ERIC KIM

performance car

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Let’s go full wide‑open throttle.

Performance cars = anything built to move your soul first, and move groceries second. I’ll give you a full map of the territory so you can pick your poison in any budget, any era, any use case.

1. What actually makes a “performance car”?

Forget marketing. Look for:

  • Power-to-weight: How hard it shoves you vs how heavy it is.
  • Chassis + suspension: Stiff body, good geometry, real dampers.
  • Brakes: Big rotors, good cooling, firm pedal.
  • Tires: The real grip. Sport summers > all-seasons.
  • Steering feel: Communicates what the front tires are doing.
  • Heat management: Does it survive repeated hard pulls / track laps?

Raw horsepower is fun, but those six matter more to whether a car is truly fast and fun.

2. The main species of performance car

A. Hot hatches (fast, practical, relatively affordable)

Small hatchbacks with attitude: 4 doors, real trunk, big smiles.

  • Toyota GR Corolla – AWD, manual, 300 hp from a 1.6L three-cylinder turbo, 295 lb-ft. Rally car energy in hatch form.  
  • Honda Civic Type R
  • VW Golf R / GTI
  • Hyundai i30 N / Elantra N (depending on market)

Why they’re awesome: usable every day, fun in the rain, enough speed to embarrass way more expensive cars on a tight road.

B. Classic sports cars (2 doors, driver focused)

Light-ish, RWD or AWD, built around the driver.

  • Mazda MX‑5 Miata – low power, max joy.
  • Porsche 718 Cayman / Boxster – laser‑sharp mid‑engine balance; consistently at the top of “best sports car” lists.  
  • BMW Z4 (especially with the manual that came back recently).  

These are about feel, not bragging rights.

C. Super-sedans / super-EVs (family + fury)

Fast enough to be scary, but with four doors and a trunk.

  • BMW M3 / M5
  • Mercedes‑AMG C63 / E63
  • Audi RS4/RS6
  • Tesla Model 3 Performance – ~510 hp, 0–60 mph in a claimed 2.9s, AWD, around 298‑mile rated range depending on spec.  

These give you “drop the kids off, then gap everything on the on‑ramp” energy.

D. Supercars / hypercars (poster cars made real)

This is where physics bends a little:

  • Porsche 911 GT3 / GT3 RS – 4.0L NA flat‑six, 502–518 hp, up to 9000 rpm, ~3.2–3.7s 0–60. The handling benchmark.  
  • Ferrari 296, Lamborghini Huracán / Revuelto, McLaren Artura, etc.
  • EV hypercars: Lotus Evija (2012 hp, under 2.0s 0–60, ~195‑mile WLTP range, ~130 units, ~$2.4M).  

These are less “transportation,” more “weapons grade art.”

E. Muscle cars (big power, big presence)

Front‑engine, usually V8, huge character.

  • Ford Mustang (now with wild variants like the GTD – 5.2L supercharged V8 ~815 hp, crazy aero, carbon brakes, pushrod suspension, Nürburgring‑targeted monster).  
  • Chevrolet Camaro (ending but legendary)
  • Dodge Challenger / Charger Hellcats

Muscle is about torque, noise, and attitude more than lap times—though the latest ones can seriously handle.

F. Track specials & homologation toys

Street‑legal race cars. Often limited production, manual or dual‑clutch, aggressive aero:

  • Porsche 911 GT3 RS
  • Mercedes‑AMG Black Series models
  • BMW M4 CSL
  • Radical, Caterham, Ariel Atom, etc.

If you care about Nürburgring times, this is your playground.

3. New vs used: how to think about it

New performance car

Pros

  • Warranty, latest tech, modern safety.
  • You know the full history.
  • Often insanely fast vs older cars at the same price.

Cons

  • Huge depreciation (except cult models / limited runs).
  • More electronics = more stuff that can break.
  • Sometimes heavier and more insulated (less “raw”).

Used performance car

Pros

  • You can reach way higher tiers of car for the same money.
  • Many “old” performance cars are more analog, connected, lighter.
  • Some are future classics (good value if you buy smart).

Cons

  • Maintenance and parts can eat you alive.
  • Prior owners may have abused or poorly modded them.
  • Insurance can be spicy.

