Is a Vantage GT an M4/F-Type/Cayman/911 Alternative?

"Mosqvich" (mosqvich)
08/06/2014 at 22:32 • Filed to: aston martin vantage gt, bmw m4, jaguar f-type, porsche cayman, porsche 911

Don't you hate it when you see an "old guy" driving the car of your dreams, or at least a car you lust? Well, guess what? I'm almost that old guy. I don't feel like it inside, but all of a sudden bills are going away, pay is going up, and it won't be too long before a brand new sports car is on my horizon. I'm not thinking about any old cars, because I want it to become an old car under my stewardship.

The candidates: The number one candidate is an M4. I like BMWs and own 2 now and others in my past. I think it's pretty exciting, yet very practical. I've also driven a Jaguar F-Type Coupe and found it intoxicating. Wow. But, not so practical. I've been also considering the Porsche offerings in Cayman and 911 forms. I haven't driven them yet, so my interest in them has only been based on what I've read about them. Just like you. But I watched a video by Steve Sutcliffe of Autoweek and I thought it might be worth looking at.

http://youtu.be/oKmfUVZxB1g?li…

I tried out Aston Martin's configurator. The price runs right around $100k. That's way on the north end of what I think I'll be able to spend, but it's hard to say how well they'll move. I decided on "Skyfall Grey" with a light interior, red stitch, and carbon fibre. You'll note there is no manual shifter. I have a slight injury in my leg which makes driving a manual pretty difficult for me. By the way, I would delete all the graphics, etc... They take away from the car's beautiful lines.

As far as performance, it's really not super great.

Most of the cars I'm looking at will beat it to 60. The top end is really academic. Even on a track it's not likely to be attained in the US. As we know, this can bring !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

The pros are definitely the name. Aston Martin. I can imagine driving it for a very long time and it seems like it would hold its looks. Astons are beautiful, but early DB7 interiors are awful, will I think it's still elegant in 2025?

What do you think?

DISCUSSION (29)

Brian Silvestro > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 22:36

The Aston is my favorite of the bunch, with the F-Type coming in close behind. The Aston has that prestige, beauty, and exclusivity that you don't really get with all the others. I've only seen one Vantage for every 100 911s on the road. They're really special cars.

Mosqvich > Brian Silvestro
08/06/2014 at 22:38

Agreed. I've got my wife thinking rationally about $80k, the question is: can I move her along with me to $100k?

Also, it has more room than an F-Type, which I loved by the way. For some reason Caymans are now seeming not so exciting to me. I get that they are incredible performers, but that's not the only consideration I have.

Brian Silvestro > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 22:41

That brings my point of "specialness" and "exclusivity" again, with the Cayman. It's by no means a bad car, but it's quite popular and common.

I think you actually saying "one hundred thousand dollars" to her might scare her away from the idea, so tell her the MSRP is $99k!

Mosqvich > Brian Silvestro
08/06/2014 at 22:42

Exactly!

Brian Silvestro > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 22:43

Save the Manuéls! Get a Vantage!

AM3R > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 22:46

wild card suggestion: pick up a CPO E9x M3. naturally aspirated high revving V8. One of the most reliable M cars ever, so it won't hurt to keep it for a long time.

trmoore09 > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 22:50

IMHO, go with the Aston. It may not quite have the performance of the others, but realistically, when are you going to be using 100% of the performance anyways? It will ALWAYS be an Aston Martin, no matter how fast you're driving, and the interior is far nicer. One world: Exclusivity.

JR1 > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 22:50

I would think the F-Type would be the more practical decision and honestly that supercharged V6 is more than enough car for 95% of the world. Plus it harkens back to the E-type more than the V8 option which is just a brute. As for Porsche... Excellent excellent cars but do you really want something everyone in that price range buys? M4 is a good choice but for me the money is F-Type

heliochrome85 > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 22:51

The F-TYpes build is appallingly bad. Looks and engine go far, but not that far, esp at this price with this competition. 1.) AM, 2.) Porsche Cayman GTS/911, 3.) M4.

heliochrome85 > JR1
08/06/2014 at 22:52

How is the Ftype practical? The Convertible has a shoebox for a trunk, and the Hatchback has two shoe boxes for a trunk.

heliochrome85 > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 22:53

AFAIK, the AM V8 GT is a hold over model because the company will not be in compliance with the latest round of safety requirements. As a result, this car may not be on the market for very long.

