£100K Garage: Aaron Cripps

Two supersaloons and a supercar for Aaron's dream garage!

Name: Aaron Cripps
Previously owned: Mk1 Astra GTE (my 1st car - which I very sadly let go as I couldn't really afford to run it at the time, been regretting that decision ever since), nothing else of note to speak about until my current runaround.
Currently owned: 2004 W211 E55 AMG
On the shortlist: "Never driven any of these but they just appeal to me: Aston Martin Vanquish, Lotus Esprit Sport 300, Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black Series and a Lotus Exige for track days. A Lancia Delta Integrale Evo 2 too (it was planned as the next step up from the Mk1 Astra GTE, but I never managed it!)."

Lotus Carlton
Cost: £39,995
Balance: £60,005
Why I chose it: "There was never any doubt that this would definitely be top of my list - the now legendary Type 104 Lotus Carlton. Despite the temptation to drive it every day this would be for high days and holidays only. Launched in 1990 with a very limited production run for RHD vehicles as the Carlton (and not the LHD Omega), I was 16 at the time and this was an instant dream car for me and still retains that kudos for me today. I can't sum up why this appealed to me exactly but it certainly got the petrol running in my veins. This one in the classifieds seems to be quite special and these are rare vehicles nowadays and do not often come up for sale. If I had the £39K spare this would be snapped up, but running car number two on my list seems to drain my wallet of cash - or so my wife tells me!"

Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG
Cost: £11,500
Balance: £48,505
Why I chose it: "I currently have one as a daily runaround and would have another! My dream of owning the Lotus Carlton seems to fade with time as they are now mainly in the hands of owners who cherish them and will not let them go, so the E55 is the next best thing. Now that isn't to say that I see it as a second rate Lotus Carlton as I certainly don't. The AMG was always on my wishlist since the 500E (not to be confused with the E500) was often compared against the Lotus Carlton back in the day and the AMG name has stuck with me ever since.

"The E55 is a future classic and even though I have owned it for nearly three years now I still can't wait for my next drive. It has supercar performance and it does everything in style and comfort. I just love that 'wolf in sheep's clothing' appeal. The engine is a beast, certainly one of AMG's triumphs and one for the history books."

Audi R8 4.2 V8
Cost: £49,000
Balance: -£495 (we'll let it go, just this once)
Why I chose it: "This was a tough decision for me - for the money it was between the R8 or Integrale Evo 2. Based on the ease of keeping the car running and just being able to get in it and drive (I'm not a big fan of keeping cars locked away and only using them on rare occasions - the Lotus Carlton being the exception to my rule) it had to be the R8. I like the look of the R8 and it is an Audi so you know it will be reliable and can be used as a daily driver. Although I would have preferred the V10 but funds are not permitting for that. Had I gone for the Integrale, I would have needed to keep any balance in the bank to keep that running."