$100k exotics
 

I have been browsing around and noticed that a few exotics are dropping under the $100k range.
Cars like the F360, California, the occasional F430, Gallardos, several Aston Martins, etc.

is this a good thing or a bad thing?

i know exotics require more frequent and expensive maintenance, but will these cars become huge money pits? or have the exotics become relatively reliable?

i have dreams of being in the market in the next 3 years, am interested to see if these cars should be included in my dreams, or if i need to lower my expectations.

It really depends.... Sometime being able to afford to buy an exotic is different that having the means to own them - even with the means... maybe the stomach. Aston vantage GT's are a nice deal right now but make sure you get the manual and have 7K ready for a clutch and know what to get. I'm betting they will be the next aircooled Porsche for collectors given the new Mercedes drivetrain. Also learning that exotic cars are not made of exotic parts.... example: Huracan Oil change at Lambo dealer = 1K-1.5K. Huracan oil change at Audi dealer by an R8 tech = $295:) Fuel Pump from Aston = ~2K. Same fuel pump from an F250 = $300. There is a lot to learn about the quirks of each of these and the maintenance schedule associated. If you want something to drive and not really worry about too much at this price point the answer is always Porsche but although a great (arguably best) driver - it is still a mass produced car and although hand assembled, is not hand made nor does it have the exotic look.

Another newcomer for 100K worth checking out is the new Saleen 1.... 450hp, manual, 2500 pounds, mid engine.

Other cars to note for the look and experience you want are Maserati Coupes and Alfa 4C for 50K easy. Also - Manual R8's are coming down too.... 2011 (with the improved chassis updates) V8 Manual is the one to have IMO if you want to actually drive it.

Another great car at ~100K is the Mercedes AMG GT. It is incredible and grips as good as any AWD competitor. So many choices.

The prices come down, but the years effect on the car do not that add an additional factor to ownership. Also, a 200K+ car will always have 200K+ plus service costs and parts for the life of the car. I needed a B&O speaker cover from the front passenger side door panel. One of the clips broke and double sided tape would not fix it. The speaker cover is $800. Replacing the battery was $1000 and the list goes on and on. Maintenance is a big deal on these cars and if they are not up to date, the value and interest diminishes quick. Some cars require more major service than other.

After owning a few cars that are "exotic", my advice is to have 5K a year available for parts and upkeep. If a 3-4K repair bill is going to cause a tear, these are not cars for you. Expect to spend 3-5K every year. Heck, just the annual oil an brake fluid change is like 1K for any of these cars. I would not be so hot on cross shopping parts to save money. Such cars need the correct parts and penny pinching just makes the car look like it was owned by someone who couldn't afford it. Like when you see a fancy car with budget tires.

For the past year, I had a goal of buying a $100k sports/supercar in ~3 years. Tops on my list were F430 F1 Spider (would love a manual but they're $40-50k more!) which are about $110k for a good driver, R8 V10 MT Spyder ($85k or so), 997.2 GT3 ($110k) and 981 Boxster Spyder ($90k).

The F430 is much less maintenance-intensive and more reliable than the 360 - for one thing, no engine-out belt services every 5 years because it uses a chain. However, annual fluid changes are $800-1,000+, and that's the bare minimum - aka a "good year" where nothing goes wrong. F1 clutch is $6-10k at the dealer or a good indy and seems to last about 30k miles depending on use. Headers can crack on all of them, but especially earlier cars, and it's a good $4-7k job to replace them (I watched a DIY and it did not look fun), and weak exhaust hangers can lead to a cracked exhaust. God forbid the soft top frame or mechanicals don't break, as that's many thousands to fix.

The R8 V10 (and Gallardo) seem to be a lot more reliable and have less go wrong. However, people who have owned both the R8 and F430 advised that the Fezza is substantially more fun.

Probably goes without saying that the Porsches are much more reliable, although personally I'd miss the sense of occasion and drama you get with an exotic. I don't actually want the attention exotics come with, but the dream of seeing a Ferrari or other low-slung exotic in my garage, and all the sights and sounds that come with driving an exotic, are something I want to experience at some point.