JR1 > heliochrome85
08/06/2014 at 22:54

Compared to the Aston I should have specified. I assume the parts are more readily available than the Aston and maybe the M4

heliochrome85 > JR1
08/06/2014 at 22:55

The Aston has a real trunk. That being said, Id say BMW sells more M4s let alone M3s, than Jaguar of the entire FType Lineup.

JR1 > heliochrome85
08/06/2014 at 22:56

You are probably right and I am not talking about the trunk I am talking engine reliability and ease of maintenance

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 23:01

My take is that once you have a reasonably high-performance car, there is not much advantage to a street driver to chase the last tenth of 0-60 time. Instead you should get whatever you like best.

That's why I got my Maserati instead of an Aston Martin - which is a fine choice.

All the other cars you are talking about are relatively common compared to the AM. Also, if it doesn't have to be brand new, you can pick one up a lot cheaper.

Mosqvich > heliochrome85
08/06/2014 at 23:06

It's certainly a gap-filler. I imagine as M-B buys more of AM we'll see an "entry level" AM based on M-B technology.

Mosqvich > heliochrome85
08/06/2014 at 23:07

The F-Type is amazing, but I do have overall quality concerns. Good point.

Mosqvich > JR1
08/06/2014 at 23:09

I do like the F-Type, but it's just not flexible enough. Plus, I'm nervous about the quality. The M4 and the AM do have real trunks. The M4 does have a truly usable back seat though.

heliochrome85 > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 23:17

when i test drove one, the wheel caps fell off as i left the parking lot... The car had 4 miles.

BustedM3 > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 23:19

What about a used V8 Vantage? The local "nice" used car dealership had an 08 (maybe it was an 09) and decent mileage for $53k. Another decent option could be the Maserati GranTurismo. The exterior design is fundamentally the same as it was when it was launched and you can get a used one for the same price point. Plus, if I'm not mistaken all of the auto GranTurismos come with the ZF auto rather than the horrible (and 15k F1 clutch service) CambioCorsa from the GT and the GranSport.

Perhaps I'm just cheap, but I can't fathom taking the $40-$50k depreciation hit.

BustedM3 > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 23:19

Perhaps I'm just cheap, but I can't fathom taking the $40-$50k depreciation hit.

BustedM3 > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 23:20

Perhaps I'm just cheap, but I can't fathom taking the $40-$50k depreciation hit.

Mosqvich > BustedM3
08/06/2014 at 23:22

I get the depreciation bit, but I want it to be my car, not someone's cast-off. I'm not crazy about Maseratis, though they are gorgeous without a doubt.

Mosqvich > heliochrome85
08/06/2014 at 23:23

Wow!!! Sounds like the new Viper.

In a Mini; let them mock me as My Mini Countryman is higher than you > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 23:30

BUT GETTING AN ASTON MEANS SHE'LL ORGASM FROM THE EXHAUST!

BustedM3 > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 23:31

Despite the ever loving BMW fan boy in me... I'd go F-Type R > Vantage GT > M4. You'll see M4s flooding the streets soon enough. When tuners like Burger tuning get their hands on the new M4 and make a JB2, I may reconsider this list though... Never driven the F-Type R, but I've heard one in person and the sound is of another world. I think it's a future classic. Most people around me have opted for base trim or the F-Type S.

The question you pose is hard to answer. Each of those 3 vehicles compete in the same space or price range (sorta) but they each bring something pretty unique to the table.

Mosqvich > In a Mini; let them mock me as My Mini Countryman is higher than you
08/06/2014 at 23:38

I refer you to Doug DeMuro's social science experiment failure.

Burrito de EJ25 > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 23:42

How old is that car?

Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > Mosqvich
08/06/2014 at 23:47

Why buy a new car? The best cars are all behind us. There are many amazing options for less and a few points of performance you will never use are not worth the sacrifice.