Found a 2005 Mazda RX-8 for $5k
Why I want it:
–I can't afford a Supra, but this is the budget experience
– RWD, manual gearbox, Japanese
– reportedly fun
Issues:
– the Wankel engine breaks after ~100k km, this one has 94k
– rebuilding the engine costs $5-7k
Thoughts? 
I would not risk buying old Wankel
engine. At least not as my only car.
RX-8 is a slug compared to the RX-7 or Miata. The 2+2 design adds a lot of weight. An RX-7 for less than twice the cost will give you more performance with a lower rebuild/repair cost. A “spec” Miata will blow the doors off a stock RX-8 and be less expensive than an RX-7 to repair/modify. All that being said, a 2000 Corvette costs around the same as a RX-7 and will pretty much smoke any import. Of course, if you like working on cars a Triumph TR6 that needs a restoration costs around as much as the RX-8 you are looking at but is WAY cooler. I can talk about cars all day.
10K RX7's are not more fun to drive than an RX8. Maybe you can find a decent first gen for that price, but that's a REALLY old car at this point.
And the second gen cars never had that "aliveness" that the first and third gen did.
If you see a third gen RX7 for 10K, DM me. I want to hop on a plane to look at it.
Never driven a four seat car that had better driving "feel".
I spent a decade auto crossing at a fairly high level and have driven (on course) just about everything.
That said, the reliability and maintenance issues with Wankel engines will recalibrate what those words mean to you.
As the other guy said; if you don't need the four seats, it's tough to beat a miata or corvette.
Unless you really must have Japanese, you could consider a Porsche 986/987/Cayman.
