This is how I'm thinking..... I test drove a c63s cabriolet which again I could get and it's more money, but I'm thinking 2-3 years then change cars again. I'd loose+spend much more over the 3 years on the c63 than the Bentley, personally I don't think I'd actually loose much money on depreciation with a bentley, and if I'm lucky just routine costs, over the 2-3 year time it shouldn't cost much more than my sl or S class overall?
I did consider an Aston but I can't get away with the interiors. The V12 Aston and Bentley I judged to be the same running costs etc, tough choice between the two!
I went through the same process last year, we considered Aston Martins, Bentley's and a Ferrari FF, probably all around 18 months to 3 years old depending on model.
Even with the best man maths you were relying on a large slice of luck that nothing major went wrong that wasn't covered by aftermarket warranty which is why all the cars we looked at were still within manufacturers warranty. The downside is you will still take a big hit in depreciation.
We really liked the Bentley V8 but it just wasn't practical enough.
I loved the Ferrari FF but I just bottled out as there were too many unknows and it could potentially cost £100K over three years if the market sentiment changed.
The Astons looked beautiful but I couldn't get in and out of them without looking like an idiot and everyone I ever spoke to that had owned one simply said don't get one, it will go wrong, a lot.
Ultimately I couldn't stomach the overall costs of running (depreciation + fuel + non warranty replacement consumables + fuel) at what could be potentially £15K to £30K per annum, especially if you're borrowing money to buy it.
In the end we ordered a new Audi S6 Avant. That's all the running gear from a Bentley V8 Continental in an estate body. That will cost around £10K a year for the first three years then the cost curve flattens out, that's almost entirely depreciation, it comes with a 5 years factory warranty (extended two years on purchase) and is a genuine daily for us.
It's actually a bit disappointing in one respect as I'd always wanted something special, but when I finally arrived at a point I could genuinely afford one they just didn't seem as appealing.
Having done the man maths all these cars are effectively a 3rd car (bar the V8 Bentley - that genuinely is a daily driver) to be wrapped up and used a dozen times a year when it's nice. They can be used more but by doing so you're playing a form of roulette with your wallet.
