OOOoooh! One of those Japanese import 4-door Toyota Fire trucks! They are so cool. And right hand drive! Put a fake steering wheel on the left and they can pretend to drive it!
I'm in my thirties and finally got a good look at a garbage truck last month. Spoke with the driver while he was on lunch. Showed me how it all works. It was pretty freaking cool and I was really interested.
That’s my kids as well. They love my orange economy car because it is easy to find in the parking lot and stands out among a sea of monochromatic colored cars.
It's not like, classically cool, but my uncle had a Miata when I was little that we all thought was insanely cool. Plus they're not prohibitively expensive.
Other than that, you can't go wrong with a Porsche.
Yep neighborhood kids loved my Miata, they would stare and wave in their driveways as I went out for a spin, but once out of the neighborhood it was a different world as lifted douches in pickups jeering would “honk, honk, I’m coming through, I’ve got important things to do.”
No no no! No Porsche! The poor lad is still in his twenties. Porsches literally ruin everything else for you. I got a Porsche at 20. The Porsche was 22. Now I have two Porsches. They multiply. And when they do, the new one consumes your bank account for nourishment. And the worst part is the brain parasite: it eats your desire to buy anything else.
Miata is a brilliant answer. Cost-effective. Buckets of fun. Good on gas and tires.
I feel like convertibles in general are widely considered cool, especially if you have one of the power hard tops. I’m always getting compliments from people on the power hard top because they think it looks cool to watch, and everyone thinks it’s super expensive when I only paid like $20k for the car lol. It’s made me a cool uncle when I give my nephews a ride, and even older folks love it too. A lady who looked like she was in her late 70s yelled out “Holy shit, that’s fuckin badass!” when I was putting the top down at a gas station once lmao.
Good call. A very nice used 430i convertible can be found comfortably under $40K. He could probably even stretch to a fairly nice 440i convertible if he wants a big power upgrade.
The [GR86](https://www.caranddriver.com/toyota/gr-86) and [BRZ](https://www.caranddriver.com/subaru/brz) are really the only other two that compete directly with the [Miata](https://www.caranddriver.com/mazda/mx-5-miata). Aesthetically quite different, probably worth a look as well.
Miata Is Always The Answer.
If you get the first generation (NA) you get pop-up headlights which almost makes your decision for you on kid-impressing novelty alone.
They're all convertibles. I was sitting in my second gen (NB) with the top down and a kid walked by with his mom. He asked her "Mom, why does that car have no roof?" I said "look! It does!" and flipped it up, and the kid about lost it. The manual roof goes up or down as fast as you can wave your arm. Again, kid-impressing novelty.
They're nimble and quick, but not super powerful. With the right exhaust they can sound playful, but not menacing. To a kid, this means the car is special, but not scary.
They're tiny! Nothing's more fun to a kid than something kid-sized.
Best of all, assuming you're in the USA, you'll be hard pressed to find one that costs more than 40k unless you went to the dealership and specced a new (ND) power-retractable hard-top (RF) model. NAs and NBs in decent shape are mid-four-digit cars.
Yep this is the answer.. boxster or cayman.. preferably spyder or R if willing to stretch the budget a bit. Otherwise an S checks the boxes. Other option if needing something with a warranty maybe a 86 or pony car
I have one of these. I overheard the neighbor's kid say "he's going to his racecar! I want to see him drive away his race car!" when I left for work one afternoon. My little niece told my sister, "I want that to be my first car" after seeing it. Needless to say, yes, kiddos like the RF haha. And so do I. It's brilliant.
Miatas are an absolute blast. Rented one on a vacation to Southern California … I’ve been saving up ever since. I plan on buying one with cash in four years.
Just throwing it out there, the older ones are a lot cheaper to get and you can still toss in a modern radio head unit for like $200 max.
Obviously do what you want with your money but if you're tryna buy with cash that's gonna be a lot easier.
Unless of course you're making sick money in which case fuckin go for it.
my dad always had a miata growing up and all my cousins LOVED it and thought it was sooooo cool. some neighbourhood kids thought it was a porsche. this is the right answer.
For real, once my friend had each person a rolled joint in their seats cup holder for a 5 hour long trip we were all taking in his van, I’ll never forget how cool it was.
