Large capacity engines. Very sought after or hot potato?

[QBee]

I assumed that an E43 would be a 4.3 litre V8, like the Lexus LS 430 was, not a 3 litre V6.
My fault obviously - I have not been able to understand any German manufacturer's engine designations recently.
I just looks like over-badging in most cases.

The 530e BMW I bought for our fleet, for a sales guy to pose around South London in, turns out to be a 2 litre with an electric motor alternative for town driving.
What's in a Merc C63 these days? A 0.7 litre twin turbo out of a Smart BA Barrabas, with a snarl sound effect stuffed up the exhaust?

As for Audi, what on earth is going on with 25,30,35,40,45,50,55,60?
If they think I am going to bother decoding that load of twaddle they can think again.

I must be getting old.
Give me TVR Chimaera 400, 430, 450 and 500, and I will happily stay in the last century.
But a long way away from Jacob Rees Mogg.

[AC43]

Biglips said:

AC43 said:

E43's are the natural successor but I want to wait until they're sun 20k. Don't like to tie too much up in a car tbh.

Getting there now for high mileage examples

Good to see. So maybe next year or the one after that.

[KTMsm]

edgyedgy said:

I suspect part of the reason is that people like to look like they are more of a talented driver than they actually are and a TVR is the perfect tool to show up your lack of talent. In short people in market for this sector of car are scared of them.

Firstly I can't remember the last car I've seen driven quickly and secondly that would also include any powerful car without driver aids and 90s jap stuff is going through the roof !

I suspect it's more that they don't have the best reputation for reliability - my Griffith 500 was absolutely reliable, you could rely on it to break down once a month

[Magikarp]

Biglips said:

Why so?

I've spent a colossal amount of money trying to correct problem after problem. A combination of over complex design, neglect, and sheer bad luck. It has been ok as a wafter (when it has worked) but the equivalent age BMW 5 series (E60) is an infinitely better drive, although probably equally unreliable.

There is a thread about my woes, if you're interested.

[Biglips]

Magikarp said:

I've spent a colossal amount of money trying to correct problem after problem. A combination of over complex design, neglect, and sheer bad luck. It has been ok as a wafter (when it has worked) but the equivalent age BMW 5 series (E60) is an infinitely better drive, although probably equally unreliable.

There is a thread about my woes, if you're interested.

Mine threw regular 4 figure bills so I know your pain! The main issue for me is that I am time poor and my indie is not on my doorstep. I got tired of taking it in to be fixed before the bills made it unpleasant. Would be interested to read your thread if you have a link. Hopefully it won’t trigger my PTSD…..

[samoht]

Biglips said:

Mine threw regular 4 figure bills so I know your pain! The main issue for me is that I am time poor and my indie is not on my doorstep. I got tired of taking it in to be fixed before the bills made it unpleasant. Would be interested to read your thread if you have a link. Hopefully it won’t trigger my PTSD…..

Magikarp E500 thread clicky - An act of irresistible folly

[Biglips]

samoht said:

Magikarp E500 thread clicky - An act of irresistible folly

Cheers. I will read it through my fingers

[JAMSXR]

Mr E said:

JAMSXR said:

The EV performance equivalent of V8 saloons and estates are going to be circa 100k,

The EV that’s replacing mine is not 100k.

What are you getting then?

When after a do it all car (dog, kids, mountain bike, office runs, and the odd track day) the Taycan sport Turismo was the only EV to float my boat.

I tend to avoid finance, and even with 50k to play with, the EV market is a fairly dull prospect for the foreseeable future. Plenty of good options for the wife’s utility vehicle, but nothing affordable to get me excited.

Edited by JAMSXR on Monday 30th May 12:38

[Condi]

JAMSXR said:

The EV performance equivalent of V8 saloons and estates are going to be circa 100k,

Why do you say so? An EV will have better acceleration at much lower cost than £100k.


The high fuel prices and high tax at the moment are denting the secondhand market for high capacity engines. £600 tax is quite offputting, especially if you then only get 25mpg on top. Makes it a very expensive way to sit in traffic at 30mph, when something with £0 tax and 40mpg would sit in traffic in exactly the same fashion.

[JAMSXR]

Condi said:

Why do you say so? An EV will have better acceleration at much lower cost than £100k.

0-60 is great for top trumps but personally I’m after more than that. At the moment they make great A to B transportation vehicles for most people, but you’re not going to take a Polestar or Tesla out for a Sunday morning blast or track day.

I enjoy my car for multiple reasons, but the sound and engine characteristics are the outstanding features. I totally accept the EV future, but nothing quite ticks the box yet.

RE fuel costs, they seem to be going one way unfortunately, but as I don’t do big miles, spending tens of thousands more to buy an EV just doesn’t make sense. I’m going to enjoy my V8 for a while longer that’s for sure. In the EV future, track days and Sunday morning blasts will be reserved for a motorcycle and my car will become another gadget.

