what is it like to drive a super car
Discussion
Craigwww said:
Driving a supercar is immense... for the first few months, then it's just like any other car really except:
1. You constantly worry about where you're going to park
2. When you do leave it parked somewhere, you worry about it while youre away
3. You have to put up with people constantly asking you to rev the nuts off it
4. When a warning light pops up on the dash, you s
t your pants
5. You feel you are doing the car an injustice if sticking to the speed limits
6. You get frustrated that you can't boot if everywhere you go for fear of speedbumps, police & disaproving old people
7. You look like a prick when you don't let all your mates drive it
8. You look like the worlds biggest bell end if you ever dare to stall it at the lights
9. You look like a poser in the petrol station when you're 'filling her up'
10. You look like a poser when you stick the shades on
11. You have to endure the stress of reverse parking while everyone is watching and praying you'll fk it up
12. You feel like a knob when someone whips out their iphone and decides they want a photo or video of your car while you're sat there at the lights.. do I smile? Do I give them the thumbs up? Do I ignore them? Then you have to suffer the embarrassment as said 'happy snapper' walks away and calls you a cock.
13. If you're under 40 everyone thinks you're a footballer or a lottery winner
14. You feel like a loser when that 21 yr old blonde in the tiny dress and heels wafts by without even batting an eye at you or the car.
15. You are disappointed when the 18 yr old blonde thinks it's a Toyota and she swears blind the guy she works with in Tesco has one just like it
16. You get a sore neck from trying to catch the reflection of the car in every mildly reflective surface
17. You can't put photos of it on Facebook/Twitter cos everyone thinks you're just showing off
18. The feel like a pretentious c*nt saying the word "Ferrari" anytime anyone enquires as to what you drive
19. You come to realise that the only people who actually give a f*ck you have a supercar are men, and that it ain't going to get you laid with anyone other than gold diggers, will probably cost you a few jealous mates and a small fortune.
Is it worth it?
Hell yes.
1. I get to press the "start" button every time I get in the car and listen to a Ferrari V8 bark into life.
2. I get to sit in my garage and admire every detail of the bodywork and engine.
3. I get to drop the window on approach to a tunnel, drop a gear and hear that sensory overloading sound of Ferrari V8 reverb around an enclosed space as it blats through the rev range.
4**. I get to smash all slutty gold-digger, wag wanna-be's...*
It's worth all the stress and hassle just for that.. if you ever get a chance to own one, do it.
note** - this was added for effect only and while I could, I doubt the gf would approve.
Couldn't agree more with Craig on this one.1. You constantly worry about where you're going to park
2. When you do leave it parked somewhere, you worry about it while youre away
3. You have to put up with people constantly asking you to rev the nuts off it
4. When a warning light pops up on the dash, you s
t your pants5. You feel you are doing the car an injustice if sticking to the speed limits
6. You get frustrated that you can't boot if everywhere you go for fear of speedbumps, police & disaproving old people
7. You look like a prick when you don't let all your mates drive it
8. You look like the worlds biggest bell end if you ever dare to stall it at the lights
9. You look like a poser in the petrol station when you're 'filling her up'
10. You look like a poser when you stick the shades on
11. You have to endure the stress of reverse parking while everyone is watching and praying you'll f
k it up12. You feel like a knob when someone whips out their iphone and decides they want a photo or video of your car while you're sat there at the lights.. do I smile? Do I give them the thumbs up? Do I ignore them? Then you have to suffer the embarrassment as said 'happy snapper' walks away and calls you a cock.
13. If you're under 40 everyone thinks you're a footballer or a lottery winner
14. You feel like a loser when that 21 yr old blonde in the tiny dress and heels wafts by without even batting an eye at you or the car.
15. You are disappointed when the 18 yr old blonde thinks it's a Toyota and she swears blind the guy she works with in Tesco has one just like it
16. You get a sore neck from trying to catch the reflection of the car in every mildly reflective surface
17. You can't put photos of it on Facebook/Twitter cos everyone thinks you're just showing off
18. The feel like a pretentious c*nt saying the word "Ferrari" anytime anyone enquires as to what you drive
19. You come to realise that the only people who actually give a f*ck you have a supercar are men, and that it ain't going to get you laid with anyone other than gold diggers, will probably cost you a few jealous mates and a small fortune.
