so wanted some general opinions and thoughts and then more car-specific ...

criteria: manual transmission and a great exhaust note

I've been debating and discussing on what types of cars to get to fill two needs - one modern, one vintage

Ideally, I'd like a sports car/coupe & a sedan - my thought process has most recently led me to conclude that for "spirited" driving, able to accelerate, handle and corner with confidence, comfort and safety, I'd probably want to stick with a new car for my sports need ... not to mention the latest tech and safety to further peace of mind, especially on back roads and more desolate areas. To that end, I think BMW is probably best (over the likes of Porsche let's say) for the added practicality of space -- so M2 or M3

for the vintage find, I've always wanted and been partial to an Italian GT or coupe - some that have interested more than others are the Maserati Merak, Mexico, or Indy.
However, the vintage car will likely be the sedan, so I've moved to the first gen Quattroporte as an option BUT been thinking about a W114/115 Merc - 250 or 280 ?

Discussing reliability for 50 year old cars is a futile exercise , I think -- inevitable (and necessary) maintenance and upgrades should level the field in that respect
but to that, I guess my question at least here is that given these options, what does the Mercedes present and offer over the Maserati (already surrendering the power and speed argument of course, and I guess sense of occasion, and of course, different price point) -- should I take into account parts availability ? ease of modern upgrades and retrofits ? stability ? general ride ? rust susceptibility ?

let me know your thoughts

thank you

 

MBZ, Porsche and BMW have your any vintage of Maserati with their older cars and parts, upgrades and retrofits availability. But if you want a 50-60 year old car to drive around you better have your AAA card handy unless you have totally restored the car, even so the base technology is 1/2 a century old. But the good thing about the old cars is that they are pretty easy to work on in your garage or on the side of the road. The easiest vintage cars to deal with are the 1960's era cars are the easiest to deal with as they are still pretty basic and easy to work on and maintain. I really have a soft spot for the C2 Corvette's as they are fun to drive and easy to maintain, with just a few parts and tools you can fix just about anything that breaks on those cars.

 

thank you
never been a big fan of the 'Vette , sorry