How bad of an idea is a £30k Bentley GT?
Discussion
As the title says I can't stop looking at Continental GT Speed and lusting after a W12 in my life.
The car will do about 5k a year so fuel isn't an issue I'm more concerned about things going wrong and it crippling me.
Here's the car in question any advice from previous owners or people in the know? Like run for the hills and your absolutely mad like the wife has said.
https://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/threads/bentley-con...
The car will do about 5k a year so fuel isn't an issue I'm more concerned about things going wrong and it crippling me.
Here's the car in question any advice from previous owners or people in the know? Like run for the hills and your absolutely mad like the wife has said.
https://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/threads/bentley-con...
Imho it depends how you want to run it - can you accept that stuff might be on the blink and just ignore it? If you want to keep it tip-top, and can't do any work on it yourself, be prepared to spend a great deal of cash on it should something go wrong.
Either way, stay away from a dealer and find a specialist - they'll know all the practical tricks etc, and be prepared to source Phaeton and other generic VW parts yourself instead of just forking out for the Bentley-direct bits.
One example is that an alternator change (iirc, certainly one of the engine ancillaries) - by the Bentley manual it's an engine-out job, but specialists can do it without.
Either way, stay away from a dealer and find a specialist - they'll know all the practical tricks etc, and be prepared to source Phaeton and other generic VW parts yourself instead of just forking out for the Bentley-direct bits.
One example is that an alternator change (iirc, certainly one of the engine ancillaries) - by the Bentley manual it's an engine-out job, but specialists can do it without.
Krikkit said:
Imho it depends how you want to run it - can you accept that stuff might be on the blink and just ignore it? If you want to keep it tip-top, and can't do any work on it yourself, be prepared to spend a great deal of cash on it should something go wrong.
Either way, stay away from a dealer and find a specialist - they'll know all the practical tricks etc, and be prepared to source Phaeton and other generic VW parts yourself instead of just forking out for the Bentley-direct bits.
One example is that an alternator change (iirc, certainly one of the engine ancillaries) - by the Bentley manual it's an engine-out job, but specialists can do it without.
Jesus engine out to change an alternator that's ridiculous. Either way, stay away from a dealer and find a specialist - they'll know all the practical tricks etc, and be prepared to source Phaeton and other generic VW parts yourself instead of just forking out for the Bentley-direct bits.
One example is that an alternator change (iirc, certainly one of the engine ancillaries) - by the Bentley manual it's an engine-out job, but specialists can do it without.
There's been a couple of threads on the CGT, here's a 2012 example: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=11...
AldotheApache said:
4.0 V8 a mich better bet.
Neighbour had his drop top GT for sub 6 months, 2012 W12, low miles, first Bentley bill and it was gone (not under warranty) and that’s from someone who has had a fair few boats.
Sure the Speed has Carbon brakes too as I looked to swap to one from my Aston.
Ah jeez that makes me worried. Carbon breaks are an option I think, not standard on this particular car. It wouldn't be going to Bentley I don't mind a few ££££'s bills but it'd get very boring very quickly if it's multiple times a year. Neighbour had his drop top GT for sub 6 months, 2012 W12, low miles, first Bentley bill and it was gone (not under warranty) and that’s from someone who has had a fair few boats.
Sure the Speed has Carbon brakes too as I looked to swap to one from my Aston.
whats your slush fund for repairs?
a bentley GT might be cheap to buy, but it'll still be as expensive to run as it was when it was new. possibly more so.
a budget of £5k a year to keep a car that was £100k when new doesnt seem unreasonable to me.
we need a general rule here - 5% of the cars price when new should be considered the annual running cost, excluding fuel and insurance.
a bentley GT might be cheap to buy, but it'll still be as expensive to run as it was when it was new. possibly more so.
a budget of £5k a year to keep a car that was £100k when new doesnt seem unreasonable to me.
we need a general rule here - 5% of the cars price when new should be considered the annual running cost, excluding fuel and insurance.
brillomaster said:
whats your slush fund for repairs?
a bentley GT might be cheap to buy, but it'll still be as expensive to run as it was when it was new. possibly more so.
a budget of £5k a year to keep a car that was £100k when new doesnt seem unreasonable to me.
we need a general rule here - 5% of the cars price when new should be considered the annual running cost, excluding fuel and insurance.
I was thinking/hoping £3k a year. I think £5k every year would get annoying very quickly but it dosent put me off. It’s the ruinous 5 figure problems that really scare me. a bentley GT might be cheap to buy, but it'll still be as expensive to run as it was when it was new. possibly more so.
a budget of £5k a year to keep a car that was £100k when new doesnt seem unreasonable to me.
we need a general rule here - 5% of the cars price when new should be considered the annual running cost, excluding fuel and insurance.
