Mission to find a supercar

[up_shift]

Hi All,

So a bit of a 'what supercar' thread (apologies.)

Long story short I'm finally able to buy a ''dream car''. Sort of. Ultimately the dream car list would be full of Zondas, Murcielagos and F40s, but the budget isn't that generous.

I do want to end up with a car where I don't mind spending money getting it picture perfect and end up keeping long-term.

The GTR is close to that which is a surprise for me as I wasn't expecting to love it anywhere as much as I do and I'm not 100% sure I want to move on but I keep toying with something a little less bloated and more raw / lightweight and N/A. Every time I jump in the M3 I remember how much I miss the feeling of winding a revvy v8 out to the redline. Every time I jump into the boxster I remember how I love something a little more lightweight and mid engined. Then I jump in the GTR and love the sheer power and handling. If I take the 911 out (modified) I love how race-car it feels. So the next car I'd like to blend all into one.

I've made a short list, some of them break a few of the 'rules' of what I'm looking for. But I guess the main questions are if anyone has driven any or all of the shortlist for long enough to compare?

It'll be purely for when I want to go out, find some long, windy, twisty roads and enjoy the release of driving - so living with it day to day and around town are considerations but not the main driver.

Top 6 at the moment:

1) 430 - never liked them and have grown fond over time. Have only driven a manual
2) Gallardo, preferably a superleggera - everyone I ask insists I'll grow tired of the impracticality of the thing, e-gear not being enjoyable
3) 570 - ticks a lot of boxes, only real downside is that there are a handful available in budget - one of which I'm in love with but doubt will be around when I'm looking to buy. Only available in auto?
4) Vantage V12s - possibly a bit too 'gt' for what I'm looking for, but hypnotic engine
5) R8 - would have to be an LMX - possibly a 'smart' choice but just not sure they excite me enough, found 'standard' v8's a bit bland, haven't had any seat time in a v10 (prefer the Mk1 to 2) - more a head over heart choice
6) Cayman GT4 - again a car that I loved when it came out but again not sure if the excitement factor is there. Not sure if a porsche really in the frame as I love my two current porsches - not sure I'd love a more 'exotic' one as much as something else.

Now I know the answer would usually be 'go try some' but some of the examples are simply not available nearby where I am etc so trying to do as much research as possible and hopefully pick the brains of anyone that has more seat time in any and can compare.

Would prefer something mid engined - would take it around the track a couple of times but ultimately aiming to build an m3 track car for that release anyway. So ideally n/a, 8 cylinders or more, >500 or so bhp probably sums it up well. budget is as close to $200k as possible, extra just means waiting a while so not ruling it out.

I'm still probably a year off buying and no doubt I'll view and drive a few examples before I commit but any opinions warmly welcomed!

[PompeyReece]

So as you mentioned your budget in $, are you buying in the UK? Or the USA? Or elsewhere?

Car prices differentiate between countries so what you can afford in one place might not be the same price elsewhere.

Plus if you’re a year off and considering the C19 outbreak, prices will no doubt change... possibly a lot.

[markj113]

I can only speak from experience on car no.2

I find the e-gear fine, may not be the easiest thing to reverse park into very tight spaces but on the move I dont have any issues with it all (the lp560 is suppose to be a big improvement over the original 5.0 gallardo e-gear)

I'm sure the likes of the 570 is light years ahead of gallardo but I still love mine for the screaming V10 and sense of occasion when I jump in it.

[djt77]

Give me a bell and happy to catch up to show the superleggera option.

[Pioneer]

If you want a sense of occasion you can probably scrub 4, 5 and 6 off your list. That should help narrow it down. The other 3 are good cars, 430 or G would be my preference. Don't let anyone tell you eGear is no fun. Once mastered, it's an absolute joy. Downshift through a tunnel, roof down. Just heaven

[Lee Jones Jnr]

I agree with the poster above, if you are looking for a supercar your options are 1, 2 & 3.
Two of the others are forever in the it’s not a supercar/yes it is discussions and one absolutely isn’t a supercar in anyone’s view.

[justin220]

Superleggera or 570S for me.

Tough call between them.

[gko88]

For that budget I would think you could go for a 458 vs a 430? Build quality is a step jump higher. Anyway have fun in your search.

