Manufacturer owned Press Demos - bad idea?

[W4NTED]

Ive come across a Lamborghini I really like the look of. It has a mega spec and is mint however I have been told the car was registered in Italy with Italian plates and was a press car owned by Lamborghini.

I’ve asked if the car is considered to be a RHD import but the dealer had not yet responded.

Anyone have any info on these types of cars? Good idea due to their mega specs or ones to keep away from as thrashed by the motoring press?

[xcentric]

Both. Thrashed by motoring journalists, but maintained to impossibly high standards (who wants a press car to break down or not perform well?). They tend to have very high levels of spec, too. Overall, if you go into it with your eyes open, it should be fine. There should be a very, very full service record - without that, I'd keep away, but with it, it would more likely to be fine than a garage queen......

[InitialDave]

How old is it, and how long since it was a demo?

A car that the Stig put backwards off a race track last week is likely a different proposition to one that's done 20k miles with private owners since.

Not very helpful, but one of my cars (definitely not a supercar) was a manufacturer press demo, I have a clip somewhere of Autocar sticking it around a race track, and it's now on 120k miles without having mechanically soiled itself.

[W4NTED]

It's this car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukaSsQTPC9c

cheapest car in the UK right now..........

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103110...

[320d is all you need]

W4NTED said:

It's this car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukaSsQTPC9c

cheapest car in the UK right now..........

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103110...

Lamborghini build a car to be driven in an excitable manner.

You are concerned someone may have driven it in an excitable manner?

Buy it and enjoy it....!

[r o n n i e]

320d is all you need said:

Lamborghini build a car to be driven in an excitable manner.

You are concerned someone may have driven it in an excitable manner?

Buy it and enjoy it....!

I wouldn’t be concerned with it being used as intended; I would be more concerned if it has been abused, which in all probability it has.

You only need to look at how people treat rentals and temporary cars versus their own.

[R8Reece]

W4NTED said:

It's this car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukaSsQTPC9c

cheapest car in the UK right now..........

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103110...

Only 5,000 miles, been well run in, only 2 years old - I'd be all over that!

Or certainly for that money a Performante

Edited by R8Reece on Thursday 1st April 14:55

[320d is all you need]

r o n n i e said:

I wouldn’t be concerned with it being used as intended; I would be more concerned if it has been abused, which in all probability it has.

You only need to look at how people treat rentals and temporary cars versus their own.

It's a Lamborghini, how can it be abused? Driven hard? It's designed to take it.
Launched a few times? It's designed to take it.
Drifted around a circuit? driven as intended

I'm poor, never be able to afford one of these, but if I did have one, I'd certainly use it as intended.

Most journalists aren't Chris Harris, they write for the Guardian or whatever the European equivalent is. Or drive in such a manner similar to Harry.

Of course I supposed if you had a different use in mind then you would be worried about investing £200,000 into something that may be faulty.

Maybe verify with the dealer they will honour any warranty claims.

But for me, it wouldn't worry me, and I'd be excited to drive around in my convertible lamborghini ! Enjoy !

[W4NTED]

I drove both the EVO and the Perf and found the Evo a much nicer drive and way more comfortable with the new style seats....Im just not sure about the car being an ex press car...amazing spec nevertheless.

[cgt2]

Where has it been serviced? Lamborghini registers factory RHD demos on Italian plates but it should have been in the UK since day one.

Same with the purple Aventador SVJ that has been featured very extensively.

[jtremlett]

Ex-press car is a good thing. As said above, it will have been maintained to the highest level whilst a press car. You also have the added bonus of the history and being able to look at videos or magazine articles and know (and tell your mates, if you so wish) that's your car. Also, the history is out there. You could buy another car that has been treated far worse but it would be much harder to know.

[70proof]

The press cars were looked after by Lamborghini London, they seemed to be very well looked after whenever I took my car in for service and looked around the workshop

Just make sure no journo had an accident, st happens

I'm sure the Ferrari press cars have more than extra spec, loads written about them being better performing, not heard this re lambo though

I wouldn't get a press car that's lived on the ring, but one that's only been on UK roads, won't have taken that much abuse

[zedmtrappe]

I had a Gallardo Perf ex demo car - totally faultless.

That is a nice spec but it has the wrong seats if you are tall... in which case see if they can sort you out a pair of the sports seats in the deal ?

[cgt2]

zedmtrappe said:

I had a Gallardo Perf ex demo car - totally faultless.

That is a nice spec but it has the wrong seats if you are tall... in which case see if they can sort you out a pair of the sports seats in the deal ?

The newer style Evo hybrid carbon sports seats are fantastic, extremely comfortable.

[bish_345]

W4NTED said:

It's this car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukaSsQTPC9c

cheapest car in the UK right now..........

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103110...

and this one as well judging by the number plate....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36KtCCtf3_U

even more provenance......

[Bispal]

My Exige 430CUP was the Lotus press car, was driven around Portimao on Top Gear by Chris Harris, was thrashed up the hill at the Goodwood FoS by Gavan Kershaw in 2018 (5th fastest car that year), driven on track by Autosport. The list goes on. However Lotus told me when I bought it it was the most 'spannered' car ever to leave the factory and there is very little chance of anything going wrong. And 7k miles and 3 years later they have been 100% correct, not a single issue, not even any squeaks and rattles. My mate has the press F355 from back in the day and that has been the most reliable 355 I have ever heard of. Mine was riddled with issues his has been very reliable.

[LooneyTunes]

Are they offering anything in terms of extended warranty? Would have thought that would be a relatively simple way to give a bit of extra peace of mind (and shouldn’t really cost them anything if it has really been as well maintained as expected).

Personally I’d be more wary of an ex-press (where there were more drivers/more short term usage) vs an ex-management car (where it’s been the daily of someone and probably less frequently pushed as hard as a succession of journos might), but if the price reflects then go for it. I doubt any high end manufacturer would want to gain a reputation for their press fleet being dogs when sold on via their approved dealer network!

[Lee Jones Jnr]

Main dealer car, main dealer warranty - buy it if you want it

[320d is all you need]

I still don't understand why people are concerned about the usage... Its like buying a used BBQ that's been used as a BBQ..

[Lambo FirstBlood]

70proof said:

The press cars were looked after by Lamborghini London, they seemed to be very well looked after whenever I took my car in for service and looked around the workshop

Just make sure no journo had an accident, st happens

I'm sure the Ferrari press cars have more than extra spec, loads written about them being better performing, not heard this re lambo though

I wouldn't get a press car that's lived on the ring, but one that's only been on UK roads, won't have taken that much abuse

I wouldn’t let Lamborghini London service a bicycle, other than that, agree with everyone else, it will be a high spec car and it has a moderately interesting history.