Originally Posted by Overdrive
Speaking from experience, no, it isn't, when you get in there and do as much of it as you're capable of yourself. There is a whole community out there of people who work on these cars themselves. But if you're going to be paying a dealer or a high-priced independent specialist (hint: find a reasonable one for those jobs that are beyond your grasp... trust me, they're out there) then yes, maintenance is a scary thing. You do, however, have to accept that, whatever the sports car, you have to pay to play.
Drive a Cayman, you'll love it. I have a soon-to-be 20 year old Boxster that is basically spec-for-spec a Twin with two extra cylinders, another half-litre of engine that does nothing more for it than make gorgeous sounds, same power, a lil bit more torque, and said engine placed behind your head instead of by your feet. Up until getting my Twin (and the jury is still out until I can do comparison drives in the nicer weather) best handling car I've ever had or piloted. Anything younger is better, more modern, has much more usable power, and makes 911 owners sweat in the right hands. Power-wise even a base first gen Cayman will put a Twin to shame. Handling I'd say I find very similar(what drew me to the 86/FR-S, besides Toyota love), with the Porsche being more stable before stepping out on you, but at the limit I think you'd find a BRZ to be more manageable. That said, spend enough time with a car and know how it behaves and that really is a non-issue. And if you're talking mostly commuting with some fun road driving here and there, you're not likely to really push either car into that territory without serious intent. For that, find yourself some autocross and track days to do (easy to find if you buy a Porsche and join the local PCA).
I can't say which you'd find to be a better daily driving experience between the two because that's really up to you and which compromises from the respective cars you're willing to accept. The Porsche is actually likely to have more storage space in-cabin (and better thought out cup holders) than the BRZ, but you get 2 trunks with a surprisingly usable amount of space in them to compare to the BRZ's surprisingly usable lone trunk, especially when the rear seats are dropped. Creature comfort-wise, there's really no comparison, but again, that's based on your want/need for such things. If all you want is a seat, driving controls, and a great handling setup, they've both got it in spades. One is just more upscale than the other. My late-90s car is actually a little less equipped than the FR-S (zero cup holders, no glove compartment, just a literal glove box in the center tunnel, some small and narrow storage pockets in the doors that can't hold much, one cigarette-lighter-cum-power-outlet, but in a better place than the main one in the FR-S, and a big but not tall storage pouch behind the head that also stores the wind deflector) but I didn't buy it to be drinking stuff in it and storing a bunch of crap in it, so that doesn't really matter to me. As the years wear on and the people with the money complain, these things make their way into what you'd be shopping for today for a Porsche.
I can't talk Corvette other than to say driving a C6 convertible was pretty great and actually very domesticated when you wanted it to be, and neither of the other cars can compare in any parameter, especially dollar-for-dollar. The interior may be an afterthought, but if that's not a big deal to you, I have to hand heavy consideration to the Corvette. You picked 2 that I'm biased in favor of that I can talk about all day, but your 3rd, while the poster child for mid-life crisis-mobile, is nothing to turn your nose at.
Get some seat time in all 3, hopefully more than just a dealer loop (find some friends who'll let you drive theirs) and go with what stirs you the right way. But don't be scared of the "Porsche maintenance" stigma that comes mostly out of people who don't own one. Parts cost money. Shop smart and DIY and you won't feel it as bad as you would with dealer pricing and $150/hr labor rates.
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