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Five Exotics for Car Lovers on a Budget

Autos

You may have noticed that we recently introduced Exotic Car Secrets, our system that allowed us to drive over a dozen exotic and luxury cars in the past two years without losing any money. While early on you are taught that cars are a depreciating asset and should not be looked at as an investment, we think they should be looked at as a business. There are so many ways for a person to buy, drive, and enjoy the car of their dreams and actually never really lose any money doing so. Imagine driving a BMW M6 for less than it would cost you to lease a new Volkswagen Jetta, or perhaps actually get paid to drive an Aston Martin V8 Vantage or Audi R8. Many exotic car owners already use this system to switch in/out of cars every six months or so. While not every single car makes us money, they sure don’t cost us much.

While we break down all the concepts in Exotic Car Secrets, we also give you a list of cars we believe you should go after on the luxury and exotic car side. We break down the year, model, and in some cases options you should be looking for. For those that have not yet learned or mastered the system, we chose to give you a quick freebie breaking down our favorite exotics to apply the system to. These are our picks for best value exotics as of 2015.

2009 Audi R8

2009 Audi R8

The ultimate R8, which became an icon thanks to Ironman, can now be had for less than a Range Rover. Originally selling in the mid $100’s, some amazing low mileage examples can be bought between $80-85K. We chose the 2009 model in our R8 project car because it is the second year the model is out and the best balance of value without the headaches associated with the first model year (2008).

The key options to buy are carbon fiber trim, 6 speed manual if possible but R-Tronic is ok assuming you get a tune like we did, and trust us when we say that it improves the performance tremendously. We also recommend getting the extended leather option, which makes the interior feel rich and luxurious unlike the fabric that comes standard.

2009 Audi R8

Color choices are all of course respective based on taste but the more common colors like white on black or black on black sell the best. Look for a car under 20K miles so you can drive it up to 30K and get rid of it within 12-16 months. Common issues to look out for are inside buttons breaking as well as leaking shocks, which can be costly as mentioned in our Audi R8 buyers guide.

2009 Audi R8

2007 Bentley Continental GT

Far from being the cheapest to fix but the Bentley Continental GT, especially in 2007, was a solid car with most of the issues being minor. Stay away from the 2004 and 2005 models, and make sure you buy the Mulliner option as it is truly an important resale option but also makes the whole ownership experience better.

Pricing can be had for under $70K in most cases with roughly 30K miles on the clock and while you will see many examples of the car in the $90K range, simply use our negotiation techniques to negotiate down to the high $60K range with the right dealers.

2007 Bentley GT

Make sure to do a private purchase inspection because small repairs can add up. The main issues are seat modules, lumbar support, soft close doors, and brakes wearing down fast (which can cost upwards of $3K). There is a great deal of cars on the market so please take your time and identify the right colors, and the right car as the wrong car can truly cost you in this case.

2007 Bentley GT

2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Our favorite car for the money, and the reason we have had not one but two different project cars that are 2007 Aston V8 Vantages – The 2007 V8 Vantage has to be the single best value for the money out of any car anywhere.

The car comes with peace of mind with cheap repairs due to affordable parts and is as reliable as a Ford Mustang. The V8 Vantage offers great handling, amazing design and fair performance for under $60,000 and best part of it all, the market has hit rock bottom and therefore doesn’t depreciate based on year.

2007 Aston Vantage

Make sure to buy a 6 speed only with the navigation and premium audio options. The V8 Vantage is amazing and 2007 included small updates like racing seats and better wheels, which despite being small upgrades, makes a big difference. Be sure to check out our Vantage buyers guide.

Still to date a striking car for a striking price and guaranteed to be a better experience than the Porsche 911 despite not having the same level of performance. If performance isn’t as important to you as a great design with an amazing balance of performance and 9/10 fun factor, then the V8 Vantage might be your dream car.

2007 Aston Vantage

2008 Porsche 911 Turbo

How can you ever say no to a Porsche 911 Turbo, especially when they cost $60,000? Having depreciated over 50% and being one of the best resale values around, makes the Porsche 911 an amazing car for what is today a bargain.

Make sure to opt for the 6 speed manual for best value and as well as enhanced fun factor. The 911 Turbo is very fast and performance driven with the ability to be daily driven. While its design or badge isn’t as impressive as an Aston Martin, the 911 is an iconic car especially in the turbo trim and demand is high based on seasons.

2008 Porsche 911

It is easiest to find the right model somewhere across the US and have it shipped, so that it can be resold at the right season in the right state. When you do some research using our strategy at Exotic Car Secrets, you’ll realize which states are the best ones to buy from.

Make sure that the car has navigation, Sport Chrono and power seats, all options which hold great value during your resale. We also recommend looking at the newer 2011 911 4S if performance isn’t as important as technology or an automatic transmission is needed.

2008 Porsche 911

2011 Maserati Quattroporte S

Yes, the Maserati Quattroporte S has squeaks and rattles, but most of it is hand built which means things tend to fall apart. Who cares when you have a Ferrari based engine, amazing bespoke interiors, and one of the sexiest 4 door sedans known to man. What more can you ask for?

How about 70% off the price of a new one with limited miles under 20K and the remainder of the factory warranty in most cases? The range of cars on the market is vast and can vary from the $40k to the $80k. Usually the best bets are the S series between 2011 and 2012 with vast options. Keep in mind that everything Maserati does is a la carte so make sure to pick a car that has vast options as it won’t cost you much more and will make the experience and resale a very good one.

2011 Maserati Quattroporte S

Also make sure to look out for cars that have been mistreated as it is common to find cars that have traded hands 4-5 times and ended up at many auctions. While its ok, most of those have been cared for improperly and as a result have fading buttons and broken trim pieces here and there.

Our latest project car which hasn’t been revealed yet is a 2011 Quattroporte S very hard loaded in a very desirable color combo with only 20K miles and was bought for $56,000 using our negotiation strategy from Exotic Car Secrets on a car that was already well priced at $64K.

2011 Maserati Quattroporte S

Make sure to learn more about our strategies from Exotic Car Secrets and other models that are worthwhile before buying your next car, as you could save upwards of 80% on your next car purchase and drive a Maserati instead of a BMW.

Maserati