To downsize or not to downsize?

So,

With my new place in brooklyn, I will no longer need a daily driver to get to work and it looks like my car will reside at my parents' place on long island. I had originally set aside some cash and planned to pick up a project and keep my dd as it's paid off. However, given all of the little nagging issues and the lack of use for a car right now, I am thinking of just selling my DD taking the extra cash for a single weekend fun car/occaisional DD for when I am on the island. So, do I keep the dd and get a cheap fun car or sell it and trade up to a more fun single car? The con is that I would be limited smaller mods as I don't feel comfortable tearing up my only ride.

If I do go this route, any thoughts on the car? I figure I would have about 10-15k to spend. I prefer something 2000+ with less than 65k. I prefer handling over speed as this is going to mainly be a backroads/ local auto-x car. Also, a little flash would be nice as I will also be using it to cart around any girls I might be seeing.

I was thinking celica, rsx, civic si, miata (too small?), MIni, mazda 3, possibly a lexus is300

Please no crazy ideas, I already had the thought of picking up an FD rx-7 as my only car and am still fighting the urge to do that. I really don't need anymore prodding.

Miata!

(somebody had to be first!)

no to the rx7, how bout an rx8?

Can you get a used S2000 for 15k? Sounds like it would match all your requirements perfectly.

Wow, that DD of yours must be pretty awful, you don't tell us what it is. If my DD was a 3 series BMW, would I get rid of it and look for a "smaller, fun car"? Probably not. If it was a 20 year old, rusty, Cadillac sedan...yeah, I'd dump it in a heartbeat, no matter how reliable.

As far as modding or not to keep it reliable, I would think a lot more will depend on how often this "new", or even your DD gets driven. Most newer cars are pretty good, but driving any car only on occasional weekends, won't do much for maintaining it's reliable status as a fun car.

What is the current car?

Having grown up on LI and worked in NYC and lived in NYC, I was in your situation a number of years ago.

Stay away from the FD as an only car. It is pretty old at this point and requires a fair amount of wrenching and sorting at this point in its life to remain reliable - unless of course you are looking for something to tinker with that will drive incredibly well. I own an FD btw.

Fun weekend car on LI, I'd say C5 Vette, S2000, Boxster, 06 Miata MX5 or RX8. Not sure if you plan on doing any winter driving but snow tires might work. I used snow tires on my e36 back when I lived there and went north to VT to go snowboarding.

The current car is an Altima. Its not bad for a sedan, but I'm getting bored and I no longer need something so sensible. I haven't seen an NC Mx-5 or a non-salvage s2000 for less than 15k in the area, but I'll be happy to buy one if there is.