Separate bank accounts are a good thing for us too.
If you think aircooled VW stuff is expensive, you don't want to know how much watercooled P-taxed stuff is!
Currently looking into rebuilding my 3.4 Cayman S(295hp) motor into a 3.8(380hp plus). Even if I do the work, the parts cost almost as much as I paid for the whole car.
Here's an example: Billet VW forged connecting rods run about $400 a set, so $100 each. The Cayman factory rods are known for stretch/failure, they are not forged. New aftermarket rods are $1200 a set, so $200 each. That's really not bad for what you get, as that is the weak link of the M97 engine.
Complete gasket set, new main and rod bearings, new water pump and new case bolts is $4000-5000 dollars. Hope your crankshaft is good, because they can't be reground(no undersize bearings available). I don't want to know about new, a used one is $3000. Yep.
Cylinder wear is another biggie. Send your case halves to LN Engineering, and they'll machine the old out and install new billet aluminum with Nikasil coating for over $5k. At least that comes with new custom pistons. And a 6 month wait.
I haven't even talked about cylinder heads yet, they have 4 valves per cylinder and 24 hydraulic lifters...
The last thing is the tools to do the work, which are specialized and expensive. Of course.
A bone-stock rebuild(by a reputable company) is 13k.
She'll never know unless y'all tell her.