While cruising over smugglers notch here in Vermont this morning I started musing on what a modern or equivalent car is to the e type when it was introduced. Leap in performance, style, price and position in the market. Maybe one of the obscure electric cars?
Morning mull over coffee.
Bill
the new corvettesā¦for the priceā¦exotic car performance, exotic car stylingā¦and
the Jaguar F Pace.
Nick
Iāve never experienced anything as dramatic as the E-Type, with the exception of the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa from the late 50s. Thatās the only other car that grabs me. Both cars are like prima donna divas to be worshipped.
To this day, the Series 1 E-Type slays me.
Thereās the rub: automotive technology has come so far in the ensuing years that great big leaps and performance are not nearly as large as they were in 1961.
My lowly little Hyundai will corner at very near the same lateral acceleration as a stock E Type is capable of, for example.
That said, I think the Corvette C7/C8 are certainly contenders for that. Given my past history with Corvettedom, Iām amazed Iām saying that, but I think they are worthwhile cars.
Bill,
Itās a good question. If I was in the mood to drop serious money on a new car and was looking for something with performance capabilities far beyond the driverās capabilities; technologically advanced; and good value-for-money, I would consider an Acura NSX. Only a couple of hundred sold per year in the U.S., 573 hp, top speed > 190 mph, 0-60 in 2.7 seconds. I donāt think an Acura will ever have the āposition in the marketā that a Ferrari or Porsche will have, but on the other hand, I would expect a Honda-built product to spend less time in the shop and more on the road. On the styling front, like @tommykat1, no other car has stopped my heart like the E-Type. To my eyes, modern performance cars look like jelly beans or interpretations of faceted insectoids.
But then I reframed your question based on my own personal history. I didnāt buy my car new in 1964, I bought my 1964 FHC in 1985 for $5500. So I asked myself, āWhat cool model year 2000 car could I buy in 2021 for an equivalent amount of money?ā The equivalent of $5500 in 1985 is about $13,500 in 2021 dollars. I went on BringaTrailer and did a search for MY2000 cars with final bids between $10-15k. There were 174 of them, mostly MBs, BMWs, and Porsches, with a few other models thrown in. None of them made my heart go pitter-patter, but there are several convertibles that would tempt me. The XK8 would win on style, the MB SL600 for its V12, or the Miata Turbo for sheer fun. But at 60, Iād be a lot more careful to check for rust in the sills than I was at 24ā¦
Before reading any of the comments, my gut reaction was also C7/C8 Corvette. Exotic car performance at the price of a fully loaded pickup or luxury SUV.
Although the example is nearly thirty years old now, the Dodge Viper was a similar groundbreaking, no compromise car at a not outrageous price.
That said, I canāt think of any examples that compare from a styling perspective.
Ooh, Iāll have to wait until I leave work to find out what it is; my government computer blocks the link and thereās almost no cell data in my building. Donāt tell me, though. I like surprises. 
I held my phone up to the window, because I also have poor waiting skills. 
Yes, those are attractive. I guess I really meant nothing new out there that is stunningly beautiful at a price I could dream of affording.
True: I was addressing your point, āstyling perspective.ā
Used Astons cant be too expensive, can they?
No. Used Aston Vantages are reasonable. I have a beautiful 2009 Vantage roadster titanium silver/black interior/ 6 spd) with only 19k miles on it. I plan on selling it this summer asking in the low to mid 40ās. My E-Type OTS is still the beauty queen in my garage but the Aston is a close second.
John
āReasonableā and ā$40,000ā show there are are differing views of the first wordā¦
Liked all the responses, and it is true that performance has come so far that it cannot be included in the equation, A few years back, I watched a video of a three car drag race which included an E-type, an Aston Martin of the same vintage and a modern Honda Accord vee six. Do I need to tell you the result? Braking, handling? Very nearly the same. The Seductress wins the looks catergory, and the newer offerings tend to be bland by comparison. I like the 250 GTO, the GT Berlinetta, and some of the Astons of old. Be seated: I like the Bristol 411ās too. Must include the slab-sided early Cobras; really an AC lump.
Well, āReasoableā in the sense that the car listed new for $150,000. They depreciate a lot in the early years which is why I bought it used.
John
John, I understood your intent: that said, the range of socioeconomic groups represented here isā¦ interesting.
If I may ask, why ya selling it?
Paul, I have always wanted an Aston. Before retiring 6 years ago, I did a lot of looking and researching and settled on getting a manual 6spd Vantage V8 roadster. This one was fully optioned and only had 8900 miles on it so I pulled the plug. It has been a pleasure to drive but as I am getting older I want to scale back to my E Type, my 87 911 and finish restoring my very first car , a 1953 MG TD.
John
Gotcha!!
Were I in the financial position, the Aston would tempt me.
I assume you have a good quality āfuel gaugeā for the TD?
This may well make be a pariah but what about something like the Tesla? Pretty innovative, performance and technology - the jag was ahead of its time as well so maybe?
1970 240Z. An XKE with all the unreliable parts removed
itās a 2 door Ford Fiesta