A lot of good points have been made here. The correct income level to buy an exotic is relative based on individual lifestyle and your priorities. Usually, the more money someone makes, the more money it takes to uphold their lifestyle. (ie..bigger house=more taxes, more cars=more insurance & maintenence). If you can find a balance between lifestyle and income, it becomes much easier to afford expensive things now and then. I like to think of wealth on a 1-5 scale. 1 is poverty and 5 is "stupid money". Most people are between 2 and 3 and really can't affrd $150K cars. Level 4 you can buy an exotic, but still think twice about it. Level 5 you can pretty much do whatever the hell you want and not put a dent in your wealth.

We've got quite a few level 4 people on this board and maybe even some level 5's lurking around.

 

I am actaully looking for something cheap at the moment to get me through the calendar year of 07. I recently bought a new house and am digging out a bit from a home equity loan, along with a decent amount of debt from all the furnishings ive been buying (had to have a few plasma's haha)

Once i get through this point (hopefully by end of 07) i am looking to get one of the following:

New GTR
New M3
02+ NSX
CPO RS4
05+ 6 series

Those are a few of my fav's at the moment - but who knows what a year will bring you know? Id say ill prally set my ceiling on price at around 65k...so getting the NSX or 645 or preowned RS4 would allow for some extra modding money!

 

Interesting topic.

I think about this quite a lot, as i am sure most car enthusiasts do.

I own a 1mil condo in London and am renting it out. I am profiting not only in the increasing value of the condo (i have doubled my large dp on it already), yet am making money every month after the current tenant pays the mortgage (not that they know that)!

I have a decent paying job out here, spend very little, am saving a great deal when compared to my yearly earnings (think 80%). I should and might save up for another condo, but i am thinking i might just enjoy myself and buy a 100k car next year. It would take me roughly 3 years to save up for a large dp for a condo with a value of 1mil out here but i am starting to think, why not just let it take 5 years and enjoy the next 3 with a car that makes me extremely happy.

On the total flip side, my partner and i are looking to buy an apt complex in 9 months and if that happens i aint buying **** for a couple years!

Josh!

 

Hey Josh, would you mind helping me out or giving me a few tip's on property and condo's, as im looking into buying one myself

Martin

 

Sure mate, send me an email with a few q's and i'll try to get back to you, or maybe if you have aim we can talk over that - probably easier to be honest. PM me and i'll give you my s/n.

I am not a guru, but i'll do my best to help

Josh

 

PM sent, thanks!

 

If you are single with not a lot of writeoff, your net take home is only 10K a month on a 200K annual income.

A 60 month note is roughly 3200 a month on a 150K car with taxes. Factoring insurance, gas, you will spend close to 3600 a month on the Lambo.

10000 - 3600 = 6400

A 700K home with 20% down will get you a monthly payment of 3540.

Factoring in insurance, property taxes, utility, and what have you, it is now about 4200 a month

6400 - 4200 = 2200

2200 is kind of tight for disposable income.

But maybe the lambo has good lease numbers...

 

I wear Vans and J Crew in my GT2.

 

very interesting subject...

 

Guys,
Woodside credit finances exotics like Lambos' & Ferraris for 144 months. With 20% down, you could drive a $160k car for about $1300 a month. That puts a completely different spin on this. Some people do not want to tie all of their $ up in a car payment when they could be using the difference (in this case $1000) for something else.

 

My largest single monthly personal expense is my car payment, but thats all relative, Im single and inherited a condo so I have no rent or mortgage.

J.Wade