I always find it interesting when people say that their BMW was expensive to maintain. But then, I do pretty much everything myself and I know where to find quality parts (often OEM) at reasonable prices. And I never, ever go to the stealership! I doubt I ever spend more than $500 in any given year on maintenance.
However, I do know what my next car will be. A nice clean 996 with a bad motor. And I will be installing a nice 400+ hp LS3 type motor in it. I know it will be frowned upon by some, but I think it will be a fantastic combination!