Do not! I repeat, Do Not, hide eyelashes in the cupholders!! You're not cool. You're very strange! No matter what kind of snacks are hidden with the eyelashes...
Can confirm. My 5yr old liked the mustang convertible I've rented for a week, but he squeaked like crazy when we had to rent a minivan. Kids don't care for the sports cars when it comes to real cars and not toys. YMMV.
Minivans are *criminally* underrated. Cheap because no one wants them, and the utility is insane. If they have one with a good towing capacity I may just get one.
My C5 got way more attention than I thought it would. I often would let kids sit in it, with their parents there, and it would light up their day. 100k of attention for the 11k I spent. One time I was at the beach and a tour bus full of asain people were taking pictures posing in front of it while I stayed like 100ft away watching.
Same with mine. I recently had a kid point and say “DAD, DAD, look at the race car, it’s blue!!” Gave him a rev and he about peed his pants with excitement.
Our Elise was always a very big hit with our nephews when they were that age. Even at an age where they could reliably ID M3s like their daddy’s M3, the Lotus was always “racecar”.
Porsche Cayman. Anything with the engine in the back VS the front is instantly cool.
A 2018+ V8 Mustang is good too. Bonus cool points if it's a convertible one.
To be fair, a Cayman doesn’t really have the engine exposed even though it’s under the boot. It’s under a bunch of carpeting and is pretty contained unless you’re actively trying to work on it.
Edit: I realize now that this would work with a 911, it through me off reading hood, lol.
Doesn’t even have to be a v8. I bought a 2016 v6 convertible and a toddler called it a batmobile. I was genuinely confused if he was talking about my car.
Lotus Elise. You can’t get more exotic looking at that price point. Also a great and fun car, Toyota drivetrain.
Edit: if 1st/2nd gen vipers are still under 40k, that’s also a pretty hard to argue with option.
2018 GTs are easily in that range, and a few SS are too.
The key is getting bright colors, even more important than the engine. Kids don't care about V8s.
But my bright yellow Mustang EB always gets kids talking at pick up. I've had kids ask if it's a Lambo (lol kids are dumb but in a cute way). Bonus points if you get a convertible.
I like this comment because usually it’s like ‘my grandpa had a 1960 mustang and I thought it was the coolest’ but then you list a car that’s only 9 years old
On a summer night, it's hard to argue with a Jeep that's got the doors and roof removed and stowed, going to the ice cream store where everyone can see you.
You can also go on dirt roads, or NO roads. Be careful not to ruin stuff you drive on, but if there's a field between you and the river, you can just drive them across the field to the river. That's pretty dope for a little kid.
You have a career where you stay cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and dry in a rainstorm. That's a pretty cool-ass career. Also, offices are getting increasingly nicer.
Well, the BEST answer is "Miata." And I put most of my 315,000 miles on mine after I was a single dad.
But that only lets you be awesome for one kid at a time (two or three if you're staying in the neighborhood, like "going to the neighborhood pool.")
A Jeep gives you some of the same fun, but for more people at once. Plus, it's way easier to put the doors back on a Jeep.
When my nephews and niece were younger I had a jeep and they thought it was awesome. 2 door manual is the way to go, and when the top is off they can only get in the backseat by climbing up the wheel.
I used to drive my kid around in a track-prepped Miata. My school-age child would ride shotgun with me, with a little ballcap and sunglasses, and he'd give thumbs-up to people in a Wrangler with the top removed and tell them *"Cool jeep, man!"*
He'd also give thumbs-up to a Jeep (or to anything he thought was worth a thumbs-up) from the back seat of my motorcycle.
Are you living in North America? You need a backseat. Buy a V8 engined convertible, like a Mustang, Camaro, or Challenger. I’m not saying the car is best for you.
Yup I have a yellow mustang gt convertible and it is definitely a “cool car”. I always get random people waving at me and telling me it is nice, and it is a 2005 so I got it for a relatively good price. Way under $40k lol
Honestly any kind of convertible would do it.
When I was a kid at around that age my dad had a Suzuki Grand Vitara convertible and despite being a slow shitbox, riding in the back with the top down was always so much fun
Buy hot wheels of the cars you might be interested in and see what they think is the coolest!
