Doesn't bother me talking about my car. Probably bothers the people who ask about it though, haha!
For those who would rather drive than talk about it, or don't like the attention, I offer a simple solution. Order fuel by the barrel, have it delivered to your house (or pick it up yourself), fuel up in your garage, then get out of town for some back road driving. Cars like this aren't really in their element in traffic, even though they're more agreeable than ever these days.
dculberson said:I used to have an old ambulance (1966 Pontiac Bonneville "consort," or short wheelbase hearse/ambulance combo) with the Ghostbusters logos on the doors. When I first got it, it had a bunch of Ghostbusters-esque stuff strapped to the roof. It got an enormous amount of attention.
(What it was like without the rooftop stuff.) People would shout at me, a few women flashed me, I had someone get out of line in a drivethrough to come talk to me. I had someone ask to pump my gas. That sort of thing. Absolutely for the wrong kind of person it would be hell but I grew to like it. People always smiled. It wasn't negative attention.
My favorite was selling a 1972 Corolla to a nice guy from Florida, of Indian descent. I picked him up at the airport in the Pontiac, and as we drove through downtown Columbus, I kind of noticed him sinking lower and lower in his seat. He finally said "This kind of car is not for me. I do not like this much attention." I was just so used to absolutely everyone staring at the car it just didn't phase me. It was funny to get that new perspective on it.
I was young when I got it, just 20, and it was a bondo queen. So a few years of actual regular use in Ohio without a garage led to a lot of rust. I mean a monumental amount of rust. I just didn't have the skill to restore it myself or the money to pay someone. When I sold my first house after 13 years of fun with it, I sold the Pontiac. I still miss it but hopefully it's living a good life out in St Louis with the collector I sold it to.
In Lithopolis there's a -- get this -- Malibu Maxx done up Ghostbusters style, with the stuff on the roof and everything. People I used to work with in Lancaster talked about seeing it around town all the time for years. Probably going back to 2014. You want attention? Make a Ghostbusters car.
I'm curious where a Jaguar F-Type R fits into this squishy definition. Loud, fast, fairly rare, beautiful, but doesn't have the over-the-top looks that grab attention. It's more like a sculpture, instead of something looking like it just walked out of Gold's Gym.
Then there was the car I built, Midlana, 1700lbs and 530hp with the boost cranked up, and something of a black sheep at just about any venue. Didn't fit in at import car shows, British car shows, or American hot rod shows, and yet, it was faster than just about anything in attendance, they just didn't know it, so it got little attention.
When I'd come to a light, I'd sneak glances around to see if anyone noticed. Not because I crave attention, but as a character study in human nature. I was amazed by the number of people who didn't notice it. Lost in thought, checking their phones, talking to someone in their car, their world stopped at their windshield. Anyway, it wasn't an everyday car, being open top, no heat, no AC, no windows, no radio, no luxuries at all. While it had supercar performance, for me, it was a constant frustration driving it in traffic. The analogy I used was that it's like having spent a lot on a thoroughbred race horse, yet only being allowed to walk it.
Lastly, totally agree about how it depends - a lot - on where you live. In SoCal, 911s seem a dime a dozen, so frequent that they register about the same reaction as Tesla's. Even Maserati sedans are invisible. Only true and rare exotics really get the attention, and even then, people are so into their own worlds, it doesn't happen much at lights.
kb58 said:I'm curious where a Jaguar F-Type R fits into this squishy definition. Loud, fast, fairly rare, beautiful, but doesn't have the over-the-top looks that grab attention. It's more like a sculpture, instead of something looking like it just walked out of Gold's Gym.
Then there was the car I built, Midlana, 1700lbs and 530hp with the boost cranked up, and something of a black sheep at just about any venue. Didn't fit in at import car shows, British car shows, or American hot rod shows, and yet, it was faster than just about anything in attendance, they just didn't know it, so it got little attention.
When I'd come to a light, I'd sneak glances around to see if anyone noticed. Not because I crave attention, but as a character study in human nature. I was amazed by the number of people who didn't notice it. Lost in thought, checking their phones, talking to someone in their car, their world stopped at their windshield. Anyway, it wasn't an everyday car, being open top, no heat, no AC, no windows, no radio, no luxuries at all. While it had supercar performance, for me, it was a constant frustration driving it in traffic. The analogy I used was that it's like having spent a lot on a thoroughbred race horse, yet only being allowed to walk it.
