They are really bringing the Neon SRT-4 back?.. Calibur doesent count… They really are not cool in any way. What ever happened to the ACR Neon with the light weight wheels, aluminum roof and stripped down interior with no stereo? I saw one at the NYC auto show but Im not sure if it actually got produced. It was supposed to have more power than the SRT as well and they advertised low 13 second 1/4 mile times. That would almost put it on par with LS1 F-bodies, STIs, EVOs, C5s and so on… If you were a professional driver on a closed course.
Change my vote to the 89-92 Ford Probe and Mazda MX6/626 GTs. They can be had for cheap and made pretty fast on a budget. They have muscle car status torque with a SOHC 4 cylinder and are a blast to drive. Pick one up for a winter beater with balls and see what Im talkin about.