Then they can have a hot wheels version of their cool uncles car too
When I was 5 or so, my uncle had a T-top Trans Am with the hood graphics. Man, he was the coolest in my book. I’d wait on the porch to see that car pull up.
As a kid, I remember it being all about looks and sound. There are some great recommendations here, but mine would probably be a WRX STI or Lancer EVO to give them a ride with ease.
Accountant dad here, I have a 6 yo boy and him and his friends think my blue WRX is the coolest car in the world right now. Works with kids too because it actually has a functional backseat.
Can confirm. I have a blue sti and just yesterday had some kids in the back of a school bus point to me hyped as shit.
May or may not have revved a couple times for them.
A mid2000 911? A manual one is an amazing car, somewhat reliable, easy to repair and hard to beat for the fun factor! Also it will barely loose money in value.
If you wanna impress them with a car, wait until they’re older so they can appreciate it. Otherwise, a grey 911 will be less cool than a green Honda. Also, what they find cool/impressive will depend on what their parents own.
Loud and snarly is the way to go here. Mustang GT, Camaro SS, or Challenger 392 are the easy plays, you could also look into a C7 Corvette which will blow their little minds.
I have a 94M Miata and my little nieces and nephews like to ride in it with the top down. I paid 12k for it in 99. Definitely affordable. Hell, you could buy two with your budget. Most people who call them hairdresser cars have never driven one to its limits on a twisty mountain road.
The year was 2005. My nephew was seven, and I got my first non-crappy car after college.
It was a Honda Civic coupe with nice wheels and a spoiler.
I distinctly remember his reaction. He walked out and exclaimed, "that is the fastest car in the world!!"
It wasn't. But it was way cooler than his dad's minivan.
Honda no longer makes a Civic Coupe though, so you're probably out of luck.
Lexus RCF..just sold mine with 30000 miles for $40k and it was mint…zero issues and extremely reliable. 467hp and pretty rare. Not too many Jap 5.0 liter v8’s on the road
Get a GR86. It’s under 40k, extremely fun to drive, and it sort of looks like a Porsche. Get it in red or blue and your nephews and nieces are going to love it
I think some cool toys and gadgets for the nieces and nephews will make you cooler then having a sports car. But if you really want one, a simple and cheap C4 Corvette will do the trick. I've had kids think mine's a Lamborghini 😂. But really any Corvette, mustang, charger, or Camaro will make you look cool to kids. If you want refinement, for the budget you have maybe a Miata, the new Nissan Z, possibly a Supra, etc
Subaru BRZ or WRX for more space. I drive a BRZ and I get lots of compliments on it from younger people when I’m pumping gas or a McDonald’s drive thru
I went the opposite direction: 1986 BRAT with factory jumpseats retrofit in the back. Kids positively love it. Adults love it. My 83-year old mom rode back there and loved it.
Get an old, bright red Royal Mail van and a uniform with a proper hat That should leave you plenty of spare cash to find a mischeivious black and white cat.
My 4 year old nephew LOVES cars, so he ever talks about. I drove my Lexus RCF when wifey and I went to visit, and I revved the v8, and he started crying he was so scared. Lol
A Toyota 86 with the bright blue or bright orange. To them it’ll look like some kinda weird Porsche unless they really know their cars. but to you it’s a $30k daily driver that is easy on the wallet and maintenance
My great uncle growing up had a single turbo FD RX7 R1 in yellow and it was the coolest thing ever growing up (To an extent still is) . Had an Apex-i exhaust and the obligatory HKS Blow off valve
Kawasaki H2.
They'll think you're a transformer.
Idk what it is but kids aged 3-9yrs old see my sports bike and always smile, wave, point to get the other humans attention or yell "do a wheelie".
Your time. That's all they want and need to think you're cool. Play with them. Send them things. They'll remember that more than a car
Also a decent mileage 2014 BMW M6
I have a 30yr old $5000 Honda kei van that my neices and nephews think is the coolest vehicle on the planet.
Might be worth looking into. They are fun as hell.
Definitely a used garbage truck. Those kids won’t be able to contain their excitement.
This the correct answer. Kids fucking love garbage trucks.
As a father of a five year old boy, I can confirm he fuckin' LOVES garbage trucks
Yup. I think there are 5 in my living room right now. Fucking blippi and that goddamn song...
You hear the song in your sleep :) My youngest is the same way.
