Jaguar XK, Porsche 911 or yet and Maserati 320 GT?
It’s May! This means that you receive your holiday pay, who knows, you may already have received a refund as a result of your IB2022 declaration and then you have also won a prize in the King’s Day lottery. In short: the money suddenly flows in! And because it’s spring, we’re going to put the flowers outside. We do that with three fat sports cars. Maximum budget: 25 grand. Because there must also be enough left over to keep them moving. More than enough …
At the top of many a list: the Porsche 911. We will of course include that. Such a stylish Maserati Coupé is also not to be sneezed at. And further? A BMW 6 Series? The SL from Mercedes-Benz? For USA enthusiasts, there is nothing better than a Chevrolet Corvette or a Ford Mustang. But we go for the … Jaguar XK!
Jaguar XK 4.2 Coupé – 2006 – 133,442 kilometers – 21,950 euros
We already wrote it: with the purchase alone you are not there financially yet. Then it starts! To keep costs under control, this Jaguar XK could be an option. The asking price – including Bovag warranty – is a bit below our budget and the mileage is not too bad. Less than 8,000 kilometers have been covered every year with this 4.2-liter and 300 hp strong V8, divided among three Dutch owners. peanuts! This generation XK is characterized by the use of aluminum instead of steel. That’s lighter, but the noble Brit still weighs just under 1,600 kilos. One of the reasons is the high degree of luxury. Leather, wood, navigation, electrically adjustable and heated seats, xenon lighting … Everything that was common 17 years ago has more or less been done. Even Isofix connections for child seats in the back! Do those seats still have any use, because it is too cramped there for adults. The XK is above all a 2+2, the luggage space of 330 liters that cannot be increased is also designed for that.
All in all, the interior exudes more luxury (except for a few Ford parts) than sportiness. Speaking of which, an automatic has always been the only option with the XK. But if necessary, it shifts very quickly (can also be operated manually with flippers behind the steering wheel) and the predatory cat shoots to luring distances, accompanied by heavenly music that the two chutes scatter. The performance is high, the chassis is advanced enough to handle all forces through the CATS system (Computer Active Technology Suspension), but this occasion does not always invite you to do so. The steering is too light for that. It makes the 75-SX-ND (youngtimer, so fiscally attractive for entrepreneurs) more GT than pure sports car. In short: this Jaguar can be controlled on all fronts – perhaps also financially.
Signaling
Brand Jaguar
Type XK 4.2 Coupe
Construction year June 2006
Mileage 133,442
Asking price €21,950
Where to buy? Auto Egberts BV, Leek
Technical data
Engine V8, 4,196 cc
max. assets 224 kW/300 hp at 6,000 rpm
max. couple 420 Nm at 4,100 rpm
Luggage room 330 l
max. trailer braked note
Avg. consumption 1 in 8.8
0-100km/h 6.2s
Top speed 250km/h
All data according to factory specifications
Porsche 911 Carrera – 1999 – 223,096 kilometers – 23,899 euros
The Porsche 911 has little depreciation. Nice for the owner, but less pleasant for those who want to become one. Because for 25 mille we only find 911s in our database from the previous millennium and with significantly higher mileages than the above XK. Moreover, a guarantee is not always given, while that is actually a must. This Porsche 911 is an exception, because it comes with a three-month warranty. That provides some certainty, because you never know how the six previous owners handled it.
The XP-TV-77 is from generation 996 – the first model with a water-cooled six-burner boxer instead of the air-cooled ones of its predecessors. That, plus the fried egg headlights and an interior that somewhat resembled that of the cheaper Boxster (it had three clocks, the 911 always has five), raised many an eyebrow from the start. That’s the relative affordability, because other generations of 911 – also older ones – are more expensive. Technical issues also contributed to this. Oil leaks and problems with pistons and/or the camshaft chain tensioner could cause serious engine trouble, often necessitating an overhaul that could easily cost 20 grand. So take a connoisseur on a raid if you are not one yourself! If you are confident, then the enjoyment can begin, because you put on a 911 like a coat: it immediately feels familiar, even when things are going very fast. And you are always accompanied by that full and dark brown grating boxer sound. Goosebumps! If it doesn’t have to be hard, know that the 911 offers sufficient comfort. In fact, it is so easy-going that you can let your grandmother go shopping with it, so to speak. That ultimately makes it more versatile than the XK. Definitely more sports car, but also less risk-free when it comes to purchasing.
Signaling
Brand Porsche
Type 911 Carrera
Construction year January 1999
Mileage 223,096
Asking price €23,899
Where to buy? Car company Jaap Dik, Assen
Technical data
Engine 6-cylinder boxer, 3,387 cc
max. assets 221 kW/300 hp at 6,800 rpm
max. couple 350 Nm at 4,600 rpm
Luggage room 130 l
max. trailer braked note
Avg. consumption 1 in 8.3
0-100km/h 6.0s
Top speed 275 km/h
All data according to factory specifications
Maserati Coupé Cambiocorsa – 2003 – 101,894 kilometers – 23,750 euros
With its boomerang-like taillights, the Maserati 3200GT hit like a bomb in 1998. What a beauty! Successor Coupé had to do without those special luminaires, but still: when one passes by, we always look back. Not only because of the beauty of the Giugiaro design, but also the exclusivity of the Italian brand is at least as important. Relative fear of high maintenance costs (not unfounded) meant that a Maserati was always less obvious than a 6-series, SL or 911. The result: hefty depreciation, so that a used Coupé is not even that expensive. Take the Maserati Coupé that we found but unfortunately has already been sold (fortunately we also have comparable 3200 GTs in our range): 4 years younger than the above 911, half the mileage and only had two owners. Not quite for the same price, because you have to pay an extra 695 euros for a three-month warranty. Doing! But even then: a fabulous V8 (with ditto thirst) and a beautiful, stylish interior as only the Italians can design.
The beige color scheme fits beautifully with the blue metallic paint, but can become a bit dingy over time, in our experience. Although the Coupé offers the highest performance of the three, it is not a hardcore sports car either. In fact, it offers the most living space in the back and the luggage space is not even disappointing (although almost 100 liters more can be stowed in the XK). That makes this ravishing Coupé a top-shelf gadget. Exotic Italians have once been labeled as unreliable, but the main thing is that you first warm up the engine slowly. When the oil is up to temperature (always takes longer than the cooling water), then you can let loose. By the way, the 996-911 is not flawless either, so who dares to grab this trident? We did, but unfortunately we didn’t win a prize with the King’s Day lottery …
Signaling
Brand Maserati
Type Coupe Cambiocorsa
Construction year February 2003
Mileage 101,894
Asking price €23,750
Where to buy? Jan van Mourik, Geldermalsen
Technical data
Engine V8, 4,244 cc
max. assets 287 kW/390 hp at 7,000 rpm
max. couple 451 Nm at 4,500 rpm
Luggage room 220 l
max. trailer braked note
Avg. consumption 1 in 5.4
0-100km/h 4.9s
Top speed 285 km/h
All data according to factory specifications
Which sports car is right for you?
In summary: the Porsche 911 needs no further introduction, because it is an icon. You do have to make concessions on the year of manufacture and mileage, while the 996 has its pain points. The XK is the youngest, but more GT than pure sports car. The Maserati Coupé is, and also beautiful and exclusive. Its operating costs will also be ‘of an exclusive nature’. Or do you prefer a BMW 6 series, the SL from Mercedes-Benz or perhaps a tough American (Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang) for 25 grand? Let us know!
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl