GT required. But which one ?

[lou556]

Good morning good people of PH just a quick one today as this topic has probably come up before. Im looking to take a trip across the continent next year, will most likely travel down through south of France, Italy and back up through Switzerland. So there will no doubt be some good driving roads however that isn't the main theme of the trip the roads will just be a bonus. So the car must be worthy of the GT label in that it will be reasonably refined, have a adequate amount of power i.e 200bhp< and more importantly it must feel 'special' so really rules most Japanese offerings out of the frame. Some element of handling would also be nice as I would like the ability to take corners at above walking pace and not understeer of the next mountain road. One last note the budget is £5000 and reliability and fuel consumption are not really a worry, however it would be nice to return in the car under its own power as adverse to on a recovery truck.

Candidates so far:

Jaguar XJS 4.0 93MY<
Mercedes SL350 79MY-89MY
Alfa Romeo GTV 96MY-00MY
BMW M3 Coupe 93MY-00MY

So please feel free to add to the list.

Lewis

[fathomfive]

From that list, the Merc.

[lou556]

any further suggestions? That is the list so far but would like a few more options; possibly some left field choices that I am yet to consider

[chrisispringles]

Alfa GTV6: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1933172.htm

Audi Quattro: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1436097.htm (I know it doesn't really count as a GT car, but worth considering)

BMW 840 Ci: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2048044.htm

BMW 635 CSi: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1968655.htm

Mercedes 560SEC: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2050510.htm

Porsche 968: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1131445.htm

Porsche 928: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1977429.htm

Porsche 944 turbo: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2026039.htm

Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2030674.htm

TVR S2 Cabrio: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1869800.htm

TVR 400 SE Cabrio: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2048750.htm

There you go.

[N Dentressangle]

If handling is that important to you, then the BMW is the only real choice from your list.

For 'specialness', I'd say the MB wins out.

Alfa V6 could be a good compromise of the two? I don't know - never driven one.

It's hard not to like the Jag, but I don't think I'd ever choose it for what you want to do.

[Light n Hairy]

chrisispringles said:

Alfa GTV6: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1933172.htm

Audi Quattro: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1436097.htm (I know it doesn't really count as a GT car, but worth considering)

BMW 840 Ci: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2048044.htm

BMW 635 CSi: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1968655.htm

Mercedes 560SEC: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2050510.htm

Porsche 968: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1131445.htm

Porsche 928: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1977429.htm

Porsche 944 turbo: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2026039.htm

Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2030674.htm

TVR S2 Cabrio: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1869800.htm

TVR 400 SE Cabrio: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2048750.htm

There you go.

^^ Excellent menu there.

For me the560SEC sums up the continent and owns it, from Manchester to Mongolia, everyone will respect you adn you will liove it. But the 850Ci and the 928 are fantastic tourers too.

[lou556]

many candidates there to choose from. Thanks for the extending the list guys.
Handling is a the bottom of the list of priorites but as mentioned earlier would still like to have the abilty to enjoy a good driving road although it would be a fairly relaxed pace in a car like a 560sec it would not be dangerous like it might be in a silver spirit for example.

[theironduke]

I recentley bought a 1995 4.0 Celebration XJS and am mega chuffed, i think it's a really handsome car and being a Celebration it's got the best interior, best engine and is the best put together XJS you can get. I'd love the chance to do a trans continental thrash in her!

Before i had the Jag i owned a Porsche 928 S2. Mine was a manual and had the agricultural box which was frustrating but ultmately rewarding. On that note i have driven an auto S2 and the box was horrible in my opinion, the XJS feels far more response and smoother in comparision.

However although the 928 had more power than the Jag (240 ish V 310 ish) and was a better handling car it was not such a nice place to be. The interior was very German, very cold in my opinion and while it was ergonomic it was souless...also the builtd quality was pathetic, the Jag interior is so much better built. The interior of my XJS is just a really pleasent place to be and although it's a big car the cockpit is really cosy...it really hugs you, love it!

Anyway, just my 2p.

[stephen300o]

If you stretch your budget a little you could get this:
http://pistonheads.com/sales/1589170.htm

[lou556]

yes just bump the budget up slightly, by £245000 no prob I will just sell up and live in the car it does have increased leg room after all.

[robsco]

Of the OP's list, my vote would be the Alfa. Never driven a GTV, but the Alfa V6 is a sublime engine. The noise, tractability, silky smoothness, everything about it is phenomenal.

[DJC]

Id be thinking an older 928 or a 968 for Pork.

Rather than an XJS, Id go for an XJ12.

[lou556]

Mercedes for its continent crushing ability and class - The XJS for much of the same but with added jaguar-ness and the GTV for its italian soul, road holding ability's and of course that Alfa V6 - these are the three that I am really considering. Just need to carry out some research now into the problems that can occur with each car and what to look out for when buying.

- XJS has more character from my point of view compared to the XJ12 and is also a better drive from my experience, fantastically smooth engine in the XJ12 though you would never guess it is running on a liquid as coarse as petrol.