I agreed for ~6 years...BUT the down-time (during repairs/parts/etc...) reduced my enthusiasm and I have come to accept the "passive" (but good) handling for more drive time.

Yep, I knew about the replacement for the SBC but I thought it was 20-years. Heard wrong I guess.

BCM…do the cars really catch on fire??

2007 SL55 AMG 38K Miles
Hmmm...let me think :-)

Understood. I would try and find the newest, lowest mileage car in your budget. Stay away from 2003’s at all cost!! I’d try and buy a 2005 oldest, at least that has the newer nav screen.

Agreed. The SL500 that I had experience with was a 2003. Great car but when it broke, it really broke.

I’ve been focused on 2006 through 2008 though for my price point, 2006 is probably where I’ll end up unless I go with the later cars. I don’t think a 2009+ will get me into an AMG reasonably unless it has ridiculous miles or something else wrong with it.

the older ones are all NA flat boxer 6 cylinders. Started with a 2.5 and then a 2.7 for the base. The S model was a 3.2 flat 6. The 718 with the turbo 4 has more horsepower than the old ones

S model was a 3.4 liter flat six.

The turbo 4's do have more HP but they sound terrible.......souless.

depends on the year. I have a 986 which went up to the 3.2
Engine

• 2.5 L Porsche M96.20 flat-6 (1996–1999)
• 2.7 L M96.22/M96.23 flat-6 (1999–2004)
• 3.2 L M96.21/M96.24 flat-6 (1999–2004)

Transmission

• 5-speed automatic
• 5-speed manual
• 6-speed manual

I've eyeballed convertibles for years, but I can't bring myself to buy or recommend any of them unless they have a full legit roll bar installed.

My EX-GF was shopping for a convertible Camaro many years ago. She ended up with this V6 T-Top FireChicken instead. It was actually a great car for her. One night in May 2007, I was driving it around Smith Mountain Lake, VA to go meet up with friends as I couldn't get there via boat as I damaged a drive that weekend. I came around a curve, and a car was over the line into my lane. Long story short, I avoided that collision and subsequent eminent broadside collision, but pendulum swinged around, and the car flipped into the woods.

I walked away, but not unscathed. I had to be medevac to a trauma center, ruptured aorta/spleen, etc. etc.
Had she bought a convertible, I'd have likely been killed.

For that reason, I'd only look into Targa top or other cars that still have a roof structure, factory rollbar, unless you want to install a roll bar that will protect you in a rollover. I was a Firefighter/EMT for 10 years, and I've seen ALL the bad stuff.

But it really didn't hit me...
...until it hit ME.

Now, my two "fun cars" are a Corvette with the Targa top, and my oddball/rare Lincoln Mark V with T-Tops.

"Broomstick Test" that we use in NASA racing and HPDE for convertibles:

Global MX-5 Cup 2017. Race 2 Barber Motorsports Park. Tim Probert Start Crash Flip - YouTube
Another: (Click link in quote below: )