Furthermore, where are you going to put the top down that it’s not going to make you a target for thieves, carjackers, panhandlers, haters, envious, losers, etc, etc! If you’re in North County, like La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, yeah, going for a drive on El Camino Del Mar on a Sunday afternoon, top down, some Prince remix playing (not too loud), girls in bikinis checking you out, crossing the road in front of you, bros giving you the thumbs up, the low, menacing growl of the supercharger rumbling a bit too obnoxiously, just awaiting the slightest input from your right foot, the ocean to your right, all of it highly intoxicating … until your wife goes: “That’s ENOUGH! Put the top back up, I don’t want to get skin cancer! And those skanky girls better not be smiling at you, that’s disrespectful to me … I hate this goddamn car, you love it more than you do me! Now let’s go home and take the other car, I want to go to Costco!” Don’t ever get married, Kennan, because then you’ll have to deal with all those feelings, not to mention lawyers! 🙄
As a fellow San Diegan, it’s hard to disagree on the “need” for a convertible here. I’ve had three as 2nd/3rd cars, and they often sat in the garage (top down) until conditions were just right. That would be more often for those who work from home. A folding hardtop or targa top seems like the best of both.
So nice of Doug to let his son review a car
I don't see Hoovie in this video...
Bro just say you are a piece of 💩 and you wish you had friends that can put you on to something special they built it ok bro no need to be hater
@@nitro805you too bro it’s not these successful guys fault you’re a piece of 💩 I know it hurts to see them drive and own cars you never will it’s ok tho there’s always gonna be scum bag haters in the world and you just happen to be one of them
life partner*
@@nitro805you know hoovie is older then doug right?
Were these Emily approved?
Sadly Rumor has it that Emily left Kennan last week because of their extreme Difference in Taste regarding Super Cars.
Emily is more of a Wiesmann MF4/MF5 kinda Girl while Kennan is more into Ferrari
But i hope Kennan keeps going and now has more in Common with his new Girlfriend (enter one of the other Names Doug mentioned in that Video)
Prost & Cheers from Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps
@@chartreux1532ist das ein witz oder waren die wirklich zusammen?
Don’t you mean Sandra?
I really like the restrictions set,
-Relatively exotic
-Manual trans
-reliable enough to not drain your bank account like a f355
Kennan is the type of guy to say he didn’t consider American cars…then talk about a viper for 10 minutes right after.
'most'
People always want the ZO6 but a C6 Grand Sport with the LS3 engine is a phenomenal car for the $, the base ls3 C6 manuals as well. 👍🏻
Even the LS2s are a decent buy seeing how much cheaper they are than the LS3.
C6 manual probably the best car for the money. I own one and targa top in California is the best part about it
True and more robust but also they are all hard to find in manual so may as well get the z06
Facts, C6 grandsport M6 Coupe, handbuilt LS3 with Dry sump system and forged crank without the valve drop concerns of z06 and can still take off top. So underrated
@@SSVladi I've got a C4 targa and it's also very splendid to drive on good days. C4, C5 and C6 are the best bang for your buck out of any other car.
You have come a long way Kennan, much more natural on camera. Great video :)
Kennan is the type of guy to review his dads old Aston Martin
So baby Doug likes 60% of Doug cars 😂
Baby Doug 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
2006-2008 BMW Z4 M Coupe. Rare, fast, reliable, and aging very well. Best kept secret in sports cars.
Stunning, too. Especially in a blue, red or green. I owned a non-M with baseball glove color leather and wish I would’ve ordered an M in that spec with a blue exterior. Sadly, that was above budget.
Snoozer
🤫🤫🤫
When I was a young dude I used to say I'd only drive a manual until the day I died. I didn't make it to 40. Modern autos are pretty great, and I hurt often these days lol.
If I had $45k rn I’d be looking at a Lotus Evora, Porsche 996 C4s, base 911 997, Lotus Elise s2, c6 corvette Z06
My dad bought a crashed manual V8 Vantage convertible with the 4.3 engine. We rebuilt it together and it was such a fun car.
