I have the base model. The purchase was somewhat of a whim for me. I love the body style, but I'm also a cheap ba$tard. Once I compared prices and features, I decided that $16K for a 2013 model (w/20K miles) 2.0T was all I needed. Having grown up as a teen in the 70's, and after restoring a 69' Z/28 8yrs ago, I soon realized that using its full power was nearly futile. Laws, society, traffic congestion, etc., has changed almost everything for muscle car enthusiasts. Beside turning heads, my only thrill was to do loop trips on & off I-85; killing it on on-ramps and entering traffic at 100+mph....praying that there wouldn't be a state trooper in the mix. The 2.0T is as much car as a 3.8 or even 5.0 in today's "real life" setting (in
my world

). Even when traveling on county/country roads, wanting to open it up....to know that I could have a car that would beat my 2.0T by a second or two.....is now a silly factor, for
me. Did I mention that I'm a practical (cheap) person?

. But I digress............
I hear what you're saying. I've made the same argument at times regarding the 3.8 vs other cars. Yet, there's a huge performance, handling and ride difference between yours and mine and that difference doesn't require anything like full power to feel.
It's not just the V6 (which feels, sounds, and behaves like a small V8), but a whole different setup, with special springs and struts and sways, a strut bar, a manual tranny, Brembo brakes, bigger wheels and tires, and a Torsen (posi) differential, racing seats, with a good 200lbs less weight (from the Track/Ultimate) due to removing some of the heaviest luxury features. The result is a much harsher ride my back sometimes notices, but a real and immediate difference in how the car feels and responds in all kinds of situations. Makes for some very fun commuting without even pushing it at all.
In your spirited example, it would be the difference of putting car lengths on you during the short ramp turns, nearing traffic at 140, slowing instantly to 70 to merge in, change lanes, then back up to 100, etc, all with no body roll or brake fade, and without even working the engine very hard. Not trying to talk junk at all, but there really is a big difference.
That said, I also paid twice as much as you for a new 3.8 R-Spec with an extended warranty, service plan, and several other dealer options as well as higher insurance rates. I also rarely see more than 28MPG on trips (using Shell, but Chevron will push 30 or more), and usually 22-25 or so around town. The ride, as I said, is very stiff, particularly with nitrogen-filled tires at 37psi, and I forget how stiff it is until I drive another car or have a passenger give me feedback. There is no cruise control, which is something I've rarely used anyway, but sometimes it would be helpful to have.
The 2012 Track had "everything" except the racing seats, but then it's also heavier, and that would have bothered me. I thought about the Base, Premium or GT models, as they have all or most of the luxury items (in different combos) without any of the "Track-Tuned Suspension" stuff. Being a long-time performance and hotrod kind of guy, I wanted a manual and racing suspension more than I wanted a sunroof or power seats. I don't need a NAV at all as I use Google Maps, and I think the Base audio system used in the R-Specs, with careful EQ settings, sounds so good I've forgotten about upgrading it. Though, the 3.8 R-Spec has a few luxo features the 2.0T R-Spec doesn't have, so it's not like either/or.
Many people don't realize how different the various Coupe trims are, and I'd estimate a majority of discussion on other forums is based on someone saying all Coupes are just like the one they are driving. Yet, they're not THAT different, and the basic body is the same beautiful, classic design, which, as you know, gets a LOT of attention
