Some great (and a few not-so-great) suggestions here.
I was going to should a bit "NO FWD" caveat, and then saw those classic Preludes and got all nostalgic. That black Si is quite compelling isn't it?
Firm, the V6 SLK could be had with a stick shift? The folding hard top may make me just rethink the "no convertibles" a bit..
C4s were on the 'watching for..' list, but good ones seem to be closer to $20k. I always liked the 350Z and G35, but the Infinitis especially, these days seem to be the de facto choice for jackasses straight-piping and driving like arse-hats all over the place these days.
The Mister 2 Spyder in Sackville does look pretty neat, too -- and with Toyota reliability, that's a plus.
Lastly, I appreciate the Porsche insights. There have been a few 944s that caught my eye, but I drove an S before I got the M Roadster and came away pretty lukewarm. Those big four-bangers feel like such slow-revving lumps.