Worst Supercar Purchase/Experience (Non McLaren)

[Gnevans]

As SSO has posted about the ones that got away.

I thought I’d ask the opposite.

What is the car/experience you wish you had never had?

[Gnevans]

I thought I should exclude McLaren as there have been too many threads. However..

[Bispal]

E24 M635csi and E39 M5. Both absolute horrors that will never see me buy an M car again. I have had 'normal' BMW's and they have been fine as have both my McLaren's in 20k miles.

[SagMan]

Bispal said:

E24 M635csi and E39 M5. Both absolute horrors that will never see me buy an M car again. I have had 'normal' BMW's and they have been fine as have both my McLaren's in 20k miles.

I was just talking to my best half last night about how I would very much consider buying a M635CSI, should of been called an M6, My father had one in the !986 and my memories are so positive about it. I remember driving it a few times, only 16 years old, great memories. All non-public roads of course !

What did you dislike so much?

[Bispal]

SagMan said:

Bispal said:

E24 M635csi and E39 M5. Both absolute horrors that will never see me buy an M car again. I have had 'normal' BMW's and they have been fine as have both my McLaren's in 20k miles.

I was just talking to my best half last night about how I would very much consider buying a M635CSI, should of been called an M6, My father had one in the !986 and my memories are so positive about it. I remember driving it a few times, only 16 years old, great memories. All non-public roads of course !

What did you dislike so much?

I loved it in so many ways, was my dream car, my uncle also had one new in 1986 and it felt so special and so fast. Now they are 35 years old and mine just had problem after problem. The 18 months I owned it, it spent more time being fixed than driving and I spent £7k on repairs. It looked and sounded great and got more admiring looks and comments than any other car I have owned. I expect I got a bad one even though it looked A1 and was rust free. Like anything that age you juts don't know. Mine had no history with it. These cars probably went through some dire owners in the noughties who spent nothing. I tunrned down a car with ful history and 30k miles with buffalo leather for the same price, £10k, when I got mine as it was just rust from the cills down. In retrospect buying that and spending £10-£15k fixing the rust and giving it a respray would have been the better move as it drove A1. Trouble us a nice one with history is now £40-£60k!!! Not £10k :-(

[andrew]

love the way that mclaren have been excluded - this could have been a very long thread...

[davek_964]

andrew said:

love the way that mclaren have been excluded - this could have been a very long thread...

Not really. Most of the anti McLaren brigade haven't actually owned them. Nice to see they still pop up though

[Turbo cab]

andrew said:

love the way that mclaren have been excluded - this could have been a very long thread...

maybe even a Sticky.

[Gnevans]

You have my permission...

[andrew]

Turbo cab said:

andrew said:

love the way that mclaren have been excluded - this could have been a very long thread...

maybe even a Sticky.

[checks inbox]

[Turbo cab]

Gnevans said:

You have my permission...

I mean look, you have to be careful around here as some people are a touch defensive. Oh and you have to be a physical owner to comment unless in some cases where you've sold it and your not and you can continue trolling/defending the brand but not the other way round, and don't dare mention your mates had one with issues as then it really is game over, not forgetting the super series suspension - don't give your opinion on that because then apparently you don't know how to drive despite the 650GT3 ditching it for conventional roll bars ala 570s. I mean it really is a confusing place to be over there - but anyway,

I've had four - all equally as bad as the next apart from the latest one which is marginally better. My most memorable moment was picking up my first 720 and breaking down on the hard shoulder of the M25 fifteen minutes after collection, this was after I had already backed my 570 to the supplying dealer as after several months they were unable to get that right.

The 720 then went on to spend more time in there ownership than it did mine over the following months and finally after noticing that it had rust bubbles appearing they agreed to take that back, which in all fairness was a result as this was around 6 months after release when they really took that depreciation hit, if I had to trade that car it would have done me for about £70k for what was essentially 2 weeks in my possession.

I won't bore you with further specifics but would I own another one?

Yes and probably a 765LT once they've taken their initial hit, I was offered a build slot on one but after how McLaren rolled out the 600LT's with discount I didn't want to take the risk, they are brilliant cars but McLaren really need to get there act together with the reliability and integrity of these cars along with supporting their own brand, I think they have with the 765LT by limiting initial supplies but it's far too early to say if this will be the case moving forward and whether they will dump a load of overstock with discounts.

[Gnevans]

There is an interesting article in this month’s Evo about the Litchfield upgrade to the MacLaren 570GT.

They were surprised to find the turbos were old ones that had been used by Saab and early Imprezas.