[RSbandit]

Your 200k USD budget is v high when converted back to £ (about £160k) which over here would easily get you into even more exotic metal than you've listed...a 488, 720S, Huracan etc but I'm not sure how much those cars cost in the US.

I've had a few of the cars on your list currently in a 570s which is undoubtedly a supercar, crazy performance, silly doors and great road presence. The V12 Vantage S is more of a super GT imo definitely a level below the 570S in terms of Tech and outright speed but a gloriously charismatic engine and a timeless design that is aging v well. Lastly I had the Gen 1 V10 plus R8, always debated as to whether its a supercar which does get tiresome but for me it's mid engined with a V10 so yes it is! Another peach of a block and well suited to the S Tronic transmission although manuals are out there but v rare. It's a nice position to be in as all the cars you listed would be a pleasure to own good luck with the search!

[up_shift]

PompeyReece said:

So as you mentioned your budget in $, are you buying in the UK? Or the USA? Or elsewhere?

Car prices differentiate between countries so what you can afford in one place might not be the same price elsewhere.

Plus if you’re a year off and considering the C19 outbreak, prices will no doubt change... possibly a lot.

justin220 said:

Superleggera or 570S for me.

Tough call between them.

I'm in Australia sorry - Yep I'm sure prices will fluctuate but they haven't been 'too' badly impacted here You're definitely right, I figure the best metric would be to price a gallardo SL in the uk and then use that as the yard stick

RSbandit said:

Your 200k USD budget is v high when converted back to £ (about £160k) which over here would easily get you into even more exotic metal than you've listed...a 488, 720S, Huracan etc but I'm not sure how much those cars cost in the US.

I've had a few of the cars on your list currently in a 570s which is undoubtedly a supercar, crazy performance, silly doors and great road presence. The V12 Vantage S is more of a super GT imo definitely a level below the 570S in terms of Tech and outright speed but a gloriously charismatic engine and a timeless design that is aging v well. Lastly I had the Gen 1 V10 plus R8, always debated as to whether its a supercar which does get tiresome but for me it's mid engined with a V10 so yes it is! Another peach of a block and well suited to the S Tronic transmission although manuals are out there but v rare. It's a nice position to be in as all the cars you listed would be a pleasure to own good luck with the search!

ah I should have specified - Australia - but really the budget is relative in that for the most part similarly priced cars in the UK to the ones on the list will be similar-ish-ly priced to the ones on the list here

Summed up some of the thoughts I had on it, thanks The 570 and Gallardo tick most of my boxes for sure!

Ha even the GTR gets dragged into the same debate when the diehards start mentioning nurburgring times. The Gen 1 V10 plus would almost certainly have to be the pick (with an LMX falling in second) so trying not to rule it out until I've probably thought about it, you're right.

djt77 said:

Give me a bell and happy to catch up to show the superleggera option.

That would be fantastic - will shoot you a message, I managed to loose access to my email and lost my phone numbers since we last spoke - thanks to my little one attempting to see if a Galaxy could fly.

Spoiler alert: they can not!

markj113 said:

I can only speak from experience on car no.2

I find the e-gear fine, may not be the easiest thing to reverse park into very tight spaces but on the move I dont have any issues with it all (the lp560 is suppose to be a big improvement over the original 5.0 gallardo e-gear)

I'm sure the likes of the 570 is light years ahead of gallardo but I still love mine for the screaming V10 and sense of occasion when I jump in it.

Sort of sums up what I thought might be the case - and given that anything I buy is simply going to be slower than the GTR, sense of occasion is deffo what I want from it. They both look stunning IMO and as far as tech and out and out performance goes - I don't think I'll be pushing either to the point in which I'll be glad for using that as decider if that makes sense.

Pioneer said:

If you want a sense of occasion you can probably scrub 4, 5 and 6 off your list. That should help narrow it down. The other 3 are good cars, 430 or G would be my preference. Don't let anyone tell you eGear is no fun. Once mastered, it's an absolute joy. Downshift through a tunnel, roof down. Just heaven

Good to hear some feedback on the eGear! Seems like the general consensus agrees with scrubbing the three 'maybes' that I had on the lits off. I put them on there I suppose in case ownership of the others wasn't all as enjoyable as it was cracked up to be but if anything it's made me realise that I don't want to spend time searching for a car that's just 'nice'.

gko88 said:

For that budget I would think you could go for a 458 vs a 430? Build quality is a step jump higher. Anyway have fun in your search.

