I have the following questions. Thanks for reading and replying. All cars are preowned.

Choices of cars
997 TT
Gallardo
R8
Ferrari 360

Budget: $140k

Reliability
I know TT is the most suitable for DD. but how is the Gallardo, R8, 360? Can I put 8000 miles on it every year? Will it break down. What are some common problems? Maintenance? Im not looking to DD the car, but definitely drive the car at least 8000 miles per year. Can I put 10k on a Gallardo for a 2004?

Resale value
After putting 8000 miles on it for 2-3 years. Which car will have the best value?

Handling/steering
TT drives just like the S. Its not much of a difference. I m actually quite disappointed with how the performance is not much of a step above the S.

Price: Dealers told me I can only get 1% off of all the above cars. I ve heard the S can go as big as 7%. 1% is barely $2000. How much discount can I get? Porsche dealer also said New TT coupe/cab is sold at MSRP.

Performance: I only test drove the TT cab, are the other cars that much better?

I don't much about the cars themselves, but as far as values go in two or three years, what mileage will do to the cars etc. is almost impossible to tell. Most certainly fuel prices are going to have a major impact on the desirability and demand for gas guzzlers and how their used.

How one gets satisfcation by driving a 500+ HP, 10 MPG car, 8-10K miles a year to mostly sit in traffic (which is the most likley senario if a daily driver) escapes me.

I live in Lake Worth ( W palm, fl area) and use a gallardo 04 as my daily driver.
Most driving is on I 95 at non-rush hour times, or on local roads to gym or to restaurants, boat, etc.
I have put over 15,000 miles on it in a little over a year, and I will tell you this car is as reliable as a Honda ( I have an S2000 also, a car known for high reliability).

On I 95, you can get 18 to 21 mpg if you cruise without stomping the gas pedal, at 75 to 85 mph. Milage does not change much if you add 20 more mph to this :-)

I don't understand people who buy a car like this, and leave it in the garage most of the time.
In any event, the car is comfortable and fun to drive. My wife hates riding in the S2000 ( comfort, secure issue, etc) but loves her Honda Ridgeline. She prefers her Ridgeline to my Gallardo, but just a tiny bit :-) i.e., when we go out to eat, we take my Gallardo, not her car :-)

And the other cars you mention...at the track, the Gallardo will eat them up. I raced my Business partner with his Ferrari F 430 ( he had slicks on it, had it lowered an inch, and had a faster shifting chip added)..the Gallardo is the faster car.

Regards,
Dan

Thats great that you are able to enjoy your car like that. There are always exceptions to the norm.

I heard there are problems on the 2004s Gallardo. Clutch could cost as much as 10k. Is this true. what other mechanical problem do I need to be concerned about? Im looking at a 2004 for 130k and a 2006 for 146k. How much discount is possible. is 8k reasonable?

I heard the clutch was a problem on "some" 04 Gallardos...but I have close to 21,000 extremely hard miles on mine, and the clutch drives like it is brand new.

When I got the car, I decided that the clutch would be a "part" of having a car like this...fairly pricey tune ups and oil changes, but so far, just doing smart routine maintenance, and driving the car the way it was meant to be driven, are all that it needs to remain bulletproof. if the clutch does go at some point, I expect around a $12,000 to $15,000 cost for it..but the car is so worht it, I will not mind.

Dan

Lamborghini Dallas quoted me $6500 on a brand new 6speed updated clutch installed. Why am I hearing quotes of $8-12K on the forum alot?

Dan,

I agreed with everything you said until you compared the Gallardo to the 430 at the track. I have a 430 and a Murci. The 430 kills it on the track - everytime. And its a Murci....



Gallardo is a beautiful car though, and I would love to add it to my collection.

Mark

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OK, when are you going to be ready to race :-)

I think the issue is getting use to pushing the AWD of the Gallardo to the limit. I don't think the top Gear guys have a clue about how to push an AWd car like a gallardo, and I am certain even a good racer would need more than a few hours to learn all the quirks that make the Gallardo as fast as it is.

Also to support this, when we were at the track, forgetting that I ran 1:42 laps at Moroso consistantly, and my Business partner could not get his F430 under 1:46..I had another source for this issue...

My good friend Terry Giles is the fastest SCCA pro driver in GT1 in the southeast ( by a huge margin). He drove the F430 for about 60 minutes, and my lambo for about 10 minutes ( tony wanted Terry to break a track record with the F430, which I belive he did at around 1:34 per lap, and I wanted all possible driving time in my car, not Terry driving my car :-) ....
Terry said that if he had the time, he could kill the F430 time with the Gallardo, that it was a much better balanced car...the F430 had a little more snot in the big straights ( it could hit around 160 to 165 to the Gallardo getting maybe 150 to 155, before the 30 mph switchback at Moroso) , but the Gallardo was faster through all the s turns, sweepers, and everything else.

Both the Ferrari and the Gallardo are awesome cars, but I can't help if if I just love driving my Gallardo :-)

Regards,
Dan

When I purchased mine, the deal breaker for me was the "timing chain" Vs. the "timing belt" of the Ferrari. This combined with "all wheel drive" and Audi's reputation for handling made the Gallardo a no brainer. I have owned sports cars all my life and no car I've owned gets the attention the Lambo gets. People take more pictures of my car than Britany Spears. Personally th R8 is virtually the same as the Gallardo, however to me it just looks like a newer model of the TT and majorly lacks the curb appeal. A raging bull never gets lost in the crowd.

Resale is hard to guage in this economic climate. If your looking for an investment, by antique gullwing. If your looking for a car, buy the one you love. Just expect about 5K-10k a year in maintenance ($6500 for dealer installed clutch, additional $1,500 if you need a thow out bearing, 7000 mile oil change $520, computer diagnostic $120 per visit). I made sure my 2004 had all of the dealer updates before I purchased it, so now its no different than any other year.