Image shared under Creative Commons Attribution license by jjustice8
In most cases, the better you take care of your car, the longer it will last. We say in most cases because most of us have been cursed blessed with the experience of owning an anomaly of a luxury car that brings the brand value down two-points below perfection – the one that somehow needs work every six weeks and a new part once a year.
We’ll lay out the reliability of five of our favorite performance models: The Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the Bentley Continental GT, the Ferrari 430 Scuderia, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 and both the Ferrari 355 and 360. We’ll highlight the best and worst of each model and if they are likely to last a lifetime.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Image shared under Creative Commons Attribution license by Zolle
The Aston Martin is famous for timeless style and compact performance. Unfortunately, it also has a reputation for niggles to be dealt with, from issues with the automatic manual gearbox, to the braking system and stiff suspension that will need regular maintenance.
Having said that, AMs tend to last forever with proper care. If your car is a V8 Vantage, try to open her up on smooth, open roads and long car trips. The daily grind can certainly take its toll on a Vantage and this is a car you want to keep pristine.
Bentley Continental GT
Image shared under Creative Commons Attribution license by M 93
The Bentley Continental is undoubtedly one of the top performing luxury cars of the past decade. The British craftsmanship and impeccable design make it a kitty to drive with a tiger in the engine. But of course, every car has its issues and the GT is, unfortunately, no exception.
The GT’s Continuous Dampening Control (CDC) provides almost unprecedented stability and agility, but also provides a lot of extra weight. This weight puts additional pressure on the shocks, resulting in common shock replacement and general air suspension issues. To help avoid hefty labor costs, check the suspension regularly and listen for leaks coming from the shock area. With a little extra attention, your Bentley will respond with reliability and a responsive driving experience that’s incomparable.
Ferrari 430 Scuderia
Image shared under Creative Commons Attribution license by Hatsukari715
The 430 Scuderia is simply stunning. For those who didn’t get enough speed and heart-pounding driving experience from the 430, Ferrari introduced us to the Scuderia. It’s what daydreams are made of. The 430 Scuderia is light, fast, and turns heads, quickly.
Just like the last, the 430 Scuderia is no exception to having problems. The first 430s came with a totally redesigned exhaust system and the first version of anything comes with some bugs. In this case, the overly complex and heavy system needs replacement struts and brackets often.
Additionally, the 430 runs on 19-inch wheels with 35-series tires standard, which means those sidewalls are bent easily when they hit a pothole or ridges in the pavement. Most of the time this can be fixed, but not always, which makes the standard tires a bit of a toothache.
Lamborghini Gallardo LP560
Image shared under Creative Commons Attribution license by JaayJay
Just because Lamborghini doesn’t produce the Gallardo anymore doesn’t mean there’s no reason to celebrate it. The Gallardo can’t help but roar down any street you let loose on and it has such power and engineering, it requires a true driver’s hand.
But maybe that’s the problem. This is a genuine sportscar, one made for top speed and full throttle. It has the reputation for understeering and a transmission you can’t let your girlfriend touch. However, when you’re in control and you know how to handle the beast, the Gallardo tames well and won’t let you down.
Ferrari 355 and 360
Image shared under Creative Commons Attribution license by Joao Paulo Ferreira Photography
The Ferrari 355 was a classic of its time, beauty and V8 beast intertwined, the 360 split opinion- it was more spacious, more powerful and more practical, but was weighty, had a bit of a booty and a questionable looking front end. The 355 was designed to be more of a weekend racer, the 360 an every day car, but when you have OE parts as bad as the release bearings on either, the more you drive it, the more problems you are going to incur.
The originals were catastrophically badly made with the seals coming loose, leaving the bearing to rattle around and release fluid. Owners have had to regularly change the flanges in their clutch as well seeing as they have also been known to fail. No one likes to see a leaky Ferrari sitting on a driveway instead of prancing around the countryside eating up the road in front of it, but if you have a 355 or 360, this may well be the case if you’re unlucky!
So there you have it – the most commonly found points of imperfection in our four favorite performance cars. Given the whole picture, we’d argue that these models are well worth the trouble, but when you enter a highly volatile affair like owning a prestige car, you might as well know what you’re getting into.
And when the time comes that you need parts for these beauties, Scuderia has your OE parts, delivered. Click here to find what you need.