I am at level 15 and I have no cars cool again, but so far it's a draw between my Mitsubishi 3000GT SL 96 and my Lancer Evolution IX GSR 05th The two are both 4WD and handles like a dream, with power to boot.

 Lancer Evolution IX GSR 05 for the win.

That car just plain rocks and handles like a dream...( and it's probably the only car you can buy at low level that will win some experts events..

Actually, my starting Civic Type R EK can win a lot of cups in the expert events, due to it's RM tuning. But I agree that the Evo IX is pretty awesome as well.

I don't have too many cars right now, but I love my RX8 and RX7. Awesome cars. Currently saving up for a Lotus; those things are sexy.

I can't wait till I'm level 23. Audi R10 TDI, Peugeot 908, Mazda 787B... (drools)

I agree with the RX-7,  they were always a favorite of mine in past GT games.  No different in GT5.  

What Lotus you looking to get?   Elise, Evora?

Ah I remember my favorite and most broken car in GT 2 was the Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Version. Is it still Amazingly broken in this game? :p

I'll probably buy Elise first.

And I just remembered the Mercedes-Benz (300SL?) from the Nurburgring special event is really fun to drive. I'll probably make that my next priority.

The 300 SL is a very sexy beast to drive, I used my Collector's edition version in some of the cups in A-Spec.

Also, if you're going to buy an Elise, for your sake, stay away from any form of Hard tyres. If you put Hard tyres in it, be it Comfort, Sports or Racing, the 111R will feel like you're driving over ice. 

P.S - Don't be expecting much when you hit level 23. I'm only 10K exp away from it and at least 1.6M behind getting either the Peugeot 908 or Audi R10 and 3.2M away from the Mazda 787B. Considering that I've got pretty much all the maximum pay-off from every event (all golds), I still have to do tons of money grinding to get any of them.

Shit, that sucks man. I guess that's what B-Spec's for.

Does anyone know how buying cars really works? Dealership seems to only have premiums. Do you have to win the standards or buy them as used cars? If that is the case, is there any way to manipulate the used car market? Because I saw the Sauber Mercedez-Benz race car (the one from GT4 that you won for getting gold on the F1 championship) in there the other day, but it's no longer there. Not that I'll be able to buy something like that anytime soon, but if it's left to chance, then I might never have that car... :'(

The used cars dealership works in the following fashion: After each "day" passes (a day in GT5 is counted as an individual race, be it in A-Spec, B-Spec, Special Events or Practice) a new set of four standard cars is shuffled into the dealership and they replace the four bottom standards that were there previously.

The only way to kinda manipulate is, is to constantly going in and out of a practice session and constantly checking it for the car that you want. That's pretty much the only way to get a Polyphony Formula Car for the Polyphony Formula GT Cup, if you're not lucky enough to have it show up when you have cash for it (near 2.5M Cr).

The majority of cars that you win in cups or special events are Standards (which is normal, given the ratio of 220:811 premium - standard cars), though most of them aren't that useful (at least most of those that I've won so far).