I recently got a B8 RS5, 70k miles for just over 30k and I think it was an absolute steal. Looked into the vantage but ultimately the RS5 made a little more sense. Barely see any of these out. Absolutely in love with it
Get a 2017-2020 Audi TTRS.
0-100 in 3.7 seconds
Quattro all wheel drive
Good technology and smartly designed cabin. Very comfortable with great trunk space.
Very reliable and has an excellent factory motorplan.
Has Audi's legendary 2.5L 5 cylinder engine
One of the best exhaust notes
Basically a baby R8
You sold me, great choice.
@@Ok_Mountain_8698You could do a conversation like people are doing with certain Ferraris.
Boring
No stick but the 2013 version has one and good condition one can be had for under 45k. A 5k model sold for 62ish on BaT a while back. He may have considered it and ruled it out for some reason. Their buddy with the Merci had one so maybe he brought it up.
That would be also my choice. I just love 5 cylinder Audi engine.
Your biggest problem with the Viper would be the heat from the side pipes. Burned legs were very common. Car & Driver was frying eggs on the door sills lol. Definitely one of the most addressed aggravations. Today there's aerospace grade thermoshielding for owners wrap the exhaust with and protect themselves. Your lady friends will appreciate that even more.
As a German its super interesting but also funny how much the Prices differ between Sports and Super Cars between Europe and the USA.
Like, take the Dodge Viper, those are so rare over here in Europe, even a heavily used 1st Gen with Issues costs like 50k +
Meanwhile the BMW M "Clow Shoe" as its called in the US is way cheaper than in the US.
Could go on forever but its super interesting
Prost & Cheers from Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps
Aber grundsätzlich ist es krass wie viel günstiger Autos bei denen sind. Ich meine bei uns fängt alles fahrbares bei 2-3000€ an, dort gibt es 1. Gen Cayennes/X5 für 3 stellige Summen, sowas finde ich krass
Hello Kennan! Love your suggestions and detailed input. Suggestion: As the perfect intro for forthcoming "Kennan Picks" you could flail your arms in the general direction of the subject vehicle and vehemently announce "THAT" is a (subject vehicle) and today we're going to...and wait, there's more. This could lead to a future Cars & Bids segment called "THIS & THAT" where Doug & Kennan discuss (X).
Kenan just replaying Doug's greatest hits with this list
Oh fuck yeah! I got my 4.7 V8 on C&B in December and I have been driving the hell out of it… despite living in Alaska and we still have a lot of snow.
I appreciate your inability to hold back the laughter when stating "reliability" as being a criteria.
The biggest problem with the 997.1 Carrera S is bore scoring more than IMS bearing
987.2 and 981 cayman boxster. Both relatively modern with great auto and manual choices. Plenty of aftermarket and independent support. Good reliability. Amazing to both daily and track drive. Its a shame. As i wanted a 997. But theres just no competition.
I love my Gen 1 Viper and can attest it is a fantastic car. It's one of the few cars you can bring to any car event and get respect; that could be a tuner, classic American or Euro exotic.
2013 Boxster S with less than 30K miles is an interesting alternative.Big advantage of the availability of Indie Service, easy/cheaper parts availability,lots of upgrade parts and huge Forum community support. Aston -not so much.
“I’ll be looking primarily at European cars” Car #1: Dodge Viper
He must be of Ukrainian decent
As an owner of a 911 997.1S cabriolet and a 1995 Viper, I agree with this man’s recommendations.
C6 Corvette Z06. End video
bro shhhh… youre going to inflate the prices!
If only the interior wasn’t so bad, I’d wholeheartedly agree.
Not exotic at all sorry
He's not old enough yet. Needs to be at least in his late 40s so he'll fit in with all the other guys at cars and coffee.
No
Literally all of those cars are on my dream list of car I want to own before I die. I have to say, I never considered a AM V8 Vantage, but now that you've mentioned it, what a brilliant car that thing is!
I'm down to 1895 lbs dry with my Elise!
I too am a manual gearbox purist and my passion is my red 2017 C7 grand sport. Great job Kennan and if we ever meet I know we would agree on a lot.
