The first time I popped in the game, I was showing it to a non-video-gaming friend. We had just been talking about the Honda S2000 and the roadster in general, so we decided to make that our first purchase after many scrappy (and often boring) wins at the beginning. OOPS! I should have checked the prize cars. I was shocked and disappointed to be gifted the exact same model just a few earned stars later...
Either way, during my second go around the career circuit, I played through career the way I like to: earn all the golds on license tests/missions/and the like to earn all the prize cars possible (ie. buy as few cars as possible to get to 100% completion). Thinking back, I think I had saved so much dough along the way that the first car I bought was the Chapparal 2J '70 (it feels like cheating, I know) for that really pesky Classic Racing Car series in the IB or IA league. I really wanted to try the Shelby Daytona Coupe (new to the GT series this edition), but I decided the first time through career that I wouldn't mess around. The 2J is just nasty good. It just wallops your preciously earned credits.