A L T S

As devoted to the Mustang as I've been over the years, I'm still into other cars, and I've seriously considered some alternatives to the venerable Mustang. These are slightly different types of cars that the Mustang, which is really just a muscle car. Note that these are, of course, all convertibles.

The reason that I won't be buying any of these isn't because the Mustang is a better car, because frankly some of these, if not most of these, are better quality vehicles than the Mustang currently is or ever has been. The reason is that even if I were to buy one of these, I'd still see that perfect red Mustang GT convertible drive by and think to myself man I wish I had one of those.

2001+ BMW 3-series

4-seater, manual & auto transmission
Notes: I've always liked BMWs in general, and the 3-series convertible has several flavors, including the mind-numbing M series.

2003+ BMW Z4

2-seater, manual & auto transmission
Notes: Another nice BMW. My brother actually had one of these for a year or two and loved it and I've read lots of good write-ups for it.

2005+ Chevy Corvette

2-seater, manual & auto transmission
Notes: It's a 'vette. Do I have to say anymore? I was never a big Corvette guy but the '05 redesign is very cool. In my opinion, of all the alts on this list, this one is probably the closest to the Mustang's character. It's got a big engine with big power, along with a big price tag.

1979+ Ferrari 400i

2-seater, manual & automatic transmission
Notes: People, it's a Ferrari. The cool factor is through the roof and heads will turn everywhere you go just because there are so few of them on the road. This is an older model with about 300hp, but in good condition is still an eye turner. This was also back in the day when you could get a fully automatic transmission from the factory. Amazingly the 400i is actually in the same ballpark price range of an S197.

2000+ Honda S2000

2-seater, manual transmission
Notes: This little roadster hauls some serious buttocks. A relative had one for a few years and I was lucky enough to go for a ride before he sold it and let me say just one thing - doing 60mph in second gear at 8000rpm is unlike anything I've experienced in a sports car. The S2000 wants you to push it to the redline - that's where all the fun is.

2006+ Mazda Miata

2-seater, manual & auto transmission
Notes: Not much of a Miata fan, but the '06 redesign is very slick. I sat in one at the dealership and it's actually pretty comfortable - snug, but no where near as tight as the old model. This is one of the more affordable cars on this list.

2000+ Mitsubishi Eclipse GT V6

4-seater, manual & auto transmission
Notes: I always liked the Eclipse. I've took a ride in one some years ago when my brother was leasing a 2000 model, I enjoyed our fast ride on the highway on the way to a live wrestling show.

2003+ Nissan 350Z

2-seater, manual & auto transmission
Notes: The Z has a long legacy and I fondly remember going for drives in an old 1985 280Z with the t-tops off. The 350Z is a significant improvement over that model and I do admit that it's a very tempting alternative.

1997+ Porsche Boxster

2-seater, manual & auto transmission
Notes: Another of my favorite heralded sports car icons, Porsche has made some very very cool cars over the years. There's something about the Boxster though that really draws me to it and this is another very tempting alternative.

2004+ Saab 9-3 ARC

4-seater, manual & auto transmission
Notes: This was on the list because it's a 4-seat convertible, which is my preference over a 2-seater given the extra flexibility. In actuality though this isn't really a serious alternative.

2000-05 Toyota MR2 Spyder

2-seater, manual transmission
Notes: The short-lived MR2 Spyder from Toyota is tiny, extremely light-weight, and from what I've read about it, a blast to drive. It's a mid-engine vehicle, like the Porsche Boxster that it's often compared to, and handles like it's on rails. This is another very affordable alternative vehicle, and is actually a bit of a head turner simply because there are so few of them on the road.