You've made a complete 180* turn in the right direction. The 420 rancher is a bad little machine. With fuel injection and an independent rear suspension it's the total package. The power to weight ratio is outstanding. It's the biggest bang for your buck.
I walked in with cash and one of the...
When I had my Z06 I could jump down from any gear at any given speed with a quick rev match and you'd never even knew I dropped 2 or 3 gears other than the rpms were up. It was that smooth. I knew exactly what rpm to hit at that given speed to get the buttery smooth shift into that gear. But...
You may be surprised. I bought a z06 when I was 18, insurance was cheaper by a lot for it than it was any other sports car (mustang, camaro, etc). Reason being, a Corvette was classed as luxury and not sports.
Get an 01-04 z06 vette. You will not find a better car for the money. It's fast in a straight line, around a curve, and will get 30mpg on the hwy. The 01's have 385hp, 02-04 cars come with 405hp. Both have 6spd and weigh just over 3100lbs. They're fun cars.
I'd suggest a 4runner for your wife. Not nearly as many blind spots, is roomier on the inside, and also comes with an optional v8 that gets similar mpg to the v6.
It takes a lot to run 200mph in a car, the first 160 goes fast but the 2nd half takes up to miles depending on the car. You have a racing background it seems so you should relate to this perfectly. That car was steady and smooth, any car that can run 200mph and drive anywhere gets my respect...
2003 was the first year that the v6 4runner went to a timing chain. They make a v8 4runner which gets similar mpg but they have timing belts that need replacing every 90k. I've always been a fan of timing chains over belts. Keep the oil changed and they'll run forever. Even with 200k on them...