Sports Car for 50k?

  • Thread starter Thread starter V8_Vantage
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No.

He should know this if he's dropping 50K quid on a car.

Plus if you turn traction control off, the brakes will still try to control you, wearing them down and slowing you down when you don't want it.

If he's tracking a car, an E class with any engine will not be very strong.
Has he tried the BMW and Audi equivalent?
 
Wait a second, now I'm confused, does speed muzzle mean the driving aids or the actual speed limiter?
 
I've seen (and heard!) E63's lapping the Mercedes test track as their 'Lifestyle Center' is next to my office, and they do look and sound pretty impressive - particularly the way the new auto boxes blips downchanges.

And they are apparently fairly handy on the track too. Here are some Rockingham lap times from CAR magazine car of the year issue...

R8 V10 1'33.34
Gallardo Balboni 1'34.28
California 1'34.67
Aston V12 1'34.82
E63 AMG 1'36.22
EVO FQ-400 1'36.64
Panemera Turbo 1'36.83
Caymen S 1'37.07
Evora 1'37.94
370Z 1'38.65
Caddy CTS-V 1'38.85
Audi S4 1'39.07
Jag XFR 1'39.37

2.5s quicker than the Caddy, almost a second quicker than a Caymen S and even quicker than a FQ-400... not an unimpressive performance!

Quote: 'The way such a heavy car stops, steers and flows on track is hugely impressive.'

Plenty of pics in the article of an E63 massively sideways with smoke pouring out of the rear arches too, so I guess the stability control allows a fair amount of lea way on it's less aggressive setting.

Bit over budget at £70k - which will take the price closer to £80k with the inevitable extras.
 
If he'll snub a Jaguar or Aston "Because of the grille," I don't look for this guy to actually be concerned about performance. He seems the vain, snooty type from the sound of it.
 
Jim Prower
If he'll snub a Jaguar or Aston "Because of the grille," I don't look for this guy to actually be concerned about performance. He seems the vain, snooty type from the sound of it.
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V8_Vantage
He has cancer...
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I don't get the connection. Or relevance.
 
Famine
I don't get the connection. Or relevance.
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Well don't be daft about it. He's likely saying the guy may not have long to live and he's not going to settle for anything less than exactly what he wants.
 
V8_Vantage
Thanks for the help GTP,
he has decided to go for the new Mercedes E-Class V8.
It's beautiful, sporty, and he can use it everyday.
I agree with him.
Just one question, if he's at a track day, is it possible to somehow get rid of the speed muzzle?
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Nice! Awesome pick. Its very gorgeous and gentlemen like and should give some thrills on the track days. When you say speed muzzle are you referring to the limiter? Because that can be removed with a simple ECU flash. Great all around car though, and I'm sure he will be happy and adore it 👍
 
Hmmm.

Didn't want a sporty 911 'cos he wanted to "stand out", but opts for a 2-tonne, non-descript saloon car that'll blend in with just about every BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Vectra, Mondeo & Skoda Octavia on the road. :lol: :boggled:

Didn't want an Aston 'cos he doesn't like the "grille", and opts for one of the most massive and offensive grilles on the market so that he can entirely fail to stand out from even a Hyundai Genesis! :rolleyes:

2010-mercedes-e-class-1.jpg
hyundai_genesis.jpg
 
niky
GT-R? Sagaris? A (tokyo-drift... cough cough) RX8? Gentlemen, we're talking about a well-heeled older fellow here, not a pimply boy.
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And I know PLENTY of 40-somethings that own lots of the cars that I listed (Z4M, SL65, RX8), and especially when it comes to the GT-R, it's wall to wall of people who own or have owned an R32/33/34 GT-R. They would laugh at the thought of being called a boy racer. The RX8 was merely for collector's value, and I didn't know about the cancer problem beforehand. ;)

And it doesn't matter on age, a Twin Turbo Viper gets any males sack and tingles it the right way. :O
 
Stotty
And they are apparently fairly handy on the track too. Here are some Rockingham lap times from CAR magazine car of the year issue...

E63 AMG 1'36.22
Panemera Turbo 1'36.83
Caddy CTS-V 1'38.85
Audi S4 1'39.07
Jag XFR 1'39.37
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Did they forget how to drive with the Cadillac? Or was this a previous-generation CTS-V? Last I recall, the Sigma-II car is a pretty brutal track monster. Oh well.


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The choice of the E-series over a 5-series seems a little short-sighted, especially if he wants any kind of driving experience out of the car. You could just as easily walk down to the Vauxhall dealer and pick up a VXR8, get something just as big and fast, save oodles of cash, and end up with something "different" at the track day events. With an E-series, you're going to look like a weirdo. A big one. Like someone said, voiding the warranty entirely, and having to deal with rather large parts replacement costs.

A C350 Sport perhaps would have made a little sense, but in this case, the E550 does not.
 
W-Wait...despite all of the cars he could have possibly afforded as a sports car, he chose a luxury sedan, probably not even in AMG trim, that has next to no sporting credentials?
 
mafia_boy
And I know PLENTY of 40-somethings that own lots of the cars that I listed (Z4M, SL65, RX8), and especially when it comes to the GT-R, it's wall to wall of people who own or have owned an R32/33/34 GT-R. They would laugh at the thought of being called a boy racer. The RX8 was merely for collector's value, and I didn't know about the cancer problem beforehand. ;)

And it doesn't matter on age, a Twin Turbo Viper gets any males sack and tingles it the right way. :O
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No doubt... you would actually need the finances of a forty year old (unless you're obscenely rich) to own a GT-R... Hell... if it's still for sale when I'm fifty and rolling in cookie dough, I'd buy one... but it's not "gentlemanly".

-

Maybe the buyer in question would be satisfied with joining a supercar experience club instead? He could have his pick of exotic metal for much less than the buying price of whatever he ends up buying.

If he's going to settle for an E500... why not go for a C63 AMG or even a secondhand M5? Something that looks a bit dignified but still burns rubber?

Though, then again... have you seen what M5 tires cost? :lol:

Again... errh... Jag?

 
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niky
If he's going to settle for an E500... why not go for a C63 AMG or even a secondhand M5? Something that looks a bit dignified but still burns rubber?
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Truth is in this statement. I just realized the E550 starts at $56,300. That's bonkers given what else is available in that class, let alone for the same amount of money.
 
Smallhorses
Hmmm.

Didn't want a sporty 911 'cos he wanted to "stand out", but opts for a 2-tonne, non-descript saloon car that'll blend in with just about every BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Vectra, Mondeo & Skoda Octavia on the road. :lol: :boggled:

Didn't want an Aston 'cos he doesn't like the "grille", and opts for one of the most massive and offensive grilles on the market so that he can entirely fail to stand out from even a Hyundai Genesis! :rolleyes:
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Sorry, I was talking about the coupe.
 
I've only read the first page so I may be resuggesting:
Lotus Evora?
 
A Mercedes-Benz E-Class probably isn't ideal for track days. Oh well, hope he likes it.
 
V8_Vantage
Not yet, he's going to the dealership on Friday.
So from what I've heard, perhaps there's still hope.
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No, he already considered the E-Class.. Hope was gone when he thought it would be a good idea to buy a new E-Class to go to the track with..!!!
 

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