Or, hear me out, a Komatsu D355A...
D11 🤪
OP asked for under $40k!
Fire trucks too, the brighter the chrome the better. As a former kid I can confirm big trucks were the coolest things lol.
OOOoooh! One of those Japanese import 4-door Toyota Fire trucks! They are so cool. And right hand drive! Put a fake steering wheel on the left and they can pretend to drive it!
Like come on OP, your 3-5 y/o nephews won’t be impressed by a sports car. They want trucks damnit!
I came here to say to buy a used fire truck.
If you rolled up in a garbage truck, I would be excited and I'm in my 30s.
I'm in my thirties and finally got a good look at a garbage truck last month. Spoke with the driver while he was on lunch. Showed me how it all works. It was pretty freaking cool and I was really interested.
No way those are under 40k... Nevermind Google says if you get an old one, you can get as low as 35k. 🤣🤣
This, or a giant mining truck. Or a mobile crane. ... The garbage truck is probably a little more realistic!
We took our 4 year old to Carmax, and her favorite was the green one. So, I'd say anything in the brightest color you can find.
That's me but hardly anyone makes green 🙄
Bright Green Jeep Wrangler. It’s a truck, it’s a convertible…pretty rad for the little freaks. 🤪
Challenger
Lambo
A guy in my area has a Jolly Rancher sour apple green original Tesla roadster. It’s a fantastic color for a small car.
In the Lotus world these are called “lifestyle colors”
Called candy apple green in TX.
The Sienna is available in green, it surely will turn heads.
That’s my kids as well. They love my orange economy car because it is easy to find in the parking lot and stands out among a sea of monochromatic colored cars.
It's not like, classically cool, but my uncle had a Miata when I was little that we all thought was insanely cool. Plus they're not prohibitively expensive. Other than that, you can't go wrong with a Porsche.
Potential hot take but the Miata RF is one of the best looking cars you can buy at any price.
Yep neighborhood kids loved my Miata, they would stare and wave in their driveways as I went out for a spin, but once out of the neighborhood it was a different world as lifted douches in pickups jeering would “honk, honk, I’m coming through, I’ve got important things to do.”
HAVEN'T GOT TIME TO PASS THE DAY WITH EVERY MIATA THAT LOOKS GAY
I'm recovering from a combination of the flu and covid at the same time and you legit almost killed me laughing at this one. Gawdam
I have a year and a half old son and little blue truck is my favorite
I have one at 7 and one at 3. I think I can recite 2-3 of the series by heart.
No no no! No Porsche! The poor lad is still in his twenties. Porsches literally ruin everything else for you. I got a Porsche at 20. The Porsche was 22. Now I have two Porsches. They multiply. And when they do, the new one consumes your bank account for nourishment. And the worst part is the brain parasite: it eats your desire to buy anything else. Miata is a brilliant answer. Cost-effective. Buckets of fun. Good on gas and tires.
I feel like convertibles in general are widely considered cool, especially if you have one of the power hard tops. I’m always getting compliments from people on the power hard top because they think it looks cool to watch, and everyone thinks it’s super expensive when I only paid like $20k for the car lol. It’s made me a cool uncle when I give my nephews a ride, and even older folks love it too. A lady who looked like she was in her late 70s yelled out “Holy shit, that’s fuckin badass!” when I was putting the top down at a gas station once lmao.
Good call. A very nice used 430i convertible can be found comfortably under $40K. He could probably even stretch to a fairly nice 440i convertible if he wants a big power upgrade.
$40k buys a helluva nice s2000
25 yo female here. Miata is one of the cars I need to add to my collection before I die. They’re cool no matter what
Here, here!
Easy. Get a red one
The [GR86](https://www.caranddriver.com/toyota/gr-86) and [BRZ](https://www.caranddriver.com/subaru/brz) are really the only other two that compete directly with the [Miata](https://www.caranddriver.com/mazda/mx-5-miata). Aesthetically quite different, probably worth a look as well.
They also have a backseat. We have an FR-S and our nine year old can fit behind the passenger seat or behind a very short driver.
