Getting a super car

Which one

You ask someone what their dream car is and you'll get all kinds of mega cars that cost millions of dollars.

I never gave much thought about cars until relatively recently. I drove a 1984 Chevette well into my 20s. That was all I could afford.

But over the years, fate and prosperity have been kind to me and getting the untouchable dream car starts to become a reality. But a lifetime of ignorance on cars means I've had to play catch-up.  Having been burning the midnight oil for the past 15 or so years, I've finally reached the point where I can start to afford really cool stuff.

In just over 10 years, I've gone from the Chevette to a Jaguar S-Type R which is what I have now. The Jaguar S-Type R is a roughly $65,000 car. In a couple of years, I will be getting a new car. But the next step up involves looking at cars that you have to order literally a year or more in advance. Which means I have to start thinking about these things now.

Here are some of the cars I'm thinking of:

1) The BMW M5. It's a Sedan which means I can fit 5 people in it. Wife, and 3 kids. So it is practical. It's also about 500hp and does 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds. It's even faster than the Jag in theory.

2) The BMW M6. Not a Sedan and not really any faster but still an awesome car. But the BMW's have a really goofy transmision system.

3) Porsche 911 Turbo. Now this is starting to cost real money. $130k to get the version I'd want to get. Ironically, the Porsche has a really crappy GPS system. I know, it's a minor thing but at that price, there should be no compromises.

4) Ferrari F430. This is at the high end of what I would be willing or able to afford at this point. It's actually slower than the Porsche but it's a Ferrari. The problem with this and the other super cars is reliability. I am not a car collector. I plan to actually drive whatever I get pretty much every day (at least in good weather). Ferrari's and up tend to ironically be fairly unreliable by reputation.

What is a real bummer for me, as a Detroiter, is that there are no American cars on the short list. The Ford GT looks interesting but has reliability problems and just doesn't seem very interesting. Corvettes, here in Detroit, are a dime a dozen. The various high end Caddy's are somewhat interesting but I don't like the way they look. That pretty much leaves me with what I've mentioned here.

I figure now is the time to get some ridiculous car because the car after this one will be when I hit (gulp) 40 and I plan to have a more modest, reasonable car by then lest one thinks that I'm experiencing a mid life crisis. In reality, I just want to have a really cool car while I'm still young. So if you had $150k or so as your budget on a car, what would you get?
 
  
18,625 views 26 replies
Reply #1 Top
I'm like you, never been into cars much. I have a pickup truck. And that is allI really want. Something to get me from there to here, and haul stuff when I need to.
Reply #2 Top
Get the M5. It's practical, but it has the balls to get you anywhere you need to go . . . really, really quick. My friend's parents have one, and it's splendid. What a hunk of car.

If I had the money to spend on a car? 150k? Ooh, that new Jag XK roadster is gorgeous . . .
Reply #3 Top
Cars as status symbols are long past, I see so many 50-150K cars on the road these days I don't even turn to look. I would just get what has plenty of room and gets good gas mileage and leave the high consumption lifestyles to the dweebs.
Reply #4 Top

Cars as status symbols are long past, I see so many 50-150K cars on the road these days I don't even turn to look. I would just get what has plenty of room and gets good gas mileage and leave the high consumption lifestyles to the dweebs.

Who said anything about wanting a status symbol? I just want to get a car I really like.  The porche looks really cool and the M5 is pretty cool. Both are very fast. I'm already married so it's not about impressing chicks.

Reply #5 Top
Shop American. Get a Viper.   
Reply #6 Top
I'm a girl, so I don't really "get" some of the cars that men drool over.

Question: Why does fast matter? Do you have occasion to really go that fast?

A lot of the luxury features that make a car more convenient or comfortable, I can understand. Some of these things, like speed above and beyond what I can imagine anyone having use for, I just can't wrap my head around.
Reply #7 Top
Both are very fast. I'm already married so it's not about impressing chicks.


Brad, welcome to the Old man, Happily married club! Get what you want! I do. My wants are just not so exotic. But then, I am a boring guy!   
Reply #8 Top
How about a Saleen? It's what Jim Carrey had in "Bruce Almighty."

"A true supercar, the Saleen S7 is capable of over 200 miles per hour.
Zero-to-60 time is under three seconds. The S7 is designed to compete
with the fastest, quickest, best handling, most luxurious grand touring
cars in the world, while providing a distinctly American driving
experience for the fortunate few who will own one."