Kennan forgot the F-Type
Bro said he's covering reliable cars not jaguars 💀
@@itz_mpmattnot to mention sticks are very rare and not available with a v8
@@LargeMachEAutoYeah, too bad they never made the right one: V8, manual, RWD.
V8 F-types sound amazing but the mid-level 6 handles better, and could be had with stick
@@ethank7497the v6 does not handle better lol that’s just what people say to justify not getting the v8. The engine block is literally the same, minus 2 cylinders.
C7 corvette z51 is clearly the answer here, not even close. Has the same transaxle and mid front engine setup as the vantage, except lighter and more power and modern tech and magRide and CarPlay. And readily available in manual convertible - or the top comes off in the coupe. No brainer
I’ve had C4-C7 vettes. I think the C6 grand sport is the good buy. The LS3 engine is more reliable than the LT1 engines in the C7 to me. Both phenomenal cars for the $ however 👍🏻
@@bretthansen8166 love the c6 GS can’t go wrong with that, personally I think the c7 has better inputs and a more rewarding overall experience but that’s just me. LT1 is plenty reliable as long as you have the manual and don’t use Eco mode. If you get the auto … not so much haha, cylinder deactivation will kill it
I concur. One thing I need to add is that the coupe actually holds so MUCH luggage, so it's incredibly practical. Roadtriping in a C7 coupe with multiple large luggage bags is an unbeatable experience. In fact, I once helped my friend move to a different apartment using only the C7. I even pushed a twin size mattress in the back. Some part of it was still hanging out in the back, but it was a short city drive so completely safe. Just shows how deep and wide the trunk space is. Incredible car.
@@husiyuan930517 agreed. Personally I went for the vert because like Kennan I live somewhere where the weather is nice so wanted to take full advantage. But the fact that the coupe has a removable roof and so much cargo room is also a win. I know Kennan wanted “exotic” and I don’t think the c7 is that, but considering he also wants a manual vert it’s unlikely he’ll get that in the Aston, so gotta compromise something. For me, it was down to these exact cars (c7 and older v8 vantage), and once drive in the c7 and I was sold. Aston looks better and is more exotic, but give me the performance, driving experience, modern tech, open roof, and reliability of the c7 any day
Dude you did NOT even try to watch the video! He mentioned he was going for exotic/rare vehicles for this price range. So you won't see cars like mustangs, corvettes, m3's, etc.
The Corvette z51 is not even REMOTELY exotic. It's the exact opposite it's generic, that's why it's not on this list.
One of my favorite and I for one am glad it's not incredibly fast. That allows you to enjoy it more on the street without being a total felon all the time.
The fact that he starts out saying that he's only ever owned manual transmission cars just makes me like this guy even more.
V8 Vantage is a top choice. Service it regularly, stick some Bilstein dampers on it and drive it… really not much to go wrong but the consumables can be expensive. In the UK they start at £20k!
2013 C6 427 is the perfect package, all the z06 powertrain but came as a convertible
Minus the awesome aluminum frame... The C6Z looks better as a coupe, is significantly lighter, and more rigid.
I focused on European cars for this list… first the dodge viper lol
An Alfa Romeo 4c for me
Cheaptest one in the nation on AutoTrader right now is $52.2k.
Also, no manual.
@@nicknylin9676 I’m from the uk, there is a 4c for sale for £35995 which is just shy of 45 thousand dollars
No manual
Ugh, if the 4C had offered a manual the model would be legendary. I sooo wanted to love it but my drive in one left me a bit underwhelmed and it pretty much all came down to the transmission and the resulting farting sound from the exhaust on less than aggressive upshifts.
Why not consider an early 4.7 V8V vs the 4.3? I thought the 4.7 was the superior engine in just about every way. I think early 4.7 manual coupes can be found in the $45k range, so what makes you gravitate towards the 4.3?
I would definitely choose the 4.7 over the 4.3. I think the biggest reason one might choose the 4.3 is if they preferred the slightly different cosmetic differences between the early Vantage vs the later 4.7 version.
