Which would you choose & why for 50k (ish)?

[Zippee]

Not something I can do right now but with any luck this time next year I'll be in a position to move on from my TVR into 1 of the below 3 cars which are on, below or just over the 50k mark at present. So which would you choose and why? My head says 997, my wife says R8 and my heart says Maser GT;

Granturismo - already below budget (examples starting now at 40k) but I doubt the S would be in reach even in 12 months. IMHO the prettiest shape of all but the least driver orientated - more GT and also the slowest of the 3;


R8 - my wifes favourite, a great mid way between sports and daily driver. Lovely looks but perhaps a tad common nowadays;


997TT - Fastest by a country mile, but would it be special enough? Would also likely be the S1 rather than the S2;

[Mr Roper]

I have absolutely no first hand experience of any of your 3 possibilities.....However, that Maserati is stunning pure and simple.

[LuS1fer]

The R8 has grown on me but sadly seems to be driven by people who like revving them a lot in a "hey, look at me" sort of way, possibly trying to compensate for the fact it's not a Ferrari, I don't know. It seems to fall into being a modern NSX - neither supercar nor highly coveted.

The Maserati has always been a bit midfield for me - looks different but just doesn't appeal to me visually. I lump them in with Jags.

I suspect the 997 is the choice most would make but I'm not a huge fan of the modern looks.

Despite reservations, I would have to drive all 3 and think I'd probably end up buying the Audi - certainly less common than 911s round here.

Might prefer an XK Jag though....

Edited to agree with the Aston too.

Edited by LuS1fer on Monday 20th February 13:15

[pistonchris]

Mr Roper said:

I have absolutely no first hand experience of any of your 3 possibilities.....However, that Maserati is stunning pure and simple.

+1 The maserati is stunning.

[vixen1700]

I'd imagine thinking long term the Porsche would keep most of it's purchase price and the Maserati the least.

Not that I'm in your lucky situation, but just my tuppence worth.

[Podie]

Actually, none of them - I'd buy an Aston every time.

[ewenm]

If you're worried the R8 is getting too common, then surely the same criteria rules out the 911 (as most people can't tell the difference between a 993, 996, 997 never mind any further C2/C4/TT detail).

Leaving the Maser which is lovely although I'd be wandering over to the Aston Martin dealer too...

[jimslops]

Maser

Would rather have a vantage though.

[DanDC5]

I wanted to suggest a Gallardo but cheapest I found was just over 60k.

Out of those 3 I'd go for the R8.

[VidalBaboon]

R8 for me.

[alfa pint]

Definitely not the R8 - just too pretentious for me.

I'd quite like a jag XK R at that budget tbh. Do like the maseratis, a lot. I'd probably be more tempted by a quattroporte than the GT personally, but I can see why the GT would be desirable. It's a stunning looking car.

[Zippee]

Have to admit the R8 is winning it for me though I soooo love the Masers shape.
Personally I'm not an Aston fan, whilst I've not driven any of the above I have driven the Vantage and just didn't like it - nothing I can really put my finger on but.....
No doubt I'll end up changing my mind a hundred times over the next 12 months but the above 3 have been my shortlist for a while now. The Porsche I know from having driven the X50 996 will be scary fast and the Maser I'll just want to look at all day.
As much as I'd love a Gallardo, in a years time it will still be bottom of the barrel money and likely to bankrupt me running it.

[EDLT]

I'd take the Maserati, it is rarer than the Porsche and not driven by multi millionaire 19 year olds like the R8. Mine would be blue though.

[jimslops]

Zippee said:

Have to admit the R8 is winning it for me though I soooo love the Masers shape.
Personally I'm not an Aston fan, whilst I've not driven any of the above I have driven the Vantage and just didn't like it - nothing I can really put my finger on but.....
No doubt I'll end up changing my mind a hundred times over the next 12 months but the above 3 have been my shortlist for a while now. The Porsche I know from having driven the X50 996 will be scary fast and the Maser I'll just want to look at all day.
As much as I'd love a Gallardo, in a years time it will still be bottom of the barrel money and likely to bankrupt me running it.

Gallardo should not be too much more expensive to run than the others. Think it is mainly clutch that knocks up maintenance bills.

Your TIV is stunning, excellent taste, clearly.

[Johnboy Mac]

No question, the Maser for me - just for the looks alone . Otherwise, the Audi gets my vote - by all accounts ease of driving and general running costs.

[130R]

I see an R8 once in a blue moon, maybe they are common in London. The only thing for me is that if I got the V8 I'd really want the V10 ..

[Jasandjules]

Podie said:

Actually, none of them - I'd buy an Aston every time.

This.

DB9 Volante.

[Bisonhead]

Zippee said:

Not something I can do right now but with any luck this time next year I'll be in a position to move on from my TVR into 1 of the below 3 cars which are on, below or just over the 50k mark at present. So which would you choose and why? My head says 997, my wife says R8 and my heart says Maser GT;

Granturismo - already below budget (examples starting now at 40k) but I doubt the S would be in reach even in 12 months. IMHO the prettiest shape of all but the least driver orientated - more GT and also the slowest of the 3;


R8 - my wifes favourite, a great mid way between sports and daily driver. Lovely looks but perhaps a tad common nowadays;


997TT - Fastest by a country mile, but would it be special enough? Would also likely be the S1 rather than the S2;

Are you also known as 'Addicted' and are really a 19 year old boy driving his dad's SLK200?

[FUBAR]

Between the R8 and the Maser for me.

The R8 is a peach of a motor car. Not 'OMG fast' (V8) but pretty much 'fack me, this handles well' err, handling.

Maser looks great, sounds better and I presume goes OK too (not driven one).

There is no doubt the 911T is a hugely fast car, but to me they aren't special enough. They might get the heart racing as I bury the right foot, but wouldnt get it racing as I walked towards it, key in hand.

I think the Maser would worry me about big bills, whereas I'm sure the R8 would be slightly more friendly ownership proposition. I don't give a monkeys what other people think of a car, or if its too common. If I like it, I buy it

[Whitean3]

Leftfield choice, but as you seem to be a TVR man, what about a Sagaris?

From the 3 cars you suggest, the 997TT will be the most practical, reliable, sensible and quickest of the bunch. Does this make it a bit of a dull/default choice? it would be my choice (but then I love Porsches). The R8 would run it very very close- I don't think they are that common (difficult for me to say as I'm not in the UK- certianly see a lot more Maseratis here in Switzerland than R8s), but at the end of the day, the R8 is nowhere near as practical- no luggage space for example. I'm probably in the minority, but I'm not a fan of the GranTurismo- I think it looks a bit odd.

I reckon you could throw a numbe rof other options into the mix at a 50K price point- all depends whether you prefer something more hardcore (GT3, Sagaris?) or more GT (Conti GT, Astons, Jags, SL AMG).

It's a nice dilemma to have!