Aristopheles

Not put an offer in on the car chips, as it's not exactly what I'm looking for. I just wanted to drive an Aristo to get a feel for it, especially the power, but I'm being very specific about what I want when it comes to getting the car. What I want is a '94 or newer car with no more than 80k miles. It's got to be either silver or grey - green and dark blue are alright, but don't really do it for me. It's got to have leather, preferrably a passenger airbag and it has to have an LSD. There are quite a few Mk1 V300s around which come close to what I want, but are the wrong colour or way overpriced - there was one not long ago which was almost perfect apart from it being in Pearl, which, no offence to any Pearl owners, I just couldn't live with. Right now, I'm not in a massive rush as I've still got the Supra, so I don't want to go buying anything until that's sold, and that won't be until June. I might well get a car imported, as I could get the spec I want and come in on budget, so there's always that option. At the end of the day, I'm willing to wait to get the right car - I waited for the right Supra - for a whole year!

Thing is, even though my Supra is from 1993, some of the switchgear feels nicer than it does in the Aristo. Will be nice to see the leather interior properly, but I have no issues with the seats/door cards etc. For the money though, it's a lot of car, especially when you think that the BMW E34 5 Series was being produced back when this came out, and the BM looks a lot more dated compared to the Aristo.

It was a Mk1 - they are great value for money, no doubt about it. Don't reckon I'd be upgrading the stereo anytime soon - plenty powerful enough for now I reckon! Very happy about the ashtray - I like all my gauges in the Supra, but don't want to clutter up the interior of the Aristo, so hiding hings away is perfect. I drove a cloth equipped car, but wouldn't be having any of that on my car - leather all the way. Didn't sit in a leather equipped car as the guy from the garage forgot the keys to the Aristos that they keep in their car lot, which is 10 minutes down the road from the offices. Had a look in through the window, and it looks much like the pictures. I was a bit disappointed with a few things on the inside - ventilation controls feel a bit plasticky, dials look cheap (though I like the always on lighting) and the LEDs down by the gear selector just seemed a bit homemade. On the whole though (feel like I have to defend myself here!) I liked it a lot - it's exactly what I want, in that it's something different, but a good car as well.

...and I liked it. I liked it a lot :D Wasn't impressed by the interior, which looked and felt pretty cheap, but was very pleasantly surprised by the car on the whole. Boot is nice and deep, if a little short, but looks pretty spacious. Very impressed with interior space - looked cramped in the pictures, but plenty of rear leg room, and lots of space up front. Car drove very nicely and handled well for a big, heavy saloon. The thing I was most concerned about was the performance, as I'm coming from a 400bhp car which weighs less, so I was curious how this would feel with the standard engine, an autobox and a 150kg weight penalty. It certainly didn't feel slow - quick off the mark and with a strong midrange and it picks up nicely when you kickdown, which has put my mind at ease. Of course, plenty of room for improvement performance-wise - I reckon that the ashtray will be perfect for fitting a boost gauge once I go BPU B) And I was very impressed by the sound system: 7 speakers + sub =

Now that I'm here, I thought I'd try and get the answers to a couple of quick questions I have. First up, does the MK1 Aristo have an intercooler? Logic suggests it should have, especially as it is the same engine as the Supra, which has its little side-mounted jobbie, but I've not seen an IC mentioned anywhere in the tech specs and V300 articles I've been reading. Secondly, does anyone have a picture of the underside of their Aristo? I'm just curious as to how the exhausts are laid out, cat positioning etc... Thank you guys - hope someone can help me out!

I love my Soop, but I don't drive it and the insurance is a fortune, so I've got a fair amount of money sitting out on the street, and I'm paying more to keep it there. Makes more sense to have most of that money sitting in my account, and having something cheaper sitting on the street. If I was being sensible, I wouldn't get an Aristo, but I've never been one for sensible! Mods wise, seeing as it's so easy to get lots more power out of the 2JZ-GTE engine, I'm surprised that everyone with a MK1 Aristo hasn't done it! Maybe it's a more mature type of owner?! I'm actually going to have a look at some V300s on Saturday - will let you know my findings!

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone, I'm sure I'll enjoy the Aristo! In terms of mods, I reckon I'll be going down the traditional BPU route for the 2JZ-GTE engine, sorting out the suspension and then putting some nice wheels on it. Should look tasty when I'm done, and be a nice sleeper.

Just thought I'd say hello as a new member. My greeting isn't reluctant due to my dislike of Aristos - far from it - it's just that I currently have a MKIV TT Supra which I will be selling in a couple of months due to a number of reasons. I don't want to let it go, but I feel the Aristo is the Supra reincarnated with four doors and a little more room, and it seems like the 'sensible' choice. I will be able to afford a MKII Aristo but due to not wanting to spunk all my money away, I'll be going for a MKI car. Kind of looking forward to getting one - already planning the mods... Anyway - hello!