As a car designer I am frequently asked to give my advice about cars. Usually the requests have to do with buying a current production transportation appliance. The questions often resemble this, “I have 2 kids and a dog and not a lot of money, what should I buy, Fusion, Camry or Accord”?

Yawn.

But every once in a while someone has the good fortune/bad sense to be in the market for a sports car - a toy to own and drive for the joy of it. These cases get my undivided attention. It is a wonderful situation, similar to when, say, a woman in Macy’s asks my wife to help pick out dress shoes. It’s real good, you just roll in it.

When someone asks me about buying a sports car I am ready. I am Madden on football. I’m armed with overbearing opinion and endless stats. I will hit you with questions first, to set the boundaries. Will you race it? What is your taste, price range, national bias, personality type, mechanical aptitude, garage space? Certainly price sets the toughest limitation, but there is an enormous number of choices for new or classic sports cars for any price range. However, given a fixed set of objectives I believe that there is always one best car for any one person. I’ll formulate a perfect answer to your sports car need.

But here’s a secret. Want to be happy with a sports car? Then take my answer and toss it.

Don’t even pretend to buy a sports car for a rational or calculated reason. There are none. A Fusion is a much better choice than even the most practical sports car. And NEVER ever let someone else’s ideas (even mine) affect your decision. Buy a sports car because you absolutely love it. Buy it because it makes your mouth wet. Buy it because you’ve just gotta have it.

Look, ultimately the car is going to be a pain in the butt, no sense living with something that you will suffer with IF you don’t love it.

What would that be in womans shoes? Prada heels?