9 fast car investments

Buy one of these today and Future You might just be very thankful.

1. ASTON MARTIN V12 VANTAGE S
The Vantage might be both long in the tooth (it debuted in 2005!) and not long for this world (a replacement is due in 2017) but the current range-topper is now the only V12-engined car you can buy with a manual gearbox. Get in quick.

2. ALFA ROMEO 4C
A supercar in both styling and construction, the 4C might have its flaws but it’s also a genuine junior exotic. However, due to slow sales it’s unlikely to have a successor, which means there will only ever be a tiny number available.

3. MASERATI STRADALE
Like the Aston, Maserati’s sexy Gran Turismo coupe has been around a while, but not only is the MC Stradale the pick of the bunch, it’ll be the last Maser to use the delicious 4.7-litre atmo V8, arguably the best-sounding engine on-sale today.

4. VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI 40TH
Any Golf GTI 40 Years will be a fine car to buy and own, however if you’re one of the lucky 100 to get your hands on one of the manual examples then you have a car that will be highly sought after in years to come. Fast, fun and rare.

5. BMW M4 GTS
Paying twice the price of a standard M4 might not seem much of an investment, however BMW Australia had to double its allocation of the limited-edition GTS model, which means there are plenty of punters keen on this track day special.

6. ROLLS ROYCE DROPHEAD
If you’re shelling out $1.075m (driveaway, no more to pay!) on a car maybe money isn’t your first concern, but Rolls has confirmed there will be no two-door versions of the all-new Phantom due in 2018. The ultimate land yacht is no more.

7. MERCEDES-AMG G63
It may drive with all the finesse of a heavily-laden wheelbarrow but the outrageous looks and noise of AMG’s G-Class mean it’s in high demand. Residuals are strong but we take no responsibility for the fuel bills...

8. RENAULT TROPHY R
Renault over-estimated demand for the hardcore Trophy R to the point that there may be one or two left in showrooms. We’ve heard of desperate dealers offering discounts of $15K or more, which is a steal for arguably the world’s best front-driver.

9. HSV MALOO R8 LSA
Maloos have always had strong residuals, but when local manufacturing winds up so does the V8 ute genre, which means prices are only going to strengthen further. It’s fair to say there will never be another car like the 400kW Maloo R8 LSA.