'Supercar season'
Discussion
I think it's a tragedcy to see the world's finest supercars condemned to kerb crawling around Kensington. In addition it seems to me that despite all the talk from Ferrari & MacLaren regarding how they "select" thier best customers for the LaFerrari and P1 that they really aren't that bothered who buys them - the proof is on the streets of London.
Durzel said:
robm3 said:
Not sure I should post this but... it's actually quite good fun driving in 1st and 2nd gear in a loud, sod off supercar through a busy city.
A good mate has an Aston Martin DBS with quicksilver exhaust in Hong Kong and gives me the keys regularly so I've done it a bit.
I don't think it's narcissism because the car is not mine, nor did my attributes get it, but again I say there's something really smug about doing it and it's great fun. The majority of PH's bagging it out obviously haven't had the opportunity to try it.
AND, in HK at least, a Westerner in a fast car making a lot noise get's the picture phones snapping AND girls (well mostly middle age women) do smile at you!
I should point out my mate is Asian and he get's almost zero crowd response doing the same antics.
Is this some ultra dry satire I'm too dumb to appreciate?A good mate has an Aston Martin DBS with quicksilver exhaust in Hong Kong and gives me the keys regularly so I've done it a bit.
I don't think it's narcissism because the car is not mine, nor did my attributes get it, but again I say there's something really smug about doing it and it's great fun. The majority of PH's bagging it out obviously haven't had the opportunity to try it.
AND, in HK at least, a Westerner in a fast car making a lot noise get's the picture phones snapping AND girls (well mostly middle age women) do smile at you!
I should point out my mate is Asian and he get's almost zero crowd response doing the same antics.
Assuming it's earnest - it is narcissism. The ownership of the car is irrelevant and I'm sure you don't make a point of telling people you don't own it. It's all a bit sad really, sorry.
Durzel said:
Being a bit more serious.. you could look at this stuff in different ways really. Clearly for the Arab contingent its about coming over here and doing stuff they would get chastised for at home, but is that so different from what Brits do in Lagos et al? There's just more money involved.
The only real losers in this are the "poor" folk who live on these London streets having to put up with these cars doing laps and revving away. Everyone else involved has a symbiosis with one another and are easily ignored.
That is a very good point.The only real losers in this are the "poor" folk who live on these London streets having to put up with these cars doing laps and revving away. Everyone else involved has a symbiosis with one another and are easily ignored.
I can't decide who is more sad, the attention whoring drivers or the attention seeking followers. It's a cringefest of epic proportions.
On balance it's got to be the camera wavers. The day one gets knocked down by his anonymous hero it'll be a struggle not to laugh.
Between those bawbags and the nugget jumping off Tower Bridge Youtube really has a lot to answer for.
On balance it's got to be the camera wavers. The day one gets knocked down by his anonymous hero it'll be a struggle not to laugh.
Between those bawbags and the nugget jumping off Tower Bridge Youtube really has a lot to answer for.
After digging 20 minutes into "vlogging" I feel properly old at 41.
Going with your supercar to London in the summer might have something
to do with that kind of exposure as well.
Personally I do not think it has something to do with "mating" as in
fact you might find mainly "mates" like 15 year old boys salivating on
your pride and joy. The more I look into it the iller it feels to me,
but really the supercar owners who take those just to "rev" them in
the city are in proper coexistence with those "vloggers".
There are many parts in the world where showing off a supercar like this
is seen as improper behavior, so it is really a win win win situation.
Ownly downside would be living local to one of the tier one hotels downtown,
but who lives downtown London anymore...
Martin
On a side note: Now I begin to understand what sense a modern day Lamborghini
makes. It is too wide to properly drive it on anything but an Autobahn and on
a straight line others are better. But for doing circles on the broad streets of
a modern day mega city it seems perfect.
Going with your supercar to London in the summer might have something
to do with that kind of exposure as well.
