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Ive been looking upmarket a bit and to be honest I dont like the offering from AMG (the AMG GT). For similar money one can jump into a 991 GT3 (or Turbo), Mclaren 570s, V12 VantageS, Audi R8 V10 Plus.
To me all of those cars are much more attractive than the AMG GT -save the Audi because Audi ownership was terrible and Ive sworn not to buy one.
If you were buying in this market which would you choose and why? How many of you are AMG fanboys vs. car enthusiasts?
2012 P31 C63 Coupe Trackrat, 2019 GLE63S Coupe Beast
Depends on what you're looking for.
The GT3 is a fantastic track weapon, but not a lot of fun on the street. The Turbo has better street manners.
The Vantage is beautiful to look at and sounds great, but built like **** and comparatively slow.
The Audi is just a Gallardo in R8 skin. You know what you're getting there.
To me it would be down to the GTS or 570S. Newest tech for both.
I haven't driven the 570S yet, but I got to take the GTS up into the mountains around Palm Springs and then lap it all day at the Thermal Club last Dec, and I can tell you that thing will hold it's own against anything on this list. It's an amazing car. The BS version is bound to be ridiculous, but I'm with you that I'm not crazy about the looks.
Haven't seen much in the way of head-to-head testing of the 570S. Love Mclaren, but I don't know about ownership - have heard some horror stories. But, it's a Mclaren. Looks awesome, and that powerplant is pretty special.
I forgot about the Turbo! (GT3 is more my taste, but youre right the Turbo is awesome on the street)
My biggest concern with the AMG GT is that almost all of its tick-able options, except the DCT are available on the new C63s Coupe. So the car is a little lighter and shifts faster but at twice the price?! I understand how the AMG GT performs but I dont see value.
The 570s is all new tech -tons of CF and probably the best bang for the buck even though its likely the most expensive.
The P-cars are hard to beat in terms of driver engagement so its tough to say how they compare against the GT.
I agree the Aston is well dated, but it might get more attention than a GTS and you cant beat the V12 sound
Hmmm..... This is a rough one. Reason being I had an impeccable and fantastic Audi ownership. The R8 is a very nice car and its a lot better with the upcoming version coming out. Basically a Huracan in Audi skin which means it will be a daily driveable Huracan. The Audi is the most comfortable to drive everyday and just an all around fun and user friendly car. Plus I would bet it would be lowest maintanence which = lowest total ownership costs of them all. It is also really sexy in person and that V10 sounds great. Buddy of mine has a 2014 R8 V10 and he straight piped the thing no cats just quality pipes. It sounds so aggressive and looks so sexy. White on red spyder with carbon package.
The McLaren is a gorgeous car that is a work of art but from what I have heard it is more of a weekend car that doesnt take too well to heavy foot abuse all the time. But then again I have only talked to one owner and even with the trips to the dealer for warranty work he still loves it.
The Porsche Turbo S has been a dream car for me since I was a kid and they keep getting better and better. It is an incredible vehicle, scary fast, and handles pretty well. Would be a hard choice for me between that and a GT3 though. I love the sound of that NA motor in the GT3 with exhaust. Not sure which the more reliable is either. I have seen more than a handful of GT3s in my area which tells me they must be pretty special since I used to see many more Turbos in the 997 era.
The AMG GTS is an incredible performer. I need to find my way into one to drive it. I have it on the authority of guys that are true drivers like myself that it is the best car Benz has ever built for the masses as a production sport/track car. I cannot speak to it past that though.
The Aston has class and that monstrous V12 sound that is intoxicating but it may be dated on the interior bits compared to all of the others.
Not sure what your budget is but maybe waiting a year and looking into Huracans would be a good option too. They have been reviewed as a Lambo that can actually perform very well. I always hated the Gallardo with a passion but the Huracan does make up for that.
Good luck with your search. All of these cars are awesome and would be a blast to own and drive. One day I hope to have difficult decisions such as these.
i've been thinking about getting a porsche GT4 next year...i know what you mean though, i've watched a ton of reviews on the GT-S and so far everyone says its an amazing car from what i gathered..and with a tune it seems to be putting down some nice #'s ..i think all you can really do is take each one out for a hour or so long test drive and see..if thats possible of course. I think the 570 is the highest price bracket in this group? when I was at mclaren a few months ago they said it'd be going for around 170k CAD
Last edited by avery.whss; 10-27-2015 at 11:07 AM.
I think it's going to come down to what your intended use for this car is. Track weapon? Daily Driver? Weekend Car?
Honestly, I would have a hell of time picking between these.
