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Hi all, having owned a gorgeous black Mk1 GS300 sport a while back i am now coming back round to owning another one. For all the positives i could take from the GS only one thing always disappointed me.... it's lack of power.. 0-60 in mid 8 seconds was just too slow...

Now being the wiser, i am tempted by the v300 vertex tt aristo.. i have read on here about the extra power (0-60 in mid 6 seconds and that is un-modded!!) but retaining the luxury and quality i have come to love on the GS300. Definitely more my cup of tea :-))) :D :D :D

I do have some questions, which i could not find answers to

1. How much more does insurance cost in comparison to GS300?

2. As all tt's are imports, do they come with v5 log books as UK cars or is there another type of log book? OR do the imports get a specific mention in the v5 log?

3. Are the tt's as solidly built and reliable as the GS300? I ask as I dont drive many miles per yr but when i do drive i want to enjoy every bit. I dont want to be spending hundreds/thousands of pounds each yr keeping the tt maintained when a GS300 cost very little. In the 15 mnths of owning my GS300 i only had to spend money on a Battery!! Now thats value for money :P :P

4. Does anyone know of a specialist or recommend a specialist near Ilford Essex who could look after my new lexus (tt or GS300)? As that would definitely give me peace of mind in case something did go wrong.

I appreciate i was lucky with my previous GS300 but i am trying to guage from this topic whether the extra maintenance costs of owning a tt, if any, far outweighs the smile the tt will put on my face.. remember, i only do about 5-7k per yr so annual maintenance is an important relevant factor.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

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you will not regret it...buying a V300 :D

Insurance largely depends on whats on the log book....mines a gs300 sport

if its described as a vertex twin turbo it would be a different story :whistling:

fuel consumption is 20mpg round town

reliability is Toyota like.............

i'd get it checked over by a specialist before parting woth my cash....worn turbos are the main problem.

on looking after it my workshop is in sunny Romford

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As Dave said the V300 is an excellent car.

My V5 was displayed as Aristo V300 vertex and the insurance was very high. Classed the same as any high end speed machine. Don't know about what the GS300 is like but I went from £715 for a S/C IS200 to £1250 for the Aristo so that's a fair increase in premium.

The Aristo was reliable, but if the turbos go you're looking at a pricey job - listening for a loud whine will give indication of this. Regarding maintanace I got recommended to get an oil change around every 6000 miles - similar to other Jap performance cars - but whether it is necessary I don't know.

The only other issue to be aware of is getting the car checked thoroughly if it hasn't been imported from new as you may only have paperwork from the point it landed on our shores and for all you know if could have been previously damaged or stolen.

Hope this helps, I'm sure others will be along shortly to add their piece.

Miles

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Thanks for the response. So basically, the v300 is as sound as the GS300 except for any turbo issues. Excellent. :D :D

And Pro-lex is in Romford, which is not far from me either. Even more awesome as Pro-lex is definitely someone who knows. Things are looking better already.

Pro-Lex -> i take it your 'workshop' means your garage, i.e. your business? So if i have any issues with my newly purchased Lexus you could look after it, including servicing etc?

Can you help in sourcing v300's too?

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Thanks for the response. So basically, the v300 is as sound as the GS300 except for any turbo issues. Excellent. :D :D

And Pro-lex is in Romford, which is not far from me either. Even more awesome as Pro-lex is definitely someone who knows. Things are looking better already.

Pro-Lex -> i take it your 'workshop' means your garage, i.e. your business? So if i have any issues with my newly purchased Lexus you could look after it, including servicing etc?

Can you help in sourcing v300's too?

workshop side is in Romford. Rest is in Abbey Wood.

You cant import V300's from japan until 2008....they need a esva and there has not (to my knowledge) been a required model report done yet.

best bet is fleabay,on here and autotrader

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Thanks for that. fleabay and autotrader are showing very contrasting prices for v300 tt's. I like the mk2 as they provide better interior options and colour combo's. What should i expect to pay for a 1998-1999 version?

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Thanks for that. fleabay and autotrader are showing very contrasting prices for v300 tt's. I like the mk2 as they provide better interior options and colour combo's. What should i expect to pay for a 1998-1999 version?

Depends on condition really, the blue one on autotrader for £7495 has been for sale mths, even sept last year, i thinks he wants to much, some members have got very good cars from £5500 - £6100 :winky: lot car for the dosh :D

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Thanks for that. fleabay and autotrader are showing very contrasting prices for v300 tt's. I like the mk2 as they provide better interior options and colour combo's. What should i expect to pay for a 1998-1999 version?

Depends on condition really, the blue one on autotrader for £7495 has been for sale mths, even sept last year, i thinks he wants to much, some members have got very good cars from £5500 - £6100 :winky: lot car for the dosh :D

The one on autotrader for £7495 is EXACTLY the one that threw me in terms of getting a guide on prices as there are not many around to get an average price. Thanks for the heads up on that one. :driving:

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I haven't heard of any horror stories on these forums or the Supra forums with regard to the TT engine. The block is stupdendously strong, hence so many people tuning the crap out of it up to 1000bhp.

All you have to do, like any car purchase, is make sure it hasn't been abused or neglected.

I use Westfield Motors in Rayleigh for my GS, and they have Lexi coming into them every day.

If the prospect of an import puts you off, go for a drive in a GS430. Rarer, but UK spec and lots of grunt from the awesome V8. A different driving experience to the Twin Turbo though.

Good luck!

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As Maneesh says, see if you can find a 430 to have a look at. I got one recently and it's a lovely drive... There are a few around in dealers so getting a proper look should be easy.

I can't see it being any more expensive to run than a 300, excepting a bit more fuel and marginally heavier wear on tyres. Servicing should be more or less the same, and it has great V8 shove at low revs. It's also a UK car so there is zero possibility of 'but it's an import' problems (though these are rare these days).

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I'd agree with Mike B on the GS430. Superb car, fantastic engine, and I'd bet it was more economical than a 300. My LS400 was a lot better on fuel than my GS300.

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Hi,

As whats been said above,also look out for worn upper and lower front wishbone bushes as there not cheap to replace.

As to the insurance try below there very good.Id be surprised if you find anyone cheaper than them.

http://www.keithmichaels.co.uk/index.php

Its wise that the insurance company is 100% in the know what car you have.

If you do have to claim then you wont them to pay out and it not be void because they thought the car wasnt Turbo charged ;)

Chips.

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Have to admit I liked the 430, pulled like a train but it was whisper quiet!

Think I'd still take the Aristo V300 above it everytime though, this thing pulls even harder and sounds mega!

Not sure how much difference there is in torque low down though between the V8 and the I6?

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Not sure how much difference there is in torque low down though between the V8 and the I6?

Suspect that the V8's torque curve starts a bit lower than the I6, simply because the V8 will be a bit of a lazy American style engine,and the I6 still has to wait for the first turbo to spool up.

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