Unfortunately I cant help feeling that it's had other repercussions, too. I was quoted £90k yesterday, for a factory built STR. I do love the shape of the Stratos, but 90K puts it firmly in competition with a Brand New Porsche Cayman/Boxster 4.0L GTS, or numerous second owner convertible Lamborghinis and Ferraris and their associated development, heritage, parts and servicing networks.
The only correlation with the pricing of the eBay car and an LB is that the eBay seller contacted LB anonymously 4 months ago as a potential buyer to ask what the cost of a factory built car was, he then bumped his eBay listing price from £69,995 to £109,995.Originally Posted by Willtord
There are no repercussions whatsoever to the cost of a turn key LB in light of the (fluctuating) advertised price eBay car.
The pricing for a turn key LB is quite simply based on the component cost, a build labour cost and then a profit margin which then makes it viable to keep a business with overheads going in this day and age.
If you compare the spec of a factory LB with car being offered on eBay currently then you would realise there is actually a significant difference in component/engine spec and therefore the component cost alone of the two cars is vastly different.
I fully agree that you can buy a lot of sports car for comparable money but that really is to miss the point. As one of the forum's old guard used to say "people buy a Stratos because they want something which looks like a Stratos".
You cannot buy that look in any other car and it therefore becomes what it is & the decision is one to be made by the customer at their own discretion.
Last edited by Strat Fan; 12-06-2021 at 18:14.
"You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead"
Stan Laurel
Correct, if you want a Stratos then really only a Stratos will scratch that itch, nothing else is the 'same', similar yes in engine placement etc but not a Stratos, drove my mates McLaren 570 the other year then Gordon took me out in his LB... the McLaren was dull in every way by comparison.
Although my Hawk is not yet IVA'd , when I finish 'testing' it I simply don't want to get out or turn it off! Some OEM's can struggle to (pardon the pun) replicate this.
As much as I like Stratos replicas, once they've got to the stage of being valued £10k above Ferrari 308s, I'm always going to choose a 308.
There is a limit.
As Craig said - it's a matter of personal choice. The fact that LB has a long waiting list speaks volumes. Now that I'm starting to "test" my car I'm beginning to get a feel for what makes these cars so special - apart from the heritage and aesthetics (as if that wasn't enough !)
Looking at eBay the listing for the Hawk has currently ended and the item is no longer available.
"You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead"
Stan Laurel
A problem when comparing the purchase price of these other exotica with a Stratos rep is it ignores the inbuilt costs associated with owning them. Buying them is the cheap bit. I follow the McLaren Forums quite closely but have yet to find too many folk running one without the £3500 annual warranty and that's before servicing and insurance costs. Some of the better ones available at the moment still cost over £100k but have depreciated by the cost of a turnkey LB STR over the past couple of years and haven't reached the bottom. It makes the idea of owning a nice, appreciating, desirable, cheap to run kit car quite pleasant.
My personal experience of over 20 years of Ferrari ownership is the need to budget for an average of £2500 for servicing per year. My best mate bought a lovely, mint condition, 328 GTS about 3 years ago for less than a turnkey STR. For the past 8 months it has been with a specialist having unexpected engine work done at a cost that would buy you a new Honda Civic Type R.
I owned a 308 and did all the servicing myself.
I stripped down all four webers and rebuilt them. I also fitted new cam belts and tensioner bearings.
You can't run one on a budget, but it needn't cost a fortune.
Regarding current Stratos replica values:
They are now way out of my league, and for a long time, that didn't use to be the case.
If I hadn't been able to create possible ownership by stealth, I'd have gone from here some time ago.
I agree Chris, it is a shame values 'matter'... because really they don't.
I think that is exactly the point,
It is at the buyers discretion as to what amount of money they wish to spend on the car of their choosing.
Everyone will have a limit as to what they would want to spend to own such a car and that is their choice.
If a buyer does not think a car is worth what it is advertised/for sale at then quite simply they don't buy it.
Last edited by Strat Fan; 12-06-2021 at 11:08.
"You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead"
Stan Laurel
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