Post: #226

(12-30-2012 09:05 PM)PhilE Wrote:  So sir i ask you, in your opinion: i get two cars: the Jaguar XK (with the XKR styling), and a Dodge SRT-8, or a Maserati Gran Turismo or a Bentley GT?

The two sportscar strategy is a bit unwieldy and not something I'd go through with. It is less practical and pricier overall. If you're going to have two cars, one ought to be a more practical daily driver. Unless you've got an extremely generous budget, I wouldn't put two sports cars in the stable.

A high mileage Bentley or Maserati would be feasible as far as the sticker-price goes, but I'd be concerned about maintenance and the prior use of the car. If you can buy a newer car with lower mileage you should, and going for either of those cars would make it harder to find that. Price is also a concern here-if you could just pay outright (or close to it) for a similar car, why not do so? Why would you be beholden to a bank if you don't need to be?

Also, you want an XK with XKR styling...so why not just get an XKR?

If I were you, I would forget the XK altogether and just get a used XKR. You should go find an '08 or '09 in the $38-45k range. You can even find a 2010 for that price if you're willing to put up with a 40-45k mileage count. They are abundant enough on Cars.com and Autotrader, and they'll allow you to drop that idea of buying a separate bodykit for a lower-spec car (kind of an unnecessary extra expense/hassle, IMO, especially when you can have the real thing).

Put close to $40k down on the car, and enjoy next to nothing for a car note. Problem solved. Now you have your exotic car (XKs are rare, look great, and to the untrained eye quite difficult to distinguish from an Aston Martin) and you get to keep more of your money.

Alternative idea for practicality would be as follows: Find an 08-09 XKR for around $40k like I said before, and just put $30k down on it. Then use the remaining $10k to put down on a $12-$15k daily driver (think 04-06 Acura TSX or 01-05 Lexus IS300) that will keep the wear and tear off of your sports car.
Then you'll have two high quality cars and a relatively minimal car note to carry ($12-$15k overall).

Post: #227

Post: #228

(12-30-2012 10:04 PM)Athlone McGinnis Wrote:  

(12-30-2012 09:05 PM)PhilE Wrote:  So sir i ask you, in your opinion: i get two cars: the Jaguar XK (with the XKR styling), and a Dodge SRT-8, or a Maserati Gran Turismo or a Bentley GT?

The two sportscar strategy is a bit unwieldy and not something I'd go through with. It is less practical and pricier overall. If you're going to have two cars, one ought to be a more practical daily driver. Unless you've got an extremely generous budget, I wouldn't put two sports cars in the stable.

A high mileage Bentley or Maserati would be feasible as far as the sticker-price goes, but I'd be concerned about maintenance and the prior use of the car. If you can buy a newer car with lower mileage you should, and going for either of those cars would make it harder to find that. Price is also a concern here-if you could just pay outright (or close to it) for a similar car, why not do so? Why would you be beholden to a bank if you don't need to be?

Also, you want an XK with XKR styling...so why not just get an XKR?

If I were you, I would forget the XK altogether and just get a used XKR. You should go find an '08 or '09 in the $38-45k range. You can even find a 2010 for that price if you're willing to put up with a 40-45k mileage count. They are abundant enough on Cars.com and Autotrader, and they'll allow you to drop that idea of buying a separate bodykit for a lower-spec car (kind of an unnecessary extra expense/hassle, IMO, especially when you can have the real thing).

Put close to $40k down on the car, and enjoy next to nothing for a car note. Problem solved. Now you have your exotic car (XKs are rare, look great, and to the untrained eye quite difficult to distinguish from an Aston Martin) and you get to keep more of your money.

Alternative idea for practicality would be as follows: Find an 08-09 XKR for around $40k like I said before, and just put $30k down on it. Then use the remaining $10k to put down on a $12-$15k daily driver (think 04-06 Acura TSX or 01-05 Lexus IS300) that will keep the wear and tear off of your sports car.
Then you'll have two high quality cars and a relatively minimal car note to carry ($12-$15k overall).

What if I found a used 2004/2005 Bentley with less than 20k miles on it for $67k or less and putting $40k on it making it 27k, my payments would be between 550 and 650 a month. I have about 1500/mo to dedicate to cars so i still can get a drive around for 15k and my payment would be like 300/mo. my insurance for both cars would be about 600/mo so the total 1550/mo...

but maybe your right...fuck the bank. Before I make the plunge Im definitely going to start a thread to see what the pack thinks.

Post: #229

(01-01-2013 04:08 PM)PhilE Wrote:  What if I found a used 2004/2005 Bentley with less than 20k miles on it for $67k or less and putting $40k on it making it 27k, my payments would be between 550 and 650 a month. I have about 1500/mo to dedicate to cars so i still can get a drive around for 15k and my payment would be like 300/mo. my insurance for both cars would be about 600/mo so the total 1550/mo...

but maybe your right...fuck the bank. Before I make the plunge Im definitely going to start a thread to see what the pack thinks.

