In the context of whether to buy a McLaren or a 458, I wouldn't buy either. Would prefer to buy a GT3 or GT2 but you're right, I'm likely never to buy another Turbo.
In stand alone context, I wouldn't have any of these choices and personally lean towards the 599, FF or if I was brave enough, a manual Murcielago.
It's not an air cooled vs. water cooled thing for me, by the way. It's a passion and feeling thing. Although the air cooled cars sound better.
I'm sure you're very pleased with your 996tt, I fully understand that, it's certainly an experience to drive one in anger. It's also OK if someone else thinks they're soulless. We are all different.
Having said all of this, I prefer my Stradale and am very happy with it. I'm not likely to change it anytime soon and I would absolutely love it if Maserati would get off their hands and build something that I could replace it with. Until then, it's sticking around.
That's a more considered response, thank you. I think you likely had Porsches several years ago - and things have moved on in that circle considerably during the 5 years I have been in it (now into my 6th year with the Turbo and it really is a beauty with the X50 manual box and only 36k miles). Air Cooled Porsches attract their own brotherhood - they are referred as the socks with sandals and beards brigade - spotted often by the pipe smoking trait and the outfits suggestive of them being in The Knights Templar - jokingly in the fraternity. The good clean manual box 996 Turbo and of course the GT3 and GT2 prices are crazy. The air cooled cars are silly money - but old technology and the old low production hand assembled volumes - akin to the GS in some way. Air Cooled cars are sticking - there is a feeling that prices are over-valued and people are waiting for the market correction to happen as many are rot boxes requiring £30-£40k spending to fix the corrosion! Of course the 996 Turbo is hewn from the crankcases of the 993 and the gearbox.
If you ever feel like a dip into nostalgia you can always try
www.911uk.com for the latest opinions on what happening on those halcion carriages of yours.
The GT Stradale is a nice car - I'd consider one with MC Shift but there is another voice in my head pulling me to a GTS. I dont know, I get a feeling (probably inaccurately as I don't own one) that its like a GT3 - guys aspire to it and then after a few months the novelty wears off, their fillings have been shaken out, getting in/out of a desirable Club Sport breaks the back and then the service bills and all the advisories tempts people to swap it for something bit more civilised such as a Turbo or a GTS.
The GT was what I set out to buy but after taking advice, I think I made the best decision with my budget to go the GS route. I talk to Marios about the GT and am learning with each conversation about that model and always leave his premises knowing that I have a really sound car for my budget and that I made a god choice. But if I decide to chop the GS in for a GT, it will be after counsel from learned people.
Personally the 599 doesn't do anything for me, but the 430 and 458 does. Lambos and McLaren are stratospheric prices so I dont even dream or research them, but meet their owners at various supercar meets and exchange thoughts with their owners. McLaren showroom is nearby in KNutsford so around this area and Alderley Edge/Prestwich/Wilmslow there are no end to supercars adorning our roads. I'm also not impressed by Aston Martin - a few Porsche guys I know have had them and listening to their stories (biased possibly as they may have bought bad examples) so I am cautious about that marque - except stratospheric models such as the DB5.
When I come to sell, the GS will be sold to/through a Maserati specialist and the Porsche will be sold to/through a Porsche specilaist as those respective specialists have the reach to the right audience and the knowledge and the virtues of the models concerned to market each properly.
It is indeed a good thing that it takes all kinds to make a world and that we are not all the same. Nobody mentioned the GT-R? That's a surprise......