I just got one of the cars I’ve been looking at for along time. Not 35-45k but 20k ish. An sl55 amg is an insane value and I’ve had it for half a month ish now and I’ve almost made it to the next oil change already 😂 love it
Bang for the buck? C6 Grand Sport manual! $12k less entry fee that you can use to see the USA in your Chevrolet, plus there's a dealership in any town of any size. I know I love mine!
Nice video, nice list!
European✔️Manual✔️“Reliable”✔️ are my criteria too. A V8 Vantage Roadster seems worth the wait.
I’ve called the S54 M Coupe an M3 sampler:
• E30 rear suspension
• E36 chassis
• E46 engine
Good luck with your search Kennan.
I currently have a 2005 BMW 645ci Cabriolet 6 Speed Manual with only 57k miles and I agree, the Aston Martins of this era were exceptional. I would probably end up getting a DB however instead of the Vantage.
I love my M Coupe so much. I know y'all don't modify. but it's on proper KW coilovers and BBS LM. it drives like a dream
Best -Sports- PERFORMANCE Cars Under $45,000
The 5 in this video plus...
Corvette C6 Z06
Corvette C7 Z51
03-04 Mustang SVT Cobra
12-13 Mustang Boss 302
11-12 Mustang Shelby GT500
2013 Camaro ZL1
Camaro SS 1LE
F80 BMW M4
Audi RS5
Nissan 370Z Nismo
Porsche Boxster/Cayman S
Viper hands down is one of the best looking, most exciting cars to see and own. It's also an icon in the car world, reliable and very undervalued.
I would look into an evora s, great performance, great look, and a nicer drive then an Elise.
Kennan, this video was great. I really enjoyed it and you are a natural in front of the camera! Do more!
It must be so wild to drive so many crazy cars that an AM feels like you're 'not going slowly necessarily." :-)
I’ve been interested in the 997.1 but the bore scoring terrifies me
I own one. It's clean so far at 52k but I admit to being very nervous about it. Bore scope was crucial but I've never done oil analysis on it.
Oh Kennan! There is a super nice convertible v8 vantage for sale like right down the road from my house. After watching your video I FLEW to the internet to check it out! But alas, tis automatic. We'll get em next time 😂
Kennan did a great job with this video!
Another car i would really consider for this list that goes under a lot of people's radar is the Audi B8/B8.5 RS5. NA V8 revving to 8250 RPM. a better s65 without the BMW tax that is going on right now. Better build quality as well interior and exterior. if you want one with a third pedal settle for the B7 RS4
What a timely video! I'm thinking of swapping my ND Miata for a 997.1 in the near future. Great info as always, Kennan!
How hard is the conversion from Sportshift to manual? From my understanding, it's just an automated manual, so most of the parts are there, much like an E46 SMG
Kennan the type of guy to wear a watch on the wrong wrist
One more year and you can have an Opel Speedster. The Elise's big brother also built by Lotus.
Opel speedster is brilliant but not sold in the US?
@@roboticvenom1935 Launched in 2000 so in 2025 some will be eligible for import under the 25 year rule.
I used to be indifferent until I saw a pearlescent orange Lotus Elise in person. Such a gorgeous and quick little car. And I was a bit surprised at how “cheap” they were. I think for around this price range, I’d still probably buy the Porsche 997.1, or an S2000 (and use the extra money to put into the car). The Z06 is also pretty cool, even though I wouldn’t consider myself a huge American car guy.
Everyone should be an American car guy. The z06 is brilliant stuff- best performance car for the money
I also love the Elise. Go ahead and look up the "Opel speedster" it's based on the Elise but is an even better car. I think you'll find it very interesting
@@roboticvenom1935 I will say I’m extremely biased. I just don’t like how a lot of them look, unless you go back towards the 50s-70s. I’m not saying every car is ugly, but it’s just my particular tastes. For instance I really loved the Dodge Viper, virtually every version starting with the GTS (don’t like the original at all). And the new mid engine Corvette is amazing. I won’t talk bad about performances or the V8 obviously, I just don’t like the looks of a lot of American cars. I feel like I’m one of the few that’s really into cars but would sacrifice some performance for design; especially if I’m not planning on racing at all.