If running costs are an issue or concern, then V8 cars shouldn’t be on your radar - for me it’s a worthy sacrifice. I’ve also checked out the Taycan service costs from Porsche, they are clearly capitalising on the low fuel costs when it comes to what they are charging!!

Edited by JAMSXR on Monday 30th May 16:17

[anarki]

Really interesting topic - I have been thinking the same thing.

Personally, its a case of do or die, I've always wanted a V8 and I reckon if I don't go for it within the next few years, I'll probably never get one/be able to afford one.

I run a shed as my daily and have no other vehicles. I'm financially ok and would only be running the V8 for 1000-2000 miles a year during the spring/summer months on weekends strictly as a second fun car.

I don't see the push towards EV's ever changing, we'll all be forced down that avenue, so I don't want to have missed out on V8 ownership. However with my luck, I'll buy one soon and the values of them will tank!

[Mr E]

JAMSXR said:

When after a do it all car (dog, kids, mountain bike, office runs, and the odd track day) the Taycan sport Turismo was the only EV to float my boat.

The need to “do track days” is your problem. Buy a utility car and spend the other 40k on something that is nice to drive.

[JAMSXR]

Mr E said:

The need to “do track days” is your problem. Buy a utility car and spend the other 40k on something that is nice to drive.

Horses for courses. I have other hobbies so multiple cars (other than my wife’s) isn’t really practical, and then to buy what I deem to be a nice daily EV will still cost more than my C63 + the cost of the track car. However, if I was doing big personal miles (15k per year) then I would be on the EV train.

I’ve noticed a few people down my road have swapped their 15-20k ICE cars for 60K+ EVs. I’m pretty sure it’s not to save money or the environment, it’s because we like shiny new gadgets. I’m as guilty as the next person, it’s just my wife won’t let me spend our savings on a Taycan and I don’t do finance.

[Mr E]

JAMSXR said:

I’ve noticed a few people down my road have swapped their 15-20k ICE cars for 60K+ EVs. I’m pretty sure it’s not to save money or the environment, it’s because we like shiny new gadgets.

I think it’s because it’s tax efficient via salary sacrifice tbh.

[Olivergt]

anarki said:

Really interesting topic - I have been thinking the same thing.

Personally, its a case of do or die, I've always wanted a V8 and I reckon if I don't go for it within the next few years, I'll probably never get one/be able to afford one.

I run a shed as my daily and have no other vehicles. I'm financially ok and would only be running the V8 for 1000-2000 miles a year during the spring/summer months on weekends strictly as a second fun car.

I don't see the push towards EV's ever changing, we'll all be forced down that avenue, so I don't want to have missed out on V8 ownership. However with my luck, I'll buy one soon and the values of them will tank!

I'm like you, I drive a shed, an Octavia with 275k miles on the clock.

But I also have a 34 yr old 7 series (E32 735i) in the garage which I use for weekends and odd trips here and there.

If you have a garage and are happy to tinker with whatever you get, then I can highly recommend it. Pick something with a good following on the Internet and you should be able to resolve most issues, and it will have issues! Mine has a few problems that need to be sorted, but nothing that stops it being driven, so part of the enjoyment for me is tinkering and sorting out the little issues and hopefully one day everything will be sorted.

[Jon39]

Would many drivers want a car like this in 2040 ?

[BIRMA]

In answer to the OP's question I don't think it matters that much, I don't think they'll be either sought after or a hot potato. My friends run Tesla's, 3 of them do in total, some have very nice collections of V 12 Jaguar's etc.
I have tried their Tesla once and the fact that you can make it fart and be amused for 10 minutes with the regenerative braking my extended drive drew me to the conclusion that in my personal opinion it was crap and I told him so. Okay it seemed to be faster than my recent V12 twin turbo'd AMG but where was the drama.
I'm just about to extend my largish capacity engined cars by buying a 3.4 litre flat 6 Boxster I also have a V8 5 litre Lexus RCF for sale in the classified at the moment not because it is a hot potato but because I've only done 600 miles since the last annual service. In fact I'm going to remove it for sale and get out more.

[anonymous-user]

Jon39 said:

Would many drivers want a car like this in 2040 ?

Yes if they are £250

[Condi]

JAMSXR said:

If running costs are an issue or concern, then V8 cars shouldn’t be on your radar

Quite clearly the cheaper costs are the more accessible they are to more people.

As the price of fuel and tax increases more people chose to avoid bigger engines, and you have a smaller pool of buyers to sell to which decreases the value of the car. That being the whole point of the thread, really!

[KTMsm]

Condi said:

JAMSXR said:

If running costs are an issue or concern, then V8 cars shouldn’t be on your radar

Quite clearly the cheaper costs are the more accessible they are to more people.

As the price of fuel and tax increases more people chose to avoid bigger engines, and you have a smaller pool of buyers to sell to which decreases the value of the car. That being the whole point of the thread, really!

I disagree, as a daily driver you're correct - but as cars get older they are used for very limited mileage so the cost per mile is far less of an issue