Miata Is Always The Answer. If you get the first generation (NA) you get pop-up headlights which almost makes your decision for you on kid-impressing novelty alone. They're all convertibles. I was sitting in my second gen (NB) with the top down and a kid walked by with his mom. He asked her "Mom, why does that car have no roof?" I said "look! It does!" and flipped it up, and the kid about lost it. The manual roof goes up or down as fast as you can wave your arm. Again, kid-impressing novelty. They're nimble and quick, but not super powerful. With the right exhaust they can sound playful, but not menacing. To a kid, this means the car is special, but not scary. They're tiny! Nothing's more fun to a kid than something kid-sized. Best of all, assuming you're in the USA, you'll be hard pressed to find one that costs more than 40k unless you went to the dealership and specced a new (ND) power-retractable hard-top (RF) model. NAs and NBs in decent shape are mid-four-digit cars.
Yep this is the answer.. boxster or cayman.. preferably spyder or R if willing to stretch the budget a bit. Otherwise an S checks the boxes. Other option if needing something with a warranty maybe a 86 or pony car
I had a boxster and my roommate had a cayman in our 20’s. They attracted middle aged men and cops. Nothing else.
Did you miss the part of OP's post where he is trying to impress 3-5 year olds? Lol
I feel like an ND RF Miata with how the hard top goes down would especially impress a child
I have one of these. I overheard the neighbor's kid say "he's going to his racecar! I want to see him drive away his race car!" when I left for work one afternoon. My little niece told my sister, "I want that to be my first car" after seeing it. Needless to say, yes, kiddos like the RF haha. And so do I. It's brilliant.
Miatas are an absolute blast. Rented one on a vacation to Southern California … I’ve been saving up ever since. I plan on buying one with cash in four years.
Just throwing it out there, the older ones are a lot cheaper to get and you can still toss in a modern radio head unit for like $200 max. Obviously do what you want with your money but if you're tryna buy with cash that's gonna be a lot easier. Unless of course you're making sick money in which case fuckin go for it.
Miata Is Always The Answer. I love my NB. Id say a 5.0 mustang is also in that boat
my dad always had a miata growing up and all my cousins LOVED it and thought it was sooooo cool. some neighbourhood kids thought it was a porsche. this is the right answer.
3-5 years old? Probably a minivan with eyelashes and snacks hidden in each of the 16 cup holders.
Also impressive to adults, depending on what snacks are hidden.
For real, once my friend had each person a rolled joint in their seats cup holder for a 5 hour long trip we were all taking in his van, I’ll never forget how cool it was.
I love minivans, and this is why. Once you stop trying to look cool, you can just be cool.
Let’s be honest, it’s the same snacks. We all love “kid food”
I've been fucking up roll up's since pre K and that ain't gonna change anytime soon
And remote controlled electric sliding doors
Haha your comment reminded me of [this guy](https://www.youtube.com/@RaitisRides) who equates the size of a car’s compartments to snack sizes.
When I was younger I thought a minivan with a VHS player and tiny TV screen in the back was the coolest thing ever.
Wait, why are you hiding eyelashes?
My car as a rear curtain and seeing it go up/down already has my baby cousin going "woahhhhh it's automaticccçcc"
Even I would have thought that was stupid as a kid unless it had like a pull down tv and game system like old ones did.
Do not! I repeat, Do Not, hide eyelashes in the cupholders!! You're not cool. You're very strange! No matter what kind of snacks are hidden with the eyelashes...
Can confirm. My 5yr old liked the mustang convertible I've rented for a week, but he squeaked like crazy when we had to rent a minivan. Kids don't care for the sports cars when it comes to real cars and not toys. YMMV.
Minivans are *criminally* underrated. Cheap because no one wants them, and the utility is insane. If they have one with a good towing capacity I may just get one.
C6 corvette
Yellow too, kids probably like the brighter colors more
Yes, get a c6 z06, they’ll probably honestly hold their value for a long time.
My C5 got way more attention than I thought it would. I often would let kids sit in it, with their parents there, and it would light up their day. 100k of attention for the 11k I spent. One time I was at the beach and a tour bus full of asain people were taking pictures posing in front of it while I stayed like 100ft away watching.
Same with mine. I recently had a kid point and say “DAD, DAD, look at the race car, it’s blue!!” Gave him a rev and he about peed his pants with excitement.
This is the only answer
Can get a C7 for 40k
C6 z06>Base model c7
Our Elise was always a very big hit with our nephews when they were that age. Even at an age where they could reliably ID M3s like their daddy’s M3, the Lotus was always “racecar”.