Edit: The Opel Speedster is another car I really don’t like. I’ve opened up to it a bit more over the years, but even as a kid I was appalled by it on Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2. Opel has made some cool cars like the Manta 2.0.
Kennan is the type of guy to shave three days before going on camera.
Nice video Kennan. You share the same passion for car as Doug.
The BMW z3mcoupe is tiny! super tossable, like amazingly so. Great quality. Also a very Kennan car.
FINALLY A SOLO KENNAN VIDEO I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FORMAT EAGERLY THANK YOU
0-60 in under 4 seconds. Kennan Needs this.
Keep the solo Kennan videos coming, please!
My G82 M4 now that it has 100k miles LMAO. Officially a 45k car apparently, according to carmax.
If I ever have a 2nd fun car it will be the clownshoe. I adore it.
I always assumed parts prices for the viper would be low but I saw a recent carwizard video where he said struts were something crazy like 800 a corner for rebuilt ones. Just an FYI
C6Z should absolutely be on this list!
Kennan there’s a Vantage volante manual for sale right now in my area! (That is if you don’t mind buying from Vancouver)
I feel like a c6 z06 would probably be more fun to drive than almost all of these but to each they’re own I guess
He said exotic. A z06 really is not an exotic car silly
@@roboticvenom1935may not be exotic in the traditional sense, but a c6z is still a big looker today. They’re so short and so wide and with a vibrant colour they’re almost exotics. Despite being a pushrod v8 they rev relatively high too
Fun fact: The Z3 and all of it’s variants were not built in Germany, but rather USA. If you considered about buying an American-built vehicle well…
I know you have an exotic requirement for the video, but I would include the Mustang GT350 and the M2 Comp at this price range.
You can buy a gt350 for 45k or less?
@@roboticvenom1935 all day
@@roboticvenom1935 Yes, 2016 models have come down to around that price.
That’s exactly what I was saying, no m2????
I'm considering selling my 2006 V8V on Cars and Bids and then I see the car from a different angle and rethink it. I'd argue it's the best looking car under $50k
You should really step up to V12 Vantage S. The “sportshift” transmission is basically a manual that you have to learn how to shift with 2 hands and becomes very rewarding when you’re good at it. The exhaust is straight from the One77 and probably one of the best sounding ever. The market hasn’t realized yet how special these cars are. Roadsters were $220k+ new and now in the low $100s. These should be up there with the Murci soon. Thank me later.
But it's not $45K though
A v12 Aston is not reliable nor within price range. The "sportshift" trans is awful. The exhaust is not "straight from the one77" Thank me now
the clown shoe is such an awesome car. I would love that or a BMW 318ti.
I skimmed the chapter list. I did not see "Mazda MX-5 Miata." I wholeheartedly reject whatever message this video has to say.
I watch these videos from Australia and it makes me sad.
The cheapest V8 Vantage for sale here is $82,000 for an automatic coupe.
That’s only 53k us
Kennan the type of guy to say he only wants exotic cars, no American or Japanese, and then the first car on his list is a Dodge
Did Doug add his voice over the original voice? LOL!
Does kennan do anything other than euro cars jeez. 😂
America cant make affordable cars
The Dodge Viper, a famously Euro car
@@Paronak most of our sports cars are cheaper and tend to be more reliable than most European cars. Majority don't have exotic looks.
@@Paronak American pretty much only makes affordable sports cars. The entire philosophy of cars like the Corvette or Camaro or Viper or Charger/Challenger or Cadillac's V cars is cheap performance or price to performance.
@@rwilson4073 expensive for the rest of the world
Kennan have you considered the OG BMW M2? the one with the N55? been seeing those go for around the $45k mark regularly
The early cars had budget Multimatic dampers - they were not good quality and give the ‘crashy’ ride. A damper upgrade will massively improve the ride without compromising the handling
I would add:
Honda S2000
E9X M3
987.2 Cayman/Boxster S
F87 M2 pre-LCI
R32 GT-R (possibly R33 with miles)
C7 Grand Sport (with miles)
2015+ Mustang GT PP2
F10 M5 Manual
Camaro SS 1LE
I guess I’m the only one who wants a manual V12 DB7.