Is it worth it?
Hell yes.
1. I get to press the "start" button every time I get in the car and listen to a Ferrari V8 bark into life.
2. I get to sit in my garage and admire every detail of the bodywork and engine.
3. I get to drop the window on approach to a tunnel, drop a gear and hear that sensory overloading sound of Ferrari V8 reverb around an enclosed space as it blats through the rev range.
4**. I get to smash all slutty gold-digger, wag wanna-be's...*
It's worth all the stress and hassle just for that.. if you ever get a chance to own one, do it.
note** - this was added for effect only and while I could, I doubt the gf would approve.
Edited by Craigwww on Friday 25th October 06:46
Edited by Craigwww on Friday 25th October 06:48
Except for point 13, people will also think you might be a drug dealer.
Also, if its a car from, say before the year 2000 they are also hard work!!
The clutch, brakes, steering are all heavy, the visabilty can be terrible, they mist up on cold days, roast you on warm days and sauna you on hot days.
Comapred to a moden car, they are so much effort and you might be surprised how hard/bad they are to drive.
The clutch, brakes, steering are all heavy, the visabilty can be terrible, they mist up on cold days, roast you on warm days and sauna you on hot days.
Comapred to a moden car, they are so much effort and you might be surprised how hard/bad they are to drive.
My car isn't a supercar but going from a 1.4L Corsa B to something pushing 250bhp at 18 was a step up at the time. I couldn't believe how quick things we coming up...
Now 5 years on I have 60bhp more and am used to it to the point that it doesn't feel that fast anymore.
I know a supercar is another step-up but I would imagine the same process slowly takes place. Being "used" to power doesn't necessarily mean that you are capable of using that power all the time...
Now 5 years on I have 60bhp more and am used to it to the point that it doesn't feel that fast anymore.
I know a supercar is another step-up but I would imagine the same process slowly takes place. Being "used" to power doesn't necessarily mean that you are capable of using that power all the time...
That excellent post above pretty much sums it up.
In the UK especially, you get a lot of negativity and assumptions from other people. Many, for example, can't comprehend a genuine enthusiasm for cars and assume it's to make up for a small manhood.
It's all easy enough to ignore but it makes you acutely aware that it's your own hobby and no-one elses'.
The cars themselves I think, from my very modest experience of driving fast cars give initially a feeling of being slightly intimidated. Things happen fast and you have to make extra allowances for other people. Other drivers, for example, will cut you up as a road opens up to more lanes as they just don't realise how quickly a high performance car can close a gap when overtaking - and they just drift over assuming they have space to do so before you get there.
I guess you've just got to be on your guard at all times - even more so than when driving a normal car.
The power and acceleration become less of a novelty. I now consider our pair of 3.0litre daily drivers rather slow...
Fast cars like Ferraris are actually pretty safe to drive if you leave the traction control on and remember that although they can accelerate better than most cars, they aren't as significantly better at stopping or even cornering in terms of distance or speed you can enter at. A bit, but not twice as good like acceleration.
Fast cars like TVRs are prepotentially dangerous if you're a novice as they are more than capable of breaking traction under power well into illegal speeds even in the dry if the road and tyres are cool - something a small 1.2 hatchback requires a lot of revs and a clutch dump in 1st gear to achieve. Spinning wheels in a hatchback is inconsequential though, whereas at TVR rates of acceleration it requires anticipation of the possibility of loss of traction, instant recognition if/when it happens and near-instant correction from the driver or you'll be in the scenery in a flash.
Basically, they demand respect.
In the UK especially, you get a lot of negativity and assumptions from other people. Many, for example, can't comprehend a genuine enthusiasm for cars and assume it's to make up for a small manhood.
It's all easy enough to ignore but it makes you acutely aware that it's your own hobby and no-one elses'.
The cars themselves I think, from my very modest experience of driving fast cars give initially a feeling of being slightly intimidated. Things happen fast and you have to make extra allowances for other people. Other drivers, for example, will cut you up as a road opens up to more lanes as they just don't realise how quickly a high performance car can close a gap when overtaking - and they just drift over assuming they have space to do so before you get there.
