by summer of 2011 will be positioned for a change. i have an 09 997tt cpe 6spd and absolutely love the car (fully optioned /modded), but am yearning for something more EXOTIC. in the running are 458 italia and the new McLaren MP4-12C (should be in full swing by the summer). may also consider 998 Turbo or GT3 RS, but i'm looking @ 2013 (@ the earliest); don't know if i can wait. any thoughts or suggestions. TIA for replys

 

I wish I had that problem.

 

Save your pennies and pick up either:

A Ferrari F40 (all time classic.. savage, brutal, noisy but OH MY GOD fun)
Carrera GT
McLaren F1
Koenigsegg CCX

All of them real exotics, incredibly fast and headturners to a Man..

 

458 italia.

 

not that "well" positioned i agree all great exotics (i'll pass on the CCX) and would love to have F1 or F40, but that is jay leno league! i'm a working stiff

 

Meh...if you're going to really save pennies, get a classic...

I say 550 Spyder.

 

Ok -here's my take on this and it even surprises me . Usually when it comes to cars the emotions sway the logic but this I wrestle with.

First --the Ferrari 458 is gorgeous . I won't argue the appeal one bit . It's got every car fantasy wriiten all over it but when it becomes reality is where the snags come in .

Let's say you buy it . You plunk down double the Turbo to have this machine . Lets even say that price is no object when it comes to service and time has no meaning while waiting for a part "on a boat from Italy" .

Lets say .. that all that matters is when its running you are in bliss . Where can you drive this ? I can't think of anywhere . How can you ever park this next to all the common cars without worry . Even though its exotic .. the attention is not always a good thing . Plus driving it on the road a toyota cuts in front of you and then what? A ding, a dent, a chip, anything is thosands lost . then you go to sell it and no one can afford it and the guys who can woild want a new one.

This is the type of car where its merely a toy . But the logic just presents too many reasons to walk away .. even if price was not an issue .. even if repair ease wasn't an issue .

But yes .. it is a very beautiful car.

 

Hey Larry, I think you have to look at it as strictly entertainment value, at least that's what I do especially when it comes to mods and trying different things. The question is how much entertainment can one comfortably afford? If it's mostly going to be a garage queen, then I can't see getting much entertainment of that. Good luck, Dave

 

You'll be paying $100k over MSRP for a 458 unless you're a known customer already. That's just the way it works I'm afraid even if you offer a dealer a deposit today I doubt they would take it (that said, they'll sell you a California all day long at MSRP)

Best value will be an LP640 or a 599 at that point. They'll be fully depreciated and less than $200k and both certainly qualify as exotic. Mclaren is an unknown quantity as far as availability or dealer network so remains a big question mark in my book.

 

I say get a 560-4 and TT it.

 

why not carrera gt? looks like it's from another planet and has all the supercar headaches. apparently it's fun to drive too???

i saw an alfa romeo 8c in japan last week, sounded like a f1 car on downshifts. very hot, and very rare and seems to be in your price range too.

 

I too tricked out my turbo (as you know) and it was super fast. The speed rush for me wore off quickly and then I was left with a luxury sports car. Nothing wrong with that, but just not for me.

So, I too thought about going the more exotic route: considering an LP560-4, F430, etc. But then it struck me in a rare stroke of genius that exoticness too would fade quickly.

Then the lotto hit twice (or more like a lightning strike) and I knew I was looking for raw, connectedness to the machine and road. For me, the choice was a GT3 and it fits the bill very nicely.

So, of those that you list, and if you're anything like I, go with the GT3 or GT3 RS.

GL and have fun!

 

I've been toying with the idea of swapping the turbo for an R8 V10. A bit more exotic than the 997 turbo, but still a DD.

 

I'm a huge fan of the R8 as a daily driver... Not such a fan of it for trackdays, as I just spent three days flogging the V8 version around Sears Point/Infineon at the Audi Advanced Racing School.. I was shocked at how badly it understeered at the limit, especially through the turn 4-5 into the carousel and through turn 10..

Other than that, it's a gorgeous Car with a fabulous interior and comfortable to boot.

 

+1 r8 v10 for the exotic factor being incremental to the turbo, but in terms of the driving/track feel, I'd think the r8 and turbo are probably rather similar to a non-expert driver.