Help me find a "new" mid-life crisis car.

[Dburr]

more fiat than ferrari

 

[epb]

Originally Posted by origenesprit

That's just a silly statement.

Besides, Magnum PI can't be wrong.

I'm with Dburr - Ferrari had a bad-looking passel of cars, starting with the 308 and ending with the 355 (and yep, I'm including the F40, F50, and 288GTO). Their performance for the time might have been stellar, but I don't much care for the looks of any of them. I met the 360 with a sigh of relief that the bad days were over.

That aside, I recommend against the 3x8 cars because they're lousy bang for the buck. If you're nostalgic for Tom Selleck's hey-day, go for it, but kids in Hondas and Foci will leave you like you were standing still - the world has moved on since its day. The reason these Ferraris are so... affordable is they lack serious performance and historical significance for the Ferrari brand, much like the 944 for Porsche.

 

[haTTer]

Must be a BMW 850 or an 840
I have had both ....every man;s gotta own one some time in his life ....

 

[Dburr]

I know only a few Ferrari guys. None of them would touch a 308 for reasons you've well explained.

 

[haTTer]

I now use this as a daily driver 1989 3.2 Carrera 911

 

[Dburr]

As an investment I agree BMW 850 is rock solid, much more so than 840 because of the 12 cyl. engine. God help if you need so much as a head gasket.

 

[haTTer]

If you go the 850 route try find a Csi great example below for 30k http://www.roadfly.com/bmw/classifie...2&sortby=&dir= or a nice 840 http://www.roadfly.com/bmw/classifie...4&sortby=&dir= here's a real beauty for 21 k ! No affiliation as im in HK

 

[haTTer]

My 850 in Hong Kong

 

[Flambeur]

Originally Posted by haTTer

I now use this as a daily driver 1989 3.2 Carrera 911

Originally Posted by haTTer

My 850 in Hong Kong

I like your taste!

 

[A Y]

Originally Posted by Artisan Fan

I've been looking at Caymans and love them but even used they are above Mark's price range.

They're right at Mark's $35K limit for a 2006 Cayman S. A newer base Cayman (with the 2.7L engine) would also be within his budget. They are the best all-around cars Porsche makes.

--Andre

 

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by Dburr

As an investment I agree BMW 850 is rock solid, much more so than 840 because of the 12 cyl. engine. God help if you need so much as a head gasket.
Ummm, why would you want an 850 at all? That 12 cyl wasn't a very good engine.

To the OP I think a 3 Series, Boxster/Cayman or an Infiniti G35 would fit the bill.

 

[Dburr]

It was a excellent engine. The cars have bottomed out after only15 years and prices for nice ones are rising rapidly. It will reach classic status much more rapidly than many other fine cars because of the V12.

 

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by Dburr

It was a excellent engine. The cars have bottomed out after only15 years and prices for nice ones are rising rapidly. It will reach classic status much more rapidly than many other fine cars because of the V12.
Yes, when new the 12 cyl was smooth and powerful. Now it's complex, delicate and incredibly costly to work on and find parts for.

I love the 8 series but would never touch a 850.

 

[A Y]

The BMW S70 V12 is not a cheap engine to maintain. Mechanics are always happy to see one pull in because they'll make their monthly rent on that service alone. The 8-series is also very fiddly, and helps make the mechanic's rent for next month.

--Andre

 

[origenesprit]

Originally Posted by epb

I'm with Dburr - Ferrari had a bad-looking passel of cars, starting with the 308 and ending with the 355 (and yep, I'm including the F40, F50, and 288GTO). Their performance for the time might have been stellar, but I don't much care for the looks of any of them. I met the 360 with a sigh of relief that the bad days were over.

That aside, I recommend against the 3x8 cars because they're lousy bang for the buck. If you're nostalgic for Tom Selleck's hey-day, go for it, but kids in Hondas and Foci will leave you like you were standing still - the world has moved on since its day. The reason these Ferraris are so... affordable is they lack serious performance and historical significance for the Ferrari brand, much like the 944 for Porsche.

To be fair, which older cars will be able to beat Hondas and Foci?
And I'm not nostalgic for Tom Selleck's days, I'm in college, but I still prefer the looks of Ferraris then. Just my personal opinion.

If I cared about beating the kids in Hondas I'd go with a Caterham Seven.