[Tresco]

Turbo cab said:

I mean look, you have to be careful around here as some people are a touch defensive. Oh and you have to be a physical owner to comment unless in some cases where you've sold it and your not and you can continue trolling/defending the brand but not the other way round, and don't dare mention your mates had one with issues as then it really is game over, not forgetting the super series suspension - don't give your opinion on that because then apparently you don't know how to drive despite the 650GT3 ditching it for conventional roll bars ala 570s. I mean it really is a confusing place to be over there - but anyway,

I've had four - all equally as bad as the next apart from the latest one which is marginally better. My most memorable moment was picking up my first 720 and breaking down on the hard shoulder of the M25 fifteen minutes after collection, this was after I had already backed my 570 to the supplying dealer as after several months they were unable to get that right.

The 720 then went on to spend more time in there ownership than it did mine over the following months and finally after noticing that it had rust bubbles appearing they agreed to take that back, which in all fairness was a result as this was around 6 months after release when they really took that depreciation hit, if I had to trade that car it would have done me for about £70k for what was essentially 2 weeks in my possession.

I won't bore you with further specifics but would I own another one?

Yes and probably a 765LT once they've taken their initial hit, I was offered a build slot on one but after how McLaren rolled out the 600LT's with discount I didn't want to take the risk, they are brilliant cars but McLaren really need to get there act together with the reliability and integrity of these cars along with supporting their own brand, I think they have with the 765LT by limiting initial supplies but it's far too early to say if this will be the case moving forward and whether they will dump a load of overstock with discounts.

Impressive brand loyalty!

I get the 2nd purchase, ‘just unlucky with the 1st’, I can even see the third - ‘third time lucky’, but 4!

[Don1]

F430 spider. Always a issue (normally electrical), paint runs between the rear lights from the factory. My Sagaris had better built quality...

[Soleith]

Haven't really had a bad supercar experience (haven't really had many tbh though) but thought I'd chime in. Worst car experience was (perhaps unsurprisingly!) an Alfa. Figured I needed to do as Clarko told me and own one, bought a new Mito to do the station run in 2010, figured that by 2010, Alfa's must be reliable by now surely right? (Bought new for warranty in case not). Problem after problem, lots of the usual warning lights stuff over 3 years of ownership but more frustratingly would 2 or 3 times/year start the car (was a small 1.4(?) turbo) and it felt like it was running on 3 cylinders or something! Would have a big whooshing noise and felt like it was running extremely lumpy. Would turn the car off and get Alfa to come and take it to the dealership to check it over, invariably would get the "couldn't find anything wrong with it" phone call and have it returned. Handed it back as soon as the PCP period was over.

Conversely, from the worst car I've ever owned to the best (or at least most reliable!). Straight after the Mito, grabbed myself a 600 sheet 1997 Hyundai Accent with 1 owner from new, full MOT and a full service history with the intention of running it for 6 months or so thinking it would fall apart while I decided what to get next. The bloody thing just kept going. 3 years of ownership, one battery change and a spot of welding due to rust and it never missed a beat. Eventually decided to get rid of it as had had long enough of no air con but sold it to a mate who kept it for years and said he never had a problem with it either. Suppose I need to tie it in to an exotic somehow given the Supercar General nature of the thread, went from the Accent to a new GranTurismo Sport in 2016!

[Bobo W]

Bispal said:

SagMan said:

Bispal said:

E24 M635csi and E39 M5. Both absolute horrors that will never see me buy an M car again. I have had 'normal' BMW's and they have been fine as have both my McLaren's in 20k miles.

I was just talking to my best half last night about how I would very much consider buying a M635CSI, should of been called an M6, My father had one in the !986 and my memories are so positive about it. I remember driving it a few times, only 16 years old, great memories. All non-public roads of course !

What did you dislike so much?

I loved it in so many ways, was my dream car, my uncle also had one new in 1986 and it felt so special and so fast. Now they are 35 years old and mine just had problem after problem. The 18 months I owned it, it spent more time being fixed than driving and I spent £7k on repairs. It looked and sounded great and got more admiring looks and comments than any other car I have owned. I expect I got a bad one even though it looked A1 and was rust free. Like anything that age you juts don't know. Mine had no history with it. These cars probably went through some dire owners in the noughties who spent nothing. I tunrned down a car with ful history and 30k miles with buffalo leather for the same price, £10k, when I got mine as it was just rust from the cills down. In retrospect buying that and spending £10-£15k fixing the rust and giving it a respray would have been the better move as it drove A1. Trouble us a nice one with history is now £40-£60k!!! Not £10k :-(

I've just sold mine and will concur how fabulous it was, especially that engine - the downside to any car like this that has previously fallen to bargain prices is the regular preventative maintenance is not done so I ended up spending disproportionate amounts rectifying previous bodges. There are still bargains out there - I sold mine late last year with FSH for considerably less than £40k!

