as enthusiasts, we usually like the biggest, baddest engined, hardest sprung, rarest optioned mofo in any given car line-up.
in 3 series, we want M3
in C-class, we want C63 AMG,
in Audi A series, we want RS4
in TT, we want TTRS
in Porsche 911, we want GT3RS.... and so on and so forth.
(with possible exception to Mustang Shelby 650 vs Mustang 440hp Boss)...
But I found that owning such machine is a pain-in-the-ass experience in long term for us budget minded enthusiasts.
parts are rare, expensive and hard to find.
not only that, nobody stocks them, have to ship them in, shipping cost is outrageous for us western folks...
proper mechanic is difficult to find and correspondingly expensive.
Sure, if you wrench on your own car, you can alleviate this issue a bit. but it won't be easy. unlike their more pedestrian brethren, special versions often have bespoke parts and tools.
What's my proposed solution?
get the next best model... or the best selling model in the line up. it may be A4 2.0, C350 or 335 or 328.. parts are way more abundant, cheaper, easier to work on ...
these would deliver 80~90% of the fun of their most expensive siblings, but 100% easier to live with in the long term.
200%, if you count the cost of buying them in the first place.
