The Ex-Wall Streeter's Guide to Recession Rides

Instead of: a 2009 Porsche 911, consider: a 2009 Porsche Cayman The Porsche 911 has been a totem of Wall Street success for the better part of three decades, so it's not easy to make a substitution here. As the ads used to say, "Porsche: There is no substitute." In acknowledgement of that fact, we're staying within the Porsche family. Happily, the Cayman suffers none of the it's-not-a-real-Porsche stigma that has afflicted the brand's sub-911 entries in the past. Just like a 911, it's powered by a sweet-sounding flat six, located behind you. With a bit more power for '09 - 265 hp in the standard car, 320 hp in the Cayman S - the Cayman trails the corresponding 911 in the 0-to-60-mph sprint by less than a second (a half-second or less, in the case of the S). Either Cayman can be paired with the same seven-speed PDK paddle-shift automated manual transmission available in the 911. The Cayman engine's mid-ship location helps give the Cayman impeccable handling that delights the sports car purist. This is not a Porsche anyone will have to make excuses for.
911: $75,600

Cayman: $50,300

Savings: $25,300