Weekend car £20-£30k shortlist considerations

[Keepersball]

I’m looking for a weekend car budget of around £20-£30k - running costs not too important but would like it to feel special when driving - absolute performance not essential as I’m no Lewis Hamilton but sound definitely important.

Current shortlist

- Maserati GT
- Audi R8

What should I add to the list?

[EBRANDON1]

911 997 (or even 996 Turbo)
Guilia Quad
F Type V8
Lexus RC F

Obviously usual German options, M2 probably being most 'weekend' car feel

[Its Just Adz]

This would feel pretty damm special

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202410014...

[andburg]

As late a TVR as you can afford? 30k should see a t350

[andy43]

Sound important = V8 upwards imho, and ideally no roof. Reckon you’d get a DB9 Volante for that but it’s like the Maser, quite big and a cruiser more than sports car, and just as potentially ruinous. F type have got cheaper - think a V8 convertible is doable at that money.
SLK55 or TVR Griffith or maybe Vantage convertible would be my choices depending on where you are on the convenience vs propensity to kill you scale, you’d get an ace Griff for 30k.
Eg this Griff - but it’s sold
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1542241?no_univ...

[ZX10R NIN]

I'd say the best Evora you can find they're a truly special car:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408012...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406140...

The GranTurismo is a cracking GT& they feel special at 30mph especially with an exhaust upgrade:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202407081...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408162...

Depending on your usage the hard part is choosing between the MC Shift or straight auto.

370Z Nismo:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202410064...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202410044...

[Keepersball]

Evora is a great shout!! I hadn’t considered them !! Grab turismo to me seems the most special at a reasonable price - pre facelift decent examples are coming in early 20’s and facelift early 30’s - auto all the way for me I reckon

ZX10R NIN said:

I'd say the best Evora you can find they're a truly special car:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408012...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406140...

The GranTurismo is a cracking GT& they feel special at 30mph especially with an exhaust upgrade:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202407081...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408162...

Depending on your usage the hard part is choosing between the MC Shift or straight auto.

370Z Nismo:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202410064...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202410044...

[davek_964]

Keepersball said:

Evora is a great shout!!

Make sure you try one first.

I loved Evora's - and got one as a courtesy car for a week or two at a time when I was intending to buy another car. I was 100% sure that when I gave it back, I'd be buying one.

I hated it. Enough so that it spent most of that time on my driveway while I used my other car.

I am pretty sure I'm in a minority of one - so you'd probably love it. But I was very disappointed

[fflump]

The Granturismo prices are softening they are a car I keep an eye on. The Sport is the one to get and attainable now whereas not so long ago the cheapest was 35k .

[andy43]

Masers have got very cheap very suddenly. £31k for this Grancabrio. Facelift 2013 so it blips on downshifts, no roof, 4.7 V8 and, well, just look at it.

[ZX10R NIN]

Keepersball said:

Evora is a great shout!! I hadn’t considered them !! Grab turismo to me seems the most special at a reasonable price - pre facelift decent examples are coming in early 20’s and facelift early 30’s - auto all the way for me I reckon

If your going for an early 20k model then the S is the pick:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202410084...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406281...


Personally I'd look for the best Sport you can find within your budget:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409304...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408162...

[maz8062]

Tread very carefully with Maserati’s. The upkeep on them is mind bogglingly expensive. Underneath the business suit they’re a Ferrari in drag and costs are commensurate with a £200k plus car cavorting around at a 1/10th of the price. I was seriously considering a lowly 4.2 Spyder recently but got spooked by the recommended budget of £3k pa to keep the things on the road.

Fuel consumption is ridiculous on them. Low teens of the good stuff (98 Ron) if you’re lucky.

I really don’t get the strategy with the cars. They’re competing with Mercs, Audi’s and BMW’s yet have Ferrari service costs and very few independent specialists, specialists that typically work on Ferrari’s as well as Maserati’s. It’s a recipe for financial ruin for the ignorant.

You’ve been warned.

Edited by maz8062 on Sunday 13th October 23:58

[E63eeeeee...]

You can get a R231 SL63 in your budget, with the 5.5 twin turbo which is an awesome engine. Roof comes off, makes excellent noises, probably not ruinous to run.

[omniflow]

maz8062 said:

Tread very carefully with Maserati’s. The upkeep on them is mind bogglingly expensive. Underneath the business suit they’re a Ferrari in drag and costs are commensurate with a £200k plus car cavorting around at a 1/10th of the price. I was seriously considering a lowly 4.2 Spyder recently but got spooked by the recommended budget of £3k pa to keep the things on the road.

Fuel consumption is ridiculous on them. Low teens of the good stuff (98 Ron) if you’re lucky.

I really don’t get the strategy with the cars. They’re competing with Mercs, Audi’s and BMW’s yet have Ferrari service costs and very few independent specialists, specialists that typically work on Ferrari’s as well as Maserati’s. It’s a recipe for financial ruin for the ignorant.

You’ve been warned.

Edited by maz8062 on Sunday 13th October 23:58

A fair amount of exageration in this post. On a recent road trip we averaged 24mpg over 3,500 miles of varied driving - some fast, some slow, some cities.

I've done nearly 40,000 miles over the past 5 years in my 2013 4.7 Gran Cabrio and I've not had any horrific bills. Find a decent Indy (e.g. Emblem in Poole) and you're pretty much there. The shockers are very easy to avoid - don't use genuine Maserati brake discs and pads for example. There are several superior after market alternative at a much better price point.