German Car Zone

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My humblest opinion:

Granturismo S - you've got the most stylish and eye-catching car here. Drive this up any hotel and be guaranteed that you'll get the stares and awes. The engine's spectacular (and so is its fuel consumption). From my past history with Maserati, although they have improved a lot in terms of reliability and user friendliness, they still have a long way to go to catch up with the Germans. Just have a go at the computer system on the M and you'll know what I mean. It doesn't feel 21st century like iDrive does. The interior also is very classic and I wouldn't say cutting-edge (you'd still have green gauges and the like). Overall, this car is a bit hard to live with if you're driving it as a daily driver. Bear in mind, that transmission... I'm still sceptical. We've got a QP Sport GT, and it jerks pretty much. Even though the Grant has got a new tranny, I'm not sure if they've sorted out that issue out yet. Which brings the Porsche into the picture - PDK.

997 Carrera (facelift) - I like the new updated screen in the interior and the PDK. A 911 shows you've got real taste, yet you can't help but notice that there are quite a feel of your own cars around. It doesn't feel as special as the Maserati does, but it's still quite an exotic. This car's rock solid, reliable, stable and a good keeper because of good second hand values. I don't know how this drives, but the figures are good and you can't go wrong with this one (with the Maserati, you can go seriously wrong with it if you land with a lemon). Porsche also has the best FC.

M5 - 4 doors add the convenience, but I'm not so sure if it's any more practical than that. A V10 drinks like mad, the gearbox is too jerky for fetching your grandparents in, and the ride too stiff for the family. It's a BMW, sure - but it looks close to any 5-Series with a M Sport Package. This ranks as third for me surely... I don't see quite any point with an M5. It's not a true sports car, neither is it really practical either.

My choice? The 997... For the lack of a better alternative.

well the thing is there are actually 2 options. First one is to sell my dad's 530xd and buy M5 to replace it, but since it's not quite confortable car (as you said, and I agree) for 50 years old man, I hope this option will be eliminated.

Second one is to buy Porsche or Maserati without replacing any of our cars...

Its easier to step out and in from the M5 than a Porsche 911 and Granturismo. I think that is kinda important if you are old

Regarding M5, its more comfortable ride than a 911 (I dont know about Gran turismo but I doubt its worse than a Massa) thanks to adaptive suspension called EDC. Its wrong to diss the M5 because of comfort since the other two isnt better in that area. I can only agree on the fuel consumption on the M5 but its not the fuel consumption that really is the problem, its the small tank size (same tank size as a 530i).

Personally I rather buy the new 4-door M3 with DCT than a M5.

All 3 cars are great choices. I don't think I have anymore to add aside of what have already have been said by the fellow members here.

Judging by the type of cars, you're seeking for sporty but yet stylish kind of cars prices around €150.000 - €175.000. Well at least in The Netherlands, prices could obviously differ due to different taxrate in your country. Anyway the point is that €150.000 - €175.000 is the price range and you seem to be open for alternatives, judging by the Alpina post.
Have you ever considered these alternatives?

As references:
BMW M5: € 147.330*
Maserati Granturismo: €164.775
Porsche Carrera 4S: €141.650


Alternative 1: Aston Martin Vantage
"A very stylish and attractive car, very british, a true exotic. Not fastest the money you can buy, however owning a car with the history, fame and a name called Aston Martin.....surely is something special to behold."



Price: € 151.440*

Displacement: 4280 cm3
Max power output: 283 kW (380 pk)
Engine speed at max power output: 7300 rpm
Peak torque: 410 Nm
Engine speed at peak torque: 5000 rpm
Top speed: 280 km/h
Acceleration 0 - 100 km/h: 5,0 sec


Alternative 2: Audi R8 4.2 FSI quattro
"Audi's first attempt to create a sportscar for the masses and they did great. Great performances and build quality as we're used to with Audi. The exotic exterior makes it look more special and expensive than their competitors, a 'poor' man's Lamborghini Gallardo which is a compliment."



Price: € 157.630*

Displacement: 4163 cm3
Max power output: 309 kW (420 hp)
Engine speed at max power output: 7800 rpm
Peak torque: 430 Nm
Engine speed at peak torque: 4500 rpm
Top speed: 301 km/h
Acceleration 0 - 100 km/h: 4,9 sec


Alternative 3: BMW M6
"Since you mentioned the BMW M5, ever considered the BMW M6? It's slightly faster than the M5 and has a slightly better handeling. A true sportscar with great performances but the exterior is more ordinary compared to the other alternatives and it's something you have to like. Suprisingly it's also the most expensive of the alternatives"



Price: € 174.930*
Displacement: 4,999 cc
Max. output in kW (PS) at 1/min 373 (507)/7,750
Max. torque in Nm at 1/min 520/6,100
Top speed: 250 km/h
Acceleration 0 - 100 km/h: 4.7 sec


Alternative 4: Corvette C6 Coupé Z06
"It's less refined than the European alternatives but it's very fast and sure is a head turner. Good bang for the buck but maybe less stylish."



Price: € 135.990*

Displacement: 7011 cm3
Max power output: 376 kW (511 pk)
Engine speed at max power output: 6200 rpm
Peak torque: 645 Nm
Engine speed at peak torque: 4800 rpm
Top speed: 319 km/h
Acceleration 0 - 100 km/h: 3,9 s


Alternative 5: Dodge Viper SRT-10
"Same as the Corvette, it's less refined than the European alternatives but it's very fast and sure is a head turner. Good bang for the buck but maybe less stylish."