Lastly, totally agree about how it depends - a lot - on where you live. In SoCal, 911s seem a dime a dozen, so frequent that they register about the same reaction as Tesla's. Even Maserati sedans are invisible. Only true and rare exotics really get the attention, and even then, people are so into their own worlds, it doesn't happen much at lights.
Yes definitely depends on where you live. Almost every day in South Florida I see brightly colored new Lamborghini's driving around in traffic or in parking lots. I doubt people are approaching these drivers to talk about their cars.
kb58 said:I'm curious where a Jaguar F-Type R fits into this squishy definition. Loud, fast, fairly rare, beautiful, but doesn't have the over-the-top looks that grab attention. It's more like a sculpture, instead of something looking like it just walked out of Gold's Gym.
My wife DD's an F-Type R. It's a neat car. Certainly one of the prettiest cars ever created, so much so that she often has people comment on its looks in the grocery store parking lot, gas pumps, etc. We were in Orlando this past weekend, heading up I-4 when a teenager in the backseat of the car next to us took a few pictures of the car. It really is stunning. And crazy fast and loud when you want it to be. 0-60 was quoted at 3.7 when the car came out. That's plenty quick for me!
So many times I have read stories on various P-cars here and the first one with a "douchebag owner" warning is about a Viper? wow :-)
“The Lucas electrics meant you could only have lights or wipers, but never both. So we’d just turn the lights on and try to drive fast enough to blow the rain right off the windshield.”
QFT.
As an aside, I've found it's usually good to be kind to inquisitive people; you never know which one of them will have the "whatever-it-is-you-need" to get a recalcitrant vehicle moving again when you're miles away from home.
In reply to ConiglioRampante :
Yeah, you never know. On the way home from The Amelia this year, we stopped at a BBQ joint. An older gentleman asked me a seemingly simple question about our 911, like what year or what was the official name of the color.
I watched them then get into the newer 911 parked out front. It wore PCA stickers.
My M4 got a lot of attention. Constantly seeing people take pics, wave or approach at the gas station. It was kinda fun. However I didn't like to leave it unattended precisely because it got so much attention. Too big a target for a jealous keying or theft. I was nervous leaving it places day to day. Im not sure id want it again unless it could be a second car.
In reply to Ian F :
A friend has a Mini wagon. Restored to the 9's. Can't go ANYWHERE that someone doesn't ask about it. Another friend had a Viper. Same amount of attraction....different type of attractee.
I have an '05 Elise and can't go anywhere without someone wanting to talk about it and I love every minute of it!
I have owned a bunch of uncommon cars, and I really honestly enjoy bringing a smile to a kids face or hearing someone's story about their old <whatever..> it's kind of great. Totally agree, don't do it if you don't want to meet the neighbors! Many years ago a spitfire, then I inherited my sister's old beetle convertible (both of which we still have, and wrench on) and in this century I bought an old 911. All 3 get questions and smiles etc. And it's fun. I dearly hope it never isn't. The 911 has become the daily. I put 7 or 8,000 mi a year on it, and it gets groceries as well as getting to auto-x. That back shelf is awesome for groceries... It does get the most attention; I took it to our local ice cream destination one summer day where there was no parking and the college kids coordinating things waved me in anyway and had me park right in front like I was driving a McLaren F1 or something. Going back and forth on their walkie talkies about what year was it ('88) was it a turbo? (no) and so on. There is hope for the future when barely 20-sometimes are digging a 35 year old car. At the resto shop I worked at we broke cars into 2 buckets, interesting cars and generic transportation appliances. In my aspirational goals I would like to be an ambassador for interesting cars. Get some kid fired up to find the car that excites them for whatever reason. Nothing wrong wtih appliances but the world is so much bigger. Great article!
I have two cars that draw a huge amount of attention: a pristine E30 M3 with cams and carbon airbox (the sound!); and an Aston-Martin V12 Vanquish. Virtually every time I take either of them out I'll see smiles, thumbs up, and smartphone videos from other cars. I often get questions and expressions of admiration at gas stations, parking lots, etc. which I generally don't mind ... unless I'm in a rough neighborhood!
I would consider the Vanquish a supercar. I've been daily driving it for about a year now. It's fussy at times: random electrical issues and occasional gearbox faults. Parking garages in NYC refuse to accept the car, so you're forced to street park. Between that and the fussiness of the gearbox in stop-and-go traffic, I avoid taking the car into Manhattan. But in the suburbs and on the highways it's been fine for everyday use.
My kid likes it when I do the school run in the M3
I've secretly wanted a viper since 1992. The one is really love is the first-generation roadster. I just don't know if I could live without roof and windows! I live in the northeast where rain and cold are common. There's a black one for sale locally and I'm seriously tempted!
