Decisions: DB7 v 996 v E46 M3 v 4200 GT
Discussion
I have owned a 3200GT auto and a 4200GT Spyder manual.....also DB7i6 and a DB7 Vantage....my present car is a DB9....although I loved the boomarang rear lights of the 3200 the 4200 was a much more sorted car....that would be my choice a manual 4200GT.....should pick up a nice one for sub 20k
Interesting how time can change things somehow. Now almost 10 years later, the DB7 looks better than it did in 2009. At least to me. I think it has aged well. I kind of like it better than the Vanquish from the early 2000's.
Anyhow, the reason I bumped this old thread is that I'm getting into the same boat now, funy enough after almost 10 years with pretty much the same choices left . Found this thread while researching and decided to post here instead o starting a new thread.
The only thing is that to me it absolutely matters if it's an auto or manual. It must be a manual.
This disqualifies the XK8 and XK. I know they are not special. But to me the biggest problem is the auto box. I'm not a fan of even paddles. Let alone older automatics.
The Porsche is a no-no as I want front engine.
The BMW is as everybody said just not special at all and as all predicted, at this point it has becomes a chav mobile. If you just buy a current one it's just a matter of time till it becomes one. And still not special.
So this leaves basically the Aston and the Maserati. Although today they hold different meaning. Back in 2009 they were semi old cars. Today they are more classic. Why go back so far? Because of the manual transmission. You can't really buy anything which is special today with a manual transmission. Not European. It's strange how American cars used to be all about auto boxes and Europe about manuals. Now the Americans are basically the only ones left with RWD and manual gearboxes, apart from BMWs. You can have the Corvette, Camaro or Mustang with a big V8 and a manual. Can barely have anything European unless it's a diesel or small engine. Can't think of a single special GT. GranTurismo, Astons, Ferraris, all auto only. Quite depressing really.
I was thinking of a 2 seats sports car, front engine, RWD, manual. But have since started considering 2+2 front engine RWD, manual GTs.
The DB7 is easier to find in manual but there are more scary stories about it. A late 2004-2006 4200 GT in manual seems like a better proposition. But manuals are as rare as hen's teeth. Look-wise both look good, with an edge to the Maserati.
Move up to newer cars and there is nothing as special with an interesting engine, RWD and manual.
Maybe I should just buy a new Mustang GT and be done with it. Not special, not as refined as an European car, but at least fun to drive, has a proper drive train and goes well. Dark times for fans of involved driving.
By the way, do you still have the Porsche OP?
Anyhow, the reason I bumped this old thread is that I'm getting into the same boat now, funy enough after almost 10 years with pretty much the same choices left . Found this thread while researching and decided to post here instead o starting a new thread.
The only thing is that to me it absolutely matters if it's an auto or manual. It must be a manual.
This disqualifies the XK8 and XK. I know they are not special. But to me the biggest problem is the auto box. I'm not a fan of even paddles. Let alone older automatics.
The Porsche is a no-no as I want front engine.
The BMW is as everybody said just not special at all and as all predicted, at this point it has becomes a chav mobile. If you just buy a current one it's just a matter of time till it becomes one. And still not special.
So this leaves basically the Aston and the Maserati. Although today they hold different meaning. Back in 2009 they were semi old cars. Today they are more classic. Why go back so far? Because of the manual transmission. You can't really buy anything which is special today with a manual transmission. Not European. It's strange how American cars used to be all about auto boxes and Europe about manuals. Now the Americans are basically the only ones left with RWD and manual gearboxes, apart from BMWs. You can have the Corvette, Camaro or Mustang with a big V8 and a manual. Can barely have anything European unless it's a diesel or small engine. Can't think of a single special GT. GranTurismo, Astons, Ferraris, all auto only. Quite depressing really.
I was thinking of a 2 seats sports car, front engine, RWD, manual. But have since started considering 2+2 front engine RWD, manual GTs.
The DB7 is easier to find in manual but there are more scary stories about it. A late 2004-2006 4200 GT in manual seems like a better proposition. But manuals are as rare as hen's teeth. Look-wise both look good, with an edge to the Maserati.