I guess you've just got to be on your guard at all times - even more so than when driving a normal car.
The power and acceleration become less of a novelty. I now consider our pair of 3.0litre daily drivers rather slow...
Fast cars like Ferraris are actually pretty safe to drive if you leave the traction control on and remember that although they can accelerate better than most cars, they aren't as significantly better at stopping or even cornering in terms of distance or speed you can enter at. A bit, but not twice as good like acceleration.
Fast cars like TVRs are prepotentially dangerous if you're a novice as they are more than capable of breaking traction under power well into illegal speeds even in the dry if the road and tyres are cool - something a small 1.2 hatchback requires a lot of revs and a clutch dump in 1st gear to achieve. Spinning wheels in a hatchback is inconsequential though, whereas at TVR rates of acceleration it requires anticipation of the possibility of loss of traction, instant recognition if/when it happens and near-instant correction from the driver or you'll be in the scenery in a flash.
Basically, they demand respect.
garyhun said:
DonkeyApple said:
It's the thrill of sitting in a slow moving jam feeling the clutch wear out.
The thrill of taking a corner at 60 that you know you could take at 120.
The buzz of pressing the brakes lightly because you aren't moving fast enough to really need them.
The raw excitement of accelerating gently from 30 to 50, then down to 40, then maybe even a little over 50 but back all the way down to 20.
Just make sure your car has a comfortable seat and a lovely interior so that you have something positive to help you keep the will to live when trapped in an ocean of diesel st boxes. 
You need a track day The thrill of taking a corner at 60 that you know you could take at 120.
The buzz of pressing the brakes lightly because you aren't moving fast enough to really need them.
The raw excitement of accelerating gently from 30 to 50, then down to 40, then maybe even a little over 50 but back all the way down to 20.
Just make sure your car has a comfortable seat and a lovely interior so that you have something positive to help you keep the will to live when trapped in an ocean of diesel s
t boxes. Oh, and not being able to use ferries easily. Or being unable to move in Italy because everywhere you go you are left feeling like you are performing in the final round of the Global Dogging Competition.
Jag. said:
Couldn't agree more with Craig on this one.
Except for point 13, people will also think you might be a drug dealer.
Just about covers it all.Except for point 13, people will also think you might be a drug dealer.
For some reason people will assume that you inherited money, won the lottery, borrowed it etc etc. It never seems to occur to some that you may have worked bloody hard and saved for it. You just got 'lucky' somewhere.
So yeah, if anyone asks, I stole it.
The nearest I have got wasn't a proper supercar but was part way there; an F355 which I was insured on.
It looked great, it went very well, it sounded great but on our narrow country lanes it was seriously hard work, it tramlined a lot and was built by blind papier-mâché enthusiasts, such was it's fragility.
Definitely fun but my ultimate car would never be a full fat supercar; it would be a 911 or similar.
It looked great, it went very well, it sounded great but on our narrow country lanes it was seriously hard work, it tramlined a lot and was built by blind papier-mâché enthusiasts, such was it's fragility.
Definitely fun but my ultimate car would never be a full fat supercar; it would be a 911 or similar.
If I'm being honest, I imagine that once the novelty effect as worn off the best word would end up being - overrated.
In the real world, certainly here in the UK there would be too many compromises.
I bet most supercar owners spend most of the time behind the wheel of something closer to 'normal' maybe a high end BMW or RR because most of the time they are easier and nicer to drive.
Not saying that having one to use on Sundays as it were wouldn't be nice!
That said I reckon a something like a 911 turbo or Audi R8 - junior supercars? are probably good daily drives.
In the real world, certainly here in the UK there would be too many compromises.
I bet most supercar owners spend most of the time behind the wheel of something closer to 'normal' maybe a high end BMW or RR because most of the time they are easier and nicer to drive.
Not saying that having one to use on Sundays as it were wouldn't be nice!
That said I reckon a something like a 911 turbo or Audi R8 - junior supercars? are probably good daily drives.
Edited by lincsls2 on Friday 25th October 11:04
Vladimir said:
The nearest I have got wasn't a proper supercar but was part way there; an F355 which I was insured on.
