I say turbo or supercharge the 8, upgrade suspension if you haven't yet. Or, LGT and stage 2 it.

 

have you seen the GTO monaro derived from Aussie - think it is a pontiac GTO in US . You should check it out .

 

It will be called the G8 in the US. Same car new name.

 

I don't know what happened to my previous post, but whatever.
Listen, you like your 8. You make good money. How much are you really going to get for your 8 that you bought used anyway. Keep the 8.
Look for a nice 1980's 911. An SC or Carrera. Maybe a Targa for that semi convertable feel. It will cost you less than $16000 if you take your time and find the right one. They hold their value. Insurance through Hagerty is around $300 a year with no deductible . If you need a back seat, take the 8. When you don't, drive the 911. Bored with one, take the other. I swap back and forth between my 1980 911SC targa and my Acura CL-Type S. Never a dull moment.
Just a thought.

 

Yea, can't wait til I can do that (the 2 car thing).

 

I went through this for a while as well. Thought I had to have the E46 M3 ( tested drove, found it lifeless), Elise (not as wild as I expected), STi (other than sharper turn in, didn't feel all that different to me). Finally I decided to just keep the car and do the mods I had wanted all along but didn't cause I thought I wouldn't keep it that long. I also like not having car payments and personally nothing I looked at was as practical and as fun to drive. <shrug>

 

Get a smart car

 

Given the cited needs/constraints, I stand by my suggestion. I would agree that it is actually FWD, which provides AWD on conditions-demand. Again, great bang for the buck (pricing/value).