Life with a sports car

[GenXer]

Briefly for a year, before it was wrecked, I went and bought a new C7 Corvette Z51 Stingray. It wasn't the most expensive Corvette you can buy but it was up there just around $70K

It was the most enjoyable and most horrifying experience in anything I've owned.

In that year, it had to be hand wash since it didn't actually fit most car washes, even touchless one. I always worried about dings and scratches, bird drops and tree sap, etc.

It goes like a bat out of hell but I would get anxious from the Fast and Furious crowd trying to out race me at every turn.

I ruined a set of tires at 500 miles showing off by burning rubbers for no good reason.

I was afraid to take it to work and always parked far away.

In winter time, it sits in the garage, covered up wasting payment and insurance.

It was near impossible to drive fast without getting legal attention.

Anyone else experienced sports car angst and never got to really enjoy their ride?

[LOW4LYF]

Sounds like my M4...3700 miles in 3 years...lol
But as today it gonna be finally my dd!

[Flacht3]

In the end they’re just objects. Can’t take them with you so enjoy them while they last.

That’s why it drives me nuts when people obsess about depreciation, wear and tear etc. Just drive it and smile. Otherwise what’s the point?

If it’s a financial concern then that’s a different conversation.

[Humdizzle]

It is more of a worry. But you can drive it often. I drive my ferrari in winter as long as the streets are clean. I dont drive a nice car to work. Mainly because I don't want to be pulled over in the small town I work in for no front plates and tint.

You do burnouts and blow through tires every 500 miles ... Yet don't want attention ? Ok.

There are plenty of secluded roads where you can drive fast. Just have to find them. Or floor it on a section of road where no cops are hiding.

Why were you worried. You bought a new Corvette with a warranty. Its an LS based car.

[Lucky1]

Originally Posted by Flacht3

In the end they're just objects. Can't take them with you so enjoy them while they last.

That's why it drives me nuts when people obsess about depreciation, wear and tear etc. Just drive it and smile. Otherwise what's the point?

If it's a financial concern then that's a different conversation.

You want to hear naysaying I get when I tell people I plan to daily drive my Carrera 4S to work including in the winter. They act like its sacrilege or desecration of some kind. First week I had it I tried not bringing it to work and taking my 128i instead. Lasted one day before I said "F*ck this!".

Life is too short and most people can only dream of owning and driving these cars. I don't agree they're just objects; they are a joy delivery system one smile per gallon at the time. Everything can be fixed with enough time, effort and know how. And the more cars you get the less mileage and wear and tear on each individual one. If you truly love cars work hard, make more money, invest it and then use it wisely to enjoy these things. I don't know about you guys but I didn't bust my a** at work for years and continue to bust my a** daily to not fully enjoy the fruits of my labour.

[baege]

I can sort of relate to what you are saying...sometimes a car with less compromise actually makes you happier overall..

in my case I've switched from a 2016 Cayman S with the x73 sports suspension and manual transmission to a 2018 m240i xdrive

there is no question that I had some amazing driving moments with that cayman and achieved highs I will never experience with the m240i...but overall which car has actually brought more positive into my life?

the m240i is easier to see out of and park
I can drive in any weather without white knuckles
I don't have to worry about ground clearance
I don't worry about it being parked (still wouldn't park it in a bad hood)
traffic is easier to deal with with the zf8

as my only car, I think the ease and convenience of the m240i (while still being fun to drive) make it the better choice for me...

now when I have the luxury of having 2 cars...then I will have something special again to get those highs back

[wdb]

Originally Posted by GenXer

In that year, it had to be hand wash since it didn't actually fit most car washes, even touchless one. I always worried about dings and scratches, bird drops and tree sap, etc.

Bird droppings yes, the rest not so much; I like them to look clean but I'm not OCD about it.

It goes like a bat out of hell but I would get anxious from the Fast and Furious crowd trying to out race me at every turn.

I only ever had one incident like that in the Z cars. The STi was another story. I just wave and smile.

