As the COVID-19 pandemic starts to fade, people are ready to start spending money. Being couped up in lockdown for the last two years has people wanting to splurge to replace the lost time. Whether it’s on a vacation abroad or a new home, one thing is clear: Money is exchanging hands like crazy. Arguably the market hit that hardest by this influx of money is the used car market. Due to this, current car values are absolutely insane. In 2016, I paid roughly $28K for my GTI brand new, and there is currently one at my local dealer with more miles than mine for $25k. That’s only $3k in depreciation in five years! With values almost becoming out of touch, there are still a few lowkey 2000s supercars that are relatively affordable. But I believe these are not going to be like this forever. So much so that I have a few plans to try to score one before it becomes too late. One of the dumbest things I can do is tell you all about them before I have one, but there is no fun in being a potential car miser. So, let’s dive into these under-the-radar future classics before the air-cooled Porsche guys hear about them.

1999-2005 Porsche 911 996

First up on the list is an easy one; The Porsche 911. Of course, it’s going to be a future classic, right? Well, not if the purists have anything to do with it. When the 996 chassis was introduced, it was not received so well by the then-current owners. It was the first water-cooled 911 and was blasphemous even to suggest that it should exist. After hearing that for the first time, I was taken aback. Why would anyone not like a 296hp rear-wheel-drive coupe? This question is why they are on this list. If you are the type of person that needs the latest and greatest model, stop reading and go to the dealer. The entire point of this car is that it has people on the fence about it. My thought is that it will either continue to depreciate normally, or it’ll be embraced by the Porsche community, skyrocketing prices. I think the ladder will happen. With every subsequent model since being water-cooled, we are getting close to the point where there will be more water-cooled model years than not. Instead of being the black sheep, it will be one of the “normal” ones. Once you are cruising down the highway, letting that flat-6 sing, you won’t be thinking about how the car is cooled unless there is traffic. Then, you will thank your lucky stars you didn’t buy an air-cooled one.

Now that you are thinking about it let’s talk price. Right now, you can get an excellent example of one of these for $25-35K, and that’s with the current COVID tax. For a secondary or weekend autocross car, that’s a pretty good deal. Especially if these things start to go up in value. If you decide to go down the Porsche route, please make sure the IMS bearing has been replaced. One of the reasons these cars are getting so cheap is this bearing. The Intermediate Shaft Bearing or IMS will fail on you, and it’s basically like dropping a grenade into your motor. They are about as easy to replace as a rear main seal, so they aren’t terrible, but it’s not getting done quickly unless you have a lift in your garage. Being German that means they are unbreakable if they are maintained. And with your dealer bills coming from your local Porsche mechanic, make sure the one you buy is up to snuff before taking the plunge into P-cars.

2006- 2015 Audi R8 V8 

Next up is the first-generation Audi R8. And before you go nuts about the price, I am strictly talking about the V8 version only. The V10, while freaking cool, is essentially a Lamborghini Gallardo and is not attainable for a mere peasant like myself. However, the V8 version is not as “cool” in the market’s eyes and has resulted in a substantial price drop below its V10 kin. If you asked me which one I would want, I would probably go with the beefier engine. However, if you told me for $30-40K less, I could still get a mid-engine, 4WD supercar with a V8 and a gated manual 6-speed, I would be all in for that version more. In our society, sometimes, we get caught up in the comparisons to our detriment. The new iPhone 12 is a great phone, it’s not as good as the iPhone 13, but both would have made my head explode when I was ten. I’m not suggesting purposely not buying the nicer version of something, but it never hurts to dive into the details to see what you are getting for your money.

For me, the horsepower difference to price gap is too big a gap to be worth it. Currently, decent V8 models are going for around $60-80K, but I have seen some craigslist specials going for near $50K. At that price point, you get a hell of a lot of bang and without a ton of bucks. There is a considerable aftermarket presence for the R8 as well. There are plenty of companies making suspension and engine tuning components as well as aero body kits. If I could get an R8 with a DTM style look, with money no option, I may not leave my garage or the car even. Even so, if you are not about that stance life, the stock form has more than enough presence to turn heads. With the R8’s wide stance and low roofline, this option is sure to bring you a lot more attention than the Porsche, but nothing like if you were in a brand-new Ferrari. I am not a fan of the attention of others, so if I do ever get one, I will probably keep it relatively stock and enjoy it for what it is: A thundering, tire-eating, Bavarian beast. But you know, a slightly less thundering, less tire-eating, Bavarian beast than it could be if it had a V10.

2005-2015 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Last on the list is the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. My dream car. A mentor of mine once told me that it was always good to have a slightly unattainable goal. A goal that is just out of reach, but only enough to make you work that little much extra. He then showed me his $15K Rolex he purchased after achieving his goal and “made it.” He didn’t even like watches that much, but it was what the watch represented that was so important to him. Owning a V8 Vantage in my lifetime is my “I’ve made it” goal. I am making this public, so if I don’t have one five years from now, please email me every day telling me I am a loser.

The V8 Vantage ticks all of the boxes with a 400-horsepower front-mounted V8 and power to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual. If you break down the on-paper stats, the Vantage is an e90 BMW M3. Similar power, weight, acceleration, and price. Current prices are starting to dip into the high $30K range, with good examples hovering around $40-50K. This price is a steal in my eyes. Yes, I understand that they are not cheap to maintain. However, if you purchase an older model, this era shared a lot of parts with Ford. If you put in the time and research, you can shop for parts on this thing from places like rockauto.com for reasonable money. Granted, that is assuming you are working on the car yourself. But even if you are having shop work on it, last time I checked, my local Aston Martin dealer was charging $15 an hour less in labor than the local BMW dealer. It seems weird, but I don’t own an Aston Martin. Maybe the owners have some secret agreement, and the Illuminati is behind expensive German car maintenance.

When you look at the car in a vacuum, it is an excellent performance sports car with even better lines. With a heavy-hitting V8 without being too unruly, you can’t beat it. Imagine an M3 and a Toyota GT86 had a baby with a British accent. You can even retro the navigation display to run Apple CarPlay for some modern comforts. It truly is my favorite car, and I become riddled with excitement when I see one on the road.  That will never change, even after I get one. Growing up a James Bond fan, the Aston Martin brand was always the pinnacle for me. And with the current prices dropping, I may soon have the most incredible MI-6 themed Halloween costume in existence. All I need is $40k, an additional garage space, and about 3x my current income, and it’s a done deal. 

Is it too late?

All three options are fast, fun, manual transmission-equipped, enthusiast cars. But more importantly, they are all near the bottom of their respective depreciation curves. As far as I can tell, they are only going to keep going up. If you are in the market for any of these cars, buy one as soon as you can. I could see them all being near or over $100K cars in the next 5-10 years. Especially as the electrification of cars is becoming the elephant in the room, cars with souls will be the ones that stick around. No one will become a Honda Accord collector in 20 years, only because it has a manual. It needs to be fun and engaging. Cars with that extra something that certain panache are the ones that collected. Plus, who doesn’t want to pretend to be James Bond?