As much as I'd love a 458, I'd need to add another $100k to the budget here which puts it in the price bracket of a murcielago - which would be a no thought required choice for me aaaaaand thanks for suggesting it because I searched to check and actually realised that a manual Murci isn't as far out of reach if I'm happy to wait a little longer and take one with some kms on it.. So I think I have to add that to the list - has anyone had any time in one?

Have driven an aventador a few times on the road and track so I'd imagine it would capture some of that essence without being as sharp. On the plus side I have an SV spoiler handy. I'd imagine the Gallardo would be easier to live with and in the case of the SL a quicker car on the road too?

[Bispal]

"something a little less bloated and more raw / lightweight and N/A"

You are going to struggle to find a supercar that meets your requirements.

Sounds to me that what you want is a Lotus Exige 430 CUP. As fast as a supercar, 1,050 kilos and although not NA the supercharger gives much better throttle response than a turbo. A standard Huracan or a 458 almost fit the bill but are not very 'raw' or very 'lightweight'. A McLaren of some description, although turbocharged, feel much lighter on their toes, esp. a 600LT or 675LT which should be within budget assuming you are in the USA. In fact a 675LT would hit the spot very well as its raw but comfy, exceedingly fast, rare, light (1,230 kilos) and such an event to drive.

EDIT *Just seen you are in Australia, I thought we were talking US dollars. A 12C / 650S / 570S could still be in budget but try a Lotus Exige its closest to your requirements in theory and one of, if not the most, exciting car to drive*

Edited by Bispal on Wednesday 27th May 10:43

[jilap]

My vote goes for a Gallardo. None of the other cars can match the amazing sound!

[sparta6]

E-Gear is visceral

[anonymous-user]

What's your view on modifying a car to meet your requirements? I also wanted raw/NA/lightweight that I could track and use for weekends/tours. I also wanted a Ferrari though so that limited my options. Looked at a 430 Scud but ended up buying an F430, removing around 100kg, tuning to produce circa 530bhp and upgrading brakes, suspension and geometry. Cost me around £85k all in (back in 2014/15) and it's been an absolute success. Of course it's only worth 10 quid now but it has delivered on all fronts many times over.

[carspath]

I have little experience with the Gallardo , so it wouldn’t be correct for me to comment ..
However what little experience I have had , was joyous ..... the sound , and the thrust were lovely .

The Murcie is amazing .... V12 N/A , history and provenance , guillotine doors , it’s symphony .
For me , it’s in a different league to the other cars that you have on your list .
It’s major problems , and these are genuine issues , are it’s width , weight and outward visibility .
But then nothing’s perfect.

With regards to the e gear , don’t let it put you off .
It is a real pain and a real worry if you are trying to manoeuvre and reverse park millimetres at a time ,simply because movement tends to be on or off , and you don’t have the same degree of control that a manual transmission allows for .
But once you are moving it’s great esp in Corsa mode

I see that you are in Australia.
In your shoes I would go for a Murcielago Roadster in a bright colour .
With regards to the pain of a roof , which takes forever to put on and take off , I designed a quick on and off cockpit canopy together with a company in Florida , and can give you the necessary contacts .
It only works up to about 30 mph ( or maybe less ! ) , after which I suspect it will fly off into the scenery , but once you are moving the rain drops will pass across the windscreen and over the cockpit anyway .

Happy hunting

[up_shift]

Bispal said:

"something a little less bloated and more raw / lightweight and N/A"

You are going to struggle to find a supercar that meets your requirements.

Sounds to me that what you want is a Lotus Exige 430 CUP. As fast as a supercar, 1,050 kilos and although not NA the supercharger gives much better throttle response than a turbo. A standard Huracan or a 458 almost fit the bill but are not very 'raw' or very 'lightweight'. A McLaren of some description, although turbocharged, feel much lighter on their toes, esp. a 600LT or 675LT which should be within budget assuming you are in the USA. In fact a 675LT would hit the spot very well as its raw but comfy, exceedingly fast, rare, light (1,230 kilos) and such an event to drive.