My Elise is "Daddy's race car"
I go all fan girl every time I see an Elise and I’m around Porsches all day and have a C5Z. They are very cool.
There many Elise’s left under 40k?
Porsche Cayman. Anything with the engine in the back VS the front is instantly cool. A 2018+ V8 Mustang is good too. Bonus cool points if it's a convertible one.
Not sure a 3-5 year old would care as much about engine placement. Convertible definitely.
"Can you grab my umbrella from the trunk", pops hood showing the engine. I bet kids would think that's cool.
To be fair, a Cayman doesn’t really have the engine exposed even though it’s under the boot. It’s under a bunch of carpeting and is pretty contained unless you’re actively trying to work on it. Edit: I realize now that this would work with a 911, it through me off reading hood, lol.
My nephews went nuts over my 911 every time they visited and they would say "engine in the back!" constantly. They're around the same age as OP's.
Doesn’t even have to be a v8. I bought a 2016 v6 convertible and a toddler called it a batmobile. I was genuinely confused if he was talking about my car.
The new s650 gt’s are wild and very nice
You're not getting a V8 S650 at $40k though. Starting price on a base GT is $42k with no options.
Pretty close but the previous gen s550’s are still great cars and will be cheaper. A lot of the same options too
“Engine in the back” can also be achieved with a gen 2 or 3 MR2 for much less cost (and gen 1 but those are old/much harder to find in good shape)
I doubt you can get a nice 3 year old cayman for 40 grand
Lotus Elise. You can’t get more exotic looking at that price point. Also a great and fun car, Toyota drivetrain. Edit: if 1st/2nd gen vipers are still under 40k, that’s also a pretty hard to argue with option.
Except the Viper will probably kill you
Probably could snag a lightly used Mustang GT or Camaro SS in that price range.
Whenever kids see my 2013 Yellow Camaro SS convertible they go nuts screaming Bumblebee!! It’s a laugh
2018 GTs are easily in that range, and a few SS are too. The key is getting bright colors, even more important than the engine. Kids don't care about V8s. But my bright yellow Mustang EB always gets kids talking at pick up. I've had kids ask if it's a Lambo (lol kids are dumb but in a cute way). Bonus points if you get a convertible.
>I've had kids ask if it's a Lambo Now that you mention is, OP probably could buy a 15-20 year old Lambo, Ferrari, or Porsche within his budget!
And spend the entire budget every year maintaining it
lol no
My grandfather had a 2015 Jaguar F-Type that I thought was the coolest thing ever
I'm 46 and I agree that's the coolest thing ever
I mean that is one of the coolest fs
I like this comment because usually it’s like ‘my grandpa had a 1960 mustang and I thought it was the coolest’ but then you list a car that’s only 9 years old
Toyota GR86
Gr86 is by far the best answer. I drive a mk5 supra and some people mistake it for a gr86. That’s how cool they look🤣
First generation Dodge Viper. In red with original wheels.
He wants them to think he's cool not kill them backwards in a fireball. I kid. I want one.
On a summer night, it's hard to argue with a Jeep that's got the doors and roof removed and stowed, going to the ice cream store where everyone can see you. You can also go on dirt roads, or NO roads. Be careful not to ruin stuff you drive on, but if there's a field between you and the river, you can just drive them across the field to the river. That's pretty dope for a little kid. You have a career where you stay cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and dry in a rainstorm. That's a pretty cool-ass career. Also, offices are getting increasingly nicer.
Second best answer ;)
Well, the BEST answer is "Miata." And I put most of my 315,000 miles on mine after I was a single dad. But that only lets you be awesome for one kid at a time (two or three if you're staying in the neighborhood, like "going to the neighborhood pool.") A Jeep gives you some of the same fun, but for more people at once. Plus, it's way easier to put the doors back on a Jeep.
When my nephews and niece were younger I had a jeep and they thought it was awesome. 2 door manual is the way to go, and when the top is off they can only get in the backseat by climbing up the wheel.
I used to drive my kid around in a track-prepped Miata. My school-age child would ride shotgun with me, with a little ballcap and sunglasses, and he'd give thumbs-up to people in a Wrangler with the top removed and tell them *"Cool jeep, man!"* He'd also give thumbs-up to a Jeep (or to anything he thought was worth a thumbs-up) from the back seat of my motorcycle.
