Welcome to the forum! As someone who was recently shopping for a new ride, and ultimately settled on a Crossfire SRT-6 this past Saturday, I'll relate my thoughts on what I test drove. I was coming from a Red 2000 Trans Am. All the cars I was testing were low-mileage, used, 2004 to 2006 models.

Nissan Z Roadster: Composed and quick, if a bit large feeling for a 2-seater, nice exhaust note. I felt that it was a little too disconnected from the road and there was too little usable storage space.

G35 Coupe: Luxurious, fast, a great straight-line performer that felt a little heavy in turns. If I were looking for a 4-seater, this would have been given the nod.

S2000 Roadster: Crazy fun and fast at higher RPMs, loves to be wound out, a demon in the corners, very nice looking. It was also a buzzy, noisy, jittery driving experience around town, sounds like a sport bike, lacks low-end cajones. Would be fun as a 2nd car, couldn't live with the lack of manners as a daily driver.

BMW Z4 Roadster: Nice car overall. Fast, comfortable, and a lot of fun. Not a fan of the styling. Just a personal preference. Also expensive, the storage space is slim, and the exhaust note will put a baby to sleep.

Porsche Boxter: Considered, but the one I was test driving was sold before I got there. It wasn't an S, so I likely wouldn't have bought it.

Crossfire Limited Roadster: Faster than the 215hp would indicate, body is ridiculously stiff, no cowl shake, way more fun to toss around than I was expecting, stunning looks. The windshield was too low for my tastes, and the trunk opening was too small. Felt a bit sluggish off the line, yet fast at speed. I honestly expected to be bored...definitely not bored.

Crossfire Coupe SRT-6: By far the fastest car I tested, handles like a race car, able to take sharp turns at ungodly speeds without so much as a squeal or chirp. The ride is VERY stiff, but overall performance is refined. You don't even hear the supercharger, just the V8-like rumble of the exhaust.

It came down to the Z, the Crossfire Roadster, and the Crossfire SRT Coupe. I went with the SRT. I have always loved the look of the Crossfire and it was the only car I tested that was faster than the Trans Am throughout the entire power band. Another requirement, being that I play ice hockey in up to 2 leagues, was that a hockey bag and a few sticks fit in, which the SRT was able to accommodate.

I picked up a 2005 Sapphire Silver SRT-6 Coupe NAV with 2,800 miles on it for under $23k. The original sticker was for $46,800 including destination. You think an S2000 gets noticed? People will just stop when you park and start asking questions. Part of the rare-nature, regardless of the reason, is that you hardly ever see Crossfires on the road. A lot of people think it is some supercar or concept.

The moral of the story though, is to get out there and take a lot of test drives. Find out what you like, what you're comfortable with, and go for it. Most of the comments regarding the Crossfire in the S2000 forum are laughable and grossly misinformed. If you're concerned with performance, test drive an SRT-6 if you can find one. It'll absolutely flog any stock s2000.