ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY
PLOT YOUR OWN ESCAPE RIGHT HERE All three cars have stopped depreciating – but which one is likely to make the best investment? PORSCHE 911 CARRERA S GREIG DALY
MASERATI GRANSPORT RICHARD GRACE
ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE NEAL GARRARD
Greig, from RPM Technik (rpmtechnik.co.uk), believes the Gen II Carrera S is a safe bet. ‘They’re holding their money very well, and they certainly won’t get any cheaper. They’re robust cars,’ he says. ‘A manual Gen II Carrera S is the one to invest in – they’re fairly rare, though the PDK is still great.’ Greig suggests an average cost of £1500 a year to run one. Black interiors are easiest to sell, though any exterior colour will find a home. He advises against the Gen I cars. ‘They’re to be avoided, because we see a lot of engine dramas from those – we don’t sell them.’
Maserati specialist Richard (richardgracecars.co.uk) believes the key to a happy ownership experience is to consider buying only the best cars – there's no such thing as a truly cheap Maserati. 'Good cars will sell easily – bad cars sit around for months,' he explains. Pick a good one and you can easily swallow running costs, says Richard. 'They're going up in value by around £2000 per year, which is about how much it costs to run one for a year.' Ultimate specification is a blue or black car with a beige or cream cabin. 'Avoid the blue tech cloth interiors,' is Richard’s advice.
Neal, of Aston Martin specialist Nicholas Mee & Company (nicholasmee.co.uk), believes the time to buy a V8V is now. 'I believe they're the Porsche 993 of the future – buy one now for £30k and in a few years they'll be £60k,' he says. Neil says values for good, well-historied and well-maintained cars have been static for the past three years. 'We've yet to see them appreciate, because availability is still high, but as good cars become harder to find they will go up,' says Neal. 'The most desirable cars are postSeptember 2006 models, thanks to the more comfortable seats that came as part of the facelift.'
WHAT WE FOUND 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 S PDK RHD, white with black leather, optional CD autochanger, 41,000 miles. Sticker price £39,975 Deposit £15,000 Representative APR 9.5% Total amount of credit £24,975 Interest payable £6186 Total amount payable £46,161 Duration of agreement Five years 60 monthly payments £515.10 Estimated value after 5 years £42,000
WHAT WE FOUND 2006 Maserati GranSport RHD, Blu Nettuno with beige leather interior, clutch wear 67%, 49,500 miles. Sticker price £31,995 Deposit £15,000 Representative APR 9.5% Total amount of credit £16,995 Interest payable £4201.20 Total amount payable £36,196.20 Duration of agreement Five years 60 monthly payments £349.02 Estimated value after 5 years £42,000
WHAT WE FOUND 2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage 4.3 RHD, Titanium Silver metallic with Chancellor Red interior, 31k miles. Sticker price £37,995 Deposit £15,000 Representative APR 9.5% Total amount of credit £22,995 Interest payable £5693.40 Total amount payable £43,688.40 Duration of agreement Five years 60 monthly payments £473.89 Estimated value after 5 years £60,000
£515 per month
'BUY NOW FOR £30K AND IN A FEW YEARS THEY’LL BE £60K' 36 MODERN CLASSICS
£349 per month
£474 per month
The figures are representative and an APR figure could be higher or lower depending on your personal circumstances.