I Want A Midlife Crisis Car With A Manual! What Should I Buy?

Mike just turned 50, and with all the kids about to be out of the house, it’s time for him to get that sporty car. He has always loved old British roadsters, but he doesn’t want something that he has to tinker with, and thinks a Miata is a bit too small. What car should he buy?

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Here is the scenario.

This year I turned 50, my youngest is finishing college, and I’m ready for my midlife crisis car. Hopefully nothing too cringy, as the kids say. I’m a sucker for Little British Cars, and loved driving my ’74 MGB on the windy rural highways in Washington States. Now that I’m in Utah, and my weekend drives involve either steep canyon roads or long stretches of desert, I just can’t justify something with less horsepower than my Roomba.

I could go one of two ways, either a low-budget weekend car, or a higher budget daily driver that provides the weekend experience on my commute. Would rather drive than tinker, so a true classic probably needs more TLC than I’m up for.

Manual is non-negotiable, convertible is highly desirable, and before you point out the obvious, I think I’m just too tall for an MX-5 with the top on. WCWYB?

Quick Facts:

Budget: could be $15k for a secondary car, or up to $45k for a daily driver

Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Daily Driver: Depends

Wants: Manual, sporty, decent power

Doesn’t want: Something too old

Mike, now is as good of a time as any to grab that midlife crisis car before the impending economic crisis sends prices of new and used cars soaring. Since you liked your MGB but need something with a bit more comfort and power, I would suggest a somewhat related but slightly different angle. A Mini Cooper convertible.

I get you were likely imagining something with rear-wheel-drive, but a good front driver can still be just as fun on back roads and not run the risk of tail-happy antics once it snows. You can find manual Mini Coopers from $15k to $45k, depending on how new you want it and how much maintenance you’re willing to deal with. I would say go somewhere in the middle, with this lightly used 2024 Cooper S droptop, the correct color of British Racing Green. With about 190 turbocharged horses it’s not a rocket ship, but plenty of passing power and the BMW-sourced features will make your commute a bit more enjoyable.

You want a midlife crisis car with a roof that can disappear and enough power to get out of its own way? You want a Porsche Boxster, without a doubt. This 2016 base model with a manual is about as close to sports car perfection as you can get, and it’s a nice low-mile example to hopefully ease your mind about expensive maintenance and repairs. This one is slightly overpriced at $46,000, but you can probably haggle a bit to get it within your budget, and you’ll be happy with it for at least two decades to come.

This is the proper old naturally-aspirated flat-six model, so you’ll be treated to a symphony with every start up. It looks sleek and elegant in black, so it won’t look out of place on a dinner date night. Listen to your heart, you know you want to be a Porsche guy.

I love a midlife crisis car, it’s a chance to buy the kind of ridiculous roadster that you always dreamed of but could never quite justify until all your responsibilities melted away. Thankfully for you, little British cars make excellent midlife crisis-mobiles.

Even better news for you, some of them now come with more power than a robot vacuum cleaner. So, while I want to tell you to buy an old Lotus and keep fighting the good fight for small cars, instead I think you can treat yourself to an Aston Martin.

As I’m sure you’ve realized, a manual, convertible Aston is something of a rarity in Utah, but this pristine blue model is a real beauty. It’s got the manual you so crave, a lovely blue exterior with matching leather interior, and all the tech from a mid-2000s Ford that you could dream of. Oh, and there’s a lovely V8 under the hood that kicks out 380hp, a six-speed stick and an exhaust that burbles out one of the best engine notes out there. So if it’s a weekend warrior that’ll also get you to work in time, there’s no other midlife crisis car that fits the bill quite like this one. Just don’t ask too many questions about repair bills.

My friend, I understand the position you’re in here. You want something light, fun, and not all too serious in its driving experience. Given that you’re a fan of British roadsters specifically, I’ll bet you’d be bored with something that required truly zero tinkering. What if I told you that you could have all of that, keep the British style, and have all the headroom in the world? Allow me to introduce you to the world of motorcycling.

This is a Triumph Bonneville, and it’s the cure for the boredom that ails you. After all, what’s more midlife crisis than going out at 50 years old and buying a Bonnie? It’s carbureted and British to echo your MG, but it’s upright and comfortable to be easy on middle-aged backs. At just $5,250, it doesn’t need to take your daily driver’s spot in the garage: you can park it off to the side as a weekend cruiser.

A motorcycle gets you all the wind-in-your-face enjoyment of a convertible, but gives you a connection to your vehicle that nothing on four wheels can match. Here you’re part of the assembly, the bike simply doesn’t work without your body movements. If you want the thrill of your younger days without having to hit go-directly-to-jail speeds, motorcycling — and the Triumph Bonneville — are here waiting for you.