Hello, I hope everyone is doing well. I am from Raleigh, North Carolina. I am currently in the market for the first time ever for a weekend driver after selling our vacation home and sport-fishing boat due to lack of use. Have two teenage boys (16 and 20), and growing up in India where my father always made sure to allow us to have fun and enjoy our lives, and provide the best for us, I of course would like to do the same. Without the boat and home by the coast, the only hobby that we really have going on right now is hunting - for which the season is over. I have never really owned an exotic or really special car at all, and simply bought new vehicles that we liked at local dealers (2012 Toyota 4Runner, 2011 Range Rover, 2009 Mercedes Benz C63, and 2016 Chevrolet Silverado are the vehicles that we have right now). My kids are of the age which they will be having prom, formal dances, and hopefully be bringing home their girlfriends over for dinner and all of the other things you want your teenage kids to do so that you can have memories of! My kids have been toying with the idea of getting a luxury high-end vehicle that we can use on weekends when the weather is good, they can take out to run errands, they can take to their formal events, I can take my wife out in, etc, all the things that a weekend vehicle is used for.

I understand that maintenance will be more expensive than other vehicles that we have, and frankly, if you want to get into expensive cars, then it's going to be a money pit. We have had several boats which took a lot to keep running, and I have a very, very hard time believing that anything short of a million+ dollar car would come close to upkeep and gasoline costs, etc. Basically, I understand the risks I take and the possibility of a $5,000, or even $15,000+ dollar repair in a worst case scenario.

The vehicles that we seem to have narrowed it down to are as following:

Bentley Continental GT.
Ferrari 360 Convertible.
Ferrari F430 Hard Top.
Lamborghini Gallardo.

I am leaning very hard towards the Continental GT, as they seem like very practical and robust vehicles that would be great and fairly simple to take care of. Other than a freak repair, I have a hard time believing the repairs would be any worse than my older son's Range Rover that gets us a $2,000 bill every few months (he commutes to his college 30 miles away every day and to work, ~25,000 miles a year, which has really been taking a toll on the car in the past year and a half). It seems like the logical choice. I also love the fact that it has 4 seats, seems very comfortable and more practical. I am looking at 2005-2008 models. Next door neighbor has a newer, 2012, and it has been nothing but problems, whereas his 2005 was daily driven with no issues for several years, and was the reason he got the 2012. There are a few local (less than 2-3 hours away) 2005-2007s for roughly $50,000 with perfect service records, and seem to have 40-50 thousand miles. We tend to run our vehicles to the ground, and will be keeping whatever we get until it will no longer run. We are looking to drive no more than 10,000 miles a year. Am I wrong for thinking that the Continental GT is the most logical option? We have found Gallardos in the 80-90k range, F430s in the very low 100s to 110s, and 360 Spiders right around the same price range as the Gallardos. My older son really loves the Continental GT, and before they and my wife even knew the prices of the vehicles, they were pretty set on the Continental GT. Of course the Ferrari and Lamborghini seem like more fun vehicles, but that is more of a vehicle that I would rather buy in 10-15 years when I am retired and practicality is a non issue. I currently have 120k trouble free miles on my 4Runner since new, Son has 65,000 on the Range Rover, wife has 95,000 on the C63, and younger son about 30,000 on the Truck. The Range Rover has had several issues but the rest have been bulletproof reliable since new. The only unreliable vehicle we have ever had was a Mercedes G500 SUV which cost us upwards of $25,000 once it was out of warranty, which is why we got C63.

I really don't know where to begin, and I will be getting all services done regardless of what vehicle we get at the local Maserati/Rolls Royce dealers in the area. If anyone has had experiences with any of these cars, please let me know if you think the Continental GT would be as good of a choice for me as we think it is. I have never used an online forum before but my neighbor with the Continental GT suggested this one. Any common major issues (greater than $5,000) with older ones?

