Performance cars driven by non petrolheads?

Performance cars driven by non petrolheads?

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Original Poster:

1,796 posts

126 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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So this morning on the way back from the gym, I passed a Supra, myself and the driver exchanged an appreciateive glance as is often the case when you pass another piece of performance/interesting/petrolheady metal on the road?

Then just as I was pulling into my drive, a neighbour was tentatively reversing her M3 into her own drive, making a real hash of it. Then I thought, i've never seen her wash it, although it is clean (Lithuanians I rekon), she drives at a snails pace, seat right forward, chin against the wheel etc... yet chose to by an M3 of all things. This bird wouldn't know a chimera from a tuscan ffs!! ( wink )

I'm not so much asking WHY people do this(it's usully about the luxury/show off/comfort factor I guess)... but WHAT performance orientated/derived cars do you often see driven by non petrolheads?

1. M3's
2. (newer) Golf GTI's
3.

Pebbles167

3,417 posts

151 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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Porsche 911's. Driven by fking stupid middle aged men who cant work out what lane to be in.


OGR4M

845 posts

152 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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A female person at work has a Merc CLA 45 AMG (finance, I reckon - we don't earn that much!) - I asked her what engine was in it, 'cos ze Germans have a habit of mis-badging cars these days, I got "no idea, just liked the look of it..."

confused

Buff Mchugelarge

3,316 posts

149 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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Near my workplace there's a nice R32 golf driven by and older lady (65+) I've never heard it above 2k rpm. Poor car frown

CharlesAL

532 posts

123 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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I saw an old lady driving slowly in a mark 5 Golf GTI a couple of weeks back.

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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Obviously it's hard to define "petrolhead" but I'd say the vast majority of performance cars are driven by people with little technical interest in cars or driving. Amongest the mainstream brands, I doubt there's much difference in ratio of petrolheads to non-petrolheads.

okie592

2,711 posts

166 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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There's a lady mid 60s near me with a 997 turbo, and I always see middle aged men in jag xkr's round here.

Big audis aswell normally.

bitchstewie

50,781 posts

209 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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I remember a Honda dealer once telling me that the reason you see a lot of older people in things like Type R's is that often they literally go into the showroom and ask for the "top of the range" model which, with most marques, tends to be the fastest.

vtecyo

2,122 posts

128 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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kambites said:
Obviously it's hard to define "petrolhead" but I'd say the vast majority of performance cars are driven by people with little technical interest in cars or driving.
This.

Driver101

14,376 posts

120 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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Nissan GTRs and fast Audis.

They seem to think 4wd makes them driving gods. The truth is they often look clueless behind the wheel.

Leins

9,418 posts

147 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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Fair play to her, at least she bought something a bit more interesting than the norm, whatever the reason

HTP99

22,443 posts

139 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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Fairly often; maybe three times a week, I see a well to do lady with a big boufont hair do, I imagine she is in her 60's and dresses a bit like Hyacinth Bucket, in a blue Clio 197 (non Cup pack) pootling along the A3 doing about 60 in lane 1, always makes me chuckle.

See alot of Golf GTi's and the odd Audi RS3 being piloted by older women too, however the Clio 197 is the most odd one as that is as far away from comfort and luxury that you can get in a car.

MGZRod

8,086 posts

175 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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In Aberdeen it's AMG mercs, mainly C63's. Fast audis, RS5/6 normally.

Hundreds of the things here hehe

iva cosworth

44,044 posts

162 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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I know of a bloke in his 50s who has an Escort RS Cosworth and a Fiat Barchetta.

jimmy156

3,681 posts

186 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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MINI Cooper S

I would say that 90% of people buy them because they are the "best" MINI in the showroom and have 0 interest in how it drives.

Yours,
MINI Cooper S driver.

Drawweight

2,863 posts

115 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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iva cosworth said:
I know of a bloke in his 50s who has an Escort RS Cosworth and a Fiat Barchetta.
That makes me feel ancient.

I don't think age has much to do with it as opposed to how it's used.

I'm 60 and as well as my ZZR1100 I have a GSXR750 neither of which stays much within NSL.

robinessex

11,046 posts

180 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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Very common in my neck of the woods. Many ladies here way out of their depth. Watched in shear amazement as 'posh' lady attempted to park her Maserati in Sainsbury. Not a bloody clue. Funniest story I heard from a mate mechanic re a lady who brought her Honda S2000 in because it had a funny noise. A VERY slow run around the local streets revealed nowt, he was informed it only happned when she reached 50. So seats were reversed, and he headed for the local bypass. Upon arrival, he floored it. First there was the scream from the passenger seat. Then she insisted he go straight back to the garage as he was a destructive driver. She said she was going to take the car to another garage, and if he'd 'wrecked' her engine, she was going to sue them!!!! Apparently she never did more than 3000rpm to 'protect her engine'

J4CKO

41,286 posts

199 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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Lot of mentions of age in here, what has that got to do with being a Petrolhead or not ?

robinessex

11,046 posts

180 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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Drawweight said:
iva cosworth said:
I know of a bloke in his 50s who has an Escort RS Cosworth and a Fiat Barchetta.
That makes me feel ancient.

I don't think age has much to do with it as opposed to how it's used.

I'm 60 and as well as my ZZR1100 I have a GSXR750 neither of which stays much within NSL.
I'm 67, and even when I borrow the wifes Chrysler Cruiser for the DIY shed run, I seem to out accelerate and out corner just about everyone. Set a new home to Heathrow record last Friday evening as well!!

croyde

22,701 posts

229 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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Oi, I'm 52! Street Triple, BMW e36 and a V8 US sedan. All driven at 9/10s biggrin

I hate rich wonkers who can afford sports cars yet can't seem to drive them.

Fast A road and I'm in a hired Renault Espace and I know the road and am really enjoying myself making the big MPV work hard.

Come across a queue of traffic waiting to overtake something up ahead driving at a sedate 40. My turn and it's a Boxster driven by a woman with chair forward and completely oblivious to what's going on around her. Give me the keys lady and take my Espace. You'd be far happier.

I have a rich mate who has always lusted for an S4 convertible. Not a petrolhead, he just knows its an expensive Audi.

His wife got him one for his 40th and he took me for a drive. Might as well have bought him a milk float. He also had no idea what the paddles behind the steering wheel were. Grrrrrrr

I see a lot of big motorbikes, mainly supersports being ridden really sedately and not moving past stationary traffic.