WWW Link
Reply #9 Top
If you really want to buy foreign, then consider this beauty. A true Supercar that served all the needs of the most demanding driver of all time, 007.

I give you, the Aston Martin:





A powerful yet refined all aluminium 6.0-litre V12 engine, it produces 335 kW (450 bhp) and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque. That results in a power to weight ratio of 194 kW/tonne (263 bhp/tonne).

Top speed: 300 Kph. (186 mph.)
0-100 kph (62 mph.) in 4.9 seconds.
Reply #10 Top

I'm a girl, so I don't really "get" some of the cars that men drool over.

Why do women get so excited about shoes?

Reply #11 Top
Unfortunately, the above Aston Martin DB9 retails just outside your price range at around $165,000 for the coupe and around $180,000 for the volante. Oh well, you'd just need to sell a couple more OD subscriptions to make it.   
Reply #12 Top
Why do women get so excited about shoes?


Touché.
Reply #13 Top
Ubob, they're only making 300 of the DBS.
Reply #14 Top
Ubob, they're only making 300 of the DBS.


Now that's a shame. Or maybe it's a good thing, depending on your point of view.

I know I've got the nerve to try and convince them to sell me one, now if only I had the cash.
Reply #15 Top
Have you already test-drove those cars? When I was a kid I had my heart set on getting a porsche when I was older. On my 20th birthday I finally scrounged up enough cash to buy one of the old 70s Carrerras so I went test-driving. And then I realised the horrible, horrible truth - no man over 6' has even the slightest chance of driving a porsche.

They're too frickin' small in the cabin. It's worse than a Hyundai.

If you're tall as well you'll also be able to scratch most of those cars off your list unless you get them customised, so maybe that's a help.

Otherwise I'd go the Porsche or go for the next model up in the Jag. Both look far, far better than any BMW or Ferrarri.
Reply #16 Top
I would buy a Authentic Army Issue Hummer (not the passy-ass ones that GM sells to the general public), I want the real deal! Any vehicle that can drive almost completely under water is about as cool as it gets IMO.
Reply #17 Top
Otherwise I'd go the Porsche or go for the next model up in the Jag. Both look far, far better than any BMW or Ferrarri.


If I really had lots and lots of disposable cash and was willing to completely throw caution, not to mention my bank account, to the wind I think I'd just go for it and get a Bugatti Veyron. It would probably cost just as much per year to maintain it as it cost to originally buy it, but still, I'd like to give it a try.
Reply #18 Top
F430's are nice.. but I've always wanted ( me and everyone else ) a 360. although the model with the F1 ( paddle shifting ) is probably around $250,000 still.

go with a ferrari.
Reply #19 Top

If I really had lots and lots of disposable cash and was willing to completely throw caution, not to mention my bank account, to the wind I think I'd just go for it and get a Bugatti Veyron. It would probably cost just as much per year to maintain it as it cost to originally buy it, but still, I'd like to give it a try.

One of the things about how much things cost is that it's all relative. If someone makes $50,000 per year they might have a $30,000 car.  If someone makes $100,000 per year, they might have a $60,000 car with it having the same affect on their bottom line. 

One of the things I often see in discussions is people making value judgments based on their own economics.  A $300,000 car doesn't seem crazy to someone who makes $100 million per year.  That's the people who buy some of those really ultra super cars. 

When I was a kid driving a Chevette, people paying $30k for a car seemed a bit silly. You can still get a good car for half that.

Reply #20 Top
Gosh, I wish I had your budget for a new car! I think it's great that you can do that for yourself!

I say go with the one Braeden mentioned, the BMW M5. I've seen them around my neighborhood and man oh man, they're really great. One thing about where I live, there are cars, and there are cars! I've seen the new BMW SUVs and they're pretty good lookng too! Yep, there are cars and I'm wishing I could have one of them too! For now I'll just live vicariously through you!! Vipers look good, my boss drives one, so does the VP, and a few other people on the road, they're pretty common.
Reply #22 Top
The various high end Caddy's are somewhat interesting but I don't like the way they look.

Have you considered getting the Caddy and customizing the appearance?
Reply #23 Top

Have you considered getting the Caddy and customizing the appearance?

What would be the point? I dn't like Caddy's enough to go through that kind of hassle. There's nothing special about them.

Reply #24 Top
Any of the Beemers in an M configuration.
Reply #25 Top
Take a look at the new Audi R8, love the way it looks.

http://www.automotoportal.com/article/Paris_debut_for_Audi_R8_super_car
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/autoexpresstv/spyshotvideos/200300/audi_r8.html