I have also never bought a used vehicle before, so I will certainly bring my neighbor with me, and get it inspected by a local Maserati/Rolls Royce or Bentley dealer depending on the purchase location. I am looking to buy from a dealer rather than an individual. I understand that I could save a few thousand dollars, but am I wrong to view my peace of mind, whether it is really "safer" or not to buy from a dealer, as being worth more than only a few thousand dollars?

 

Also wanted to say: I am open to other fancy or "exotic" options in the same price range. I am willing to spend up to $150,000 for the right vehicle. However, I refuse to pay more for a vehicle than what it is truly worth. I will not pay $100,000 for a 2006 Bentley Continental GT with 30,000 miles that has been treated with "extra rare leather conditioner and professionally detailed every day" A pristine condition Continental GT non-convertible from 2005-2008 will cost me no more than 60 to 70,000 dollars, and I refuse to spend another penny more than that. The same goes for other vehicles that I have mentioned.

I do not want BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, etc, as they are all very common vehicles and despite what others may try to convince me, I don't want to be purchasing a "normal" vehicle that is frequently spotted by the dozens every day in Raleigh, NC, as my special weekend vehicle. Mercedes SL, R8, Nissan GTR, i8, M3, they are everywhere. Nothing too special about them in my area. Go to any decent mall and you will see dozens in the parking lot. Maserati also is becoming too diluted for me since I traded in my 06 Quattroporte with 130k miles on it in 2013. With the brand new off the lot $50,000 model and the availability of financing for vehicles nowadays, it is almost as if the Maserati Logo is beginning to mean nothing.

 

Get the Ferrari 430.
360s are common. Bentley’s depreciate to nothing and “it’s only a Gallardo” is a quote I read recently that stuck. Plus the step up - a Murcelago - is like driving a bus at low speed.

One other option could be an Aston. Fewer of those than pretty much anything.

 

ummm, you gonna need more than $150k to be up there among the exotics.

the 750 S Mac is your car sir if you can get one or the 2018 GT3 but only 2 at a time family member can use it

 

Thanks for the great advice. I was leaning more towards the 430 than the 360, just because age is on its side, and in my opinion, the rear end is just a much better looking car. The gallardo was not my choice, but I guess there's something about the Lamborghini logo that had my kids really wanting me to get one. As far as the Bentley, other than the depreciation, is there a major reason? I plan on keeping whichever car we end up getting for hopefully 10-15 years if it will run that long. I think no matter what I get, even if it's an off the showroom floor 488 or Huracan, it will be worth next to nothing and have well over 100k miles by the time I'm ready to get rid of it. I am also looking at 2010 Continental GTs, as the interior seems to be ever so nicer, with the navigation unit in the dash seeming a little more modern, and the mechanicals seeming to be pretty much the same. I think by going a few model years newer on the Continental, and paying more, it becomes more of a realistic competitor to the F430 and Gallardo. I get that the GT is more of a daily driver and a tamed vehicle than the F430, so I think I will contact one of my friends who has one so that we can try to borrow it for a Saturday to figure out if the true sport is what we really want. I really appreciate all of the advice as I know people with all of the vehicles, but for most of them, that's the only exotic or high end car that they've owned and they never even considered any others so I haven't gotten any advice from people who consider themselves "car enthusiasts." Keep in mind I am 50 years old, 51 on Friday, and my friends and colleagues are of the same age group. They bought the vehicle they have because they have been in love with it for years and never considered anything else. As far as Aston Martins, we have looked into them, but they just aren't our taste. I will go try to borrow or at least get all of us to drive the F430 and figure out what we are really looking for. I have had a good amount of time behind the wheel of a GT, and so has my older son, and we have no complaints there - but coming from trucks and SUVs, and a Mercedes that is pretty quick but all said and done is just a Mercedes, even a 360 seems like a lot of really well distributed power for us. Good news is, unless someone will post otherwise overnight, is that neither of you repliers came and said that any of our options are the worst high end car ever built.