EDIT *Just seen you are in Australia, I thought we were talking US dollars. A 12C / 650S / 570S could still be in budget but try a Lotus Exige its closest to your requirements in theory and one of, if not the most, exciting car to drive*

Edited by Bispal on Wednesday 27th May 10:43

On hingsight yes the combo was a bit of a unicorn really, I Think you're right in that the CUP probably represents a close fit! The lack of cylinders does turn me off a little - I know it doesn't make logical sense, but as something that is more a fantasy tickler, I thinkt he lambo's and mclaren's of the world just sit a little better. I did get a close look at one though and they are fantastic things.

I will have to have a hard think about where I'm going to use it, I would love to get on the track more but for my current levelt of experience and skill, a much cheaper and older elise or exige will probably be money better spent.


Most Mclarens are at the high end of the budget, an awesome 570GT is near by but I'm just not sure it's the car for me. Gorgeous but there's just a certain x-factor missing and the sound is so muted.

thecook101 said:

What's your view on modifying a car to meet your requirements? I also wanted raw/NA/lightweight that I could track and use for weekends/tours. I also wanted a Ferrari though so that limited my options. Looked at a 430 Scud but ended up buying an F430, removing around 100kg, tuning to produce circa 530bhp and upgrading brakes, suspension and geometry. Cost me around £85k all in (back in 2014/15) and it's been an absolute success. Of course it's only worth 10 quid now but it has delivered on all fronts many times over.

100% open to it.

Taking a 430 or a Gallardo and stripping it is something I love the idea of and regardless of what I get, I think it will be a keeper and therefore very customised.

Cheers for sharing looks great!

carspath said:

I have little experience with the Gallardo , so it wouldn’t be correct for me to comment ..
However what little experience I have had , was joyous ..... the sound , and the thrust were lovely.

The Murcie is amazing .... V12 N/A , history and provenance , guillotine doors, it’s symphony.
For me , it’s in a different league to the other cars that you have on your list .
It’s major problems , and these are genuine issues , are it’s width , weight and outward visibility .
But then nothing’s perfect.

With regards to the e gear , don’t let it put you off .
It is a real pain and a real worry if you are trying to manoeuvre and reverse park millimetres at a time ,simply because movement tends to be on or off , and you don’t have the same degree of control that a manual transmission allows for .
But once you are moving it’s great esp in Corsa mode

I see that you are in Australia.
In your shoes I would go for a Murcielago Roadster in a bright colour .
With regards to the pain of a roof , which takes forever to put on and take off , I designed a quick on and off cockpit canopy together with a company in Florida , and can give you the necessary contacts .
It only works up to about 30 mph ( or maybe less ! ) , after which I suspect it will fly off into the scenery , but once you are moving the rain drops will pass across the windscreen and over the cockpit anyway .

Happy hunting

Thanks for that, confirmed what I imagined about the murcielago - and cemented it as the choice. Funny you say that, my exact spec would be a roadster in bright yellow. I Think I have a thing for yellow cars though.

Width = not too bnig an issue, they're 20mm wider than the GTRif i'm not mistaken and I pilot that around OK - the sort of roads around here are generally wide and open.

Visibility = that is a concern as I really don't want whatever I buy to be 'painful'. It won't be a daily but I'd hate to feel like I don't want to drive it so will have to gauge that - I'd imagine I'd adapt, espeically if it was a roadster. TVR ownership has given me an instant disliking of not being able to enjoy a car when I want


Would very much be interested in hearing about the cockpit canopy cheers, ultimately I'm trying to make a decent-sized investment into a company right now, so the Murcielago is my end-goal, So I think I'll go for a 430 or gallardo in the short term and add to the collection down the track

BUT as luck would have it, this came in and I've had a week of getting very up close and personal to restore and protect the paintwork.



I haven't driven the Gallardo, but initial thoughts:


I get a few cars where their looks just do it for me. Always liked the gallardo but being up and close, I love it and instantly the list is down to this or the 430 (leaning towards the lardo)

I'm actually not too concerned with getting a superleggra now, as the cook mentioned above, I think I'll go the route of a basic murcielago and customise most of it with lashings of carbon and some power tweaks if need be (I will certainly miss the GTR's authority in that department, not convinced I'll sell it yet)

E-gear - I've had to manouver the car around in a relatively confined showroom and it's been 100% a non issue. Given the feel behind the cockpit, (and how confined the footwell feels) I don't think I'd actually enjoy a manual as much, so twist of events but e-gear is now the preference and a chat to the owner has given me a bit of re-assurance.

Edited by up_shift on Friday 17th July 07:01