This list needs a medium mileage BMW 1M. Seek these out, they’re super fun to drive.
High mileage 996 turbo should be on the list, but might be too much money. A pristine second generation MR2 turbo with low miles and a catalog of parts thrown at it would be in this category as well, everyone loves these cars and the market shows it.
Immaculate E39M5 is around here too. Or three questionable e60 M5’s
Too many choices= happy car people
What I say about convertibles.. “Why chop the roof off a perfectly good sports car?”
Kenan why is the 4.3 better than the 4.7 to you exactly? Is it worth the 50Hp loss? Is it something in the internals that’s better in the 4.3?
Absolutely agree that calling it a Jaguar engine is unfair, but referring to it as “very special” is ridiculous.
997 is depreciated?? Not anymore! Thanks to CARS... and BIDS
The first gen Viper is a brutal monster and NOT an only car.
"not an only car" dude what
@@roboticvenom1935the first gen 93 vipers are incredibly rough rides there's not a lot of room for storage the roof barely fits on they don't have Windows I love the cars but as a daily driver know they're incredibly impractical that's why
@@roboticvenom1935I think he meant that it would be stupid to get the viper as your only affordable sports car
Damn some of these comments are just mean, made by player hater’s, great list and commentary.
I’ve never seen somebody know what to do with there hands less than Kenan
C5Z, and C6Z should be on this list. 987 Cayman S manual's should also be on this list.
No it should not. Corvettes are not remotely exotic so they do not fit the criteria of this list. Rewatch it maybe.
@@roboticvenom1935 The title of the video is “The Best Five Sports Cars Under 45K”, not the best 5 exotic. Reading comprehension is key.
and the Boxster for that matter...
Thumbs up for the Viper
Cheap exotics = deferred maintenance. I live in a major metro area and my Lotus options are Ferrari dealer or indy 8 hours away in another state.
Doug is the kind of guy...ow, wait....
The Lexus LC 500 is also a great relatively new option
That’s a gt not a sports car
@@bradenmchenry995the V8 vantage is a GT car buddy. I've had the pleasure of driving a 2010 model(which is even faster) and it's not really a sports car. It's a bit in-between but it's not even on the same plane as a viper, m coupe, Elise, etc.
Lc500 is a brilliant option but you also can't find one for $45K. It's not European so the resale value is quite high. It might never drop to 45k for a good condition model
It is, but he wants a manual. As much as I LOVE Lexus, the entirety of the brand just does not care for making a "sports car." Even the IS500 that they hyped so much was a let down. Sure the NA V8 is probably one of the best, but the rest of the car is ...meh. This is coming from someone whose favorite daily is an IS.
Not much to add. May be able to find a Nissan GTR in that price point if you dig deep, or a Vette.
When the top goes down the price goes up! Now is it really worth it to have a convertible, even in San Diego? In case you didn’t already know, in addition to the horrible weather we’ve been having this past winter, and now this spring, we still have “May-grey and June-gloom” to look forward to! Furthermore, where are you going to put the top down that it’s not going to make you a target for thieves, carjackers, panhandlers, haters, envious, losers, etc, etc! If you’re in North County, like La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, yeah, going for a drive on El Camino Del Mar on a Sunday afternoon, top down, some Prince remix playing (not too loud), girls in bikinis checking you out, crossing the road in front of you, bros giving you the thumbs up, the low, menacing growl of the supercharger rumbling a bit too obnoxiously, just awaiting the slightest input from your right foot, the ocean to your right, all of it highly intoxicating … until your wife goes: “That’s ENOUGH! Put the top back up, I don’t want to get skin cancer! And those skanky girls better not be smiling at you, that’s disrespectful to me … I hate this goddamn car, you love it more than you do me! Now let’s go home and take the other car, I want to go to Costco!” Don’t ever get married, Kennan, because then you’ll have to deal with all those feelings, not to mention lawyers! 🙄
As a fellow San Diegan, it’s hard to disagree on the “need” for a convertible here. I’ve had three as 2nd/3rd cars, and they often sat in the garage (top down) until conditions were just right. That would be more often for those who work from home. A folding hardtop or targa top seems like the best of both.