Personally I do not think it has something to do with "mating" as in
fact you might find mainly "mates" like 15 year old boys salivating on
your pride and joy. The more I look into it the iller it feels to me,
but really the supercar owners who take those just to "rev" them in
the city are in proper coexistence with those "vloggers".
There are many parts in the world where showing off a supercar like this
is seen as improper behavior, so it is really a win win win situation.
Ownly downside would be living local to one of the tier one hotels downtown,
but who lives downtown London anymore...
Martin
On a side note: Now I begin to understand what sense a modern day Lamborghini
makes. It is too wide to properly drive it on anything but an Autobahn and on
a straight line others are better. But for doing circles on the broad streets of
a modern day mega city it seems perfect.
Edited by Martin 480 Turbo on Saturday 25th July 20:25
crackdown
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/shopping-and-consu...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/shopping-and-consu...
Edited by wtdoom on Saturday 25th July 23:10
sidesauce said:
et me get this straight, you're saying this man enjoying the experience of driving a DBS, for free, is narcissistic and sad? And you make a great presumption about whether he tells people it's his or not; what if he does? To be honest, I think you're sad - life is short, enjoy it while you can.
No, that's not what I'm saying at all.I said I thought driving around in 1st and 2nd gear for the attention was narcissistic and sad. It's not the worst thing in the world but I didn't say that it was either.
Edited by Durzel on Saturday 25th July 22:32
I've not been in to London since all this took off in recent years as I've been living in Dubai for the last couple of years. I actually recognise some of the cars in these London pics/vis!
There is certainly some perspective to be had - this sort of thing happens in many major cities, it's not just Arabs doing it, and most of them are well behaved. In the Middle East I've found when they are parked up the owners are very happy to chat about their cars and where they go with them - most are just bored, lonely and have money. Some tell me London is just one of the 'stops' on their summer holidays with their cars - usually a bit of Europe open roads features.
The Arab obsession with London should not be scoffed at - the amount of money they pour in is huge. Of course not an excuse for bad behaviour, but as has been pointed out in various posts their behaviour is no different to the natives. I was chatting to a Qatari I worked with who had a place in London - he was paying $20,000 to fly his BMW M6 to the UK - a third of that money went to people in the UK who unloaded it, cleaned it, serviced it and drove it to his pad. Take that and multiply by the number of cars turning up in London and that's a lot of money just into car related industry.
I do enjoy seeing the cars - I'll need to pop in to London when I'm back and see if my time in Dubai has neutralised the wow factor!
There is certainly some perspective to be had - this sort of thing happens in many major cities, it's not just Arabs doing it, and most of them are well behaved. In the Middle East I've found when they are parked up the owners are very happy to chat about their cars and where they go with them - most are just bored, lonely and have money. Some tell me London is just one of the 'stops' on their summer holidays with their cars - usually a bit of Europe open roads features.
The Arab obsession with London should not be scoffed at - the amount of money they pour in is huge. Of course not an excuse for bad behaviour, but as has been pointed out in various posts their behaviour is no different to the natives. I was chatting to a Qatari I worked with who had a place in London - he was paying $20,000 to fly his BMW M6 to the UK - a third of that money went to people in the UK who unloaded it, cleaned it, serviced it and drove it to his pad. Take that and multiply by the number of cars turning up in London and that's a lot of money just into car related industry.
I do enjoy seeing the cars - I'll need to pop in to London when I'm back and see if my time in Dubai has neutralised the wow factor!
sidesauce said:
Durzel said:
robm3 said:
Not sure I should post this but... it's actually quite good fun driving in 1st and 2nd gear in a loud, sod off supercar through a busy city.
A good mate has an Aston Martin DBS with quicksilver exhaust in Hong Kong and gives me the keys regularly so I've done it a bit.
I don't think it's narcissism because the car is not mine, nor did my attributes get it, but again I say there's something really smug about doing it and it's great fun. The majority of PH's bagging it out obviously haven't had the opportunity to try it.