It looked great, it went very well, it sounded great but on our narrow country lanes it was seriously hard work, it tramlined a lot and was built by blind papier-mâché enthusiasts, such was it's fragility.
Definitely fun but my ultimate car would never be a full fat supercar; it would be a 911 or similar.
I think this is where the McLaren 12C comes in. It's meant to be such an easy car to live with day to day and when pushing on. My ideal car. If only I had the money It looked great, it went very well, it sounded great but on our narrow country lanes it was seriously hard work, it tramlined a lot and was built by blind papier-mâché enthusiasts, such was it's fragility.
Definitely fun but my ultimate car would never be a full fat supercar; it would be a 911 or similar.
I've owned a few Porsches, not really supercars but have driven quite a few - Astons, Lambos, Ferrari's etc. The experience is fantastic, exhillerating as a petrol head.
What others have said on here, particularly the poster who wrote the big list is pretty much bang on. Driving a Ferrari, for example, has you grinning from ear to ear, but always with a sense of panic that any dashboard light spells doom and if you take it beyond your limits (which you'll reach very quickly - these are fast cars), you'll be in a ditch. But it'll sound absolutely awesome whilst you spin off into a field.
The sound is simply spectacular, the acelleration (if coming from a low powered car) will have you laughing your head off in disbelief and you get a LOT of attention. People stop and stare, take photos, kids absolutely love seeing them. You feel like a superstar, until you stop at traffic lights. Then you feel like a bit of a tit.
They look fantastic - every one of them - and looking in the mirrors you can see stupidly wide arches, vents all over the shop trying to keep the engines cool. They are all just daft.
Porsches are akin to supercars in terms of the driving experience, but without the sense of occasion. You can have huge amounts of fun in a Porsche without the world really noticing that you are there. But being noticed is really all part of the 'supercar' experience.
The Porsche exception is the Carrera GT which is batst crazy and has an engine note to die for.
If you get chance, take one for a drive. 6th Gear experience is a great way to try them out, or Vision motorsport (www.rally-driving-days.co.uk). Track experience days give you that experience the power, handling, drive, performance etc. But if you want a taster of 'ownership', you need to drive on on the roads to see the reaction of others, and be able to reference on your own normal roads just how much they are transformed in these cars.
What others have said on here, particularly the poster who wrote the big list is pretty much bang on. Driving a Ferrari, for example, has you grinning from ear to ear, but always with a sense of panic that any dashboard light spells doom and if you take it beyond your limits (which you'll reach very quickly - these are fast cars), you'll be in a ditch. But it'll sound absolutely awesome whilst you spin off into a field.
The sound is simply spectacular, the acelleration (if coming from a low powered car) will have you laughing your head off in disbelief and you get a LOT of attention. People stop and stare, take photos, kids absolutely love seeing them. You feel like a superstar, until you stop at traffic lights. Then you feel like a bit of a tit.
They look fantastic - every one of them - and looking in the mirrors you can see stupidly wide arches, vents all over the shop trying to keep the engines cool. They are all just daft.
Porsches are akin to supercars in terms of the driving experience, but without the sense of occasion. You can have huge amounts of fun in a Porsche without the world really noticing that you are there. But being noticed is really all part of the 'supercar' experience.
The Porsche exception is the Carrera GT which is bats
t crazy and has an engine note to die for.If you get chance, take one for a drive. 6th Gear experience is a great way to try them out, or Vision motorsport (www.rally-driving-days.co.uk). Track experience days give you that experience the power, handling, drive, performance etc. But if you want a taster of 'ownership', you need to drive on on the roads to see the reaction of others, and be able to reference on your own normal roads just how much they are transformed in these cars.
Edited by Paul O on Friday 25th October 13:36
Le TVR said:
Jag. said:
Couldn't agree more with Craig on this one.
Except for point 13, people will also think you might be a drug dealer.
Just about covers it all.Except for point 13, people will also think you might be a drug dealer.
For some reason people will assume that you inherited money, won the lottery, borrowed it etc etc. It never seems to occur to some that you may have worked bloody hard and saved for it. You just got 'lucky' somewhere.