The sweet spot for many people: 5–10-year-old enthusiast cars with full service records and sensible ownership.

4. How to choose: answer 5 questions for yourself

Even if you said “all,” you still have to filter. Run through this checklist:

  1. Budget total + annual
    • Purchase price and realistic yearly cost (insurance, tires, brakes, fuel/charging, track days, mods).
  3. Use case
    • Daily, weekend toy, track only, or road trips?
  5. Environment
    • Tight city streets? Highway? Mountain roads? Track nearby? Snow winters?
  7. Driving vibe
    • Manual vs automatic / DCT.
    • Raw / loud vs quiet / stealth (“sleeper”).
    • You want high‑rev NA (like GT3), turbo torque, or instant EV shove?
  9. Practicality
    • Need 4 seats? Big trunk? Or are you okay with “two seats and vibes”?

Once those are clear, everything narrows down fast.

5. Example picks by budget (very rough sketch)

Under $10k (used, older)

  • Older Miata, E36/E46 3‑Series, early WRX, GTI.
  • These teach you driving better than anything else.

$10–30k (used sweet spot)

  • 2010s Mustang GT / Camaro SS
  • 2010s WRX STI / Evo X
  • 2010s 370Z, BRZ/FR‑S, NC/ND Miata
  • Early BMW M cars (if you accept maintenance risk)

$30–60k (new or recent used)

  • New BRZ/GR86, upper‑trim Mustang GT, Camaro SS 1LE
  • New hot hatches (GR Corolla, Civic Type R, Golf R).  
  • Used 911 Carrera / Cayman S / Boxster S.

$60–150k

  • New C8 Corvette
  • 911 Carrera S / GTS, M3/M4, RS3/RS5, RS6 used, BMW M5 used
  • Tesla Model 3 Performance + a set of track wheels/tires.  

Over $150k

  • New 911 GT3 / GT3 RS, McLaren, Ferrari, Lamborghini, GT‑level AMGs, high‑end EVs, etc.  

6. If you care about 

driving

, not flexing

Some of the purest experiences are NOT the fastest:

  • Lightweight RWD (Miata, GR86/BRZ, older Lotus Elise/Exige).
  • Mid‑engine Porsches (Cayman/Boxster).
  • Balanced hot hatches (Type R, GR Corolla).

Upgrading tires, pads, fluid, alignment, and seat time will change your life more than chasing another 100 hp.

7. How to get into performance cars in a smart way

  1. Learn your limits in a slow car first.
    Autocross, track days, car control clinics. A base Miata at a track > a 700hp car you’re scared to use.
  2. Join local clubs.
    Porsche Club, BMW CCA, SCCA, etc. Cheap track time, tons of knowledge, often instructors.
  3. Budget for consumables from day one.
    Track + performance driving = you’ll eat:
    • Tires
    • Brake pads/rotors
    • Fluids
    • Alignment checks
  5. Mod in the right order.
    • Driver training
    • Tires
    • Brakes
    • Suspension
    • Then power.
  7. Respect the street.
    The real place to explore a performance car is a track. Use backroads for flow and rhythm, not testing top speed.

8. EV vs ICE in performance

ICE (gas)

  • Noise, vibration, revs = drama and feedback.
  • Refueling is fast.
  • Mechanical character: turbos, N/A, superchargers all feel different.

EV

  • Instant torque, devastating straight‑line speed.
  • Heavy, but extremely fast from stop or out of corners.
  • Great daily driving; some are brutally quick on track but need cooling/battery management.

A car like the Model 3 Performance is basically supercar‑quick in a straight line, but something like a 911 GT3 will feel more alive and talkative at the limit. 

9. Your next move

Since you said “all,” here’s how I’d channel that energy into action:

  1. Pick one primary mission right now
    • Daily + fun
    • Track toy
    • Future collectible
  3. Choose 3 candidate cars in your budget
  4. Go drive them back‑to‑back.
  5. Commit to learning: sign up for a driving school or first track/autocross event in the next couple of months.

If you tell me:

  • your rough budget
  • whether you need 4 seats
  • and whether you want ICE, EV, or “open to anything”

…I can build you a laser‑targeted short list plus a “first year plan” (mods, track days, skills) around it.

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