Price: € 152.900*

Displacement: 8277 cm3
Max power output: 372 kW (500 pk)
Engine speed at max power output: 5600 rpm
Peak torque: 712 Nm
Engine speed at peak torque: 4200 rpm
Top speed: 306 km/h
Acceleration 0 - 100 km/h: 3,9 s


Alternative 6: Jaguar XKR
"The Jaguar XKR is a handsome car to look at, to me it looks alot like a Aston Martin DB9 but without the price tag, some people find the car to be even more handsome than the Aston Martin.
Anyway it's a very stylish car as we're used to with the most British makes. A 'poor' man's Aston Martin DB9 which is not a bad thing!"



Price: € 142.890*

Displacement: 4196 cm3
Max power output: 306 kW (420 pk)
Engine speed at max power output: 6250 rpm
Peak torque: 560 Nm
Engine speed at peak torque: 4000 rpm
Top speed: 250 km/h
Acceleration 0 - 100 km/h: 5,2 s


Alternative 7: TVR Sagaris
"Now this is a bit of a different car concerning the exterior. It sure is special but very shouting and agressive. A very fast car, the fastest from 0-100 km/h. Maybe not the most practical/comfortable car but sure is a very unique which one can't find many on the public roads.



Price: € 134.500*

Displacement: 3996 cm3
Max power output: 294 kW (400 pk)
Engine speed at max power output: 7000 rpm
Peak torque: 420 Nm
Engine speed at peak torque: 5250 rpm
Top speed: 295 km/h
Acceleration 0 - 100 km/h: 3,7 s


Alternative 8: Mercedes-Benz CL500 & SL500
"The final alternatives is the CL500 and the SL500 but both of them are more tourers than a true sportscar, hence why I put it as last alternative. But still great cars to own and provides the best comfort of them all."




Price: € 153.226*

Displacement: 5461 cm3
Max power output: 285 kW (388 pk)
Engine speed at max power output: 6000 rpm
Peak torque: 530 Nm
Engine speed at peak torque: 2800 rpm
Top speed: 250 km/h
Acceleration 0 - 100 km/h: 5,4 s


Recommendations
The Aston Martin and the Jaguar are more competitors of the style and performance and therefore comparable with the Maserati GranTurismo. Those are the ones to seek if you go for elegance and high end "James Bond" kind of thing.
The BMW M6 and the Audi R8 are more competitors of the Porsche 911. Sporty and German perfection. I believe if you're costs awared, you'd go for the Germans, reliable and probably more easy to live with.
The Mercedes' are a bit out of place concerning being sporty but they are the most easy to live with. Recommendable depending on personal requirements.
The Viper, Corvette and the TVR are shouty and fun cars. Not really suitable for daily driving and therefore less recommandable. Aside of that they are also less elegant and stylish in comparison to the alternatives.


* = Prices based in the Netherlands

Instead of helping me to choose one of three of my favorites, you've just made my situation more complicated

As soon as I read your post (which is btw great) I sent a message to my brother telling him to check CL and SL.

Anyway, few months ago I visited Audi showroom in order to see and get more information about R8. Since I'm 2 meters tall, I also wanted to check whether I can fit in it. Unfortunately, I couldn't. And I felt little bit claustrophobic. A steering wheell was literally on my b*lls and I got out of the car with a great effort and pain.
On the other hand, bmw has a lot of space, just like GranTurismo. I also had a ride in Porsche and strangely I didn't have any problem.

Aston Martin is a very stylish car and I must admit it is one of my favorite brands.
Strangely, even though M6 is more expensive than M5, you can find dozens of M6 on streets in Belgrade.
Next, I'm not in love with American car industry, so I must say that Corvette and Dodge are out of the game.
TVR is also out of the game. As I remember from one TV show, it doesn't even have an airbag. I hope I'm wrong.
Uh, Jaguar is great and because of you I will try to visit them in next few days (there is no Jaguar dealership in Serbia, but since I'm in Greece now, it won't be a problem finding their showroom) .
And finally, SL and CL. I will just say those are great, powerful cars and I will definitely concider buying of one those.

Have you driven the Porsche 911? I spent quite a bit of time in our 997 Carrera S at high speeds and on urban roads, and it is definitely comfortable enough as a daily driver with the adjustable suspension. It won't have the comfort of a SL or s CL 550, but its by no means "uncomfortable," and you have knife-edge handling and AWD stability. Because the AWD is RWD biased, it supposedly feels like you are driving RWD until you need power re-distributed to your front tires.

The 4S with the power boost will get you about 380 hp, more than enough in the Porsche since it is relatively light. I recommend keeping the 530i for your father, and buy either the Porsche or the Maserati as a second car.

Also consider the dealer support network available to you. Driving 500km for a Maserati service seems to be a hassle, and Italian cars do not (imo) have the most rock solid reputations.

Good luck on your car search!! I'm sure whatever you select will be a great car.

Ok, guys, I would like to thank you all for your effort. Last few weeks most of my time I spent on thinking which car out of these 3 to buy. After visiting Maserati, and driving GranTurismo I decided that M5 is far better option (I'm sure many of you will get disappointed because of my decision) . In my opinion, Maserati gives u a style, prestige, but without providing you with high quality car (comparing to its price) . In order to give some "style" points to M5 I'll go for Individual equipment, different, interesting colour (ruby black) and other extras... You'll get photos in 6 months...

One more time, thank you all!!!!

M5 is a good and a cool car. Good choice mate!

go to m5board.com and meet other M5 owners. They can answer your every question. Register for free and visit the forum.

M5Board.com

EDIT....

I didn't see your last post. Congrats on the M5. It will serve you well. Might I suggest Eisenmen (spelling?) exhaust. I got chance to listen to it courtesy of a neighbor...beautiful.

Studying your current inventory I can say that the 911 will offer the most contrasting experience against your other cars.