Hive mind a quick question. Pick one of the three.
I have no snow, I have no children. Option 3 will be 20K more out of pocket and a lease. Still have JCW Mini for wife.
Option one.
Fiat Abarth (Daily Driver)
Viper
Option Two
Option three
V10 Audi.
No question for me. 
One or two. $20K extra and a lease doesn't sound worth it. FWIW, Top Gear prefers the V8 Audi anyway. Personally, I like your Aston idea better...
1 no questions asked. I would not put all my eggs in one basket on a VAG product.
Javelin wrote: One or two. $20K extra and a lease doesn't sound worth it. FWIW, Top Gear prefers the V8 Audi anyway. Personally, I like your Aston idea better...
Wife completely nixed the Aston idea. She cannot see out of it well enough to feel comfortable. She loved everything else on the car though. The R8 because the seat moves up a bit more and you have better mirrors she is cool with.
She also likes the lighter clutch on the R8.
I personally think the R8's are going to take a major hit when the 2014's hit the street. But not more then say 10K on the older 09's
Another vote for Option 1, just because if you can have a sweet Viper, you should. (And having a new warrantied DD would be very nice insurance, so to speak.)
You have good car problems. I like your threads. They help me forget about my crappy car problems.
alex wrote: You have good car problems. I like your threads. They help me forget about my crappy car problems.
I do have a very good car life. But I figure as long as I put enough cash away the stuff that's left over is for play.
Also I just got a ginormous bonus which I am using to feed my 401K upfront for the next couple years so I don't have to deal with the cash draw and a rather hefty raise.
Datsun1500 wrote:wearymicrobe wrote: I personally think the R8's are going to take a major hit when the 2014's hit the street.You and I discussed the 8 cyl. Dropping when the 10's hit, and we were wrong..... I don't think they are going to drop as much as we hoped they would
Yeah I know but I still have that feeling in my gut. I just don't understand the valuations as they are.
Of course its going to bite me like the Ford GT that I passed on and my old 330GT so I might just be a fool.
In reply to wearymicrobe:
What about slightly older Aston's? DB7? Or a Volante?
I know you are a 550 fan, what are 456's bringing these days?
4.2 R8 is BORING. It's slower than a Boxster S for about twice as much money.
If you can daily an R8, why can't you daily a Viper? I'd go Viper if it were my cash.
Maroon92 wrote: 4.2 R8 is BORING. It's slower than a Boxster S for about twice as much money. If you can daily an R8, why can't you daily a Viper? I'd go Viper if it were my cash.
Because I have done that before for 12-14K miles and it wore me out. Plus this one has a whole crud ton of track parts on it and unless I want to swap out the clutch, gears, rear end, drive shafts and suspension its going to stay a weekend toy.
Javelin wrote: In reply to wearymicrobe: What about slightly older Aston's? DB7? Or a Volante? I know you are a 550 fan, what are 456's bringing these days?
456's are cheap, but still have the maintenance of a 550/575 if not worse.
I would be better served finding a nice 360 Spyder if I want that route.
I also really like the Bentley convertibles. But talk about a VAG electrical monster.
At the Grand Am support race at Circuit of the Americas, there was an R8 and a few Aston Martin Vantages.
Let me tell you, the Astons were absolutely the best sounding cars of the whole field. We were sitting at turn 17 and when we saw the cars get on the throttle after turn 15 (at the end of the straight) I thought OH MY GOD that sound is SEX!
Is the Nissan GTR on the list anywhere? These discussions are well outside my expertise, but that car always seemed a good combination of livable on both daily basis and on track. Ditto the NSX.
Option 1. I like the Abarth a lot and I don't care for the Audi. Never really been around a Viper.
I am rather a fan of the V8 R8 not that I will ever have one. If possible I would be hard pressed not to pull the trigger on one.
bastomatic wrote: Is the Nissan GTR on the list anywhere? These discussions are well outside my expertise, but that car always seemed a good combination of livable on both daily basis and on track. Ditto the NSX.
The two that I have driven I have been underwhelmed by. I have been in a few driven by people who know what they are doing at the track and there the car seems to make sense.
The GTR does not have a soul. Its bat E36 M3 country when it comes to speed per $ or at least it used to but it does not make me want to spend the cash. Plus we get back into a car that can break the max speed limit at idle.
That is why I have been looking at the Abarth's. Its a imperfect car by almost every measure. But it just feels fun to drive, really only my old AP1 S2000 was the closest thing, or my old 356 speedster.
Make some kids.
Why not the abarth and the v8 r10?
I've got the Abarth, If I could add a Viper to the stable to compliment it I would be a happy camper :) Its 2nd on my shopping list right after a Pantera, the right car and right deal will determine which one wins out.
Option one, or +1 for an Abarth + Audi.
Knew it would be you once I saw a thread title with R8 in it...either that or someone asking about the KTM bike 
Just out of curiosity, what keeps Porsche off the list? A nicer-spec 911 would seem the logical alternative to the R8.
In reply to Max_Archer:
IIRC from his previous threads, p-cars are a wee bit too common in the parking lot at work.
I vote Abarth or R8 4.2.
Lambo?
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