Car enthusiasm

[bullettneil]

What are peoples thoughts on here toward cars and ones they are around a lot? I have a few friends who work round big name cars(Ferrari etc ) and say they now just see them like mondeos as they see them everyday. I currently work for ferrari,Lamborghini and Maserati parts supplier/breaker.and we have a specialist repairer for them over the road. Plus I'm around Porsches all the time. I never seem to tired of them and genuinely get excited to see them.no matter how many I've seen before. If I'm driving or walking down the street I still crane my neck at them all no matter the age. And this still is the way when I see cars like old fords or proper classics I grow up aorund like Renault 5 turbos and 205's

Am I the odd one out or are the other not really true enthusiasts? What are your thoughts?

[Mr Gear]

Depends. Some Ferraris are more interesting than others.

[Mound Dawg]

I work around some lovely old Alfas and seeing a nice one always makes me smile. I'm with you on this.

[Hoygo 2]

Replace cars with washing machines the brands and all,that's how non-car enthusiasts see cars.

[BULLITT Rich]

Personally I think Steve Strope from Pure Vision says it best in the Petrolicious video

http://youtu.be/oFPLXdmamPw

His words really do ring true for me.

[johnnymaestro]

BULLITT Rich said:

Personally I think Steve Strope from Pure Vision says it best in the Petrolicious video

http://youtu.be/oFPLXdmamPw

His words really do ring true for me.

What a great video , and car. When I saw the engine I even said wow out loud.

Back on topic. I used to get to work around what you would call exotica, old and new, almost daily and it just seemed normal to me. But, when at race meetings with cars, and with people talking of how it was their dream to see one let alone sit in one, it reminded me how lucky I was.

Edited by johnnymaestro on Thursday 31st July 22:56

[Codswallop]

I work in Chelsea and see plenty of modern Lambos, Ferraris etc, and to be honest I am not as excited about seeing them anymore. Still appreciate the sounds, but I only tend to have my head turned by classics or rare/ unusual cars these days.

[BULLITT Rich]

Codswallop said:

I work in Chelsea and see plenty of modern Lambos, Ferraris etc, and to be honest I am not as excited about seeing them anymore. Still appreciate the sounds, but I only tend to have my head turned by classics or rare/ unusual cars these days.

I agree here, modern supercars dont do much for me, I'll give an appreciative glance but I'm often cold about them because it's been bought by someone who doesn't appreciate it, they just wanted a flashy car, they're not car enthusiasts, just wealthy. Now, if I saw a Miura or a 288GTO or a 2.7RS I'd be breaking my neck to catch a proper glance, part of me knows that only a proper car enthusiast would buy one of them, or at least I'd hope so anyway.

[TREMAiNE]

It does depend on the car to be honest.

I'll get more excited seeing a clean 205GTI than I will a 458.

But if I were to see a 355 I'd go to sleep thinking about it.

[BarbaricAvatar]

Depends.

The new breed of supercars just don't interest me at all because they're engineered rather than styled, If i spot something interesting out in the wild though i'm though i'm not ashamed to let my eyes linger.

I walk past a BMW dealership and a Porsche dealership regularly every week and everytime i do peek inside in case there's something old and tasty inside (though i do like the current BMW Z4). Usually i'm disappointed and do my best to ignore the 991's or current 1-series', but i always check just in case.

Though i do get excited to see & hear something i'm just not expecting, even if it's an old XJS or Alfa 164.

[turboteeth]

Hoygo 2 said:

Replace cars with washing machines the brands and all,that's how non-car enthusiasts see cars.

I crane my neck if I spot a Miele!

Not all washing machines and dryers are the same...

[GeorgeV12]

I work in a car dealership on Park Lane in Mayfair, so I see the likes of Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini and the rarest of the rare on an hourly basis fly past my window.

It never gets tiring, that is why I love this business. I can understand the excitment perhaps fading away as a Ferrari 458 for example wont turn my head that much these days but the admiration never wears off.

[Leins]

The Le Mans Classic this year was a revelation for me. Yes, it was great to see all the C-Types, 2.7 RSs & 250LMs, both out on the racetrack and driving around the streets...

However, it was seeing some of the other "inferior" stuff around the place that I loved e.g. R5 Turbo2, Integrales, 900 T16S, 964 Turbos. It felt like someone rocking up in an Uno Turbo ie would nearly upstage a brand new 458, just for being a bit different. Petrolhead heaven for me!

[Nezquick]

I'm as big of a petrolhead as anyone on PH but there's only one car that makes me consistently want to look and that's an old shape Mini. I think it's because i've owned two and used to work for a reputable Mini specialist in the North West and there's nothing quite like that A-Series engine sound and the quirky looks to put a smile on my face.

Other than that, i'm only ever swayed by real exotica (such as Enzo/P1/Zonda type cars). All the other Ferrari's/Lambo's etc are no longer unique nor are they that "rare".

[deltashad]

For me car design took a real downturn in the 90s.
I saw an i8 yesterday driving around Glasgow and really got excited. This doesn't happen for me very often with New cars.

[Al U]

Put it this way, I don't bat an eyelid when I see a 12C or a 650S. Even though I've seen one everyday for probably the last year, a P1 still gets me every time. It is truly stunning in the flesh.

[CaptainPeanut]

Al U said:

Put it this way, I don't bat an eyelid when I see a 12C or a 650S. Even though I've seen one everyday for probably the last year, a P1 still gets me every time. It is truly stunning in the flesh.

+1 (although not quite a years exposure yet)

[GroundEffect]

I spend quite a bit of time around race cars. See them quite often on our test tracks and in our tunnels. They definitely make me take a 2nd glance, but it's becoming the norm to see an M-sport truck pull up, or WSR.

[bazza white]

Ive gone more towards classics, love seeing something restored driving around and this love for classics is growing, Ive been after a something a bit older for a while but seems I'm either out of luck or my priorities get in the way like buying a house.

[goneape]

I live in West London. Anything with a porsche or aston martin badge is just a daily occurrence for me unless it's for example a db4 or air-cooled. I really gravitate to rare rather than expensive these days. Coy's are just up the road and the other one by kew station, usually end up picking bits of grit off my tongue after passing.