AND, in HK at least, a Westerner in a fast car making a lot noise get's the picture phones snapping AND girls (well mostly middle age women) do smile at you!
I should point out my mate is Asian and he get's almost zero crowd response doing the same antics.
Is this some ultra dry satire I'm too dumb to appreciate?A good mate has an Aston Martin DBS with quicksilver exhaust in Hong Kong and gives me the keys regularly so I've done it a bit.
I don't think it's narcissism because the car is not mine, nor did my attributes get it, but again I say there's something really smug about doing it and it's great fun. The majority of PH's bagging it out obviously haven't had the opportunity to try it.
AND, in HK at least, a Westerner in a fast car making a lot noise get's the picture phones snapping AND girls (well mostly middle age women) do smile at you!
I should point out my mate is Asian and he get's almost zero crowd response doing the same antics.
Assuming it's earnest - it is narcissism. The ownership of the car is irrelevant and I'm sure you don't make a point of telling people you don't own it. It's all a bit sad really, sorry.
Secondly I'm really sure all the critical people on this thread, if they are true petrolheads and not mumsnet ring-ins, have not done this before otherwise you wouldn't be calling the process sad. It's fun.
Thirdly there's not much more to do in HK than drive it around the city once you've done the hill road. Certainly there's no racetracks nor trackdays nearby.
I don't think it is narcissism as I just love cars and the act of driving something exotic is wonderful and tactile. I'm not posing outside of the 1,500 Rolex shops there, nor looking my reflection in shop windows. But, perhaps it is a little as it is great to see doorman in hotels rush over to assist you out (actually, it costs you a bit in rolled up tips to these guys, something you don't feel you have to always do if you jump out of a red cab, you don't want to come across cheap I guess).
I do concede there's a fine line between being a petrolhead enjoying the 'rolling theatre effect' and a to$$er. Not sure I can define it but sitting stationary revving the bo11ocks out of it and missing the green for go light probably puts you in knob category.
Anyhow, I'm back in HK in a couple of weeks so I'll take a video just to upset the wider online community
Edited by robm3 on Monday 27th July 07:24
wtdoom said:
crackdown
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/shopping-and-consu...
What a stupid proposal (and a stupid article). Just how do set the level at which some of the offences will be committed? And if you just happen to be going past Harrods in your Prias, and get a few Lambos up your bum, will you be charged with leading a convoy? Buses and taxi's could easily get caught as well!! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/shopping-and-consu...
Edited by wtdoom on Saturday 25th July 23:10
A very worthwhile clip from everyone's favourite PHer on the hot topic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxLDItrQoWc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxLDItrQoWc
^dont piss in my pocket and tell me its raining!
All i really heard is hey everyone i used to live in knightsbridge.
The playboy supercar owners are my bread and butter second to the bank of mum and dad so i am here to tell you how great they are.
They dont rev, they dont race etc etc.
Im sure these days its just as many m4 and c63 on brit plates, but the middle east boys are here to show off, also youtube is full of lamborghinis and ferraris revving and racing in london.
The problem is the attitude it brings, that they are better because they are rich. They party like primary school kids with no alcohol, scared to touch the girls yet act like they are "pimps" its embarassing to watch.
Everyone here likes the cars and the noise but most of us dont see it all day everyday.
All i really heard is hey everyone i used to live in knightsbridge.
The playboy supercar owners are my bread and butter second to the bank of mum and dad so i am here to tell you how great they are.
They dont rev, they dont race etc etc.
Im sure these days its just as many m4 and c63 on brit plates, but the middle east boys are here to show off, also youtube is full of lamborghinis and ferraris revving and racing in london.
The problem is the attitude it brings, that they are better because they are rich. They party like primary school kids with no alcohol, scared to touch the girls yet act like they are "pimps" its embarassing to watch.
Everyone here likes the cars and the noise but most of us dont see it all day everyday.
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