Farhan

^where? thinking of getting a used ninja 250 and taking it to the road course next season.

Well done then. Stop f**king around. Get the GT-R and post it in here.

I agree about getting a 2012 GT-R vs. any other year. Unless Toyota releases a true sports car soon, I see myself considering a slightly used 2012+ GT-R in a few years. I'll let the 1st owner take the hit on the $30-$50k depreciation and try to pick it up where prices seem to be stabilizing on these, ~$60-$70K.

I take it the Corvette Z06 is not in consideration, perhaps because of the lack of a back seat? If that is the case, and what you're ultimately after is an everyday enthusiast's car with balls, I say take a look at the new Cadillac CTS-V, especially in wagon form. Can be had with a true manual transmission, >550hp/550lb-ft, and (except in the coupe) looks mean, especially in the Black Diamond paint scheme.

Good call bailing on the Camaro.

Think of the GT-R as an investment - it will lose relatively very little $ over the course of your ownership and put a smile on your face each time you drive it.

Also, why not consider a C6 Z06? It can be a decent daily given your willing to sacrifice a few things for it.

Thank you all for the replies, really appreciate it.

At the risk of sounding like a poser, I'm more into the style of the Monster than it being a Ducati. I've read and heard everywhere the SVs are a better option overall. I also don't think they sound as good as the Monsters. The SVs sound more crotch-rockety, if that makes sense.

Another bike I've considered is the Buell xb9sx. I love the looks of that bike too and to me they also sound pretty badass. Anyone know if that may be a better option than the Monster?

I do want to keep my overall bike expenses to a minimum and I realize the Ducati (and maybe even the Buell) wouldn't be the best approach but I can't get over the look and sound of both those bikes.

Would a 2001 Ducati Monster 600 be a good first starter bike?

Might have the opportunity to purchase one locally and thought I'd ask around. FYI, ther owner's asking $3000, it has ~8500 miles, 6k mile service completed last year, and a few misc. mods. TIA.

^Also the LX5's video modes are vastly superior to the S95.

You can zoom in/out & autofocus while recording, neither of which are possible on the S95.