Interesting thread, considering I've owned many of the cars mentioned (some very old generations, though).Here are my thoughts on some of the notable ones:
1990 era Mustang/Camaro/Corvette
I had an 89 5.0 LX, 91 Z28 5.7, and an 89 C4, all of which are likely irrelevant compared to the current models, except for one - TORQUE. These things had gobs of it, which made them super fun to drive, but also super scary. I hear the chassis technology of the more modern versions have finally caught up to the power, making them much more friendly and probably a hell of a lot of fun. I considered a 2005+ Mustang GT when I was looking to replace my S2000, but they were still relatively new at the time with a correspondingly high price, so I ended up with a high mileage M3 for dirt cheap instead.
1990 Miata - hands down the most FUN car I have ever driven. Slow as molasses, but puts a smile on your face. Kind of like riding a scooter for the very first time, except it doesn't get old. Early generations had super low window sills, which made it feel like you were in a go kart. Shifter is the absolute best, basically only need some wrist action. Stock suspension is OK, but gets great with shocks and springs. I had Racing Beat subframe connectors which stiffened it up even more. You can increase the power by bolting on a low pressure turbo, supercharger without touching the bottom end, or do an LS V8 transplant, but that's getting expensive to do it right. This was so long ago I don't remember anything being outrageously expensive. Then again I was young and had more disposable income.
2000 S2000 - hands down the most capable TRACK car I have ever driven - completely stock! You'd think it's just a fast Miata, but they're nothing alike. The tall window sills make you feel like you're sitting deep inside it, almost like a horse with blinders on (well, I'm 5'5"). For the first few weeks I kept short shifting it at 7 or 8k, because I couldn't believe a car could rev that high. I removed the air filter cover to expose the factory cone filter, and the intake sound is glorious. No need for an exhaust at all. The car is telepathic on the track, and its tail happiness helps to get you through the slower corners, but you need to watch it in the long sweepers. No problems at all after beating on it for a full summer day, it idles steadily, as if you just came from the grocery store. On the street, it drives like a Civic below 6000 RPM, then VTEC kicks in and you need to watch your traction if it's wet or cold. I had no problem with snow tires in the winter. All the stories of people who wrapped theirs around trees were probably guys that moved up from front wheel drive Civics and didn't understand how to drive RWD properly, especially, as mentioned, with its (playful) tail happiness. Only had it a year or two and sent it to Honda dealer for service and don't recall prices being ridiculous. Was still under warranty too. Watch out for grinding on the 1-2 and 2-3 shift (I think) at high RPM - there was a TSB for to replace the synchros, not sure if it's covered outside of warranty, so make sure it's already done.
2001 BMW M3 - This is my current daily driver. 300,000 kms so far, and no problems that weren't accountable to wear and tear, or routine maintenance. I bought this to replace the S2000 when I had to start driving my second child to school. It had to be convertible, carry minimum 3 passengers, rear wheel drive, and fast. The McLaren F1 wasn't convertible, so I had to settle for this. By now I mellowed out a bit, plus I had much faster bikes to fill my need for speed. Haven't even had this on the track and may never, but it's reasonably capable for a 4-passenger convertible. Although I have a 4-post lift at home and all the tools to do just about anything on this car, I choose to send it to get the "Inspections" done so I have a paper record of it, which will help with the resale value should I ever sell it. Anything else I do myself, and parts are reasonably priced for what you get. I find German parts to be much more robust than anything Japanese, and if you really wanted to skimp, you can get lower grade parts. Mine came with full service history from new, and I would never pay good money for one if it didn't. Poor (or no) maintenance on an M car is what leads to all the horror stories and expensive repairs. Especially now with prices on the rise.
BRZ or anything Subaru - I haven't driven a BRZ, and have no doubt they're fun to drive, but I do have some bad impressions from our 2012 Impreza I bought my kids to learn on. I always heard Subaru's were reliable, and while the car generally is, oil leaks are common. Problem is, fixing them means removing the the motor, which is where I draw the line on DIY, even though I have a lift, I don't have the room. And of course mine is leaking onto the exhaust manifold, so I have to keep the HVAC on recirculate to keep it our of the cabin. Then there's the 3 recalls within a year (and counting) - airbag, brake light switch, and valve springs. The first two are no big deal, all manufacturers have them, but the valve spring repair seems to be causing some BRZ owners grief, mostly the Toyota version owners, but not limited to them. I don't even want to take the Impreza in until they've had 6 months or more to practice on other peoples' cars. I find parts prices to be on par with my M3, sometimes more expensive, because I have to buy Subaru parts vs being able to get OEM.