At the end of the day, given we are starting a family in the near future, I just didn't feel right spending that much money to buy and then maintain (and store, insure, worry about) something that I realistically won't get to use nearly as much as I'd like to. My wife actually is encouraging me to still go for it, but upon reflection recently I've more or less decided to get an Elise for now as it's the perfect weekend-only toy and FAR more reasonable in both cost to buy and maintain, while still being amazing to drive, though in a different way. There's actually a good article in Autocar comparing 360 CS vs. Exige and the Exige wins...

I do still hope to get an exotic down the road, but it just doesn't seem like an appropriate time in my life for me.

A buddy just picked up a 2006 Maserati GranSport last weekend for 30K. It's way more exotic than the GranTurismo and more exiciting to drive. This is a good feet first into an exotic car for those wanting to test the waters. Has the F1 transmission like the Ferrari and a sound that is a cousin of the Ferrari. Plenty of exhaust mods ready to bridge the gap closer to a Ferrari. If you are able to rock this car and keep it in top shape for a couple of years, then the next move to Aston or Ferrari won't be so scary.

I drove his car for a good hour yeserday. I am actually consdering the GranSport spyder for next season as a third car. Just too good of a deal.

https://s20.postimg.cc/ryff0x9hp/maserati_gransport.jpg

Saw an article some time ago about how Ferrari is selling several times what they used to. Lamborghini is shoving out cars, and McClaren too.

I think this will mean that used ones will be more affordable as the very wealthy keep trading up, but I think this will also mean investment potential will go down. You won't find as many Ferrari's where just 200 were made, it will be several thousand which will impact the market.

that is not to say there won't be the ability to grab something that will be collectable, but that it will be tougher to find and that you might just be paying to keep up and exotic that will still depreciate for a long time in your hands. If you want that expense just to enjoy the car, go for it. If you think it will pay for itself in appreciation, you probably will be mistaken.

I try not to mention too much Porsche stuff since apparently that offends a couple of people.... You should drive the Gt3 and Spyder... The Spyder is my favorite P car but I needed a "backseat" to appease the wife. Both the 997 Gt3 and Spyder will give just as much sense of Occassion as the exotics you are speaking about. My 911 is a C2S cab with full bushings, mounts, suspension, and bolt ons with tune. The sound is every bit as good as a GT3 with an exhaust and it is more fun to drive than a stock anything to me - VERY subjective I know but friends with these cars agree, they just typically don't venture down the mod path. The Spyder gets a proper 6 speed (although geared too long) and is as much fun as you can have behind the wheel. Redundant but the GT3 and Spyder are in an a completely elevated driving experience from non GT P cars (stock for stock).

As more tech is introduced - depreciation will become steeper. Also, Ferrari now comes with several years of maintenance(if you can get an invitation to buy a new one). Once that ship has sailed the depreciation will be much steeper.

For sure. If you are buying a car thinking it will appreciate in the near term, you better be buying something very exclusive. Not to mention the annual ownership costs. Oddly, both my Aston's were much less to insure than our Jag. Less excise tax too.

If I were going to get in on something that I think has the chance to go up in value in the next say ten years from now and does not have crazy maintenance costs, I would look for NA flat 6 Porsche's and more specifically 911's. They are reliable, fairly easy to maintain, and Porsches become desired by Porschephiles in shorter timeframes. The flat sixes are all being phased out by 4cylinders and turbos, and the cars are getting bigger and more GT style. Look at what air cooled models go for and you can see the potential. You don't have to spend $100k either, and you can find a dealer network or Porsche specialty repair shops everywhere if you need something major done.

I am not sure I would necessarily make money on my Cayman, but I would not find it a huge stretch with the appreciation of car prices, and that some people will be hunting for old flat 6's, that I could sell the car in 2030 and get not a great deal less than I paid if the car is kept in good shape. If I get $10,000 less than I paid, that aint bad to drive the car for 13 years. I don't find that notion to far fetched.

I think you could find a nice 2014 911 GTS or something (get the manual too, they are more rare!) for say $68k, and in 10-15 years you can probably get high forties easy. Not a big expense on a really nice car.