Personally I'm convinced that ownership of these vehicles are really not as prohibitive as they appear. It's just that the usual owners of exotics are those who.....

• Only buy new, takes on the full depreciation hit.
• Take every recommendation from dealer, at dealer prices.
• Such as changing plugs every 2 years, why???.....
• Never drive the car (which I believe is bad for machines)

I bought the car used, at a good price so probably won't bare much depreciation. Absolutely love driving it, and will probably have it serviced and maintained at performance car specialists. It's built by hand, thus easily serviceable by hand according to my cousin, who's customized quite a few cars himself.

The only catch is to be an absolutely responsible driver. While other people hitting you can be taken care of by insurance, I don't think I can afford to fix this car, or the subsequent premium payments if I accidentally wreck it myself.

Good luck on your car hunt, buy only what you truly desire or you'll end up back on autotrader in a few months time wondering what would have been. Plus, the time spent looking for that perfect car, up to the point of picking up the keys, is the best experience of it all.

 

Well said. I'm enjoying the hell out of my hunt, and learning a lot. Even if I do holdoff on buying, which is becoming more likely, I do truely belive looking for the car and getting ready to buy it can be just as exciting as driving it; perhaps more so once you get used to it and have to start paying the associated expenses.

I'll be in Chicago this weekend and am going to at least try to find a used GTR and used XKR I can take for a test drive. Would love to do this with a Vantage too, if possible, and at least sit in a DB9. This time I'm strictly acting like I'm interested in that particular vehicle, not just the model in general.

 

I think they both sink in deprecaition, a lot. M6 with 48k miles for about $40k even:

http://www.dominionmotorcarsinc.com/web/2037/vehicle/378265/2006-BMW-6%20Series-M6-San%20Antonio-TX

That is cheap. But, the M6 really just doesn't do it for me, and the gas milage of 12/18 is not solid, especially if gas prices go back up. I'll deal with that in an Aston, but a GTR or XKR is up in the 20's average, especially the XKR.

 

Was going to look at this 2007 DB9 (only one within 150 miles of me), but it sold last week. It would have been my near perfect build, black, with those updated rims, and it should afford more room. Furthermore, all DB9's are automatic with flappy paddle I belive, which I'd still probably need to be comfortable fitting, and that feature on a Vantage is so rare that the used ones are $85k+.

Guy was asking $100k, and told me he let it go for $95k with about 8.6k miles: http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false

 

I haven't tested the Aston's automatic. Is it dual-clutch? Or is it crappy, like the old BMW M3 SMG?

 

I've never driven an Aston, unfortunately. I know the Vanquish's flappy paddle clutch was actually linked somehow to a basic manual transmission (back in 2002), which was why it was/is so aweful and insanely expensive to repair. There are reports of such Vanquish repairs costing $80k! The DB9 was the first time they attached the flappy paddle option to an automatic transmission, I think, so just like with the Vantage, you have a choice of full automatic or to use the flappy paddles. I think Aston calls it an "auto-manual." But, that's about the end of my knowledge in this area, and all I know for sure is I can't fit to drive a Vantage in manual.

Never driven an M3 either. My first car at age 16 was a 1992 Lexus ES 300 sedan with 150k miles (although this was a great first car really). I bought the G35 coupe with 20k miles for $22.5k when the Lexus died just south of 200k miles exactly two years ago. Other than driving my friends craptastic cars, I have a pretty limited experience of driving different vehicles, which is why I really need to do a lot of test driving.

EDIT: The Vantage, at least in 09, per this review, is dual clutch for the auto/paddle: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...rformance.html

 

Hey OP-

My father purchashed an 07 XKR new adding an aftermarket exhaust, new supercharger pully and an ECU mod (sent to England). It is an absolutly georgous car with great presence and is very fast. I spent many miles with it and fell in love as did everyone at gas stations, lights, parking lots etc.

I recently (the past year) went through the same process.
-Did not want to spend more than $70k
-70% to me was my personal preference and driving experience and how it made me feel
-30% was how it made me look. Hey, I like attention.

I looked at:
-997 TT (fast, amazing pure sports car but people do not notice it)
-R8 (great, but too expensive and bland IMO)
-GTR (not too much presence, made me feel like an 18yr old with the coolest car, not an adult with an exotic),
-XKR (amazing, really. fit, finish great presence, BUT its a Jag and my dad had one first........
-Aston Martin V8V (not as fast as the Jag, a little more cramped BUT the most beautiful car on the road, best sounding exhaust, fast enough and will move almost any car over in the front of the best restrauant in town)

I purchashed an 06' V8V 23k miles with the factory power pack added, factory handling pack added, quicksilver exhaust and hidden radar/laser diffuser. I LOVE it. It is a weekend car mind you, but I am 6' 3" and have no issues fitting. I come home from the worst day of work, grab the keys and start it up and I forget about all that is wrong. It makes you feel much more special while in the car than the XKR.