AMG GTS - Well I like AMGs, the sound and all the torque, but looks it's probably the worst in this group.
911 GT3 - That's the track car for sure. Don't know if I'd want it to really drive on the streets though.
911 Turbo - Is going to eat anything up on the road while being comfortable to drive everyday. It's also my dream Daily Driver since before I even had my license.
McLaren - Definitely seems like a weekend car. Can't see that being driven daily.
Aston - Best looking of the bunch. Is going to make you feel like James Bond. Probably the slowest and least fun to drive of all the above, but damn if that isn't going to get you attention I don't know what will. Also sounds great!
R8 - Meh. It's a nice car. I definitely like it, but for the price I definetly would choose any of the above before it.
In other words my choices would be (based on use and in order)
Daily Driver - #1-Turbo #2-AMG GTS
Track Car - #1- GT3 #2 - McLaren
Weekend Car - #1 Aston #2 McLaren
1. Porsche-GT3 or turbo. GT may be too much for DD, or maybe not
2. Mclaren
3. AMG GT
4. Audi
5. Aston
I started ranking, so I truly finished it as if I had to purchase all 5 and rank them. But for me, I wouldn't even consider the last 2. And truthfully, I'm certainly not sold on the AMG. Ever sat in one? I didn't get to drive it, but remembered thinking, "How do you see out of this thing?" Plus in all embarrassment owning (4)C63's and a handful of other MB's, the GT is an almost rip, not nod, to the 911. Other than the elongated hood............
My top 3 would be 570S and GT S (tied, really hard to decide) and 991 GT3. The other two are somewhat "dated" if you're talking about the current version (not the new body style) R8.
I "was" thinking amg gt all the way.. but after my poor experience with a w205...... I'm a bit leary. Poor quality/fit/finish plagued my w205, so I'm not ready to jump into a 2X W205 ride.
I think it's going to come down to what your intended use for this car is. Track weapon? Daily Driver? Weekend Car?
Honestly, I would have a hell of time picking between these.
AMG GTS - Well I like AMGs, the sound and all the torque, but looks it's probably the worst in this group.
911 GT3 - That's the track car for sure. Don't know if I'd want it to really drive on the streets though.
911 Turbo - Is going to eat anything up on the road while being comfortable to drive everyday. It's also my dream Daily Driver since before I even had my license.
McLaren - Definitely seems like a weekend car. Can't see that being driven daily.
Aston - Best looking of the bunch. Is going to make you feel like James Bond. Probably the slowest and least fun to drive of all the above, but damn if that isn't going to get you attention I don't know what will. Also sounds great!
R8 - Meh. It's a nice car. I definitely like it, but for the price I definetly would choose any of the above before it.
In other words my choices would be (based on use and in order)
Daily Driver - #1-Turbo #2-AMG GTS
Track Car - #1- GT3 #2 - McLaren
Weekend Car - #1 Aston #2 McLaren
This guy pretty much nails it. I have had a lot of time in the Turbo and GT3 and the GT3 is not bad on the street, in fact it's quite good even on these terrible California roads.
Having said that, the Turbo S is the best car I have ever driven and if you stick a set of PS2's it will be faster on the track than the GT3. Also McLaren's resale value is terrible. The 570 was also not built for the track in mind, and was told it's more of a fun type of car, something you can throw around.
I know the Mc-12 has had a lot of issues, and the 650 is also had some issues so I might stay away from the 570 just because.
The Audi is very nice, but again, the Turbo S is so much better. The Aston is dated and it's resale is awful. My 1/2 half cents.
Mercs are great cars but that GT is horrid compared to the older looking SLS and SLR Mclarens from Mercedez. That Porshe is a great choice as well as the McLaren.
I see you haven't mentioned the R35 GTR? I drove a 2013 model and I must say, leg room, all the important dials and options to view the engine and car details during driving is really something.
My brother is actually in the market for either an R8 V10, 911 turbo, or AMG GTS. We'll be going around to test drive them first. I think the Porsche will be the ideal car out of the three though..
i guess i'm the oddball of the bunch i really like the looks and performance of the AMG GTs and its one of the cheaper options in the bunch. I also rather like the R8 V10, but if i had bad experiences with a brand like you did with audi i'd likely immediately eliminate that
To me, for a daily driver car with trackability i'd lean towards the 911 turbo or the AMG GTS.
But if you don't like the looks of the gts what about a used SLS? IMO the looks of the SLS is much better.
for just an all out head turner track car you've got to go mclaren but i wouldnt want to daily drive one
10-27-2015, 08:07 AM
-save the Audi because Audi ownership was terrible and Ive sworn not to buy one. 