My survey of the knowledge on the car seems to indicate that Continentals are fairly reliable as daily drivers, so an 04/05 with 20k on the clock shouldn't be too risky.

My concern is the price. Why keep a $27k car note when you can have a car note half that much (as you would with the alternative strategy I mentioned in my last post) or no car note at all? Why give the banks more money than you need to?

The XKR is just a vastly superior value, so that'd be my recommendation. It'll be newer than a comparably priced Continental GT, will look just as good while going just as fast, is just as rare as the Bentley and will save you money. Win-win-win.

If you really MUST have a Bentley, though, then I guess you could take the financial hit. Personal affinity for the brand is the only justification I could see for taking on an extra $15-30k car note that could be avoided.

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(01-06-2013 11:16 PM)Athlone McGinnis Wrote:  

What the? thats just a Holden Commodore - an australian family sedan. I knew they rebadged it for the US market (Lumina, I think?) but I never knew they rebadged it as a lotus as well.

Post: #236

(01-08-2013 01:00 AM)LooTa Wrote:  What the? thats just a Holden Commodore - an australian family sedan. I knew they rebadged it for the US market (Lumina, I think?) but I never knew they rebadged it as a lotus as well.

It is actually an Opel Omega. The car was marketed as a Chevrolet, a Vauxhaul, a Lotus and a Holden-these brands all belong to General Motors.

I don't believe we ever got that generation of the Omega (the Omega A, 1986-1993) in the USA. We already had our own separate Lumina here during that time, so that name couldn't have been used.

We got the next generation, the Omega B (1994-2003) here as a Cadillac:



Australians got re-engineered versions of this car as Commodores from 1997-2007:




Australians also got their own versions of the Omega A (the version the Lotus is based on) marketed as Commodores from 1988-1997.

The VE Commodore, the most recent generation, is really the first Commodore to be primarily an Australian effort. It was designed, engineered, and is built right there in Australia, and then rebadged for the rest of the world (Pontiac G8 in the USA, Chevy Lumina in South africa/middle east, Vauxhaul in England). The next Commodore, the VF, will follow a similar model.

Before these two, things were reversed, and Commodores were generally re-done Opels (Omegas, Rekfords, etc). In the case of the Omega A, the Opel served as the base for a Lotus, Chevy, and Holden version.

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Just out of curiosity, what do you drive Athlone?

I'm kinda surprised you throw up the Catera as a hot ride. That's why I ask.

Here's two of mine.



I love the one on the trailer. 455 cubic inches of old school horsepower and torque.

This is a hot Caddy, not the Catera.



Drove a Catera Sport back in the day. It was ok, but I preferred my Achieva SCX at the time.

Edit-If Mech looks at this, yes I had the W30 to far forward on the trailer. The Avi still drove great. No sway at all even with too much tongue weight.

Post: #241

American version of the XFR

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Post: #243

(01-11-2013 03:51 AM)Hotwheels Wrote:  Just out of curiosity, what do you drive Athlone?

I'm kinda surprised you throw up the Catera as a hot ride. That's why I ask.

I drive a Suzuki Grand Vitara. Very typical car for my ethnic group.

I posted the Catera photo to illustrate to LooTa the lineage of the car (it was actually an Opel, and related to a Holden by extension). The Catera was the version of the European Omega that we got.
It wasn't that hot, I agree. It was just a rebadge and not a particularly good one, unlike the later Pontiac G8.

Quote: Here's two of mine.



I love the one on the trailer. 455 cubic inches of old school horsepower and torque.

Nice. I've always had a soft spot for the Avalanche as well. Too bad they've quit making them.

Quote:This is a hot Caddy, not the Catera.

I agree. The CTS is a fantastic car too.

(01-11-2013 04:06 AM)Hotwheels Wrote:  American version of the XFR

You mean to say the Australian version of the XFR. That's a Holden.

Just sayin'.

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(01-15-2013 10:28 PM)Cr33pin Wrote:  

What an apt description for the aftermarket wheels on that thing. I hate that shit.

Post: #247

(01-16-2013 12:47 AM)Athlone McGinnis Wrote:  

Id drive every car in that video.............off a cliff, preferably with the owner in the trunk

Post: #248

Ok.. Two things...

I bought a 5.0 Mustang lx basket case that will be here today and I need to buy a roadtrip car for around 15k. I was thinking about a Mercedes C55.

Whatever it is it needs to be kid friendly and faster than a cop car. I'm sick of BMWs.

Post: #249

Mech-Should be able to find an 04-05 CTS-V for around that.

Post: #250

(01-16-2013 04:14 PM)Hotwheels Wrote:  Mech-Should be able to find an 04-05 CTS-V for around that.

I thought about it but I need an auto because I make other people drive me after I'm wasted plus the kid makes me have to grab shit all the time.

On another note I have a 240sx here that has all types of crazy turbo shit on it that I'm thinking about fucking with as well..