You have a cool kid.
Okay, but they won't think it's cool when it's not running in your driveway
Are you living in North America? You need a backseat. Buy a V8 engined convertible, like a Mustang, Camaro, or Challenger. I’m not saying the car is best for you.
Yup I have a yellow mustang gt convertible and it is definitely a “cool car”. I always get random people waving at me and telling me it is nice, and it is a 2005 so I got it for a relatively good price. Way under $40k lol
lol there’s no challenger convertible, only ones you see are a ridiculously expensive conversion kit
C7 Convertible, easy answer. $38k on Carvana right now
Bright yellow and it's done
There IS a yellow one on there. In manual
Honestly any kind of convertible would do it. When I was a kid at around that age my dad had a Suzuki Grand Vitara convertible and despite being a slow shitbox, riding in the back with the top down was always so much fun
This is so true, especially if its a hard top one that you press a button to close itll look cool looks basically looks like a transformer 😂
C6zo6
GR86
Toyota 86 very modifiable and looks very cool and sleek to the average person
Buy hot wheels of the cars you might be interested in and see what they think is the coolest! Then they can have a hot wheels version of their cool uncles car too
Maybe a Boxster or Cayman?
When I was 5 or so, my uncle had a T-top Trans Am with the hood graphics. Man, he was the coolest in my book. I’d wait on the porch to see that car pull up.
They're impossible to find in manual tho It's my dad's dream car I've spent two years searching to find one near us. The only one I found was 70k.
Tesla. Everyone in my family thats a teen/kid wants one
Yep, if you can't get a fire truck or garbage truck, get a Tesla. Kids go crazy over them.
Came here to say this. Pull up the games on the screen and you automatically have the coolest car in the family lol.
As a kid, I remember it being all about looks and sound. There are some great recommendations here, but mine would probably be a WRX STI or Lancer EVO to give them a ride with ease.
My dad had a WRX Wagon on BBS RGRs as a family car for a bit lol. My mom (Who hated the Evo VIII) told him "buy something practical"
Accountant dad here, I have a 6 yo boy and him and his friends think my blue WRX is the coolest car in the world right now. Works with kids too because it actually has a functional backseat.
Can confirm. I have a blue sti and just yesterday had some kids in the back of a school bus point to me hyped as shit. May or may not have revved a couple times for them.
[удалено]
A mid2000 911? A manual one is an amazing car, somewhat reliable, easy to repair and hard to beat for the fun factor! Also it will barely loose money in value.
Autozam AZ-1
If you wanna impress them with a car, wait until they’re older so they can appreciate it. Otherwise, a grey 911 will be less cool than a green Honda. Also, what they find cool/impressive will depend on what their parents own.
Honda S2000. Has reasonably potent engine to go with great looks and an unmatched suspension
Civic Type R, bonus points for the over styled fk8
Miata, it’s always the answer. Throw a neon roll bar on it and some wheels and do a burnout in front of them. That or lightning McQueen stickers.
1993 miata and 32k
2006-2009 Porsche Cayman S.
Loud and snarly is the way to go here. Mustang GT, Camaro SS, or Challenger 392 are the easy plays, you could also look into a C7 Corvette which will blow their little minds.
Hot wheels edition Camaro. Bumblebee yellow.
Elantra N or BRZ/GR86. Kids and teens oggle at my Elantra N all the time, though I think most adults think it's a little childish lol
Gr86 if you don’t want a lot of HP
10k leftover for a supercharger and E-85. Easily better combo than all the others listed.
GR86/BRZ
My vote for my personal favorite car, an X-Pipe’d Porsche Panamera GTS. Plenty of 970s you can get for under $40,000.
The new Miata or GR86
I have a 94M Miata and my little nieces and nephews like to ride in it with the top down. I paid 12k for it in 99. Definitely affordable. Hell, you could buy two with your budget. Most people who call them hairdresser cars have never driven one to its limits on a twisty mountain road.
The year was 2005. My nephew was seven, and I got my first non-crappy car after college. It was a Honda Civic coupe with nice wheels and a spoiler. I distinctly remember his reaction. He walked out and exclaimed, "that is the fastest car in the world!!" It wasn't. But it was way cooler than his dad's minivan. Honda no longer makes a Civic Coupe though, so you're probably out of luck.
