Guys, guys, just remember that the true cost of the car is what you lose when you sell, not what it costs in the first place, and whilst s/h cars over here are now selling for less than the new price, I'm guessing that int he States, there will be a premium for quite a few years, so tie your $51000 up in a bit of fun for a year or two, and if it still looks nice when you come to sell, and it will, you should at least get your money back, maybe with a bit of profit - who knows?
As far as speed is concerned, I regularly cruise mine at 4000rpm in 5th on motorways, dual carriageways and good open main roads, but I wouldn't advise a new driver to do that, work up to it. I have to say that I have been driving Caterham Sevens regularly for over 20 years, and there is a bit of similarity, but you don't get bump steer with a Caterham!