I ruined a set of tires at 500 miles showing off by burning rubbers for no good reason.

Not my style so, no.

I was afraid to take it to work and always parked far away.

Guilty, sorta. I enjoy the drive to work then obsess about where to park when I get there. I've also had it happen where the car is parked way out in the boondocks of the lot and I come out to find some jokester in a ratty Kia parked beside me. That was just mean.

In winter time, it sits in the garage, covered up wasting payment and insurance.

Downgrade the insurance in winter and save yourself some money.

It was near impossible to drive fast without getting legal attention.

I'm rural enough to be able to enjoy a performance car in the right situation, and I don't get 'enthusiastic' in other situations. Could be an age thing. But it is true that modern performance cars are impossible to drive at their full potential on public roads, lest one wants to risk serious jail time.

[bvrider1]

Cup is half empty kinda guy aren't we?

[RM7]

Originally Posted by GenXer

Briefly for a year, before it was wrecked, I went and bought a new C7 Corvette Z51 Stingray. It wasn't the most expensive Corvette you can buy but it was up there just around $70K

It was the most enjoyable and most horrifying experience in anything I've owned.

In that year, it had to be hand wash since it didn't actually fit most car washes, even touchless one. I always worried about dings and scratches, bird drops and tree sap, etc.

It goes like a bat out of hell but I would get anxious from the Fast and Furious crowd trying to out race me at every turn.

I ruined a set of tires at 500 miles showing off by burning rubbers for no good reason.

I was afraid to take it to work and always parked far away.

In winter time, it sits in the garage, covered up wasting payment and insurance.

It was near impossible to drive fast without getting legal attention.

Anyone else experienced sports car angst and never got to really enjoy their ride?

You are definitely not a candidate for a sports car/sporty car.

[Darth One]

Yeps, dat sports car life just doesn't seem like it's for you. Nothing wrong with that and it's good you figured it out without too much pain.

But for goodness' sake man...stop using drive thru car washes

[Defiant2]

I know it's a GT and not a sports car, but I dailey drove the i8 for two years and 20k+miles... loved it and would have kept it after lease... but the kids heads were starting to scrape the roof! Miss it much.

[yco]

in the end its a car and Corvette is not an exotic car.. only thing i d be worried about if i have exotic d be the place i park for not getting nudges.. car shouldnt take over yourself as the way you live your life.. just take it out and drive it..

[Our03z4]

I drive both of mine anywhere, places you all would think I'm crazy for going. It's only cars, I bought them to enjoy to the fullest. Wife wants to go up a rough gravel road with bad dips for some grapes, absolutely. Experiences are what matter and our cars get us there.

[DanG]

I daily drive my M2. It is just a car. If it gets scratched or dented, it can be fixed. So no big deal. I bought the M2 to enjoy it.

[natahoa]

So I got my car yesterday. Tonight we had family over to pick crabs, and i took two of them out for a spin. I live in a rural area, so can drive lots of back roads. Every chance I get on a visible straightaway I put the hammer down.

So so fun

Scares people to death.
My brother-in-law was screaming STOP STOP!
We didn’t even hit 80.

My husband has only been in the car once, and he was driving. We are taking a short road trip tomorrow, and I believe I’ll do the driving. I have to find some back roads.

He is in for a treat.

[Rmtt]

Originally Posted by yco

in the end its a car and Corvette is not an exotic car.. only thing i d be worried about if i have exotic d be the place i park for not getting nudges.. car shouldnt take over yourself as the way you live your life.. just take it out and drive it..

Exactly!

I would daily drive pretty much any car I buy unless it was one I bought as an investment.

I will probably move up to a C7 GrandSport when the C8 comes out. I've had tons of Corvettes, they aren't anything special and I've daily driven them all to an extent.

But cars are made to be driven. They can be repaired if something is wrong. I'm OCD about a clean car as well, but driving them gives me the excuse to be out in the garage more tinkering with them!