In reply to LanEvo :
I'm curious as to why parking garages don't like your car. Too many Ferris Bueller incidents?
jimbob_racing said:In reply to LanEvo :
I'm curious as to why parking garages don't like your car. Too many Ferris Bueller incidents?
Attendants who can't drive a manual?
wspohn said:Only super car list the Viper wins is lowest specific output engine. Hard to respect a car that uses a low output (per liter) engine which achieves decent power through displacement (now 8.4 liters) rather than sophisticated design.
That's about 76 bhp/liter. My street BMW puts out 104 bhp/l and the Honda S2000 gets 120, both without any sort of turbo or supercharging. Toss a blower in and it makes it even more glaring - my street Ecotec sports car gets 187 bhp/l and still returns around 30 mpg on the highway. And still matches the phase 1 Vipers for quarter mile and 0-60 times, using 2.0 liters in place of 8..
Sorry, just cannot see them as a super car.
Is the brake specific fuel consumption for the Viper much worse than it is for those small engines? I don't know if it is or isn't. That'd be the real benchmark for how efficient it is against the others. The size alone is just how it's architected.
dculberson said:I used to have an old ambulance (1966 Pontiac Bonneville "consort," or short wheelbase hearse/ambulance combo) with the Ghostbusters logos on the doors. When I first got it, it had a bunch of Ghostbusters-esque stuff strapped to the roof. It got an enormous amount of attention.
(What it was like without the rooftop stuff.) People would shout at me, a few women flashed me, I had someone get out of line in a drivethrough to come talk to me. I had someone ask to pump my gas. That sort of thing. Absolutely for the wrong kind of person it would be hell but I grew to like it. People always smiled. It wasn't negative attention.
My favorite was selling a 1972 Corolla to a nice guy from Florida, of Indian descent. I picked him up at the airport in the Pontiac, and as we drove through downtown Columbus, I kind of noticed him sinking lower and lower in his seat. He finally said "This kind of car is not for me. I do not like this much attention." I was just so used to absolutely everyone staring at the car it just didn't phase me. It was funny to get that new perspective on it.
I was young when I got it, just 20, and it was a bondo queen. So a few years of actual regular use in Ohio without a garage led to a lot of rust. I mean a monumental amount of rust. I just didn't have the skill to restore it myself or the money to pay someone. When I sold my first house after 13 years of fun with it, I sold the Pontiac. I still miss it but hopefully it's living a good life out in St Louis with the collector I sold it to.
Now I can't get that stupid Ghostbusters tune out of my head. Gee thanks.
In reply to jimbob_racing :
I'm sure it has to do with liability. Some garages will allow you to do monthly parking (at a cost of $1000-1200). But virtually all of them have restrictions against day-rate parking of "exotics and supercars." The V12 Vanquish with paddle shift gearbox has raised that flag every time I've tried to park it so far.
LanEvo said:In reply to jimbob_racing :
I'm sure it has to do with liability. Some garages will allow you to do monthly parking (at a cost of $1000-1200). But virtually all of them have restrictions against day-rate parking of "exotics and supercars." The V12 Vanquish with paddle shift gearbox has raised that flag every time I've tried to park it so far.
Probably. I know several track insurance companies refuse to cover Ferrari. Probably the claims just arent worth it for them. Every minor thing is probably 10's of thousand of dollars. Unless they can charge you a couple hundred bucks to park...
In reply to LanEvo :
You are winning the cool dad thing!!!
In reply to A 401 CJ :
2018 me apologizes. Here maybe this will help.
I haven't had anyone stop to talk to me, but I've gotten a lot of second looks and waives since I bought the C8.
What to drive? Depends alot on age, and availability? Being fortunate enough to survive this long, I can choose from several, on any given day. Shelby Heritage Ed [22], Z06 [19], Monster Miata , or a Maverick [23]. Most used, most practical, and also is a very competitive racer for me? The Maverick! Not much of a "Supercar" if it's only seen at a "Cars & Coffee" events! 
dean1484 said:Really good read and I completely get what you are saying about you better be a people person if you have a car that is of this type. I have had some attention getting cars over the years and I always enjoyed it.
Yeah, I had a 2005 Lotus Elise back when they first came out in the US, and put close to 60k on it in 5 years as a mostly daily driver; my "primary" vehicle sat under a car cover most of those years. Even that car was livable on a daily basis once you got in and out of it (as long as you had an ice chest for ice cream runs), but you had to be fine with chatting about it nearly everywhere you parked.
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