New Lexus RC F or used Aston Vantage N430?

Lexus has priced the new, updated RC F. The new, slightly less powerful because of those pesky emissions regulations RC F, at that.

Its 451bhp may be a tad down on before, but it’s still produced by a superb-sounding 5.0-litre nat-asp V8, the lack of turbochargers giving the RC F a bit of a selling point over an M4, C63 or RS5. If you prefer noise to torque, anyway.

The basic RC F kicks things off at £62,900 – class competitive, basically – but rises to a slightly breath-shortening £79,900 if you want the carbon-festooned, ceramically braked Track Edition.

Sure, the roof, bonnet and massive rear wing are carbon, the interior is wrapped in Alcantara and the whole thing should be all nice and lovely.

But it got us thinking. Surely there’s another carbon-festooned, Alcantara-wrapped all-noise-no-torque track special you could have for similar money on the used market? One with even more pedigree. Something like this Aston Martin Vantage N430, perhaps.

Now, Aston Martin has today revealed the new Vantage AMR. But it’s the new Vantage AMR. Which means a biturbo AMG engine that’ll have spit foaming at the edge of purists’ mouths. This N430 has a good old-fashioned nat-asp British V8, as well as a manual gearbox with a much easier to fathom six gears, as opposed to the AMR’s dizzying seven.

Its 430bhp 4.7-litre V8 is a little down on the RC F’s 5.0, making it 0.5sec slower to 62mph, at 4.8secs. But while the Lexus is painted Nebula Grey, the Aston is Skyfall Silver. Because Bond clichés. And if you’re worried buying a second-hand Aston requires the caddish daredevilry of 007 himself, then rest assured this 2017-vintage car has nearly a year of its original warranty left. And all for £78,995 from 911Sport, who appear to have forgotten they should probably stock Porsches.

So, a much-warrantied Lexus V8 track special with carbon for a whisker under 80 grand, or a less-warrantied Aston V8 track special with carbon for a whisker under 79 grand?