A 285K mile Lambo and exotic car musings.

This article on Autocar got me day dreaming about throwing caution to the wind, buying something silly and using it as a 3.5 season daily driver.

Any thoughts on what crazy car you'd like to do that with?

There was a restaurant owner close to me who daily drove a Ferrari Super America. It was kind of ratty and he rarely washed it. But he drove it for years.

I used to work with a guy that drove a C4 Vette (95 LT1) 4 seasons. He knocked down 35k miles a year. We had another customer with an NSX as a daily 4-season driver. I know they have a reputations as the "reliable supercar" but they cost a fortune with age. Almost no parts shared with the cheaper cars means everything is overnighted from Japan.

Me.... I'd totally rock a C6Z 4-seasons. Buy some good winter tires and call it a day.

I used to daily drive a 356 so anything modern is more then possible. But I live in the land of sunshine. Actually just ordered some parts to use the Viper as my daily now that I have the track Miata all setup.

My uncle 3-seasons an '02 911 as a daily driver.

An accountant I used to drink with gets a new stingray or equivalent vette every 3 years.

Ran into him in January at the gas station, in the vette, still with the stock I assume uhp summer tires on it. He was complaining about how much it sucked in the winter, I tried to tell him winter tires, but he doesn't care about that. Honestly I doubt he even takes them to the dealer for maintenance, not like he can't afford to, I just don't think he wants to.

All 4 seasons in western pa is just silly, but he does it.

If I could afford something like even a high mileage lambo or Ferrari, I'd drive it all the time, just so I could hear it rev.

We don't really get snow. And I don't drive crazy miles, so it would take me like 35 years to put that many miles on any car. So I guess anything could work as a DD, so long as it fits a child-seat.

I kinda want to keep DDing my Saturn for the next 16-18 years then pass it on to my son. Maybe it will be cool in a retro way then? (hahaha, just kidding)

RevRico wrote: If I could afford something like even a high mileage lambo or Ferrari, I'd drive it WHEN IT WAS RUNNING, just so I could hear it rev.

Fixicated for accuracy.

I hate talking to strangers so I think I'd get tired real quick of the attention that would follow a Lamborghini or equivalent exotic. I would daily a Porsche though. Those seem to fly under the radar a bit more.

Holy tar he spent 110K USD on a repair. You can buy a sub 30K mile Mercy right now with the manual for ~130K.

I hope to 3.5 season daily my MGB-GT after I finish the miata 1.6 engine swap. Not an exotic but quite rare especially in winter.

wearymicrobe wrote: Holy tar he spent 110K USD on a repair. You can buy a sub 30K mile Mercy right now with the manual for ~130K.

Well, he did admit “it was one of those heart-over-head things” due to his attachment to the car. If I were in a similar situation and had the means, I probably would have done the same thing. Plus, I'd guess a RHD Mercy isn't quite as common in England.

Robbie wrote: I hope to 3.5 season daily my MGB-GT after I finish the miata 1.6 engine swap. Not an exotic but quite rare especially in winter.

My dream is to use my 1800ES as well. Assuming I actually get it finished before I die. But there is another part of me that just wants to say "Berk it!" and go buy something stupid. Like a Lotus.

Given the choice of a DD that isnt practical, Id probably choose something more mundane than a supercar - Like a well sorted IS300 or E36 M3. Not because theyre better cars, but because I have actually wanted them as DD's. Sure, Id love a Aventador or NSX or R8. But, Ive just never lusted for one. Probably because I rarely see them around here. Ive had their posters on my wall, and talked about them sarcastically like supercars are the pinnacle of my automotive endeavors. Ive just never seen myself actually picking up groceries, or commuting to the office in one. But, when I see a rowdy looking G35 Coupe or CTS-V hustling around the boulevard, my pants get tight.

Dad has an '84 911 Cabrio that he daily drove for years. It has well north of 300,000 miles on it now. He had the top end redone, and had to replace the windshield because it had gotten too pitted to see through easily. Prior to that his daily driver was a '72 XKE V-12 roadster. He reports the 911 is a much better, more reliable car, but the air conditioner did not work worth a damn in either one.

Having DD a Miata in ONtario for 10 years, and five into the FRS, I know for a fact that I could live with the driving part of the exotic car equation as long as Blizzaks were around for the ride.

What would have to happen is some miracle income increase such that the price of a new Exotic were the equivalent percentage to what a new Miata would be now.

Someone around here DDs a filthy green Ferrari 599 with a "Gatewood Galbraith for Governor" bumper sticker. I've seen it year round and never clean.

I wonder what that thing blue books at with that mileage...

KyAllroad wrote: Someone around here DDs a filthy green Ferrari 599 with a "Gatewood Galbraith for Governor" bumper sticker. I've seen it year round and never clean.

There are a few of those around town here as well. One of the founders of Qualcomm is near me and I see his 599 or F12 just about every day.

I DD my 996. In law school, I DDed a 76 911, in Buffalo yet. Still own it 24 years later.

wearymicrobe wrote:

KyAllroad wrote: Someone around here DDs a filthy green Ferrari 599 with a "Gatewood Galbraith for Governor" bumper sticker. I've seen it year round and never clean.

There are a few of those around town here as well. One of the founders of Qualcomm is near me and I see his 599 or F12 just about every day.

There's also a 599 GTB in my area with higher miles and rock chips. In the words of the owner "I bought a Ferrari to drive it. I didn't buy a Ferrari to look at it"

Bobzilla wrote: Me.... I'd totally rock a C6Z 4-seasons. Buy some good winter tires and call it a day.

I can't even imagine driving a C6 Z06 on a set of Hakkapeliita's. I'd be amazed to find them in a suitable size and with the snow dumps we get 6 months out of the year and no ground clearance, it's a 50/50 shot of actually making it to work in something like that.

My old boss is DD'ing an R8 4 seasons in Chicago. His Boss DDs a bentley azure. His boss takes the Falcon.

I have a friend who dd's his classic mini and has for probably 30 years or so. Not always the same Mini, but he's driven Minis for what seems like forever.

crankwalk wrote:

Bobzilla wrote: Me.... I'd totally rock a C6Z 4-seasons. Buy some good winter tires and call it a day.

I can't even imagine driving a C6 Z06 on a set of Hakkapeliita's. I'd be amazed to find them in a suitable size and with the snow dumps we get 6 months out of the year and no ground clearance, it's a 50/50 shot of actually making it to work in something like that.

That's why I said "3.5 Season" - I'd drive it during the winter, but either drive one of my other cars in deep snow, or since I've decided spending 4 hours a day in a car is something I'd rather not do - stay home.

We usually don't get snow on the coast in BC (though lots of rain) so I drive the sports cars year round.

One of the funniest moments was taking the Lamborghini to the garden centre and telling the guy to just run the bags of steer manure over to the Lambo - he thought I was kidding (I wasn't - the licensing here allows cheap insurance on casual driving but never driven to work, so the collector plate vehicles including the Lambo got lots of weekend miles doing whatever chores needed doing.

My year round river for the last 40+ years has been a sports car or some sort (my record is 9 cases of wine in a Jensen Interceptor, but the rear springs didn't like it much)..