For many enthusiasts, buying a car is one of the most expensive purchases they will ever make. It is almost inevitable that buying a new car will lose some of its value over time, but still it pays to find a model that holds its value relatively well. There are few rare models whose price will go up after an owner purchases them new. They are usually very exclusive and almost impossible to get for the average buyer.
But for those with the connections and the money, it’s possible to buy a shiny new performance machine that is a very smart investment too. Everyone else would do well to avoid the worst of the write-off criminals, and there are some particularly notorious models. They may be great to drive, but they’re just not worth the dent in your wallet they will make. Let’s take a look at five of the best and five worst investments for buying one Sports car in today’s market.
10 Losing value: Maserati GranTurismo
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Maserati’s Grand Tourer has been on sale largely unchanged since 2007 and it really looks that way now. It’s still an attractive design, but it looks very dated compared to most of its newer competitors.
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As a result, the used prices for these cars are falling just a few years after the car rolls off. According to reports, Maserati will be releasing a new generation of the car later in 2021, which will hopefully hold its value a little better.
9 Losing value: Rolls-Royce Wraith
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It is hardly a shocking discovery that Rolls-Royces are rapidly depreciating simply because they cost that much in the first place. In addition, their characteristics as luxury cars are becoming obsolete much faster than most performance-oriented sports cars.
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As the ultimate luxury sports tourer, the Wraith is a good choice, but it’s very pricey with used cars often advertised for $ 100,000 less than MSRP. Still, most buyers of these extravagant machines will be so rich that they probably won’t even notice the price.
8th Losing value: Mercedes-Benz SL Class
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Mercedes cars are a mixed bag when it comes to depreciation as they have some of the best and some of the worst models to hold value right now. One of the worst is the SL-Class, the brand’s two-seat drop-top range.
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Convertible performance cars generally don’t hold up as well as their hardtop counterparts, and the SL-Class is just convertible. Not only that, they are notorious for costing a lot of money to maintain as they get older.
7th Losing value: Lamborghini Huracan
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The Baby Lambo is one of the brand’s best-selling models, but this popularity speaks against it in the second-hand market. Usually Lamborghinis and other exotic cars hold their value by being rare, but the Huracan has sold so well that it is now actually a relatively common performance car.
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This means that when compared to a Diablo or a Murcielago, a Huracan is now a much worse investment for any buyer looking to get their money back selling the car. Anyone looking for a cheap Lambo should consider a Gallardo as prices seem to have bottomed out and are steadily rising for examples in better condition.
6th Loss value: Jaguar F-Type
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One of the main problems with the Jaguar F-Type is that it doesn’t have enough of a unique selling proposition over its competitors. It’s a good car for sure, but earlier models suffer from Jaguar’s famous reliability issues. Various quality issues have been reported, from improperly sealed windows to engine and suspension failures.
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These problems, and their limited appeal to most collectors, mean that the earliest examples of F-types can be picked up for a fraction of their MSRP, and newer models aren’t far behind. It may be a solid successor to the legendary E-Type, but the F-Type was hardly the brand saver Jaguar had hoped for.
5 Just go up: Porsche 911 GT2 RS
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The Porsche 911 Mania has hit an all-time high in recent years, and one of the hottest variants is the GT2 RS. Released in very limited numbers, almost as soon as the car was released, several examples went up for sale at higher than retail prices.
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It’s easy to see why so many enthusiasts want one: It’s the famous 911, but it has a more racing-oriented construction and a lower curb weight. It also reportedly works great, although many collectors will likely only keep their cars in air-conditioned garages in hopes of higher returns.
4th Just go up: Ferrari FXX-K EVO
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Those with huge bank accounts could opt for the FXX-K EVO, a racetrack-only Ferrari that’s as fast as it is expensive. It costs around $ 4 million, so it’s not available to anyone but the richest collectors.
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For those with the money, however, it is a limited edition piece of art from the automotive industry that, like many rare Ferraris, is guaranteed to be worth more in a few years. Given the price some classic dancing horses charge today, in a few years it will likely be worth several times its current MSRP.
3 Just go up: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
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The SLS AMG, named by Hagerty as one of the best sports car investments for 2020, just saw its price rise last year. It’s a rare car because AMG developed it completely in-house from the ground up.
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That means it’s not only incredibly fast, but it also has the world-famous AMG handling. There aren’t too many examples for sale left, so buyers looking for a hinged door SLS need to act quickly to get one before they’re gone.
2 Just go up: Dodge Viper Mk1
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Prices for the first-generation Viper, a modern-classic piece of American muscle, have stabilized in the four years since the model was discontinued. They may go down a little more in the short term, but they will undoubtedly start to go up within a few years as there is nothing like it on the market right now.
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With the world switching to electrical power, the Viper is one of the last thoroughbred American super muscle cars. With an 8.0 liter V10 engine, the Viper sounds as unique as it looks, and when it comes to classic cars, unique generally means that it’s expensive.
1 Just go up: Lexus LFA
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In many ways, the LFA was a very unexpected addition to the Lexus range as the brand is generally painfully sensible in its production decisions. The LFA is an incredibly powerful car that is just as at home on the Nürburgring as it is on a motorway.
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Even so, they weren’t that popular when they were first sold, and there is allegedly still at least one unregistered car somewhere in the US. Cars that are so under the radar when new are becoming collectors’ favorites across the board. For those with deep pockets, the LFA may be a great dark horse investment car.
About the author
Mark Cowley
(155 articles published)
Mark covers a wide variety of topics for HotCars, from the latest pickups to obscure Japanese sedans. Mark is an integral part of car shows in the UK and Europe. If there’s a strange model or an obscure manufacturer, they probably know. Having previously worked as a radio host, he knows a thing or two about top 10 lists and enjoys writing them as much as presenting them. He is a graduate of the University of Sheffield’s English Department and currently resides in Birmingham, UK.
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