Thanks for the help. Unfortunately, I'm at an age where buying any sort of vehicle that will need me to take out a loan is just not a wise idea. Have had no payments on anything for the past few years and the amount of stress that I have is probably the lowest its been since I was 20 years old - I'd love to keep it that way if I could! I understand I won't be able to get a new off the floor Aventador, or even a Huracan, but I'm sure within the budget I'll be able to find something we all like and will still be a really cool vehicle to have. Not a huge fan of Porsches just because of how "common" they have become in the past years. I would much rather prefer a piece of history than a car that in 15 years will just be an older model Porsche (that being said, I am strongly considering a 911 as my next daily driver in a few years when I hit 200k on my 4Runner, but I just wouldn't like one as our getaway weekend car). As far as the McLaren goes - I will certainly look into it! Was always under the impression that I couldn't get a McLaren for under 300-400 thousand dollars. Seeing some in the 160-175 range, and near that for brand new makes it a very viable option. Will try to check one out and get behind the wheel. Have a good relationship with the local Mercedes dealer, and they have their hands on one right now. I'm sure I would be able to go test drive it or get it out for a few hours. Thank you sir.

 

are you looking for something that's a "driver's car" or a "luxury car"?

I prefer to drive, and like older stuff and stuff you don't see everyday... so I'd look at an air cooled turbo 911, maybe a GT40 (if you can find one in your price range), or a Pantera, I've been looking for "the right" Shelby Series 1 for a while

If you're thinking Ferrari, I'd prefer a testarossa over a 360 or 430, can they still be bought for sub $150k?

or some cool classic American muscle... a resto mod GTX, big block C2 corvette

 

Well so in my scenario specifically I'll break it down in short:

I want a vehicle that is fairly quick and is fun to drive, but I don't want it to be uncomfortable, and want to be able to put 10k a year on it - so it can't ride too rough.
It also needs to be something that wouldn't become a nuisance or too annoying if I have to drive it say 2-3 hours to Charlotte for a business meeting, and then back.
This is going to make all of you car guys shiver, but it has to be automatic.

Ending Notes:

For this reason, I'm really leaning more towards the Continental GT. As my sons and I plan on putting "heavy" mileage on it, at least for this type of vehicle, I am thinking that although the Ferrari may be an amazing car that I would love to have, it just wouldn't be practical until I'm retired and don't need a vehicle for such heavy usage - say in 10-15 years when I have a 911 or a Diesel Denali Truck as a daily driver and I want something else that is lots of fun, when my kids are all moved out, I don't have to worry about their college tuition/expenses, etc. I am sure they wouldn't complain if they get to come home with their families and take their wives or kids out in the F car every once in a while!

Being entirely honest, I came here fairly dead-set on the Continental GT, and wanted to know if I was right for thinking that it would be good for my needs, or if with my needs, a Ferrari/Lamborghini would be feasible. It is seeming to me that my suspicions were right, and it is probably not too feasible at this point in time. I will remain on my car search, looking for a mint condition 2005-2010 Continental GT, and once I purchase, I will be sure to update in the correct forum section with pictures, my initial experience, and any other tips or information I may have for people in the same boat as me. Last weekend, I was ready to pull the trigger on an 07 Continental GT, which was in mint shape, 1 owner, always serviced at the dealer, for a fair price. However, the dealer telling me that "one parking sensor needed replaced" wound up being a major electrical problem that the previous owner had been getting fixed for his 10 years of ownership. Why he didn't lemon law the car was beyond me.

Thank you all for the help.

 

Keep in mind all your other cars are going to be a train wreck. Super high mileage costs money, so they will need repair or replacement.
There is a reason the Bentley is cheap, expensive repair costs, like an Aston. The Ferrari, even the 430, is also expensive to run. Sounds like all of your cars really get driven. Any luxury exotic will not take well to high mileage, either in repair costs or very high depreciation.
You've never owned a used car? You are going to head down a risky road in the used exotic car land. Often you buy someone else's problems. Inspection? Often not worth the money you pay for them.
My advice is that you are headed down the wrong path. You don't seem adequately prepared and you'll be disappointed. There are many fun, lesser cars that will likely give you much less trouble. Porsche turbo, vette, Acura NSX, many better choices for you.

