This or That - Friday night thoughts
Last sunday, a new record was reached, A ferrari F430 manual sold on Collecting Cars for near enough £200,000! Two years ago a F430 would of run you £55,000-£100,000 for the cleanest, manual example, this in turn got me thinking once again. Firstly that some people really do have to much money that they will spend that on what was originally a “quote on quote” budget Ferrari. Secondly, what else could you buy for £200,000 if you're not inclined to a Italian stallion that you can’t drive for fear of devaluing it.
My thoughts are that you could build out a absolutely perfect three car solution instead of sinking £200,000 on a singular prancing garage ornament
Firstly, an usable all around mile muncher, that can tow, deal with all weathers, and get you to your destination relaxed and recharged in utter luxury (totally not biased by my own ownership 😉). A L405 Range Rover, as long as its got the 4.4 SDV8, you are golden. More power and torque than you’d ever need in a car that size. A 2017 is the best model year in my opinion, no stupid duel screens, you still have physical climate control buttons and the much better pre facelift seats - £25,000-£40,000 dependent on miles and history.
Second car, this is the pop to the shops car, the car to take the dog out and move things when needed. A 2022-2025 Volvo V90 would be my choice. A stunningly elegant vehicle to look at, in T6 guise, an ample 345hp from the 2.0 Hybrid 4 banger whisks you along all while still achieving 30 plus mpg, mated with a interior that feels sophisticated yet rugged. What else do you need for those short journeys - £30,000-£45,000.
That leaves the balls to the wall weekend car, leaving around £100,000 on the table, I would put myself in a 2012 Aston martin DBS, in my opinion one of the greatest GT cars ever produced. Powered by the renowned 6.0 litre AM08 V12 (yes I know its technically a 5.9) 510 of Britains finely tuned horses echo out of the exhaust at every application of the throttle, a sound lost in the modern era of turbocharging, hybrids and downsizing. A true GT car through and through. With the choice a a 6 speed manual or 6 speed Touchtronic 2 automatic box the option is there for both the spirited drivers and the leisurely. Guaranteed to leave a massive grin on your face regardless of where you drive it, I also do not think that they will get much cheaper than they are currently! £65,000-£75,000
That at worse, is £160,000 worth of cars, and no matter how “special” it might be to drive a manual 430, I think I would much prefer the multi choice solution, and i’d be able to sleep at night not worrying about values!
Picture credits to Collecting Cars and AutoTrader