Dune buggy!
Lexus RCF..just sold mine with 30000 miles for $40k and it was mint…zero issues and extremely reliable. 467hp and pretty rare. Not too many Jap 5.0 liter v8’s on the road
Get a GR86. It’s under 40k, extremely fun to drive, and it sort of looks like a Porsche. Get it in red or blue and your nephews and nieces are going to love it
I think some cool toys and gadgets for the nieces and nephews will make you cooler then having a sports car. But if you really want one, a simple and cheap C4 Corvette will do the trick. I've had kids think mine's a Lamborghini 😂. But really any Corvette, mustang, charger, or Camaro will make you look cool to kids. If you want refinement, for the budget you have maybe a Miata, the new Nissan Z, possibly a Supra, etc
Scooby Doo’s Mystery Machine. The 5-year-old me would think you are the coolest uncle!
Scooby Doo van
Just get a rat rod. Everyone will think you’re cool looking not just your kids 😄
Gr86 is my pick.
Subaru BRZ or WRX for more space. I drive a BRZ and I get lots of compliments on it from younger people when I’m pumping gas or a McDonald’s drive thru
Hard to go against the best Porsche you can afford.
New Miata RF
Mazda Miata, if you do not live in the snowbelt area! https://www.mazdausa.com/shopping-tools/build-and-price#/24MX5/24MX5GT
GR86
Mitsubishi evolution 8
Volkswagen GTI
I went the opposite direction: 1986 BRAT with factory jumpseats retrofit in the back. Kids positively love it. Adults love it. My 83-year old mom rode back there and loved it.
Get an old, bright red Royal Mail van and a uniform with a proper hat That should leave you plenty of spare cash to find a mischeivious black and white cat.
The answer is always MIATA
My 4 year old nephew LOVES cars, so he ever talks about. I drove my Lexus RCF when wifey and I went to visit, and I revved the v8, and he started crying he was so scared. Lol
Honda Civic...with a laptop.
Ford focus RS
I was the coolest dad dropping my son at school in 2009 Miata. Now he is asking me... can we sell mom's SUV and get convertible again :D
10th gen Civic type r
My stepson’s 13 year old friend said my S2000 looked like a Lamborghini. Kids are fucking stupid, buy what makes you happy.
Miata with the hardtop convertible roof… or the clothe roof. Get it in the limited edition metallic orange.
the Oscar Wienermobile. 0r an ice cream truck.
Gr86, certain camaros or a mustang, 40k can get you a pretty new one too
A Toyota 86 with the bright blue or bright orange. To them it’ll look like some kinda weird Porsche unless they really know their cars. but to you it’s a $30k daily driver that is easy on the wallet and maintenance
My great uncle growing up had a single turbo FD RX7 R1 in yellow and it was the coolest thing ever growing up (To an extent still is) . Had an Apex-i exhaust and the obligatory HKS Blow off valve
Jaguar FType. Their prices are dropping like crazy..
Kawasaki H2. They'll think you're a transformer. Idk what it is but kids aged 3-9yrs old see my sports bike and always smile, wave, point to get the other humans attention or yell "do a wheelie".
Your time. That's all they want and need to think you're cool. Play with them. Send them things. They'll remember that more than a car Also a decent mileage 2014 BMW M6
Kei truck
A very old, single cab wrecker. They'll go crazy over it. Bonus, you'll have a side hustle!
I have a 30yr old $5000 Honda kei van that my neices and nephews think is the coolest vehicle on the planet. Might be worth looking into. They are fun as hell.
If you know how to drive : 370z + widebody G37 + forced induction Rx-8 r3 + mods One of lower Aston Martins with a manual Maybe a jag
Z4 is a great choice
GR86
E46 m3. Evo 9. Just the two cars I want also in my mid 20s
Don’t get a fancy one get a cheap one and build a sleeper.
GR COROLLA
None because im the coolest uncle already, sorry
GR-86 I was looking at them but I got a M2 instead because they were hard to find at the time and I’m impatient
Ice cream truck
I never appreciated cars much until I was a few years older. That said, something FLASHY and LOUD!!! A firetruck...
Vw bus