I drove an R8 manual back to back with an F430 F1, and I preferred the way the Audi drove , as well as it having a far nicer interior than the Ferrari.

Unless you have bottomless pockets, I wouldn't even consider a Lambo at this price level, as the repair / servicing bills can add up to the cost of the car .

I found the GTR to be souless and too easy to drive and considering I wanted to use it on track, the consumables would make even Cosworth tax seem insignificant.

I wanted a 997 GT2, but realised I'd have to sell the Escort for that and in the end decided that having all that amount of money tied up in a car would make me scared to use it properly in the environment it was intended for. I then looked at GT3s, but the model I wanted was still too expensive and would have required a huge financial investment - where the prices were still coming down, so not a financially wise move.

In the end I decided to keep the Escort and buy an APPRECIATING classic, so bought a CSL LOL. It does everything I want, can do track work with ease and feels "special" to get in and use .

However, that was MY thought process - you may want something different from the car of your choice. I like to push my cars to the limit, so they have to take this kind of abuse all day .