b16a2vtiguy
Active Member
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2008
- Messages
- 327
So yeh here it is, my new car.
I thought long and hard about which car to get next, but ultimately I decided it needed to feel special and have a sense of occasion when driving it as its only a weekend toy for me.
When spending this sort of money on a car there is lot of choice, but being a bigger picture kind of guy and not using it as a daily I wanted the package that suited me best.
I looked at F80 M3's but found them too similar to the E92, despite them being a great car if that was the thing I was after I would have just kept my immaculate very special top spec E92 M3.
The sound doesn't do it for me either and speed isn't everything, my stage 2 tuned E92 was already quick enough to warrant short shifting when pressing on down country roads, partly due to speed, partly due to traction. So with that in mind I ruled out the next car pretty quickly too.
F10 M5. The car is just far too big for what I want, and has the same traction issues. It also isn't a sense of occasion car so it wasn't what I was looking for either. I must admit I kept thinking of the 700bhp potential after a remap and it was difficult to shake lol. Men like power, it's that simple isn't it!:muttley:
I'll no doubt have one of these when the family/kids come along.
Nissan GT-R, no question that they are rapid, but after being in one and spending some time around them I was put off. Looks are subjective, we all know this but to me it just looked to 'transformers' styled and the woeful interior was even worse. The reliability and maintenance cost also put me off after speaking to a mate who had one. Obviously it depends on what you want from a car but being the fastest point to point didn't interest me, I wanted a fast, classy car with a sense of occasion. It's a slippery slope when you start chasing performance numbers.
Aston Martin Vantage V8, for a while I was decided on this as my next car. I decided the 'wow' factor and package was good enough to put up with the fact it would be a fair amount slower than the M3. I test drove an 07 plate (4.3 engine) with low mileage and was so disappointed. I was gutted, the car felt far older than its years with most awful plastic interior. When I drove it I couldn't believe how slow it felt and after a blast on some twisties how poor it was dynamically.
I tried a 10 plate 4.7 engined one after that, is was a huge leap forward in every way. The interior was miles better, the dynamics felt much improved and it was a lot quicker.
The problem was that now put me into a higher price bracket for a good one, so I had another look at what else was in budget.....
Audi R8 V8.
Now first things first, I was never the R8's biggest fan when it came out.
I didn't like the styling and the interior looked boring Audi in pictures.
The styling has grown on me massively of late, and I now think it's a fantastic looking thing. I don't think pictures do them justice, in the flesh the width, height and presence of them is simply awsome. The stares, waves and general public admiration you get in one is crazy.
The interior is a lovely place to be, and the full extended leather really makes it feel premium and special. I test drove a more basic spec one and it didn't feel premium at all. These cars need to have the right spec to feel special in my opinion, much like Porsche and Mercedes.
When I test drove it I was shocked how well it drove, rear wheel bias with much better traction. It sounds fantastic too but a little quiet at times (exhaust in the pipeline)
I travelled down to Cornwall to get it (7.5hr journey by train) but it was so worth it, the car is truly immaculate. It was from a Audi dealer so comes with approved Audi warranty and has had the all important recalls already done. The service book is brimmed, the previous 2 owners spared no expense thankfully.
It's a very highly specced car with around £13k in extras and a new price of over £90k!
I had brand new Michelin Pilot Super sport tyres fitted all round and the wheels whilst not curbed where showing signs of corrosion so they have been freshly powder coated.
Here's the full spec!
-Daytona grey £700
-Silver blades £800
-Extended leather £2500
-Coloured stitching £170
-Stainless pedals £250
-Heated seats £275
-Fully elec seats £830
-Sat nav plus £1800
-Bluetooth £420
-CD changer £320
-Tyre pressure monitor £270
-Homelink garage door opener £175
-Cruise control £215
-Auto dimming rear view mirror/light/rain sensors £200
-Auto dimming/folding/heated mirrors £475
-Magnetic ride £1350
-Bang oulfsen £1200
-Front and rear parking sensors £630
-4x new MPSS tyres
I be also bought a private plate as I think they look so much better with a shorter plate!