If it's a second car so any fixes don't have to be immediate and you go in prepared to spend £5k every year then you should be ok and probably will have some money leftover
That's assuming you don't buy one with a problem to start with and have a decent specialist nearby
The first thing I'd do was call / visit the nearest specialist
That's assuming you don't buy one with a problem to start with and have a decent specialist nearby
The first thing I'd do was call / visit the nearest specialist
If you’re a ‘hands on’ enthusiast, it needn’t be terrifying. It’s a bunch of nuts and bolts after all, with spares available new and used. Plus blogs and YT vids from other like minded souls.
If you’re not though and would reply on a garage, then accept you’re rolling the dice. You’ll either get lucky or you’ll get roasted alive.
I can’t help but think of the exit strategy though - who exactly will be wanting to buy these when they’re even older and shagged out?
If you’re not though and would reply on a garage, then accept you’re rolling the dice. You’ll either get lucky or you’ll get roasted alive.
I can’t help but think of the exit strategy though - who exactly will be wanting to buy these when they’re even older and shagged out?
I would avoid one tbh, unless you can do the work yourself.
They are big, heavy cars, the brakes, tyres and suspension will all take a hammering. Some pets are common across VAG group, some are bespoke.
Early cars have notoriously expensive and temperamental electronics, ECU in the boot which is commonly water damaged.
If you must do it I’d go later car on higher mileage with a proper SH from a specialist, I’m sure the facelift was 2011ish, I can’t remember if there was an earlier one.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009274...
Looks tidy.
They are big, heavy cars, the brakes, tyres and suspension will all take a hammering. Some pets are common across VAG group, some are bespoke.
Early cars have notoriously expensive and temperamental electronics, ECU in the boot which is commonly water damaged.
If you must do it I’d go later car on higher mileage with a proper SH from a specialist, I’m sure the facelift was 2011ish, I can’t remember if there was an earlier one.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009274...
Looks tidy.
Life is too short to lust after things and only letting the money stopping you at least try it. Especially if you have the money and won't starve if it does throw up some nasty bills.
I have a friend who spent the best part of £5K maintaining and repairing a Focus for a year. If you had to throw twice that at this, I wouldn't worry.
I have a friend who spent the best part of £5K maintaining and repairing a Focus for a year. If you had to throw twice that at this, I wouldn't worry.
There is being handy with the spanners and these.
Look on Youtube for a guy called "Tavarish" dealing with one, I am fairly sure, if I needed to I could whip the engine and box out of my Fiesta, on the drive, in a day, absolutely no way with these.
Obviously some stuff is diy able but these are big, heavy complex cars. Maybe disks and pad change and the odd suspension component but not much else for me.
If you had a fully fitted workshop with a lift, maybe, even then the packaging is a nightmare, so many wires, connectors, pipes etc, mind boggling.
Its one of those cars that welathy folk dont want when they are down in the relative bargain basement and those who can afford the purchase price will baulk at the costs if it goes wrong.
Saw a young lad swagger into the tyre place having got out of one, was all cocky until the tyre fitter told him it wasnt the tyres that were the problem, all his wheels were cracking and leaking, so it went from a grand and a bit for 4 tyres (all illegal apparently) to probably nearer four for a set of new wheels, plus the tyres.
Look on Youtube for a guy called "Tavarish" dealing with one, I am fairly sure, if I needed to I could whip the engine and box out of my Fiesta, on the drive, in a day, absolutely no way with these.
Obviously some stuff is diy able but these are big, heavy complex cars. Maybe disks and pad change and the odd suspension component but not much else for me.
If you had a fully fitted workshop with a lift, maybe, even then the packaging is a nightmare, so many wires, connectors, pipes etc, mind boggling.
Its one of those cars that welathy folk dont want when they are down in the relative bargain basement and those who can afford the purchase price will baulk at the costs if it goes wrong.
Saw a young lad swagger into the tyre place having got out of one, was all cocky until the tyre fitter told him it wasnt the tyres that were the problem, all his wheels were cracking and leaking, so it went from a grand and a bit for 4 tyres (all illegal apparently) to probably nearer four for a set of new wheels, plus the tyres.
fido said:
Nearly 5 digits on servicing and fuel - don't get it myself but whatever floats your boat. Even a used RS5 with 4 less cylinders (but still a premium VAG) is going to look sensible and feel as quick in most cases.
As you say - you don't get it. Neither do I but I get the impression the OP really wants to do this and is looking for sensible balance. I think at best he will have good or bad luck but either way, once he's sold it on, he will have had an experience which he will otherwise just be thinking - what if I had.A mate had a near miss with a DB9 ownership and has no regrets in owning it but glad he sold it when he did.
As I said above - life is too short.
hmm, yeah on balance I'd say a pretty bad idea. It's old and from a private seller so you have no comeback. It's spent a fair chunk of its life sat in storage, which is never good. It's not been properly serviced in 4 years. The pics are taken on a housing estate that better suits a Nissan Juke than a 200+mph luxury GT car. This thing will be a money pit.
I'd go for a newer V8 model, but those are twice the price of this. The W12 really doesn't sound very good to my ears.
I'd go for a newer V8 model, but those are twice the price of this. The W12 really doesn't sound very good to my ears.
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