I like where your head is at – 62% say the SHO might be worth it, if only just for LOLs. This week, let’s zoom out on the modern “collectible” car market – and those quotes are there for a reason.
Who the hell is buying these cars at these prices?
The offenders. Or Pretenders.
Can you sense my frustration? It’s because of what I’m about to show you:
- 2001 Acura Integra Type R, 4,800 miles: $204,204
- 2018 BMW M3 Competition Package, 15,000 miles: $85,555
- 1999 3000GT VR-4, 27,300 miles: $58,000. Unsold, now listed at $67,000
- 2005 Acura NSX-T, 15,000 miles: $213,000. Unsold. Someone said no, that’s not enough!
- 2024 Porsche 911 S/T, 130 miles: $702,000. They’ve sold for more, too.
The question is not “Are these good cars?” – duh. Instead we need to ask how much is too much for nostalgia, or if nostalgia is even a factor. I don’t want a 3000GT because I had one in high school, where I listened to sad, angry music and wished girls would talk to me. I’m not sad or angry now, and I can annoy my wife whenever I want.
Who wants to relive those days?
Defining what a modern collectible car is
I don’t think this situation is nostalgia as much as vanity. You want to show up in one of these cars to demonstrate that you’re “in the know”:
That scene from Gone in 60 Seconds is exactly the feeling that sites like Bring a Trailer and Cars & Bids monetize. Anyone can get a 911 – not you though, you have an S/T because you need that GT3 RS engine with a manual in a regular 911 Touring package, and you’re willing to pay any price for it. You’re a connoisseur
Fine. But for me, a car becomes a modern collectible, and thus more valuable if:
- It was not produced in large numbers
- It has a cult following
- It has no peers, and no lesser versions
You’d be surprised how hard that triangle is to complete.
And now, the pretenders.
2001 Acura Integra Type R
We start with the worst offender on the list. $200,000 for an econobox is probably the dumbest automotive thing I’ve ever seen.
- The Type R gets to sixty miles per hour in about seven seconds. A BMW X3 30i is faster.
- Five-speed manual, not a six-speed. Only 195 horsepower, just 20 more than the GS-R trim.
- Uh, front-wheel drive
- About 3,800 Type-Rs were produced, along with many many lesser trims
I never liked this car. It’s ugly. You’d have more fun in a Mustang from the times, which has proper drive wheels and a real engine. Sure this revved to 8,400 RPM – who cares? You’d be going 40 miles an hour revving your guts out in front of a school zone.
Keep trying bro, you’re not taking Mia from Fast and Furious home.
What to get instead of the Integra Type R
Like, any other example – though I’d argue $60,000 is still way too much. Looking for similar thrills? Try an S2000 – looks better, top goes down, engine more exciting. Way cheaper. Feels like a win-win to me.
Oh but it doesn’t say Type-R. Now you sound like Rodger at the Ferrari dealer.
2005 Acura NSX-T
Let’s keep it with the Acura family theme. $213,000 for a car that nobody wanted when it was sold new is crazy.
- The NSX-T was about $90,000 in 2005, about $148,000 in 2025 money.
- It had a 3.2-liter V-6 with 290 horsepower. The AMG V-8 in an E55 pumped out 469 at the time.
- The car was on sale for fifteen years by this point – it was old while it was still new.
- Over 18,000 Gen 1 NSXs were produced. Not exactly a rare car.
Yea yea, pop-up vs fixed headlights and all that. Same car overall.
It gets worse too, because a Type-R just sold for a million bucks. How are you not going to be disappointed with such a thing at that price?
What to get instead of the NSX
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but a Porsche sounds like a good deal. Try a 991 911 T with a manual – faster, louder, better-driving car. And you still get to be cool on Sunday mornings.
But if you want to spend the full $200k, how about a McLaren?
2018 BMW M3 Competition Package
Here comes the F80. At a time when E9X prices finally seem to be calming down (the market is absolutely flooded), F80s are on the rise.
- I admit, it’s a nice spec with a DCT – but Tanzanite isn’t rare.
- The base price of this car was about $66,500 in 2018, and the average used price of one now is in the low $50s.
- Over 34,000 units of the M3 we sold. Add M4 production of 111,000 units and you stand a pretty good chance of getting run over by one tomorrow.
CS this, LCI that, unmodified blah – you’re looking at a car that tops out at $60,000 used, and even that’s too much. This car isn’t old enough for nostalgia, nor new enough to feel relevant.
What to get instead of the M3
You can find an M3 CS, the best example of the breed, for less than the cost of this car (in a better color no less). Seems like a layup. Or, you can just go and get yourself a brand new G80 with all-wheel drive if you’re intent on spending the full $85k.
1999 3000GT VR-4
It’s no secret I’m looking for one, and the 1999 model is the holy grail because so few were made.
- This car was bid to $58k, but didn’t meet reserve. Now it’s for sale at a dealer for $67,000.
- Car did sell for $68,000 previously.
- Over 16,000 VR-4s were made (just 247 were made in 1999). Bet you didn’t know it’s more rare than an NSX,
- But with so many base and SL models around, the 3000GT isn’t nearly as special.
The issue here is that everyone now thinks their VR-4 is special, so people are listing their 100,000-mile plus example for $30,000. I don’t care how much I love the car, I’m not a fool with money.
What to get instead of the VR-4
If you want that classic import feel for the price, how about a NISMO Z or Toyota Supra? The NISMO in particular is a wonderful car. If they are going to make me spend $60k on a toy, then the Z might distract me more. They are even offering them at discount now.
The 2024 Porsche 911 S/T
I think this is the worst offender. For me, this is simply what a regular 911 should be. Stick. Naturally aspirated. Luxury appointments. Turbo-style wide-body.
- It’s brand new, but of course you can’t just order one of these. Needed to be on a special list.
- 1,963 units produced – doesn’t that feel like a lot?
- Yea yea – GT3 RS motor, manual, touring package. Very delicious, I’m with you there.
- Porsche, gotta love them – should you buy it new, they make you lease it for a year to discourage flipping the car. This is stupid – the price is only going up you fools!
- Yet there are many for sale anyway – “new” with 100 or so miles.
What to get instead of the S/T
This one is easy – I’m going to assume you can make the financial stretch and suggest a Carerra GT. One sold last year for $1.125 million, and there’s no comparison. It’s mid-engine, a genuine exotic, manual, V-10 – you’d feel special in it.
Examples like this perfectly explain why the modern “collectible” car market is based not on nostalgia, but on vanity. Social media has made it worse, because we all want to be seen as “the man”. Instead, we should be focusing on soul.
But uhh, can I talk you down on that ’99 VR-4…?