So yeah, if anyone asks, I stole it.
lincsls2 said:
If I'm being honest, I imagine that once the novelty effect as worn off the best word would end up being - overrated.
In the real world, certainly here in the UK there would be too many compromises.
I bet most supercar owners spend most of the time behind the wheel of something closer to 'normal' maybe a high end BMW or RR because most of the time they are easier and nicer to drive.
Not saying that having one to use on Sundays as it were wouldn't be nice!
That said I reckon a something like a 911 turbo or Audi R8 - junior supercars? are probably good daily drives.
If it were an overrated experience people wouldn't keep on buying them after their first. I imagine it depends on the kind of person you are - if you think it would be overrated and would prefer a 911 then it probably wouldn't be that great for you. In the real world, certainly here in the UK there would be too many compromises.
I bet most supercar owners spend most of the time behind the wheel of something closer to 'normal' maybe a high end BMW or RR because most of the time they are easier and nicer to drive.
Not saying that having one to use on Sundays as it were wouldn't be nice!
That said I reckon a something like a 911 turbo or Audi R8 - junior supercars? are probably good daily drives.
Edited by lincsls2 on Friday 25th October 11:04
E65Ross said:
I think this is where the McLaren 12C comes in. It's meant to be such an easy car to live with day to day and when pushing on. My ideal car. If only I had the money
It's phenomenal but still suffers from the fact that it is more thrilling to take a 60mph bend at 45 in a 2CV than at 60 in the Macca. To get the same buzz would require taking that bend at 120. That's really the downside of modern supercars; they drive too well to give that true driving buzz on the roads without travelling at speeds which are frankly wrong. For me the speed, acceleration and general, definable performance are largely irrelevant. The worst bit is the intimidation and response/reaction.
I was forunate enough to drive an F50 earlier in the year and the sense of intimidation was enormous. First up, it's a car I've had very dirty thoughts about since I was 15 and for me it's a real hero car. Secondly, sitting at the wheel of a >£500,000 hypercar, which has no electronic assistance; no ABS, ESP, TC and no PAS, combined with the fact it was snowing and left-hand drive and on unfamiliar roads, all whilst the owner is sitting next to you, makes for a broadly terrifying experience. And that was before the key was in the ignition.
The response/reaction stuff is when you have to rapidly forget everything you know about how you drive your daily tedious grey depressionbox and adjust your feet and hands to supercar mode. Light touches on everything. Learn how they react. In the first few yards tune yourself to know how quickly that stonking great FP V12 behind your ears spins up, know how the clutch bites, get a feel for the speed and weight of the steering, remember to change gear with your right hand and not your left hand and above all think about 335 section tyres on cold, wet roads.
The more you appreciate what the car is and what it can do, the more intimidating it is. Like being forced to bang a supermodel whilst your parents watch.
I was forunate enough to drive an F50 earlier in the year and the sense of intimidation was enormous. First up, it's a car I've had very dirty thoughts about since I was 15 and for me it's a real hero car. Secondly, sitting at the wheel of a >£500,000 hypercar, which has no electronic assistance; no ABS, ESP, TC and no PAS, combined with the fact it was snowing and left-hand drive and on unfamiliar roads, all whilst the owner is sitting next to you, makes for a broadly terrifying experience. And that was before the key was in the ignition.
The response/reaction stuff is when you have to rapidly forget everything you know about how you drive your daily tedious grey depressionbox and adjust your feet and hands to supercar mode. Light touches on everything. Learn how they react. In the first few yards tune yourself to know how quickly that stonking great FP V12 behind your ears spins up, know how the clutch bites, get a feel for the speed and weight of the steering, remember to change gear with your right hand and not your left hand and above all think about 335 section tyres on cold, wet roads.
The more you appreciate what the car is and what it can do, the more intimidating it is. Like being forced to bang a supermodel whilst your parents watch.
E65Ross said:
I think this is where the McLaren 12C comes in. It's meant to be such an easy car to live with day to day and when pushing on. My ideal car. If only I had the money
Yes these do appeal, partly because they are quite small.The FQ360 I tested could be "used" far more easily than the F355; smallish, violently rapid, properly built. The quickest point to point far I've ever driven but saloon only and insanely poor fuel range!
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