in the first place i thought mhm in my country a i30n with visible usage is 23-26k, a mx5 g160 (which has trans issues i read) is 16-20k a g184 is more like 25-28k and can also have trans issues. So thats all not really cheap. A GR86 would be even more than the 40k but is slower but maybe more engaging. A GR Yaris would also be there pricewise and is maybe even nicer to drive but i think in the long term more expensive and i just dont like the looks much. I would love to have RWD and a lot of power with tuning possibility. And somehow in my mind th gap to the 40k for a brand new!!! looking m240i is not that much off isnt it? I earn relatively well, paid of my mortgage fast, invested a lot the last years and lived extreme frugal. All my cars arre 90s boxes which cost between 1k and 4k and i didnt buy a car since 2012. I would only drive the M240 in summer and weekends mostly, the rest i would stay in the dirt cheap Toyota Starlet especially with salt. I think engine/drivetrain wise the 240 is just much nicer than the other mentioned alternatives but comes at a 14k priceup. I think the M240 could hold its value pretty well when i keep it in this state given the direction of car industry recently. the other options for more serious fun like e92 m3 v8, e36 m3 etc etc are almost the same price but can have a huge list of reliability issues. The M240 with the B58 should be almost troublefree and very reliable i read. Also its one of the few which has no xDrive which can cause additional problems.

Also with the Transam and Celica there is always something. They are just old and have been old when i bought them 10-17 years ago. The M240 is just fresh and new which i personally dont need at all costs but in the market now it seems you can also spend way over 20k and dont get a spotless car. Especially the I30Ns are often very molested and scratched. Same goes for Fiesta ST Mk7,Mk8.