 

Thanks for the advice. I don't believe in spending excessive money on a vehicle itself because its going to depreciate. But if I'm going to keep it, I don't mind paying for adequate repairs and maintenance. Our boat cost over $100,000 a year to keep running and upkeep (Hatteras GT63 Convertible, Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament boat). Even if the car needs $15,000 to $20,000 in maintenance and repairs, that is still less than property tax and utilities on the home we just sold, from which we will be taking some money for this vehicle. I never asked about maintenance and repairs, just wanted to know if I will have to dump $50-60,000 into it several times. That is a non issue to me. It is going to be saving me a lot of money over getting another boat which would have been another option that somehow my kids were just not interested in, and were more interested in the "car game." I just wanted to know which of these cars would be best for a family, and would still provide comfort, but also be fairly sporty, and be fun on the weekends, and moderate trips when they need to be. Cars are made to be driven. I don't understand why all of these used Ferraris/Lamborghinis etc are 10-15 years old and only have 20,000 miles on them. When I get one in the near future, it will be getting 10-15k a year no problem. Porsche turbos and Acura NSX etc are just too mundane and normal for a proper weekend car. I want something that's more than average that will truly be a lot of fun. Thanks a lot for the help, but I think I have it figured out now.

On a side note, I don't know why this thread got moved from the Bentley section, where Bentley owners would likely have been able to reason with me more, than to some general section where everyone replying is putting up options such as older Porsches and Mustangs. I have my budget set because I find it wrong to spend more than that on a vehicle, and do not want to have to think of financing it. Not because I can't afford maintenance on a vehicle over 150 thousand dollars. I spent my entire life saving money, and now I come for tips on which of the vehicles I'm looking at to spend some of it on, and all I can get are people telling me to get $20,000 cars and Porsche 911 for a special and fun weekend car. And again, I have stated several times, depreciation is a non issue to me, because I do plan on putting high mileage on the car, and running it to the ground, where it will probably be worth pocket change by the time I'm done with it. And for me personally, if that is the case, if I have to put 20 or so thousand in repairs, maybe even up to 30-40,000, but it lasts me 10 years, then that's money well spent. If I was only going to keep it for one or two years, and would still have to put 15-20,000 in it, then yes I agree with you. Also, you can argue with this statement all you want, but I can just about guarantee you that a major reason most of these vehicles need so many extensive repairs is because they spend 3/4 or more of their life sitting parked. If they were driven every day, there wouldn't be as many repairs needed, because everything would constantly be being used. Of course there's brakes and tires, but those are normal wear and tear items. Other items really take a huge toll on themselves just from sitting.

Thank you all for the help, and I'll post some pictures when I have found a vehicle. I am going to see both a 2010 Continental GT and a 2013 Continental GT at a dealer in High Point this weekend. My neighbor's experience is scaring me away from the 2013 due to his reliability issues, but after talking to a few Bentley dealers in the area, specifically the one that has serviced his car, they said that his was a fluke. I am still leaning towards the older model, but we shall see. The 2013 is Certified from Bentley High Point and is priced at around $95,000, and will be ready for sale next weekend. The 2010 has 32,000 miles, looks good, one owner, and is about $67,000, which is within the 70,000 that I thought that it's worth. The 2013 is well priced, in my opinion, and a year of bumper to bumper warranty will at least let me sort out any pre-existing issues or issues that were patched up for its sale, which will make it by default better than the 2012 my neighbor purchased, with no warranty, which had consistent repairs in the first year he had it.

 

Half of the problem is the repair cost, the other half is reliability. When they break, they don't work. You think you're going for a weekend drive, but not when it doesn't start. Your long weekend becomes a one way drive. Good luck.

 

Don't let your desire of attention outweigh your desire for your 16 and 20 year old's safety. Handing them the keys to a high horsepower exotic is downright irresponsible as a father. Indicating that you want them to show off for their prom dates and expecting them to go slow is downright dumb. And not wanting any Porsches because they are too common shows that you have more money than common sense.

Other than that, entertaining read. Thanks.