what are your thoughts...

I am having serious difficulty in deciding on a vehicle. I have owned PCars for years but I was seriously considering a 355 GTS or Berlinetta. However, as my childhood desires resurge I realize that Britain and the rest of Italy aren't out of the question. SO - considering that this ride would be a DAILY driver in New Jersey for 8-10 months out of the year, how should I wiegh the pros and cons of the following rides:

1) 1997+ Lotus Esprit
2) Ferrrari 355 GTS/Berlinetta
3) Lambo Diablo, any year
4) Acura NSX
5) 2001+ Porsche Twin Turbo

I threw the NSX in there due to it's reliablilty and performance and for comparisons. Please note that it won't wind up in my garage anytime soon.
Vettes and Vipers need not apply, the wife is not a fan. I like the Viper as a track car anyway.

thanks

Rob

 

I think the only two that could be possible DAILY are the Turbo and NSX....and since it is a daily why not get the NSX? It has argueably exotic looks with decent power and ultra reliabilty.

Now if this wasn't a daily driver I'd say either 1/2/3 depending on your price range.

 

2..3...or 5

 

I know the Diablo is probably the worst candidate, but why couldn't a 355 be a daily driver? or a wel kept Esprit?

 

I'd go with the 355... it can be a daily.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love NSXs but my kids identify them as corvettes..

 

Personally I would definately go with the NSX (despite my snotty kids...)

 

Where DD is Daily driver
AND
8-10 months in NJ includes many rain days and several snow days.

 

2 or 3.
The others are bad to the bone, but there everywhere. The Porsche would be the next one in my line-up.
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Excellent... I was wondering if the 355 would make the cut. I figured as much for the TT, but is there any way you can expound on the Esprit?

Thanks guys

 

The only problem with the 355 as a daily driver is the attention it gets. If you can live with that and feel like you don't mind a crowd around your car when you park it, then it would make an excellent daily driver. Personally, I would take the turbo or a 2000+ Esprit.

 

I have a 99 Lotus Esprit that you might be interested in w/ only 3k miles on it. Let me know if you some info on it. It's yellow/black.

 

You might also want to consider the Maserati Coupe.

It fast, very useable, looks great inside and out, the engine has fantastic response, and also makes magnificent noise.

I picked it over a 996 Twin Turbo
http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13429&highlight=x50

Do drive the Maser so that you can see for yourself

Best

- Jon

 

Go for the NSX.

As a DD, the NSX is known for its reliability and it gives very decent power, the VTEC engine is good fun to drive.

996 or 993 may also be good but not the turbo as a daily.

 

My first choice for a daily would be a 996 C4, NSX would be 2nd, then the 355.

 

Jamie - Thank you. I'm looking for White or Black if I go for a Lotus. Post a pic though you never know.

Jon - A Maserati is a beautiful car. Hands down. Styling has come far and the performance is fantastic. for some reason though, my mind has been trained to beleive that Ferrari upstages it. I know I deserve a flame for that comment, but for some reason I know that i'll feel I should be in a Ferrari if I'm in a Maserati. I don't know why. I know they're unreal and deserve their own, equal pedestal. I just can't do it.

Mickey and Dean, I had a 993 C4 and a Boxster. The 993 was awesome, and I know I'll need AWD if I want to drive it a full 12 months of the year. A C4 would be great.


I'd love to know more about Mitch's Lotus opinion.

As it stands by popularity:

- NSX
- Porsche (C4, TT)
- Ferrari 355
? Lotus

 

Here's a pic of the Lotus... personally, I think yellow is the only way to go in this car! The white is just blah and the black really does hide the lines. Plus, the yellow is an incredible metallic yellow and looks great with the yellow piping on the seats... but then again, that's just my opinion.

Good luck with whatever you end up choosing!

 

Mighty nice! how could you part with such a machine!

 

It really is a beautiful car and will be tough to part with. I dropped it off yesterday at Baystate Motorsports in Malden, MA and they got some pictures up of it this morning. Check out the current inventory page at www.baystatemotorsports.com

 

Great looking car. I've seen a V8TT in purple on cream with piping that was also a head turner. Are you going to get an F-car next?

hey, guess who it is ;-).

http://www.baystatemotorsports.com/images/recent%20sales%20042.jpg

Man, you didn't let the ink dry on your new registration and you're already bored?

 

ryalex, actually I'm not really sure what I'm going to get next.... I did see a gorgeous '02 996 this morning and I'm looking into that. I'm probably going to be waiting to get a Ferrari until I can afford exactly what I want. Before I bought the Lotus I looked at a 1990 348, white/tan with 19k miles on it. The car was in great shape with all its services done and would have cost about $7k - 8k less than the Esprit but I decided against that one because I would have been buying it just to have a Ferrari not because it was the car that I've always wanted.

 

Which is?

Yeah, I understand the feeling about not wanting to just get whatever you can get your hands on but wait for the one you've dreamt of. Don't think I'd have that kind of restraint though. Well, I know I don't!

 

hey, guess who it is ;-).

http://www.baystatemotorsports.com/images/recent%20sales%20042.jpg

Man, you didn't let the ink dry on your new registration and you're already bored?[/QUOTE]


It really has nothing to do with being bored of the car yet, actually, I've barely even used it!! I just want something that will fly under the radar a little more...this car can definitely be used every day if you chose too and that would be fine as long as you don't mind the attention that comes along with that (good and bad).

The night I got it my girlfriend and I went for a ride since she had to run a few errands. She went into CVS and while she was in line waiting to pay one of the kids working there walked by the front door and saw my car outside (I was still in it waiting for her to come out). He flipped out and told everyone else working there that they had to go check out this car outside, so they all (yes, all of them including the ones working the registers) bolted for the door and came outside to check out the car leaving her and a few others in line with no one left to ring them up. I got a kick out of it but my girlfriend was horrified and embarrassed at all the attention the car got.

 

I'll buy a Ferrari when I can afford a perfect 355 spyder (or more preferably, a 360).