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      02-15-2012, 07:38 PM   #80
ShawnBoston
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Drives: 2018 McLaren 570S Spider
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Bay Area, CA

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I think I can bring a moderately unique perspective to this since I drove a 2009 Porsche 911 C4 Cabriolet (997.2, 6MT), extensively tested the 650i (which is how I stumbled into buying the X3 as my new DD! lol)and just (literally, I did it today!) bought a 2011 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster.

Obviously I have never driven the new M6.

All three cars have COMPLETELY different characters.

Porsche = very close to a true sports car with some daily driver pretensions. It got fatiguing on long drives (fairly stiff suspension, lots of tire and exterior noise). The car was super nimble and tossable, you felt everything through the wheel, the seat of your pants, and the stick. My particular car was a total lemon and I'm very happy to be rid of it. In 2009 it was $108k, using the configurator it is now at least $15k more.

BMW = much more of a GT. I assume the M6 Vert will be much stiffer than the 650i but I'm guessing it will never be characterized as nimble. I think it will be freight locomotive powerful and have deep, deep power reserves that will be sure to excite, but I think it will deliver that power in a more reserved manner that is more conducive to soaking up the miles than canyon carving (not that it won't be able to, just that it won't be a scalpel like the Porsche). I'll bet it starts around $115-125 and tops out around 140k.

Aston Martin - blend of GT and sports car. I bought the AMV8 because it is absolutely gorgeous, unique, and offers me a great blend of sporting and GT characteristics. I think the BMW 6 coupe is attractive, the vert much less so. I really liked the looks of my 911, and loved the wide hips of the C4, but it was somewhat common. When spending >100k, common is not something I am all that interested in. Both the M6 and AM satisfy that criteria, the AM more so.

Interestingly, both the M6 and 911s will be faster than my new car . . . does that bum me out? Yes, a tiny bit. But I don't think anyone is buying a AM to win redlight races, I'm well beyond that point in my life. Are AMs overpriced? Quite possibly . . . even as a bespoke, largely hand-build product, I don't see how they can stay competitive when so many marques are bringing so much more firepower and tech to the table . . . for much, much less (the car I purchased had a MSRP of 156k, I bought it for a good deal off of that amount).

Anyway, I hope the above helps drive the point I was trying to make. These cars are not as competitive as their similar prices might suggest. They are for somewhat different drivers and all are good choices . . . if they provide what you are looking for.

I think the M6 is a better compared to the XKR/XKRS (I tested the former, nice but missing a little something) and the Maserati GT, than either the Porsche or AM. My 0.02.
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