I currently drive a BMW 330e on a daily basis. Other than some annoying electrical niggles, it has been perfectly reliable.

However, I'm looking to add something which sparks the excited child in me a little more. From my research, this seems like a '06-'08ish V8V may be just the ticket. At the prices they're currently sitting at in the UK (~25-30k for 30-50k miles), it seems they won't depreciate much further. So only costs should hopefully just be generally maintenance (wishful thinking...)

From what I've read, mechanically they're pretty rock-solid, with the clutch being the main expense when things go wrong. Or have I been completely miss-informed?

If anyone has some advice, or experiences to read up on, I'd love to hear them! What are your thoughts? Am I making a good/bad decision?

 

You are right about the clutch being a potential big ticket item. Other than that I will say that basic maintenance will generally cost a bit more than what you are used to on the BMW. If you are handy (which I am not), you may be able to cut some of that down though. Also, replacement parts tend to be expensive but once again, if you search hard enough you can save some cash. Also, not sure about insurance rates in the your country, but my insurance costs went significantly higher when I switched to my vantage from my C63.

 

I think I'm going to call my usual mechanic and see if he has any experience working on a V8V, which will give me some confidence if he has.

Insurance is pretty low where I am. £200/year for my BMW - I'd probably estimate £600ish max for the AM

 

clutch is a issue with older cars, normally because people can’t drive, replace and forget about it, The timing cover leak / sweat is a known issue as well and expensive to do.
fuel tank sender is known for giving faulty readings but cheap easy fix, the break
pads are easy to replace,
the leather on the dash can shrink if car is not cared for so check this.
thermostat is normally needing replacement on older cars again cheap easy to fix.

vantage is still the most stunning car ever built so you will not get tired of looking at it, despite its age it can stand with the best of what’s out there today ...in fact IMO many other cars are almost copied from this legendary car.

 

Timing cover leak would be a big one beyond getting the car up to date on service if you don't have records. The condition is the condition... Clutch is an issue on any manual or automated manual.