Currently reading: Buy them before we do: second-hand picks for 1 November

Sleek, beautiful and as spry as its name suggests, the Aston Martin Rapide S has aged like wine

We’re looking at S-spec cars this week and our trawl begins with theAston Martin Rapide S. The four-door, four-seat, V12-powered sports car was a hard sell new but it looks good value today.

For example, we found a 2013-reg S Touchtronic with sought-after carbonfibre exterior pack and 23,000 miles for £56,497 – a big number, true, but usefully smaller than the car’s new price, before discount, of £151,000. What’s more, it’s an approved used car with a 12-month warranty so is pukka and protected.

Being a 2013-reg, our find is an early second-generation version with the more powerful 550bhp 5.9 V12 – an increase of 80bhp on the first-generation car. In recognition of its substantially improved performance, it gained that S in its name. It kept the six-speed Touchtronic II automatic transmission, though – the eight-speed Touchtronic III ’box not arriving until 2015.

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The Rapide’s trick is to look like a two-door, at least if you’re not paying attention. The rear chairs aren’t the easiest to access but, once there, you won’t want to leave. They fold down, too, but so arranged there’s space for only a couple of largish bags.

Because this is a Timeless car (Aston’s name for its used programme), we wouldn’t expect to find any problems with our example. Still, we’d make sure the dealer has honoured the scheme’s pledge to carry out any servicing required within three months or 3000 miles.

The Rapide’s engine and gearbox are reliable. Instead, we’d be more interested in the condition of our car’s brakes. We’d check, too, that it’s rolling on genuine Bridgestone Potenza Aston Martin-rated tyres.

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Mini Cooper S, £1490: This 2003-reg R53-generation Cooper S looks the business. It also has full service history but has done 110,000 miles so we’d be dipping the oil every other day. Cracked engine mounts, water leaks, an iffy thermostat and a noisy supercharger are other R53 issues. Still interested?

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Jaguar F-Type 3.0 S Convertible, £26,750: F-Type prices are looking easier on the eye. Our find is a 2013/13-reg with 45,000 miles, full service history and one previous keeper. Now autumn’s here, that price may fall lower still. Being an S, its 3.0 V6 puts out 375bhp.

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Porsche Cayman S, £23,590: A regular 2.9 second-generation Cayman is a better buy than a first-gen 3.4 S, but we’ve gone the whole hog with a 2010 second-gen S. It’s done 56,000 miles. Many Caymans are money pits in waiting so we’d get it professionally inspected.

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Ford Fiesta 1.0 Zetec Red Edition, £5995: If an ST is out of reach, try this, the 138bhp Zetec S Red Edition (there’s a Black Edition, too) of 2014. Like the regular Zetec S, it sits 10mm lower on stiffer springs and has meatier steering. It’s fun and economical but what a pity it has only five speeds.

Auction watch

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Bentley Continental GT: Continental GTs have looked like good value for some time, with prices starting at around £15,000. However, the hammer fell on this 2004-reg example with 81,000 miles at just £11,000. There had to be a catch, surely?

Make that catches. The bodywork required a touch-up but, more worrying, two management lights indicated airbag and suspension problems. Those two could add up to a tidy sum, except that sometimes fortune favours the bold. Perhaps the airbag and suspension lights were a glitch and, right now, the new owner is cradling a fresh 12-month MOT for their dirt-cheap GT.

Future classic

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Nissan GT-R Track Edition, £59,995: GT-Rs have never attracted the interest of the concours d’élégance set, who keep the prices of Astons, Ferraris and the like bubbling, so the chances of this Track Edition version of 2016 finding its way into one of their lavishly illustrated catalogues are slim. Still, there are enough enthusiasts around ready to appreciate its specially developed and race-tuned Bilstein Damptronic suspension set-up, supplementary bonded bodywork to increase stiffness and lightweight 20in Rays forged aluminium alloy wheels. Our example is a 2016/16-reg with 32,000 miles. One for some squillionaire’s collection when EVs rule.

Clash of the classifieds

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Brief: I'm done with hot hatches, so find me an AMG muscle car for £10,000.

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Mercedes-Benz CLS 55 AMG, £9950

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Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG, £10,950

Mark Pearson: I admit this beautiful 2006 SLK 55 AMG is a fraction over John’s specified budget but they are open to offers, so it’d be within our remit, I’m sure. What you’ll get is an immaculate, open-top two-seater of exquisite charm and phenomenal performance for buttons. Think V8 brawn and 0-60mph in 4.6sec, and all the wind-in-the-hair fun you could want. Handles beautifully, too. What’s yours, Max? Is it a giant slug?

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Max Adams: Wow. You do know that HR offers vouchers for eye tests, don’t you? Anyone who describes the gorgeous first-generation CLS as a slug must be in need of glasses. Also, if you look at the figures, my 2005 car has 469bhp to your one’s inconsequential 360bhp, and is faster to 62mph. No contest.

MP: I believe one J Clarkson once described my choice as ‘practically perfect’, and who’s to argue with him, especially if a hot dinner’s involved?

MA: I will, because the SLK isn’t the best AMG car they’ve ever made, let alone the best AMG car on this page.

MP: Mine is lithe. An agile blast. A mini hot rod. An ambler gambler.

MA: Nonsense. The suspension and brakes were uprated on the CLS so it could out-handle the E55, and even challenge the BMW M5 of the time. Autocar’s road testers said so, and I’ll side with their opinion every time.

Verdict: A one-owner SLK 55 for £10k? Yes, please.

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Bimfan 25 November 2019

A lot of metal for your money, but

of all the cars listed, probably only the Fiesta and possibly the Mini will not seriously deplete your finances over three years and 15000 miles of luxurious, fast but licence risking and worry filled 'fun'. 

The true joy of motoring.

Takeitslowly 3 November 2019

xxxx...where are you...?

Must be on holiday...bunking up in the neighbours garden shed.