OK, so to address a few questions that were raised:
No I'm not close to independently wealthy. I do work white collar but I make about what a good mechanic will make. My retirement fund isn't abundant and my monthly cash flow is such that I don't worry about paying my bills, but I don't have "permission" to go shopping whenever I want and major purchases require boss' approval first
"Sacrifices" means taking on a car loan (I don't have one now), giving up on some more expensive hobbies I've discussed picking up, and generally having a lower ability to talk my wife into spending.
I'm 48. I plan on working to 67 at least. Longer if I can because I enjoy my work but not because I'll have to.
I carry no debt other than the house. No car loans, no credit cards, nothing. I have excellent credit. Every extra penny goes into either 401k or savings.
I'm no mechanic- I'm not opposed to overhauling my PW engine, but I wouldn't be able to do the work or maintenance myself. I'd need an expert.
Wife doesn't like the PW- it's too tall for her (stock). I imagine the TRX would be too. I love the PW. She prefers to ride in our V6 Grand Cherokee if she has the choice.
I do NOT have a garage that I'd store it in either at home or at work. It'll be exposed to the elements every day AND be a daily driver. As far as security is concerned I live and work in a pretty safe place but I believe the reality is if they want it they'll take it and there's not much I can do about that other than aftermarket security. I just keep really good insurance and try to be smart about where I leave it.
I floated this idea to my wife over the weekend. She was 100% not on board with the idea of gifting my PW to my niece (she'll need a car next fall) and then buying a TRX. She did however make the comment "Why not just look for a good deal on a used hellcat you can pay cash for?" So I think she's on board with the motor and vehicle, just not the payments. I can afford to pay cash for a used charger/challenger if I really wanted to, but I'd be all out of brownie points.
Insurance isn't an issue. I'm an extremely favorable risk and my agent loves me. Insurance would definitely go up with a new TRX, but not so much it would be cost prohibitive.
Work is an interesting question. I work in a great job in a mostly recession proof industry. However, there's very little loyalty in my business. To that end I've been laid off 3 times in the last decade, and been off work 60 days or less during each layoff. Recently (last year) I decided to make a major career change and shifted from one side of my business to another moving into a "softer" role with greater job satisfaction but a 40% pay cut. On the "pro" side of that I love my new role, the work is steady, and I have greater job security. On the "con" side I make alot less, my job titles are 'less sexy', and growth opportunities are small. From a short term perspective my role isn't going away soon and there are lots of opportunities in the market for me. In the long term, my role will be adversely impacted in a very big way by the development of AI I believe. I don't worry about my job for the next 5-10 years, but I would absolutely discourage a young person from getting into my line of work.
So with the info here, along with my wife's reaction to the general idea of the switch, I think my TRX dreams are on hold for now. With that being said I think I'll keep my eyes open for a really good used Hellcat or Trackhawk (to replace her Jeep).