There are so many cars I love..... the Morgan, Ford GT, Noble, Astons, some Maserati's, Ferrari's and Lamborgini's+++++.... but every time I head down the path of convincing myself it's time to take the plunge to step up and buy one of the cars (used, low mileage) I lust after I think about the "Cost of Ownership" it takes to own such a car. Just amazing how cars that cost so much to buy seem to hold up so poorly. Not on the same league but you have a car like the NSX who IMO has great looks, does well in performance but also maintians one of the best records regards to reliablity. Yes it may have lost it's edge over the competation over the more recent years but for some time it hung with the best of them....

I guess my question is really what exotic cars are the most solid.... or does a solid car that has a high rate of reliablity and the words "exotic car" don't mesh....which ones (if any) can be bought, driven lets say 7500++ miles per year and not cause constant yearly or semi yearly stress with problems or tied up at the dealer. In Boston area there are only a handful of super high end dealers so not only does it cost to fix but prepare to be without your car for a while.

I know many P car owners have owned other cars or very knowledgable about exotic like cars......thanks in advance for your comments and please leave at least one late model exotic you would pull the plunge on in the 90-125+K range thats not a horror show to own. Hope this is Ok to post even though its not so much 977 related but again value the owners opinions in this section... Thanks

 

i am biased, but 911 of some variety. they've been building the same basic motor for over 40 years. well cared for ones can be bulletproof. some may not consider them exotics but the turbos, gt2s and gt3s are.

 

FWIW, my concept of true exotics is that they are at the leading edge of design in either styling, power, or handling, or any combination thereof, and made in somewhat limited numbers. They are aimed at people who want the best in any of those areas, and have the disposable income to buy it. They aren't typically worried about re-sale values because anyone wanting such a car want to have it when it is new and is willing to pay the premium. The next tier of buyers is typically only willing and able to buy at a much lower price point. Reliability isn't the prime consideration either, since these cars are often so highly tuned or employ such unusual manufacturing processes, and aren't designed like a regular car that is expected to go 100,000 miles plus with minimal maintenance (which is why they aren't as highly tuned for the mass market). I agree with previous poster that the Porsche 911 does a great job in fitting in the middle, being relatively affordable while maintaining that edge over the run-of-the-mill car and being quite durable for many miles.

 

I know exactly what you're talking about. You can pick up a Ferrari F355 or slightly used (1-2 year old) Aston Martin V8 Vantage for about the same price as an optioned 997S. Both are sexier (IMHO), but when you trade/sell the car 2-3 years later what is the total cost of ownership (TCO)? In the case of both companies, ownership by larger companies has improved their reliability through improved engineering and sometime part sharing, but not to the level of Porsche.

In the Ferrari world, its generally agreed that the F355 was the first step towards a lower maintenance, more semi-daily-driver-capable F-car. The F360 and F430 are even more reliable and cost effective to drive from a maintenance standpoint. The biggest hit in TCO is the loss of value the more they are driven.

On the AM side, I'm not sure how much value drops due to mileage since I don't follow them as closely. Nor do I know specifics about Lamborghini, Noble, or Maserati (not sure I'd include the last two the same category as the others).


So while I can afford a few of these (afford meaning I can absorb the total cost without re-budgeting), I am not wealthy enough to buy without the consideration you're talking about. It is a never-ending dilemma.

 

Stick with a pcar. My buddy is a Ferrari guy and he said the porsche is the most economical when it comes to cost of ownership,compared to the 348's and 355's. The 348's & 355 Ferrari needs a new timing belt every 3-5 years if you drive it or not, and they need to drop the engine to do it. its like 6-8 grand to change a belt. The italian cars are beautiful and scream passion in automotive design, but unless your getting into a 360 or a 430 ( the belt can be changed without the engine being removed ), it's really not worth it. And a c2s can beat a 355. I drive them both on a reg basis and the 355 is a dog under 4500 rpm, and not that impressive after that. My 2 cents.
Michael

 

While I know a Veyron is in a class by itself, I was recently told by a Veyron owner that a set of tires for that car is $50,000! That is five oh thousand. Even he was shocked. And you'll likely get about 6000 miles out of them. Let's see, six goes into fifty..........that is over $8.00 per mile just for tires. I guess the good news is that it is likely going up in value with the dropping dollar and the limited production.

 

We absolutely loved our NSX and can't say enough good things about the car. It was quick, fast, handled great, looked fantastic and was dead reliable. It was very comfortable on the few long road trips we took and even got great gas mileage. I just can't say enough good things about the cars and highly recommend them to anyone considering a pre-owned, mid-engined exotic.

If you're really interested in the NSX, I could go on forever about the pro's and con's but I feel a little odd doing that on a Porsche board. Feel free to PM me or check out NSXPrime.com.

 

I recently traded my Maserati Coupe in on an 06 997. What defines an exotic is difficult to pin down. I will say that the Pcar handles better and is far more reliable than my Maser and frankly, that is why I made the jump. I needed a true daily driver. However, my Maser got looks, attention and envy everywhere I went. The Pcar is appreciated but nobody has called it a work of art, like they did with my Maser. All in all, I am pleased with the trade but I do miss the exclusivity of the Maserati. The car I had was very reliable and drove well, but I have plenty of friends who had bad experiences with the car.

In the end, I really got banged on the depreciation, not the repairs. But as they say, if you can't afford it, stay out of the game.

In the end, I like my P-car and am now convinced that a turbo is my next step...but I sure miss the girls calling to me when I passed in my Maserati!

CB

 

We men are so easy aren't we? We'll spend more money on cars to get attention than women do on their clothes, shoes, and hair (I think!).