85k to spend on which car ?, advice , opinions plze

[Pandalada246]

Hi everybody

I have 85k to purchase a nice car this year
Which car would you buy ?
Mainly for summer use and long distance driving


I would like to buy a Ferrari FF, McLaren 12c coupe or 12c spyder,
I have seen for sale
FF 2012, black, 5 owners, FSH, 29k miles , 80k
12c spyder , orange, 7 owners, FSH, 13.5k miles , 81k
And been offered this via my dads contact , who is in the car trade
12c coupe , red , 2 owners, FSH , 5k miles, 85k , showroom condition. Used by both owners in the summer only

Thank you all in advance for your views on the above

[MDL111]

I have not driven a 12C, but FF and 12C will be very different driving experiences. One is more of a daily driver with a very special engine and the other is more of a sports car. Do you need the additional sears and luggage capacity (or the 4WD)? If not, I would probably go for the 12C.

Edit to add: I personally prefer the cleaner lines of a coupe over a hardtop spider

[samoht]

As above, two v different cars.

I went McLaren 570GT. I really admire the FF, super cool car and that engine, but I don't need the space so thought something smaller and lighter would be more suited.

On the McLaren side, they're pretty good for touring, a bit of road noise due to the tub and high performance running gear, but not too bad, comfortable and ok luggage space. Also mid-30s mpg on the motorway, if you care. I've happily done a couple of long Euro road trips in my 570GT. I'd be looking to V Engineering to look after a 12C/650, better and more cost effective care than the main dealers.

Both cars have known issues (12C gearbox, FF PTU, to name one each) so need proper research before buying. If the orange and red 12Cs are Volcano colours that's a plus in my book

[ex-devonpaul]

samoht said:

As above, two v different cars.

I went McLaren 570GT. I really admire the FF, super cool car and that engine, but I don't need the space so thought something smaller and lighter would be more suited.

You can get a McLaren GT just about for that money. Bottom end of the market though.

[650S]

Step 1 for me would be drive that 12C your Dad knows about.

[akadk]

[Pandalada246]

650S said:

Step 1 for me would be drive that 12C your Dad knows about.

Going to view and test drive the above car this week with dad

What is the advantage and disadvantage of buying a ie

Super super Low mileage 2 owner, 12c coupe , say under 3k with McLaren FSH , average 200 summer miles a year
Factory fresh condition, asking price 90k, just recently had major service at McLaren main dealer
Over a
12c coupe with 10k miles , McLaren FSH , 3 owners , asking price 85k, at McLaren now having major service

Decided 100% going to buy a 12C coupe or 12c spyder,
FF off the list now

Thank you for your opinions and suggestions

[Doppel99]

Pandalada246 said:

650S said:

Step 1 for me would be drive that 12C your Dad knows about.

Going to view and test drive the above car this week with dad

What is the advantage and disadvantage of buying a ie

Super super Low mileage 2 owner, 12c coupe , say under 3k with McLaren FSH , average 200 summer miles a year
Factory fresh condition, asking price 90k, just recently had major service at McLaren main dealer
Over a
12c coupe with 10k miles , McLaren FSH , 3 owners , asking price 85k, at McLaren now having major service

Decided 100% going to buy a 12C coupe or 12c spyder,
FF off the list now

Thank you for your opinions and suggestions

I'd buy the 'cheaper' one after a McLaren inspection and out the £5K saving into a McLaren Warranty for the 1st year. You can go alone after than and use V Engineering or Thorney for servicing, but having the factory warranty of the first year till you really know your new car is always a good idea I feel.

Cars that have been left standing for long periods are more likely to run into problems, such as the infamous dry gearbox seal. You may even be better buying one with high mileage (like 20-30K LOL) that has been used regularly, it's MUCH better for the cars.

[12pack]

If you care about engine sounds at all, I would go with the spider. With the backlight down, it sounds better even than the FF where it counts - inside the cabin. This is especially true around town, with a nice oscillating V8 burble, as opposed to flat plane crank flatulence.

Looks are subjective, but with the top and windows down, the spider has a nice open top racer look to it, with the flying buttresses exposed.

[ajm_ph]

Pandalada246 said:

Super super Low mileage 2 owner, 12c coupe , say under 3k with McLaren FSH , average 200 summer miles a year
Factory fresh condition, asking price 90k, just recently had major service at McLaren main dealer
Over a
12c coupe with 10k miles , McLaren FSH , 3 owners , asking price 85k, at McLaren now having major service

I would actually be more wary of one with such low miles to be honest. It has been said on here many times, and it is something I have heard directly from people who really know the cars and spend their time looking after them, but these cars suffer from not being used. I would actively avoid a 12C with just 3k miles on, unless you are planning on just sticking it on display.

Unless you are buying it as some form of investment the idea that you are better off with a very low mileage supercar is largely a myth. As long as they are looked after, not abused, and well maintained by someone who knows what they are doing, then they can handle reasonably high mileage very well. You say you want to use it for long distance driving. In that case I certainly would not be paying a hefty premium for one with just 3k miles because (A) as soon as you start doing those long distance drives you'll destroy that premium and (B) the previous owner hasn't done anything like that in it, so you'll be the one finding any faults that have arisen due to lack of use.

In my humble opinion even 10k is probably a little lower than I'd be comfortable with. It's not necessarily a garage queen, but I'd be asking how much use it has had in the past few years. If you find those miles were all done in the first few years of its life and it's barely turned a wheel in the last 2 years then I'd be cautious.

Edited by ajm_ph on Monday 10th November 14:52

[650S]

Mileage for me, is not a major factor.

A. What is important for me is storage and the Owner type. A car stored outside in the elements 12 months of the year will not be a "nice" one. If north of Cheshire this increases 3 fold.

B. A car with Full history, stored in a dry heated garage, by a careful enthusiast owner will be a good example.

If A has 2,000 miles or 30,000 miles, its to all intents and purposes the same

If B has 2,000 miles or 30,000 miles its to all intents and purposes the same

If in the market, I would pay more for the low miles B example without any hesitation. As would most people I think.

[Frankychops]

I’ll sell you a 650s with £80k of warranty cover for not much more than your budget. If you fancy one of the best 650’s