My opinion given your criteria is the XKR or the V8V. The XKR will get you 90% of the car at 60% the price. I would have gone that route (cheap, finance guy) had my dad not been there first.

Needles to say he is very, very jealous.

Good luck and let us know.

 

Do you find those radar/laser diffusers work well? I've always used a top of the line radar detector, but my trials with the radar/laser blockers/scramblers were that I just didn't think they did much. I base much of this opinion with testing on those cop setups that tell you your speed, and when they pick me up. I noticed no difference, so returned the unit I purchased. This was several years ago, however.

My feeling being in the XK on the test drive was also underwhelming. It just felt "normal" and not that exciting, as did the drive. Again, that was just the XK, not XKR, but just sitting in the Aston with that pronounced contrast stitching, piano black dash unit (really want this), and AM symbol did really feel special. Then, there was that exhaust melody...

I just don't know if I like the DB9's looks as much as the Vantage. It is really long looking from a side view, and the styling, like wheel arches, are less bold and more smoothed out. Also, it is not only more $ to buy, but about twice times as expensive to service vs the Vantage. Oil change is $600 vs $200, and pretty much everything else about it is more expensive. Does the DB9's 12 cylinder exhaust note sound even better than the V8 Vantages?

 

All of this talk is really making it difficult for me not to go shopping for an AMV8.

**** Especially, since I just learned that the V12 is not coming to North America.

 

Ya, I was infatuated with the V12 Vantage too (although I have reservations about all those cuts in the hood, might be a little much), but then saw it was not coming to North America on Aston's website, unfortunately, and gave up hope of any reasonable priced one ever being here.

Your comment above does mean a lot to me...the fact that you have a GTR and still are inclinded to go shopping for an AMV8. I think that's exactly how I would feel too, as awesome as a GTR is. Selling the G35, buying a GTR for a couple years, then buying the AMV8 is going to be a lot more costly of a plan that waiting another year or so and going straight to the AMV8. Of course, the best plan would be to get the GTR for DD and AMV8 for nice weather cruising, but as of yet, I don't have $175k burning a hole in my pocket for that combo, nor the income stream to keep up with the costs of both. :-P

 

Don't get me wrong... I prefer the GT-R to any car I've ever driven. It inspires a level of confidence I've never had in a car before. The things this car is capable of is incredible. The safety, the power, the drivability, and the fact that I can still see over the Miata in front of me (couldn't do that in a Gallardo). I would only get an AMV8 AFTER a GT-R. I think the GT-R has amazing performance, but the Aston is still one of the most beautiful cars in the world. I wouldn't have favored the AMV8 over the GT-R, but I'd like to have an addition to it.

 

I also wonder how the V8 Vantage automatic is like. I would like to think that it functions similarity to a Porsche tiptronic in where the computer is smart enough to shift to keep you in the high RPM's when you really punch it, and automatically shift up at 2.5k RPM when you are more docile on the gas. I see the V8 Vantage has a "comfort" button, I would like to think on automatic mode this button really toggles the Comfort/Sports modes. It would really suck to only have a comfort mode in automatic, and you HAVE to use the paddles to get the car into the high RPMs. I really hate driving manuals, no more texting while driving, drinking, talking on the cell, etc etc...but if this automatic vantage does not drop down from 80k+ then the manual is starting to look like the only option...strange because most stick versions of cars cost more than the automatic versions..

 

The sportshift/auto Vantage is just so rare in 07/08 models, and didn't even exist in 06. I've noticed that it is very common in 09 models. 09 also got the displacement bump from 4.3L to 4.7L and HP from 380 to 420. I've read the 09 drives a lot better too, and I highly prefer the 09's rim's over the 06-08 default rims too. But, there is a very hefty price hike for 09's to $90k-$110k currently. Will be interesting to see where 09's are priced next year. Practicaly speaking, I just don't think I"m going to find a black/black auto with the red stitching in 07/08 for a reasonable price, and will have to wait for 09's to drop in price. Who knows, they could be $80-$90k next year at this time, and if business is good to me over next year, that would be a worthy goal.

Furthermore, the 09 Vantage is actually faster than the DBS, and lighter, and handles better. If the car doesn't say Vantage on the back, and you buy those clear DBS taillights and install them (~$1500-$1700 I think), then very, very few would be the wiser.

 

*cough* GT-R *cough*

 

Personally - in a car like a Vantage I'd want to shift it myself... old school I guess - I love the the 3 pedals...