Thank you all for the feedback so far - please keep it coming.

As a bit of background, I'm vaguely familiar with the maintenance costs of "exotic" car brands in general, as I've been doing quite a bit of research (reading forums, talking to current and former owners, etc.) - on and off - for years (especially for a few Ferrari models).

Understanding Total Cost of Ownership is key: upfront purchase price is only a piece of the overall cost of ownership equation, and anticipated depreciation and service costs need to be considered as well, which is what motivated my original post above.

 

...what did you finally decide and what has been your experience...JimB

 

Hi Jim - boy, you're good at digging up the old threads

I ultimately decided to purchase a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder instead of the Bentley GTC. That being said, I am currently in the market for a Bentley, preferably a 2007+ GT coupe.

 

....you made good choice staying away from beautiful but problematic GTC...now I hope you can get into a later GT...o7's still issues...I have 2010 Speed since new...its a pleasure

 

....Hello TroyNVie...You are lucky to be in contact with Mr. Giannetti...he is a Bentley Expert and honest...just follow his recommendation...JimB

 

TroyNVie - I received a private msg from u but cannot figure out how to respond directly to it. So, in answer to your question concerning Bentley Flying Spur and Maserati GranTurismo S: both have been wonderful cars for me. The Bentley is much more luxurious and a pure pleasure to drive. The maintenance is more expensive than the Maserati however. But, if you want to have pure driving pleasure mixed with a hell of a lot of fun then you owe it to yourself to drive a GranTurismo. Not the fastest sports car by any means and not a track car. However, very few cars in the world have an exhausted note as sweet as the Granturismo. Of all of my cars I really think I enjoy driving it more than any of the others (although the Aston is my true favorite all around). You can listento that sweet V8 rumble all day or turn it off with a push of the sport button. I am not capable of pushing true sports cars to their limit and suspect most owners are not either. I have never felt uncomfortable in the Maserati and get all the excitement I can handle out of it. Bottom line, my bentleys are not sports cars and the Maserati is an Italian dream to drive and listen to. Completely different types of car. Maserati interior is nice. It nothing like a Bentley and you can. Us a very nice one for $50-60K.

 

Forgot to tell you, watch some of the videos of the GranTurismo on YouTube.

 

Also, it is a larger car than you might think and the back seats easily accommodate two adults. There is more room in back seat than in a Continental GT.