Move up to newer cars and there is nothing as special with an interesting engine, RWD and manual.
Maybe I should just buy a new Mustang GT and be done with it. Not special, not as refined as an European car, but at least fun to drive, has a proper drive train and goes well. Dark times for fans of involved driving.
By the way, do you still have the Porsche OP?
Taking another look, if you don't need manual, the DB9 is dangerously close to the prices of DB7 these days. One would probably say the DB9 is the better car, I guess? Did it still use the 1975 XJS platform as the DB7? I guess it then becomes a matter of which looks you like better.
2000's V8 Vantages are also already near or in the DB7 price bracket. Again probably the better car too. Although a V8 and not V12, it is probbaly faster than both DB7 and DB9 or at least more of a driver's car as it's more of a sports car. Although one problem I always had with the V8 Vantage is that it is not an all out sports car as some other sports cars, but also not quite a GT.
But it seems a DB7 Vantage these days, specially a GT, is more a car you buy because you like the looks of it than because it's a cheap Aston, as it used to be a few years ago.
2000's V8 Vantages are also already near or in the DB7 price bracket. Again probably the better car too. Although a V8 and not V12, it is probbaly faster than both DB7 and DB9 or at least more of a driver's car as it's more of a sports car. Although one problem I always had with the V8 Vantage is that it is not an all out sports car as some other sports cars, but also not quite a GT.
But it seems a DB7 Vantage these days, specially a GT, is more a car you buy because you like the looks of it than because it's a cheap Aston, as it used to be a few years ago.
SPKR said:
Interesting how time can change things somehow. Now almost 10 years later, the DB7 looks better than it did in 2009. At least to me. I think it has aged well. I kind of like it better than the Vanquish from the early 2000's.
Anyhow, the reason I bumped this old thread is that I'm getting into the same boat now, funy enough after almost 10 years with pretty much the same choices left . Found this thread while researching and decided to post here instead o starting a new thread.
The only thing is that to me it absolutely matters if it's an auto or manual. It must be a manual.
This disqualifies the XK8 and XK. I know they are not special. But to me the biggest problem is the auto box. I'm not a fan of even paddles. Let alone older automatics.
The Porsche is a no-no as I want front engine.
The BMW is as everybody said just not special at all and as all predicted, at this point it has becomes a chav mobile. If you just buy a current one it's just a matter of time till it becomes one. And still not special.
So this leaves basically the Aston and the Maserati. Although today they hold different meaning. Back in 2009 they were semi old cars. Today they are more classic. Why go back so far? Because of the manual transmission. You can't really buy anything which is special today with a manual transmission. Not European. It's strange how American cars used to be all about auto boxes and Europe about manuals. Now the Americans are basically the only ones left with RWD and manual gearboxes, apart from BMWs. You can have the Corvette, Camaro or Mustang with a big V8 and a manual. Can barely have anything European unless it's a diesel or small engine. Can't think of a single special GT. GranTurismo, Astons, Ferraris, all auto only. Quite depressing really.
I was thinking of a 2 seats sports car, front engine, RWD, manual. But have since started considering 2+2 front engine RWD, manual GTs.
The DB7 is easier to find in manual but there are more scary stories about it. A late 2004-2006 4200 GT in manual seems like a better proposition. But manuals are as rare as hen's teeth. Look-wise both look good, with an edge to the Maserati.
Move up to newer cars and there is nothing as special with an interesting engine, RWD and manual.
Maybe I should just buy a new Mustang GT and be done with it. Not special, not as refined as an European car, but at least fun to drive, has a proper drive train and goes well. Dark times for fans of involved driving.
By the way, do you still have the Porsche OP?
Why no rear engine allowed?Anyhow, the reason I bumped this old thread is that I'm getting into the same boat now, funy enough after almost 10 years with pretty much the same choices left . Found this thread while researching and decided to post here instead o starting a new thread.
The only thing is that to me it absolutely matters if it's an auto or manual. It must be a manual.
This disqualifies the XK8 and XK. I know they are not special. But to me the biggest problem is the auto box. I'm not a fan of even paddles. Let alone older automatics.