[Bispal]

Bobo W said:

Bispal said:

SagMan said:

Bispal said:

E24 M635csi and E39 M5. Both absolute horrors that will never see me buy an M car again. I have had 'normal' BMW's and they have been fine as have both my McLaren's in 20k miles.

I was just talking to my best half last night about how I would very much consider buying a M635CSI, should of been called an M6, My father had one in the !986 and my memories are so positive about it. I remember driving it a few times, only 16 years old, great memories. All non-public roads of course !

What did you dislike so much?

I loved it in so many ways, was my dream car, my uncle also had one new in 1986 and it felt so special and so fast. Now they are 35 years old and mine just had problem after problem. The 18 months I owned it, it spent more time being fixed than driving and I spent £7k on repairs. It looked and sounded great and got more admiring looks and comments than any other car I have owned. I expect I got a bad one even though it looked A1 and was rust free. Like anything that age you juts don't know. Mine had no history with it. These cars probably went through some dire owners in the noughties who spent nothing. I tunrned down a car with ful history and 30k miles with buffalo leather for the same price, £10k, when I got mine as it was just rust from the cills down. In retrospect buying that and spending £10-£15k fixing the rust and giving it a respray would have been the better move as it drove A1. Trouble us a nice one with history is now £40-£60k!!! Not £10k :-(

I've just sold mine and will concur how fabulous it was, especially that engine - the downside to any car like this that has previously fallen to bargain prices is the regular preventative maintenance is not done so I ended up spending disproportionate amounts rectifying previous bodges. There are still bargains out there - I sold mine late last year with FSH for considerably less than £40k!

Absolutely a gem of a car and I remember them new when they were incredible. But as you say many have been poorly maintained and bodged and mine was hiding some horror stories. Why did you sell? Just fancied a change or was taking up a lot of time and money on maintenance? I often think I would have spent on mine what it would have appreciated and that's fine as it would have been free classic motoring but its the time it takes to keep these cars on the road that is the problem.

[Bobo W]

Bispal said:

Bobo W said:

Bispal said:

SagMan said:

Bispal said:

E24 M635csi and E39 M5. Both absolute horrors that will never see me buy an M car again. I have had 'normal' BMW's and they have been fine as have both my McLaren's in 20k miles.

I was just talking to my best half last night about how I would very much consider buying a M635CSI, should of been called an M6, My father had one in the !986 and my memories are so positive about it. I remember driving it a few times, only 16 years old, great memories. All non-public roads of course !

What did you dislike so much?

I loved it in so many ways, was my dream car, my uncle also had one new in 1986 and it felt so special and so fast. Now they are 35 years old and mine just had problem after problem. The 18 months I owned it, it spent more time being fixed than driving and I spent £7k on repairs. It looked and sounded great and got more admiring looks and comments than any other car I have owned. I expect I got a bad one even though it looked A1 and was rust free. Like anything that age you juts don't know. Mine had no history with it. These cars probably went through some dire owners in the noughties who spent nothing. I tunrned down a car with ful history and 30k miles with buffalo leather for the same price, £10k, when I got mine as it was just rust from the cills down. In retrospect buying that and spending £10-£15k fixing the rust and giving it a respray would have been the better move as it drove A1. Trouble us a nice one with history is now £40-£60k!!! Not £10k :-(

I've just sold mine and will concur how fabulous it was, especially that engine - the downside to any car like this that has previously fallen to bargain prices is the regular preventative maintenance is not done so I ended up spending disproportionate amounts rectifying previous bodges. There are still bargains out there - I sold mine late last year with FSH for considerably less than £40k!

Absolutely a gem of a car and I remember them new when they were incredible. But as you say many have been poorly maintained and bodged and mine was hiding some horror stories. Why did you sell? Just fancied a change or was taking up a lot of time and money on maintenance? I often think I would have spent on mine what it would have appreciated and that's fine as it would have been free classic motoring but its the time it takes to keep these cars on the road that is the problem.

I bought the M635 because a kid came along and then sold it because the aforementioned kid grew at an exponential rate such that he didn't fit anymore without my wife being relegated to the back seat and as accomplished as the car was in so many areas it made me realise that I like my fun to be a bit more raw.

[VeeTenM]

Gnevans said:

There is an interesting article in this month’s Evo about the Litchfield upgrade to the MacLaren 570GT.

They were surprised to find the turbos were old ones that had been used by Saab and early Imprezas.

Dont let Chris Harris hear you talk about his mate Litchfield like that....lol

[Gnevans]

VeeTenM said:

Dont let Chris Harris hear you talk about his mate Litchfield like that....lol

I should have said the McLaren turbos were the old style ones not the Lichfield ones...