Pics
I thought long and hard about which car to get next, but ultimately I decided it needed to feel special and have a sense of occasion when driving it as its only a weekend toy for me.
When spending this sort of money on a car there is lot of choice, but being a bigger picture kind of guy and not using it as a daily I wanted the package that suited me best.
I looked at F80 M3's but found them too similar to the E92, despite them being a great car if that was the thing I was after I would have just kept my immaculate very special top spec E92 M3.
The sound doesn't do it for me either and speed isn't everything, my stage 2 tuned E92 was already quick enough to warrant short shifting when pressing on down country roads, partly due to speed, partly due to traction. So with that in mind I ruled out the next car pretty quickly too.
F10 M5. The car is just far too big for what I want, and has the same traction issues. It also isn't a sense of occasion car so it wasn't what I was looking for either. I must admit I kept thinking of the 700bhp potential after a remap and it was difficult to shake lol. Men like power, it's that simple isn't it!:muttley:
I'll no doubt have one of these when the family/kids come along.
Nissan GT-R, no question that they are rapid, but after being in one and spending some time around them I was put off. Looks are subjective, we all know this but to me it just looked to 'transformers' styled and the woeful interior was even worse. The reliability and maintenance cost also put me off after speaking to a mate who had one. Obviously it depends on what you want from a car but being the fastest point to point didn't interest me, I wanted a fast, classy car with a sense of occasion. It's a slippery slope when you start chasing performance numbers.
Aston Martin Vantage V8, for a while I was decided on this as my next car. I decided the 'wow' factor and package was good enough to put up with the fact it would be a fair amount slower than the M3. I test drove an 07 plate (4.3 engine) with low mileage and was so disappointed. I was gutted, the car felt far older than its years with most awful plastic interior. When I drove it I couldn't believe how slow it felt and after a blast on some twisties how poor it was dynamically.
I tried a 10 plate 4.7 engined one after that, is was a huge leap forward in every way. The interior was miles better, the dynamics felt much improved and it was a lot quicker.
The problem was that now put me into a higher price bracket for a good one, so I had another look at what else was in budget.....
Audi R8 V8.
Now first things first, I was never the R8's biggest fan when it came out.
I didn't like the styling and the interior looked boring Audi in pictures.
The styling has grown on me massively of late, and I now think it's a fantastic looking thing. I don't think pictures do them justice, in the flesh the width, height and presence of them is simply awsome. The stares, waves and general public admiration you get in one is crazy.
The interior is a lovely place to be, and the full extended leather really makes it feel premium and special. I test drove a more basic spec one and it didn't feel premium at all. These cars need to have the right spec to feel special in my opinion, much like Porsche and Mercedes.
When I test drove it I was shocked how well it drove, rear wheel bias with much better traction. It sounds fantastic too but a little quiet at times (exhaust in the pipeline)
I travelled down to Cornwall to get it (7.5hr journey by train) but it was so worth it, the car is truly immaculate. It was from a Audi dealer so comes with approved Audi warranty and has had the all important recalls already done. The service book is brimmed, the previous 2 owners spared no expense thankfully.
It's a very highly specced car with around £13k in extras and a new price of over £90k!
I had brand new Michelin Pilot Super sport tyres fitted all round and the wheels whilst not curbed where showing signs of corrosion so they have been freshly powder coated.
Here's the full spec!
-Daytona grey £700
-Silver blades £800
-Extended leather £2500
-Coloured stitching £170
-Stainless pedals £250
-Heated seats £275
-Fully elec seats £830
-Sat nav plus £1800
-Bluetooth £420
-CD changer £320
-Tyre pressure monitor £270
-Homelink garage door opener £175
-Cruise control £215
-Auto dimming rear view mirror/light/rain sensors £200
-Auto dimming/folding/heated mirrors £475
-Magnetic ride £1350
-Bang oulfsen £1200
-Front and rear parking sensors £630
-4x new MPSS tyres
I be also bought a private plate as I think they look so much better with a shorter plate!
Pics