[N54Yankee]

Bought my C6 Z51 new and still it’s taken care of very well but it’s not babied and fawned over. I keep it garaged, cleaned and waxed and mechanically in tip top shape, door dings are avoided at most costs which annoys the wife at times but that’s ok, she gets over it but the car has high performance work done and it’s not babied at all, the car gets driven as a sports car should be, hard.

I don’t drive it in snow or winter conditions with salt and sand on the roads, not often has it been caught in downpours but that’s ok, we have other vehicles for those times and the 135 is a very fine DD for me. I just like to take car of my stuff and gives me pleasure when people say that the Vette looks brand new.

So no, I don’t agree with you, I enjoy mine thinking about what I’m going to tinker with, what maint needs to taken care of, what work to improve handling and perf, where I’m going to drive to next weekend and I enjoy it even more when I hit the start button and that LS Mechanical V8 symphony roars to life.
I enjoy it all.

[Lucky1]

I have a friend who has done reasonably well in life but is the most frugal guy I have ever met. If he was given FREE courtside tickets to the NBA finals he'd still park his car 10km from the stadium in a rough neighbourhood just to avoid splitting a $10 parking ticket with a full car of passengers just out of principal (never mind the gas to the neighbourhood costs as much as the parking and pollutes the planet at the same time).

He grew up in a post-war country and I can only assume his experience of running from it has shaped his views of money and the security it provides.

He looks at my cars (911 4S, Z4M) as noisy, gas guzzling, maintenance heavy wallet drainers. He and his wife think a convertible is noisy and with the top down you get exposed to too much sun and wind in your face, where's the fun in that why would ANYONE pay extra for this experience?

He's unable to derive any gratification from spending money and hoards all things in life because you never know when you'll need them.

We all have our ideas of fun. Eventually cars will be electric automated transportation cells and gone will be the road trip and the wind and sun in our hair.

Different strokes for different folks for sure. I wish everyone could find a way to enjoy the same experiences unilaterally with these beautiful machines but it just isn't meant to be. We're not all wired that way.

[allinon72]

Everyone enjoys cars differently. Some daily drive them hard, some let them sit in the garage, there is no right or wrong way. For me, I drive my F80 on the weekends, and it's a lot more enjoyable because I don't get used to the car via daily driving, so I never really get numb to the awesomeness. But that's just me - I can certainly see the appeal of daily driving.

[zx10guy]

I had a friend who bought a new (when the model was current) Lotus Esprit S4. He lived in an apartment complex and would just park it out there with the rest of the "peasant" cars. It was his only car so he daily drove that thing every where. I got to admire him for that.

[Efthreeoh]

In 2014, I was close to buying a C7 with the Z51 package. But I drive 175 miles a day round trip to work, so I couldn't see driving the C7 much with the fuel cost as a back up car to my E90. I then decided to buy something used, which is rare for me since it's akin to wearing someone else's underwear.

Still wanted a 2-seat sports coupe. I first looked at the '08 Cayman, but it was too cramped for me. On my way back from the Porsche dealer, I remembered BMW released the E86 Z4 Coupe with the N52, same engine as in my E90. I figured since my home shop is already set up for BMWs, I decided to find a Z4 3.0si Coupe. I bought a low-mileage example in December 2014; it's never leaving the fleet.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by wdb

I'm rural enough to be able to enjoy a performance car in the right situation, and I don't get 'enthusiastic' in other situations. Could be an age thing. But it is true that modern performance cars are impossible to drive at their full potential on public roads, lest one wants to risk serious jail time.

Me too. I live rural too with great, I mean really great roads just at the end of my driveway. Police presence is very low in my county, although recently they've found me a few times; however the deer and black bear population is quite robust (go ahead and try to see a black bear at night...). I regularly park my BMWs wet and steaming of burning odors that makes me re-think my sanity. The wildlife keep my speeds in check, but I have found that any car above 250 HP and a good suspension is more than enough for killing yourself should a moment of driving error arise.