The Porsche is a no-no as I want front engine.
The BMW is as everybody said just not special at all and as all predicted, at this point it has becomes a chav mobile. If you just buy a current one it's just a matter of time till it becomes one. And still not special.
So this leaves basically the Aston and the Maserati. Although today they hold different meaning. Back in 2009 they were semi old cars. Today they are more classic. Why go back so far? Because of the manual transmission. You can't really buy anything which is special today with a manual transmission. Not European. It's strange how American cars used to be all about auto boxes and Europe about manuals. Now the Americans are basically the only ones left with RWD and manual gearboxes, apart from BMWs. You can have the Corvette, Camaro or Mustang with a big V8 and a manual. Can barely have anything European unless it's a diesel or small engine. Can't think of a single special GT. GranTurismo, Astons, Ferraris, all auto only. Quite depressing really.
I was thinking of a 2 seats sports car, front engine, RWD, manual. But have since started considering 2+2 front engine RWD, manual GTs.
The DB7 is easier to find in manual but there are more scary stories about it. A late 2004-2006 4200 GT in manual seems like a better proposition. But manuals are as rare as hen's teeth. Look-wise both look good, with an edge to the Maserati.
Move up to newer cars and there is nothing as special with an interesting engine, RWD and manual.
Maybe I should just buy a new Mustang GT and be done with it. Not special, not as refined as an European car, but at least fun to drive, has a proper drive train and goes well. Dark times for fans of involved driving.
By the way, do you still have the Porsche OP?
What a spectacular car these 4200 Masers are!!!! Absolutely bonkers good, they are fast, fast, fast and do things so effortlessly! I have a 6spd manual and I must say after looking for ages (and I mean ages) the wait was worth it! Nice light clutch, power steering, and 177mph when you really wind it up! Maserati's final hoorah with three pedals and natural aspiration (the only combination for me). You won't be disappointed they are brilliant and not a headache to own. Do your research, talk to specialists, find a nice one with history and you'll never look back! Only 214 Right hand drive manuals were ever produced from 1078 manuals world wide so yes they are rare beast but oh so worth it!!
Sorry for the indulgence of the pic but by heck I couldn't resist it!!!
Sorry for the indulgence of the pic but by heck I couldn't resist it!!!
Luckily I'm on the LHD side of things. So I'm glad to know there are more manuals in LHD.
I also like the 4200 a lot. The interior is much nicer than the DB7. The front end as well.
From the rear is a bit of a toss. The DB7 with its Mazda tailights is no math for the boomerang talighlights of the 3200. But compared to the 4200 is a toss.
From the side I kind of like the DB7 better. I think the front of the 4200 could be a bit longer.
When it comes to the engine though there is no comparison. The Maserati is just more special. The V8 sounds better, looks way better and has a better pedigree than the Ford derived DB7 V12 and specially than the Jaguar i6.
I will have to drive both and see. I drove a 4200 CC, but never a GT. Never driven a DB7.
I also like the 4200 a lot. The interior is much nicer than the DB7. The front end as well.
From the rear is a bit of a toss. The DB7 with its Mazda tailights is no math for the boomerang talighlights of the 3200. But compared to the 4200 is a toss.
From the side I kind of like the DB7 better. I think the front of the 4200 could be a bit longer.
When it comes to the engine though there is no comparison. The Maserati is just more special. The V8 sounds better, looks way better and has a better pedigree than the Ford derived DB7 V12 and specially than the Jaguar i6.
I will have to drive both and see. I drove a 4200 CC, but never a GT. Never driven a DB7.
I've owned a Maser 4200 CC and a 996 C4S manual. Engine and interior on the 4200 were lovely, CC box was dire but obvs not a problem if getting a manual. In terms of drive and cost to run though, 996 wins hands down, and that was 9 years ago, wouldn't fancy Maser maintenance costs on a 4200 right now. Would rather go balls deep on a "proper" V12 GT a la Ferrari 456 but it's a big hunk of cash considering they were £30K at the beginning of this decade!
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